My favorite image taken at Nsumo Pan 🙂
I had to post this one separately!
A Mid-Morning Snooze …
A Cold Winter Morning, a Hippo Island and a Slender Rarity
Yesterday I went to Nsumo Pan at Mkhuze Game Reserve. I wanted to evaluate if this large pan system with its well positioned hides is a good place for excursions with Thanda’s ‘serious photographer’ guests.
Judge for yourself!
I enjoyed the seven hours photo session which included a lot of water birds, a Hippo mum with her small calf out of the water, an African Jacana which used a Hippo as a mid-pan-island, and a Slender Mongoose posing for the camera (a very rare sighting).
In connection with the khMasinga hide (I will post some recent images from this hide, soon) I think this natural pan will work well for ‘serious photography’ guests as long as they have a 500mm+ lens and if they are also interested in birds. For birding enthusiasts it is a paradise – even without pictures.
Enjoy the gallery!
African Fish Eagle
Nyalas on the opposite bank
Morning snooze …
In case you are interested here all the 27 different species I have seen on that day:
Hippos * | African Fish-Eagle * | African Openbill | Spur-winged Goose * | Egyptian Goose * | Nyala * | Impala | Blue Wildebeest | African Darter | African Jacana * | Nile Crocodile | Black-winged Stilt * | Brown-hooded | Kingfisher * | Warthog | Pink-backed Pelican * | Great White Pelican * | Red Duicker | Cattle Egret |Great Egret | Grey Heron | Red-billed Teal | Greater Flamingo | Water Monitor * | Terrapin | African Spoonbill | Slender Mongoose * | Goliath Heron * | * = good photographic condition/distance
In just one day …
During my last time off-work I spent one day in KwaZulu Natal’s most famous National Park, the Hluhluwe-Imfolzi Game Reserve.
I packed all my long lenses, as animals in National Parks are often further away then on Thanda, where we can drive off-road to get closer. In a National Park one has to stay on the roads. The day turned out to be very windy, so I saw almost no general game and very few birds. But most of the “big ones” made their appearance.
Just after I entered the park I drove by a Lion kill sighting (in the thick bush off the road), just as a White Rhino walked by. A herd of Cape Buffalo stared at me near Hilltop Camp as I passed quite close to them. I had many White Rhino sightings (with a lot of ticks on all the Rhinos :-)). Two Elephant bulls strolled up a hillside far away (work for my 500mm lens!) and finally I got to see a few Impalas.
As the sun started to set I watched a Baboon family at their daily grooming ritual and then took a few scenery sunset shots before I left the park.
All in all a productive and relaxing day, despite the wind. I hope you will enjoy this online-image-gallery!
Baboons’ Cleaning Ritual
Rhino, Lion and Park Visitors
Colors!
In the animal kingdom there are many colors. And birds provide some of the most beautiful examples of a multi-color-display.
This Gwala-Gwala (Purple-crested Turaco) shows fluorescent greens and purple combined with the most stunning crimson under the wings.
Another one of my favorites!
Scarlet Beauty
A few images of one of my favorite birds – Scarlet-chested Sunbird – I took them this weekend on Pakamisa.
Route 66
It was an interesting drive from the Indian Ocean up the Zululand Heritage Route 66 to the Swaziland Border.
I had not chosen the best day for the drive as some of the heritage sites were closed on Saturdays, but it was still a worthwhile experience. I will be back on a weekday to look at the sites I have missed this time.
After my visit to Amatigulu Game Reserve and a canoe tour on the Amatigulu river’s estuary (I will blog about that visit in a few days) I drove to the town of Eshowe …
There I had a quick look at the Fort Nongqayi Museum Village and …
…I took a long walk into Dlinza Forest Nature Reserve with its aerial boardwalk. It was rather late in the afternoon and I did not see a lot of birds, but I still enjoyed the walk in the forest.
I stayed overnight at Eshowe Guest House, which can only be recommended for any stay in Eshowe.
The next day I continued north passing Melmoth to the Ophathe Game Reserve, which was also closed – nobody at the gate :-(.
On my way to Ulundi I crossed the White Mfolozi River and then…
…. I stopped at the Battle of Ulundi Memorial. It commemorates the last battle in the Anglo Zulu War of 1879. This battle effectively ended the rule of King Cetshwayo and the independence of the Zulu kingdom. I was very keen to visit the KwaZulu Cultural History Museum in Ulundi – which includes Ondini, a recreation of King Cetshwayo’s residence – but it was not open on weekends 😦
Pushing north I crossed the Black Mfolozi River and drove into Nongoma, the Royal Capital of Zululand. The Royal Family including King Zwelithini lives there in no less than six royal residences in and around the town. It was the busiest Zululand country town I have experienced so far :-). It took me over twenty minutes to cross the center of town – people, cars, cows everywhere …!
My road map showed the complete route 66 being a tar-road. But that must have been wishful thinking on the map maker’s part. For quite a stretch the road was rough gravel and I was glad that my Toyota Fortuner handles these sort of roads well.
I encounter many cows on route, all but one of them alive :-). And as I was driving during the day it was no problem to drive around those slow and rather stupid creatures!
In afternoon I arrived at Pakamisa Game Reserve (near Pongola) and enjoyed a beautiful evening overlooking the Rolling Hills of Zululand.
All in all these were two excellent days. Learning more about Zululand, the people and the history helps me to be a better guide!
Brothers!
… no more words, just the image …
Thanda Year 10
These are four images I used in the last part of the campaign celebrating the last few days of Thanda’s 10th anniversary year!
They really show how magical and beautiful the place is.
See also http://thandablog.com/2015/05/18/anniversary-celebration/
A Zululand Sunrise
Yesterday morning we have witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises since I have arrived at Thanda.
The multi-colored light beams from behind the massive clouds creates a stunning effect.
I love Zululand!
Patience rewarded!
It took me thirty minutes to get this picture 🙂
This Common Duiker ran off into thick bush when I came around a corner on one of Pakamisa’s roads. I stopped the car, lowered the window, positioned my 500mm lens and then did not move, as the little antelope looked in my direction.
It was very suspicious of this “new thing” on the road and it took almost 40 minutes before it moved out of the really thick stuff and presented itself. I moved the camera very slowly into position and got only three shots before it decided that hanging around here was far too dangerous. It ran straight up a hill and disappeared from sight.
I like to image, which documents the shy nature of these small and extremely fast antelope.
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 