Pictures from the last 14 days taken at Thanda and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. My last few weeks were very busy, but they were also very productive for wildlife photography!
Productive days!
Thanda Wetlands
The area behind one of the dams at Thanda has turned into a temporary wetland, after all the rain we had over the last two months.
I hope you will enjoy this short video showing its beauty with many different bird species. Some of them are aquatic birds, which have never been recorded at Thanda before.
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Golden Orb Spiders
For the last couple of years, we have only spotted very few spiders. But this season, we have had a spider explosion!
I even renamed one of the major roads in Thanda to ‘Spider Alley’.
My favorites are the Golden Orb Spiders with their beautiful colors, long legs, and golden silk webs.
Interesting fact: The female Golden Orb spiders are up to 10 times larger than the males, as the males have only one function in life!
_Photography Info: These pictures were taken with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II and two different lenses, a 800mm RF lens and a 24-240mm RF lens._
My favorite place …
… on Thanda is definitely a place we call ‘The Savanna’. It is an open area in the North of the reserve which incorporates two waterholes and is crossed by one of Thanda’s major roads.
These are nine pictures I took on the savanna just in the last two weeks.
Enjoy this heaven for wildlife photographer!
A Umbrella Thorn Tree at sunrise on the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 250 | 1/500sec | f6.3 | ev+1 | 150mm | WB 6500K
At the savanna mud hole at sunrise
Technical data: Apple 14 Pro Max | Ultra Wide Camera 13mm
Lilac-breasted Roller perching next to Solela dam on the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 4000 | 1/500sec | ev+/-0 | WB 6500K
A dazzle of Burchell’s Zebra moving across the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 320 | 1/500sec | f6.3 | ev+0 | 140mm | WB 6500K
Golden light on the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 100 | 1/500sec | f6.3 | ev+1 | 32mm | WB6500
Lioness walking down the savanna main road called Phakama
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 1000 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K
A crash of White Rhinoceros at Mgankla dam on the eastern side of the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 1600 | 1/3000sec | f4.5 | ev+0 | 60mm | WB 6500K
A Burchell’s Zebra stallion flehmen on the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 500 | 1/500sec | f6.3 | ev+0.5 | 130mm | WB 6500K
A South African Giraffe bull at sunset on the savanna
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 800 | 1/750sec | f6.3 | ev+0 | 24mm | WB 6500K
… and this is a drone picture of the savanna (DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro)
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Return after 4367 days!
When Margaret and Mike arrived at Thanda Safari twelve years ago, they met a field guide of German descent who had just started working as a guide on the reserve: Me!
And Bheki (Nbumvo), a very experienced tracker, had just started working with me, and he still does today.
Margaret and Mike enjoyed their 2013 safari very much before they returned to their home in Australia. Over the next 12 years, they followed my wildlife photography career on social media, and from time to time we exchanged messages about their intention to return to Thanda someday.
To Bheki’s and my great pleasure, they arrived last week for a four-night stay at Thanda Safari Lodge, together with their daughter Hallie and her husband Michael.
Using the Green Mamba II, we embarked on many game drives on the reserve, enjoyed morning cappuccino from the bush barista (=me), and ended the days with a Zululand pineapple gin & tonics as the sun set. And one of these drinks stops was even interrupted by large White Rhino bull, which led to a speedy retreat onto the vehicle.
I took many pictures during their stay, which they received as a reminder of all we had seen and done. A few of these images are published with this story.
This return visit after 4367 days was very special for Bheki and me. Thanks again to Margaret, Hallie, Mike, and Michael for their friendship. We will certainly continue to stay in touch!
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Two more …
Pictures from another two weeks of game drives with Swedish and Australian guests. Two great weeks!
Canon on Eye-Level – A Lioness
This lioness was in the right place at the time for her portrait shoot this morning. She is part of the Intibane pride. Together with her three sisters, she was keen to hunt, as their bellies were empty. But it got quite hot already and the four of them withdrew in the cooling shade of thicker bush a few minutes after this picture was taken.
The soft early morning light and a position slightly below the large cat made this picture possible.
Technical data: Canon R6 Mark II with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 1600 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode
#CanonOnEyeLevel
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
A few days …
Pictures from the last few days’ game drives and excursions with my American guests!
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
20
My last twenty days in pictures 😊
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
iPhone at eye-level | Rain, beautiful rain…
We humans like to complain. When there is no rain, we complain about the lack of rain, and when there is a lot of rain, we complain that there is too much!
But I have learned in my (now almost 13) years in South Africa and through many drought periods never to complain about rain.
February is usually the rainiest month, and this February, with over 228mm of rain so far (and it’s still raining), is one of the wettest months I have recorded.
The roads are now so muddy that a “game drive” is currently more like a “game of slip-and-slide”.
And if the weather forecast is to be believed, the remainder of February promises even more rain (at least >80mm).
The animals, such as these White Rhinos, enjoy the availability of water for drinking, wallowing, and swimming. I took this picture with my smartphone driving on a main road during a rainy day!
Technical data: Apple 14 Pro Max | Main Camera 24mm | ISO 64 | 1/90sec | f1.8 | ev+0 | 48mm
#iphoneOnEyeLevel
#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 