Tag: christian sperka

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iSimangaliso Wetland Park!

On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning I went for three drives to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (on both sides of the Lake St.Lucia estuary, called the Eastern Shores and the Western Shores).

Thanda Safari offers guests a midday excursion for a Hippo and Croc cruise on the Lake and I often take guests for a multi-day-stay to this incredibly diverse National Park. But this time I went all by myself for a bit of time off and some relaxing birding and photography. And I had quite a lot of of very good mammal sightings as well.

This is a short slide show with 24 pictures which I took during the three drives. Enjoy the pictures from this great place!

In case you are interested:

Accommodation: 

I overnighted again at Serene Estate Boutique Guest House (my favourite place in St.Lucia). This is where I usually stay with my guests. And on occasion I also use another of my portfolio places called Makakatana Bay Lodge (The only – and very beautiful – 5 star lodge inside the wetland park).

Sightings:

These were the pictures/sighting/species in the slide show  (in order of appearance):

  • Hippopotamus and African Jacana
  • Yellow-throated Longclaw
  • Waterbuck
  • Black-headed Heron
  • Hippopotamus
  • Reed Cormorant
  • Waterbuck and Cattle Egret
  • African Cuckoo-Hawk
  • Cape  Buffalo
  • Collared Pratincole
  • Spotted Hyena
  • Lesser Masked Weaver
  • Spotted Hyena
  • Reed Cormorant
  • Bushbuck
  • Brown-hooded Kingfisher
  • South Africa Giraffe
  • African Pygmy Kingfisher
  • Burchell‘s Zebra
  • Little Egret
  • Rufous-bellied Heron
  • Malachite Kingfisher
  • White-backed Duck
  • Purple Heron

I also saw (observed, but no good quality images): Saddle-billed Stork, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose,  Yellow-billed Duck, Great Egret, Squacco Heron, Red-capped Robin-chat, Red-billed Oxpeckers, Trumpeter Hornbill, African Wood Owl, Red-breasted Swallow, African Stonechat, Southern Fiscal, Fork-tailed Drongo, White-faced Whistling Duck, Crested Gunieafowl, Crested Francolin, Burchell’s Coucal, Ring-necked Dove,  Common Moorhen, Black Crake, Little Grebe, Wattled Lapwing, African Darter, White-breasted Cormorant, Hadeda Ibis, Hammerkop, Speckled Mousebird, African Hoopoe, Dark-capped Bulbul, Southern Boubou, Pied Crow, Rattling Cisticola, Kurrichane Thrush, …

Technical data:

All pictures were taken with one of the following three camera/lens combinations: Canon R6/Canon EF70-200 L f/2.8 – Canon R6/Canon EF500 L f/4.0 – Canon R6/Canon RF800 f/11

My drives:

1 – Eastern shores – main road, grassland loop (afternoon 11:30-17:30)

2 – Eastern shores – main road, vlei loop, grassland loop (morning 6:00-10:30) 

3 – Western Shores – main road, western loop (13:00-15:30)

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

If you want to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you should visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/ 

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Cuteness!

Just a few minutes ago I stopped at a Thanda Safari waterhole on my way home and I encounter our oldest Lioness with her new cubs having an evening drink. As cute as it gets! Enjoy your evening.

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Canon & EyeLevel – Lion’s Mouth

This picture shows the various types of teeth (a few incisors are missing), the large, rough tongue, and the ripples in the roof of the mouth.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens | f/11 | 800mm | ISO 5000 | 1/500sec | EV +0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

#CanonOnEyeLevel

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Bl**dy Thorns …

… is what this Cheetah male would have been thinking if he were human.

One often sees animals limping and usually assumes a dire injury inflicted by predators during a hunt, broken bones, or a gruesome infection from a wound.

But a lot of times, it is just a thorn, of which there are plenty lying around, which get stuck somewhere in the underside of the feet.

And having no fingers does not help. It can take a long while to get the offending piece out, usually by vigorous tongue-licking, as shown in this picture.

With visible relief, he followed his brother across the savanna after his paw was thorn-free again.

There also a few more images from this sighting below. Have a good week!

Technical data: Canon R6 with EF lens f2.8/70-200mm | ISO 6400 | 1/750sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 200mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

Scent marking – Technical data: Canon R6 with EF lens f2.8/70-200mm | ISO 800 | 1/750sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 170mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode
Lounging – Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 6400 | 1/90sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode
On the move – Technical data: Canon R6 with EF lens f2.8/70-200mm | ISO 500 | 1/500sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 180mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode
Claw sharpening – Technical data: Canon R6 with EF lens f2.8/70-200mm | ISO 800 | 1/500sec | f2.8 | ev+0 | 160mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode
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iPhone & Eye-Level – Giraffe

This afternoon, I returned to Thanda House driving along the reserve fence. This large Giraffe bull did not want to step out of my way as he was ‘air-sparring’ with another bull on the neighboring game reserve. Normally, bulls stand next to one another as they spar or fight by hitting one another, swinging their massive heads. 

As these two could not get together, they were swinging at the air! (short video below) I took this eye-level shot as I passed him while he stepped back towards the fence. 

[Taken from my Suzuki Jimny with an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max using the 24mm main camera at Thanda Safari]

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

If you want to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you should visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/ 

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Canon & EyeLevel – Lions

Using a very long lens (800mm) from quite a distance away, the shooting angle becomes very shallow, even though I was about a meter (3 feet) above the eye level of the two young males. It is not always possible to get at eye level or below, so a bit of distance helps to get close to a good shooting angle.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f/11 800mm | ISO 5000 | 1/500sec | EV +0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 80% of the original image

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

#CanonOnEyeLevel

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iPhone & eyeLevel – Elephant

I am starting a new picture post series. From time to time I will post pictures taken with my iPhone from eye-level or below. 

Starting today with an Elephant bull who gave me a little warning while I passed by in my little Suzuki Jimny.

Taken with an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max using the 77mm Telefocus lens at Thanda Safari

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

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Amarula and a Grey Ghost!

Last night we stopped for a drink

at the edge of an open savanna area just after the sun had set.

While we took pictures of the beautiful orange backlight clouds my tracker Bheki shouted at us to get into the vehicle.

As I turned around a large grey ghost (also called Elephant) was standing about 20 meters away from us. He had appeared Houdini-fashion out of the nearly tree-line without making any sounds.

My guest, who had enjoyed an Amarula on ice just before the unplanned arrival, adhered to my instructions to move slowly but steadily to the vehicle and climbed on.

Bheki had only time to get onto his tracker seat when the large bull arrived at the back of the vehicle, where my coolerbox and hotbox sat in the open back gate. 

Our drink stop snacks, cans, glasses, and the Amarula bottle were still on the foldable table on the front of the vehicle.

Bheki grabbed the bottle and I started driving forwards very carefully away from our visitor, without spilling anything from the table.

The Elephant did not follow but chose to continue his walk up the road towards a nearby water hole.

We packed up all our equipment and agreed that we just had a very special adventure!

It was amazing to see how the Elephant’s behavior changed once we were no longer on foot but back on the vehicle. It was another clear demonstration for the difference between the instinctual hostile attitude of Elephants to humans on foot and the learned acceptance of humans as part of a safari vehicle (or any other human-made structure).   

The collage shows a picture taken by my guest of the Elli behind us and my picture of Bheki holding the Amarula bottle while we were driving away!

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The Kings’ New Realm!

This morning, Thanda Safari’s new male lion coalition was released from their boma (holding area) onto the reserve.

They immediately started exploring their new realm by going walkabout and scent marking their territory.

At only four years old, the two brothers are already large and very good-looking.

I am looking forward to capturing many great shots of them in the years to come!

Music by Root

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography 

If you want to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you should visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/ 

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