I have not posted a bird picture for quite a while. So here are a few images of one of my favorite birds in South Africa.
Lilac-breaster Rollers have many colors of the spectrum in their plumage.
These pictures were taken in Phinda Private Game Reserve, the Timbavati Private Game Reserve and in Kruger National Park.
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
This African Elephant is browsing in between Fever Trees on Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.
In the Zulu language the Fever Tree is called umHlosinga (the tree that shines from afar). This beautiful acacia has a pale white bark and green foliage. It is one of the few trees where photosynthesis takes place in the bark. The yellow color on the Elephant’s skin is from rubbing against one of the trees.
Enjoy the picture!
The Tree That Shines From Afar ( Fever Tree – Acacia xanthophloea)
At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville.
A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation . The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.
When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade
For more information go to https://christiansperka.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/south-africa-100-invitation/
At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville. These images were taken during my 20 trips to Southern Africa over the last ten years.
A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation :-). The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.
When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade [Downtown Nashville in the block between Church and Union Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues]
My gallery will close on April 8, 2012. Amiee Stubbs, the new Official Nashville Zoo Photographer, will open her new gallery at the same location during the June First Saturday Gallery Crawl. See amieestubbs.com.
PS: A few people have asked me what they could get me as a good-bye present for my move to South Africa. As I will have stringent luggage and shipment restrcitions I suggest for those who want, that they could contribute to my “African Vehicle Fund” = small contributions to buy my first vehicle in SA. But, the best gift would be for you to come on Saturday, April 7, and enjoy the afternoon and evening with me!
Coveted by Lions! ?
That’s how many of my friends see me once I am in Africa, including a cartoonist many years ago :-). Well, I will try to stay off the lunch menu of these beautiful cats at Thanda, my new home and place of work in South Africa.
Over the last few weeks I got asked many times where exactly is Thanda? So here is some more information:
Thanda is situated approximately 220 km north of Durban. The closest commercial airport is Richards Bay and the closest international airport is King Shaka Airport, Durban.
Coordinates – Base Camp: 27° 48′ 23″ South, 32° 06′ 33″ East (View using Google Maps)
It is located in northern Kwazulu Natal, in a sub-tropical, semi-arid area and the climate is very warm with average daily temperatures spanning 20°C – 30°C. Because Thanda is situated so close to the Indian Ocean, warmed by the Agulhas sea current, the summers are not as short as Mpumalanga and the winters are not as cold.
Reserve size: ~14,000 hectare / ~140 square kilometers /~35,000 acres
Thanda hosts the magnificent seven – Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Cape Hunting Dog, Black and White Rhino, Cape Buffalo and African Elephants – as well as a large variety of general game species (Giraffe, Zebra, Kudu, Impala, Nyala, Wildebeest ….) and many different birds species.
I have started my preparations for the move to South Africa, if everything goes well I will arrive at Thanda on June 7, 2012!
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
I took this Dwarf Mongoose picture many years ago at Ngala Private Game Reserve, South Africa. It gave me a curious look before disappearing in the bush.
More about Dwarf Mongoose:
The Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) is a small African carnivore belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the smallest mongoose and it is Africa’s smallest Carnivore. The soft fur is very variable in color, ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown.
The Dwarf Mongoose is primarily found in dry grassland, open forests, and bush land, up to 2,000 meters in altitude. It is especially common in areas with many termite mounds, their favorite sleeping place. The species avoids dense forests and deserts. It ranges from East to southern Central Africa, from Eritrea and Ethiopia to the Transvaal in South Africa.
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
I was very surprised when, on one of my first game drives at Thanda Private Game Reserve in 2010, this male Leopard crossed our path just as we left the lodge.
In Kwazulu Natal Leopards are usually very shy and are very hard to view, as they are still prosecuted by humans in many areas. Unlike in the Kruger National Park and the surrounding game reserves the Leopards in this part of South Africa have not be habituated to “non-threatening” human presence over many decades.
For more leopard images from my various trips to southern Africa go to www.sperka.biz/leopard.
I will start working at Thanda Private Game Reserve in June 2012.
Quite a few people have asked my what classes I will teach at the Nashville Zoo in the time before I leave on May 28. Here they are:
Kids Photography Class (KPC) – Wed 4-Apr –
Teen Photography Class (TPC) – Thu 5-Apr
Adult Photography Class (AAP1) – Sat 14-Apr
Advanced Adult Photography Class II (AAP2) – Sat 19-May
Adult Photography Class (AAP1) – Tue 22-May
Advanced Adult Photography Class II (AAP2) – Wed 23-May
You can book the classes directly at http://www.nashvillezoo.org/education/photography-classes
A personal message
As many of you know I love South Africa and it has been my goal for many years to be able to live and work in this magnificent place.
Well, the dream has come true. I have been offered and accepted a position as Photography Specialist Guide and resident Wildlife Photographer at Thanda Private Game Reserve, one of my favorite places in Kwazulu Natal. On Tuesday this week the South African Consulate in New York approved my work permit and I will be moving to South Africa at the beginning of June 2012.
This means that I will close my gallery in the Arcade in Nashville (the Gallery Crawl on Saturday, April 7, will be the last day the gallery will be open – with a big party 🙂 and I will teach my last photography class at the Nashville Zoo on May 23. I enjoyed my time at the Nashville Zoo very much, first as docent and then as the official photographer and photography teacher. I will miss all my friends at the zoo and all over the USA very much (and I hope that many of them will visit me in South Africa).
My blog, my web-gallery and web-store as well as my website will remain unchanged. In the future the “Picture of the Week” will come directly from the South African bush!
I am looking forward to working with my friends at Thanda, one of the most beautiful private game reserves in South African (http:/www.thanda.com). I will have to learn a lot of new skills, as I am new to the field guiding part of my job, but I will enjoy that very much. And if you wonder where I will be living: In the middle of a game reserve, in between Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, Rhinos, Cheetahs and Wild Dogs!
Thanks for the support from all of you who helped me in changing my life from an being an IT Executive to becoming a South African Field Guide and Wildlife Photographer.
See you in South Africa!
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
Between 2002 and 2008 I have taken hundreds of pictures of this beautiful male Lion. He was the dominant male of the Phinda North Pride for many years and whenever I think about Lions I first think about him.
Together with my friend and field guide Mike Karantonis I spent many days and sometimes part of the nights watching him grow older and stronger. In 2009 a coaltion of three younger males replaced him as the dominant male of the pride.
I took this picture in December 2006 in the streaming rain (see also the second picture taken at the same time) in front of my room at Phinda’s Vlei Lodge.
About male Lions:
Male lions are not lazy. They have a very tough life. Only one out of ten males makes it to full maturity. Once their father has evicted them, they have to fight other male Lions for a few years. The very few that get not killed in this harsh selection process may become the dominant male of a pride after they successfully drive away or kill the previous “boss”.
Male Lions do usually not participate in hunts because they are very visible with their large mane and would make it much easier for the prey to “get wind” of the hunt. They also have to preserve their strength and avoid to get insured in a hunt, because they have to defend their pride towards other males and prides. It is in the interest of the whole pride that they are capable of doing so, because if another male manages to take over, the first thing he will do is to kill all the young lions of the pride (up to two years old). For the same reason it makes sense that male Lions eat first and plenty at each kill to make sure that they stay strong for any upcoming fights.
Picture Data:
Picture 1: Camera: Canon 1D MII / Lens: Canon L 2.8 300mm / Mode: AV / Shutter Speed: 1/400s / Aperture: f/2.8 / ISO: 800 / Exposure Correction -0.33eV / Metering: Central weighted / White balance: manual K6500 / Time: early morning / Freehand
Picture 2: Camera: Canon 1D MII / Lens: Canon L 28-300mm at 78mm / Mode: AV / Shutter Speed: 1/100s / Aperture: f/4.5 / ISO: 400 / Exposure Correction -0.33eV / Metering: Central weighted / White balance: manual K6500 / Time: early morning / Freehand
For more Lion pictures got to
www.sperka.biz/lion (for African Lion)
www.sperka.biz/lion2 (for African Lion in zoos)
www.sperka.biz/lion3 (for Asiatic Lion)
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 