I took this picture of a Brown-hooded Kingfisher while I was sitting at the desk in my new “South African Bush Office”.
The room is quite spacious for all the computer and photography gear I brought with me and all my the stuff that will arrive by sea freight sometime in July.
Below are also pictures of the outside of Thanda House and of my office.
Small Cheetahs – as all other small cats – love to climb. Once they grow up it is much harder to get onto trees with their “semi-retractable” claws. These claws are designed like spikes to aid fast acceleration.
Nevertheless, in the picture below an adult male Cheetah climbed a low branch for a better look around in the morning mist.
Enjoy the pictures 🙂
For more Cheetah images go to http://www.sperka.biz/cheetah
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
This weeks’ pictures are in honor of two of my favorite mammal species which are under the threat of extinction by humans. If the poaching madness is not stopped these creatures, which were on this planet long before us, will disappear forever!
The main difference between Black Rhino and White Rhinos is the shape of their mouths. White Rhinos have broad flat lips for grazing and Black Rhinos have long pointed lips for browsing foliage. A popular theory claims that the name White Rhinoceros was actually a corruption of the word weid (“wide” in Afrikaans), referring to their square lips.
“Rhino Dawn”
More about Rhinos:
Rhinoceros, often abbreviated as rhino, is a family of five species of knee-less, odd-toed ungulates. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia.
The Rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size, with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight; a herbivorous diet; a thick protective skin; relatively small brains for mammals this size; and a large horn.
Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and which are used by some cultures for ornamental or (pseudo-scientific) medicinal purposes. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.
Click here if you would like to help the “Save our Rhino” effort on Thanda Private Game Reserve.
Click here is you would like to know more about the “Rhino Poaching Issue”.
Click here if you would like to see more of my Black Rhino pictures.
Click here if you would like to see more of my White Rhino pictures.
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)
Here are four more Reelfoot Lake pictures (Tennessee, USA).
Check out Nancy Moore’s website for more information on boat trips on the lake http://blbweb.bluebasin.com (the site is about her “bed and breakfast” place, but she also does great photography lake trips – just contact her at jaybird@bluebasin.com)
Into the Sun – Osprey and Geese at Sunrise on Reelfoot Lake
Take-off – Duck on Reelfoot Lake
Nesting – Bald Eagle at Reelfoot Lake
What are YOU looking at? – Osprey at Reelfoot Lake
Enjoy the pictures!
[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]
This Osprey was landing on his nest on a dead tree in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, USA.
I took this picture on Tuesday morning during a very productive four hour boat tour on the lake.
More pictures will follow soon (I got a bit of an editing backlog :-).
Today I got quite a few interesting shots during my morning walk at Radnor Lake (Nashville, Tennessee, USA).
Enjoy the Owl, the Turtles and the Duck 🙂
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!
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 