Mpumalanga on The Singemonkey

October 28, 2022

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 11:28:03 +0000

Looking through some pics to make some prints and I discovered this lion pic from 2018. They really are strange-looking cats. Very long and lean. I guess they’re built for more endurance than Tigers and most other cats that are ambush hunters. Lions have to keep up with prey for longer periods of time, I think.

December 25, 2019

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 09:02:38 +0000

After three days on the road it’s great to finally arrive at the best place on Earth.

January 08, 2018

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 13:32:17 +0000

White Fronted Bee Eater at Pafuri picnic area in the extreme North of the park. It’s our last day 😢 We saw a leopard in the dark just after leaving camp at 4:30am. And, later, very sad scenes of and impala ewe and two lambs stuck up to their necks in a pool of mud.

January 07, 2018

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 21:27:25 +0000

The vigilant herd matriarch. Elephant cows spend much of their time away from the large and unpredictable bulls. They form herds to raise their offspring led by these tough-as-nails older females that are ever watchful and have no patience for bullshit.

January 07, 2018

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 21:20:01 +0000

The smallest elephant in Kruger. This wee elephant is about the size of a dog. There was an incident this evening - where a teenage elephant pushed this baby over. The herd matriarch was pissed to say the least - screaming in anger. The whole herd rushed to see that the baby was ok. When it was back on its feet, a sibling or cousin not all that much bigger walked with its trunk draped over the little one to reassure it. Elephants are no gentle giants. But they look after their little ones.

January 06, 2018

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 19:18:00 +0000

The fancy roller. We thought for a hot second it was a Racket-Tailed Roller - which would have knocked my socks off (had I been wearing socks). But it’s the very common - but still lovely - Lilac Breasted Roller.

January 06, 2018

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 19:13:03 +0000

“It’s an animal that looks like a dude!

January 06, 2018

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 19:09:31 +0000

Sundown Impala battles.

January 05, 2018

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:35:41 +0000

The proof! @withoutaleaf risks lion attacks at the Tropic of Capricorn.

January 05, 2018

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:33:01 +0000

We’re in the tropics!

January 05, 2018

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:30:09 +0000

After a long day of driving we have reached Shingwedzi. Tomorrow we go further North to our final goal.

January 04, 2018

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 10:04:14 +0000

@withoutaleaf is taking no chances in getting that perfect Woodland Kingfisher pic. They’ve defied her for too long. Now she’s staking out the branch on which they do their thing with her book and her script supervisor’s chair.

January 03, 2018

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:54:09 +0000

Orpen rest camp no.2 looking back the other way to where we were staying.

January 02, 2018

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:57:32 +0000

A tough old boy we got to see doing his thing this morning. I’m pretty sure all of us have some kind of species memory for when we were very much on these guys’ menu. There’s an eerie feeling when you see them up close. And they feature often in my nightmares.

December 31, 2017

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 14:45:55 +0000

Had a brief drive just now and saw some more wild dogs. But the highlight for me was when @withoutaleaf spotted this little African Barred Owlet having a sleepy afternoon almost hidden in a tree. It’s only about the size of a dove.

December 31, 2017

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 07:47:57 +0000

In case y’all are sick of birds, here are some of the painted wolves we saw a half hour ago. Always worth getting through the huge clusters of cars to see them behave just like dogs do. They’re so vulnerable to diseases from domestic dogs that it’s a special privilege to see these rare hunters.

December 30, 2017

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 20:03:05 +0000

Posting one extra from yesterday to remark on the magic of flying ants. Walking by the riverside here in Skukuza, they rise in great cones of insects - perfectly silent. Not the slightest sound. They fly towards the brilliant summer moon in their hundreds like grey fairies in the dusk. This phenomenon is impossible to photograph and would be a challenge to film.

This is a Woodland Kingfisher, BTW. Its call is the sound of the summer.

December 30, 2017

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 19:53:30 +0000

I didn’t take too many pics today. And if birds aren’t your thing, you’re bang out of luck 😂. This is the Carmine Bee-Eater - one of the only bee-eaters, in my experience, that won’t wing it at the first sign of a camera.

December 30, 2017

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 06:53:51 +0000

A Lesser-Striped Swallow does a little yoga to get going.

December 29, 2017

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 16:13:22 +0000

One of the most striking Plains Zebras I’ve ever seen. Usually they’re more white than black. But not this guy we saw this afternoon.

December 29, 2017

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 15:42:17 +0000

Did you know we have absolutely beautiful pigeons in South Africa? If all you know are “sky rats,” your impressions may be softened by meeting the African Green Pigeon - a beautiful wood Pigeon very fond of wild figs.

December 29, 2017

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:45:58 +0000

Just them bushveld trees and the sun going down. Living in Africa - classic edition.

December 29, 2017

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:40:31 +0000

So my project this year is to capture something of the feel of Kruger rest camps. I’ve started slow, as usual. I missed doing anything to show off Berg en Dal at all (although it has its own wonderful charm). But here’s Crocodile Bridge. The camp is just this small circle of rondawels (colonial versions of traditional houses among some South African tribes) and a very open campsite. The small size and this leafy greenness are what really struck me. It’s a lush feast for drought-tired eyes.

December 29, 2017

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 09:02:06 +0000

Dear @sanparks … why aren’t these available for sale? We would buy the heck out of these.

December 28, 2017

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:24:45 +0000

Who cares about a big old lion lyin’ about in the veldt when you can return to camp to find that a busy raiding party of banded mongooses has brought their little cubs to work with them? .

December 28, 2017

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:52:00 +0000

Narcissus. Herons sometimes feature in Buddhist iconography representing the Buddha mind of stillness with great alertness. This Little Egret knows it’s a great way to fill the belly.

December 27, 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 16:24:15 +0000

“The cult members wear coal-black cloaks and bloody red masks. They strike with great curved daggers.” The Ground Hornbill is the largest and most powerful hornbill - about the size of a turkey. Despite their name, they can fly - an awesome sight. They make short work of reptiles and small mammals.

December 27, 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 16:11:49 +0000

“Would madam prefer that in black?” Black Stork at river level.

December 27, 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 16:07:23 +0000

Formal portrait of three warthog siblings.

December 27, 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 15:59:38 +0000

That feel when you’re only little and everything’s exciting. This little hyena was having such a good time by the pool with aunties and uncles.

December 27, 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 15:53:52 +0000

A rather silly looking hyena having a frolic in a pool near their den. We found them while lost and running on fumes. The antics of this pack made it all worth while.

December 26, 2017

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:47:11 +0000

Pretty in powder blue. A European Roller. First day in Kruger and we see a Black Rhino (!) and 4 young cheetahs.