Southafricanspring on The Singemonkey

October 25, 2021

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 09:39:18 +0000

More experiments with retro wildlife photography. These are plains zebras - the more common of the two species of zebra in South Africa. This one is widespread throughout the continent South of the Sahara. There is one more species that is deeply endangered that survives only in small, protected enclaves in Kenya and Sudan.

October 24, 2021

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 11:59:51 +0000

The Cape Buffalo - or African Buffalo. It has a far more violent reputation than most of its Asian cousins - especially the Water Buffalo which has been widely domesticated and provides mozzarella for your pizza. This buffalo has never been domesticated. It’s simply too strong and fierce. Of course they start off pretty cute.

October 24, 2021

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 11:53:38 +0000

Looking at some of my ‘B’ selections from our recent Kruger Park trip. This was more experimentation with my ultra cheap ttartisan 50mm f1.2 on my Fujifilm XE1 - shooting wide open to get a mid 20th C bushveld look. You can see the vintage lens design in this brand new lens in the slightly odd character of the out-of-focus parts of the image.

October 02, 2021

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 13:17:00 +0000

A #latergram of an Indian takeaway feast in the Jozi home of our dear friends @sophdex and @ezlemoen with parents, Jill and Pierre, and collies, airedales, and cats. Johannesburg doesn’t look nearly as welcoming in spring compared to summer. But get indoors and the citizens (not just our friends) are as friendly as ever.

Shooting scenes like this in available darkness is a big part of what makes having a fast wide-angle lens such a pleasure.

September 15, 2021

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:06:33 +0000

A first for me: the eerie Bathawk (if I’m not mistaken). I WAS MISTAKEN. It’s apparently a brown morph Honey Buzzard. Well there you go… Who knows what circumstances in its youth led to an ordinary hawk leading a double life fighting crime in this frightening guise?

We’re home after the usual exhausting trip across the country - notwithstanding a wonderful time in Jozi with @sophdex, @ezlemoen, some lovely parents, and many cats and dogs. It took all of one minute in Observatory during which we were both inside for some rando to try steal the lens which this picture was taken with out of the car. He was most offended that I was suggesting that his reaching into the car, opening a bag, and trying to secret the lens under his arm implied that he might have been attempting to steal it. The nerve of me to suggest such a thing! I think he actually believed himself too.

September 12, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:58:55 +0000

Impala Lilies are blooming in The Kruger National Park in spring.

September 12, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:52:32 +0000

I decided I preferred this Blue Eared Starling pic.

September 12, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:47:59 +0000

Another very common bird in The Kruger National Park: The Yellow-Billed Hornbill. And again, although they’re everywhere, they’re always fun. So full of arch, suspicious character and long glides just at windscreen level.

September 12, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:41:17 +0000

Would you believe that this creature is one of the most common birds in the Kruger National Park? They’re even common in Johannesburg gardens. They’re still stunning birds, no matter how ubiquitous - and cheeky - they are.

September 12, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:36:42 +0000

We primates distrust each other for very good reason.

September 11, 2021

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 14:13:22 +0000

Speaking of animals that often wish us ill, this has been the very last thing quite a few people ever saw.

September 11, 2021

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 14:08:48 +0000

There’s a non-zero chance that this is the same Cape Buffalo that I photographed chasing off that leopard at this same waterhole the other day. Impervious to leopards though they be, the boldest African lions can lay them low. As I understand it, the usually-complacent male lions are the ones that hunt buffalo - since it requires all of their massive strength to kill one of these aggressive bovine behemoths.

September 09, 2021

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:24:38 +0000

I don’t think this works great as an Insta pic, but it’s the kind of photo I’ll enjoy having hanging somewhere to remind me of this place when I’m not here. And bushbuck. Because I love bushbuck.

September 09, 2021

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:15:02 +0000

Not every leopard just walks right up to your car.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:23:42 +0000

The delicate little Steenbok that lives a very nervous life all by itself in the Southern African bushveld.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:15:46 +0000

Bird dump: Little Bee-Eater, African Darter, Greenback Heron, White Helmetshrike, Blue Waxbill.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:23:11 +0000

This flock of murder birds approached the car window. Maybe people have been feeding them? Some of them were too close for the lens to focus.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:18:16 +0000

This old guy’s almost ready for Valhalla. Scarred. Wounded. Moving slowly. I reckon his days as a silent bushveld assassin will be over soon.

September 07, 2021

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 09:54:18 +0000

The Bushbuck is a solid little beast. He won’t mind you but they have a nasty reputation for responding violently to harassment.

September 06, 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:55:06 +0000

@sophdex, you’ll feel for me when I tell you the leopard was far away and got chased off by a buffalo, and the first lot of lions were unconscious and motionless, so you’ll agree we recovered something from the day by running into the second lot who walked all around the car and posed nicely for their closeups.

September 06, 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:49:05 +0000

This leopard had apparently had two kills stolen in one day by the same bastard hyena, and then this oaf came charging in. Best give it up, go back to bed, and try again tomorrow mate.

September 06, 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:42:10 +0000

A turkey sized bird with a knife for a face. And despite the name, they can definitely fly.

September 06, 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:37:16 +0000

If grooming is communicating, can active aggression be passive aggression simultaneously?

August 23, 2021

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:29:55 +0000

If this goon is in Langebaan, does that make him the #langebaanlagoon?