Our morning game drive from the Lala Limpopo hide will be a short one as we are moving to a lodge deeper in the Mashatu Game Reserve for our final four days on this safari. I am having so much fun, I hate for the trip to be over and I wish I could linger on at Mashatu for weeks.
We leave the hide about 7 AM, and ask if we can check on the bar-eared foxes nearby. Once again, the usually skittish-beyond-belief foxes apparently don't care that we approach, as they remain calm.
We see the second fox in the distance. It's slowly approaching the den. It doesn't care that we are parked at a distance on the other side of the den It just wanders along, sniffing at everything.
 |
| In this photo, you can see why they are called bat-eared. |
I can't emphasize enough how much these close-up photos are once-in-a-lifetime.
And goes right into the underground den. This might be a female returning to suckle her kits.
 |
| Some of the scenery along the way. |
AH, WHAT A TREAT! My first time seeing Kori bustard chicks. Kori bustards are the largest and heaviest African birds capable of flight. Anecdotal reports say some males in the Serengeti weigh up to 51 lbs., but that is unverified.
 |
| Mum and both chicks. |
 |
| Mum and chick are examining something |
A wildebeest stops to pose for us.
 |
| Steenbok, one of the so-called dwarf antelope. |
Steenbok stand 16"–24) at the shoulder, and weigh(15–35 lb. Only males have horns.
 |
| And, at last, a warthog that doesn't run away. |
The Daily Dose of Birds
 |
| African hawk-eagle. LIFER |
 |
| Ostrich |
 |
| Juvenile sacred ibis. |
 |
| The beautiful red-billed hornbill is on the perfect perch. |
 |
| Black-winged stilt. |
 |
A coucal with a beat-up (or wet) tail.
|
 |
| Lesser gray shrike. |
 |
| Our own personal bushbuck rests near our tent. |
Now, to get our bags packed and ready for the transfer to Mashatu Lodge.
Amazing how calm the bat eared foxes seemed to be once again.. The Kori Bustard Chick's were about as big as their Mom, likely on the brink of being on their own. The Steenbok dwarf antelope is very elegant. Can't really say that about the wart hog! Nice of the wildebeest to pose for you, and always nice to enjoy the collection of bird photos. The bushbuck resting near your text looks so tranquil. Great array of your sighting and capturing with your lens all the animals and birds you were able to savor while you pack up to move to Mashatu Lodge. What an adventure!! Loyal followers, Patti and Cap
ReplyDeleteThe fox were astonishing. I've had glimpses of fox on other trips, but they always disappeared as quickly;y as they could.
DeleteYour last sentence in your opening paragraph says so much Gullible!!! I am having so much fun, I hate for the trip to be over and I wish I could linger on at Mashatu for weeks. Then the amazing variety of African wildlife is absolutely fascinating. We will all be sad when this trip wraps up Gullible. Cap and Patti
ReplyDeleteCap, I'm getting sad all over again because I"m reaching the end in editing photos.
DeleteThe bushbuck resting near your tent, not "text"...
ReplyDeleteI wish I could write like Cap and you. I can come up with 'beautiful photos, Jeanne'. I am not an imaginative writer. I enjoy seeing wildlife and birds. I might be a hunter and eat wild game. Believe me, if I were younger, I would be harvesting a lot of the game that are in your photos. I don't just look at them as food, I appreciate their beauty, and always have.
ReplyDeleteBud, your above comment is an outstanding comment!! When you look at how very few people even bother to comment one word, any comment is great!! So keep up your good work Bud!! Patti and Cap
DeleteHarvesting them for food is understandable. It's a controversy in Africa--save these unique animals or put protein in the table for the family? Lots of poaching, spearing, snaring, etc. Some tribes aka communities in Kenya have given up their traditional grazing lands and formed "conservancies" to cash in on tourism, There are strict rules on how many tourists and camps can be located in the conservancies, and profits go to the various tribes who belong to the conservancy. In the next few chapters, you will see photos of a lioness with a black scar around her neck from being caught in a snare. Fortunately, she was found and rescued, and now has three cubs.
Delete