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Post by nycboy on Jun 4, 2013 22:55:55 GMT
In Kenya, back when I was there, I'm not sure if it was forbidden to foreign visitors drive their own car in the national parks or if it was just greatly discouraged -- you had to hire a safari guide. (Naturally that was better for the economy than letting you go on your own.) You have made it obvious that it is so much better to drive yourself, since you can stop whenever you notice little things of interest. Safari guides have their main obsession "have to find the big five as quickly as possibly to get a good tip!' They would never stop for a lizard, for example... I'd like to try both but I can't imagine having as much fun with the guide as we did finding things on our own. And we figured that, even if we had bad luck or weren't good at spotting, we could still fall back on the game drives. I'm pretty sure you need a guide for Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti which would've been a huge expense. We were happy to pay a little more for flights and make Kruger, Namibia, and Cape Town our first African adventure.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 5, 2013 4:25:43 GMT
In Kenya, back when I was there, I'm not sure if it was forbidden to foreign visitors drive their own car in the national parks or if it was just greatly discouraged -- you had to hire a safari guide. (Naturally that was better for the economy than letting you go on your own.) You have made it obvious that it is so much better to drive yourself, since you can stop whenever you notice little things of interest. Safari guides have their main obsession "have to find the big five as quickly as possibly to get a good tip!' They would never stop for a lizard, for example... One of my colleagues, who went on the same safari where I had taken my parents a year earlier, was both very lucky and unlucky. She went with her mother and her 9 year old daughter and they actually saw a lion hunt down and kill a zebra right in front of them. Naturally, this is a great sight if you can stomach it, and that was the problem -- her daughter refused to eat meat of any kind for about the next nine months. Yes, it's unfortunate that a lot of guides and tourists place too much emphasis on the Big 5 and ignore "lesser" animals. We noticed a few times that people would pull over to see what we were watching and were disappointed, even annoyed, when they learned it was "just a bird." Not everyone is like that, though. Watching a lion stalk and kill their prey would sure be fascinating, but quite traumatic for a child. I think I might be able handle witnessing a "clean" kill, but many animals get so much worse. Some of the footage I see on nature channels of animals being eaten alive is really upsetting, so I know I couldn't bear to watch it in real life.
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Post by bjd on Jun 5, 2013 6:08:36 GMT
The guide we had in Kenya was wonderful -- I'm sure we would never have spotted what he called to our attention. And since there were only 4 of us and we were all interested and asked questions and took pictures, he was ready to stop anywhere, stay as long as we wanted. There was actually no mention of "the big 5", but he would point out various birds, and knew lots about all the animals, the vegetation, everything.
Plus driving on the roads would have been awful if you weren't used to avoiding huge potholes while looking at zebras along the side of the road. The roads were unpaved and in bad condition.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 5, 2013 15:54:09 GMT
Nice, that sounds like everything you could want from a guide.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 6, 2013 0:52:43 GMT
On the third day, we saw a stately nyala... ... and a handsome waterbuck. The female waterbuck were, predictably, not as pretty. Funny thing about waterbuck, they all have a prominent white circle on their rears. It looks like a big bullseye for predators. We saw several more southern ground hornbills. As often as I saw them, I never got tired of the giraffes. I watched this guy for awhile as he munched away, stripping branches with his big prehensile upper lip. We got a rare sighting of the nocturnal side-striped jackal. The black-backed jackal is much more common. We saw carmine bee eaters, whose rosy plumage stood out against the dreary sky. It was a nasty rainy day. This hornbill is doing his best to dry himself off. The rain did not prevent us from seeing plenty of animals.
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Post by lugg on Jun 6, 2013 6:47:10 GMT
Super
The rose breasted bee eater is so lovely. The giraffe eating is fantastic . All wonderful actually. I would have felt slightly anxious sitting in that Landrover facing the huge ellie.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 6, 2013 8:19:49 GMT
You did fantastically with spotting the Big Five in one day! That has only happened to us twice on all our visits to Kruger. Pat yourselves on the back you two!!
Nycgirl - The buck you have called a 'Bushbuck' is actually a Waterbuck. Those beautifully curved horns with their unusual 'twirly' look, the white hair running from their ears and widening at the chest, and the big white bullseye, are all markings of a Waterbuck. The smaller Bushbuck also have stripes running down from their backs similar to a Nyala.
I am so impressed with your leopard photos - very well done indeed! And of course, seeing a Side-striped Jackal is incredible!! You really had the animals putting on a show for two New Yorkers ;D
I am looking forward to more and more!
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Post by bjd on Jun 6, 2013 8:29:29 GMT
It's not fair -- European birds are so dreary in colour compared to the lovely colourful ones in Africa or the Americas.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 6, 2013 13:56:19 GMT
I'm really curious to see how different the birding is in the dry season. Ilia was telling me that of the 500 species that can be found in Kruger 200 of them visit in the rainy season. We had so much fun spotting the birds in addition to the animals I'm a little sad to think it might be different. Maybe a lot of the migrants were concentrated in the far North and we weren't going to see them anyway.
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Post by spindrift1 on Jun 6, 2013 17:02:22 GMT
nycboy and nycgirl I don't know whether I'm allowed to do this however I'll do it anyway. Some years ago we safaried in the Okavango Swamps, Botswana with an outfit called Ker & Downey... www.kerdowneybotswana.com/. I feel compelled to tell you about this company because it has to be the best possible way to see areas of the Okavango that no-one else sees. We had an amazing time. No cars of course in the Delta, no roads where we were... However having looked at their pics I see it has gone up-market to an astonishing degree.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 7, 2013 20:20:39 GMT
Tod, thanks for the correction. I know about waterbucks but for some reason keep saying bushbuck. I do have some photos of bushbuck coming up. Spindrift, thanks for the advice. No worries, we know you well enough to know that you're not a spammer. I'd love, love to see the Okavango Delta. It would be amazing to be view the animals from a canoe.
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Post by lola on Jun 8, 2013 0:28:24 GMT
A MAY zing photos, nycs. Thank you so much. What a trip.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 8, 2013 18:51:40 GMT
That day we saw our first spotted hyenas, two males walking down the road together. (I’m assuming they were males because they appeared to be on their own, whereas females form clans. It’s hard to differentiate between the sexes based on anatomy due to the fact that females possess a lengthy pseudo-penis.) They were in the mood for some playful romping. The rain was on and off all day. We had to make detours at some of the side roads due to flooding. Toward the end of the day when we were on our way to our to our accommodations, the rain eased up, allowing us to enjoy a heartwarming moment. From a distance, we saw a hyena lounging on the side of the road. As we approached, a pair of ears appeared over the belly. She had a cub! Make that two cubs! They were so cute as they eagerly nursed on the mother, occasionally emitting little giggly noises. I mused on the fact that we were parked next to the most powerful set of carnivorous jaws in the mammal family. Mama hyena, however, completely ignored us as she serenely submitted to her motherly duty. “Ok kids, that’s enough. I got things to do.” Hyenas have a bad reputation for being homely, cowardly scavengers. In reality, though, they are bold and clever hunters. It is true that they have a rather ungainly form, but I find their awkwardness endearing and the cubs are absolutely adorable. This turned out to be one of my favorite sightings. Bye, little guys! On the main road, we saw a majestic baobab tree stretching for the sky. Baobab trees can reach up to 98 feet (30 meters) in height and 36 feet (11 meters) in diameter. They produce a gourd-like fruit that it highly nutritious and their trunk hollows have been used for housing, storage barns, and even a pub holding up to 60 people. That night we stayed in Shipendani, another bird hide overlooking a dam populated with hippos. We liked it even better than the previous hide because of its coziness and intimacy. Throughout the night, their grunts and bellows filled the air, and occasionally we heard rustling that sounded like it was directly underneath our window. It was thrilling, albeit a little nerve-wracking. I loved it, but it’s not a good option for light sleepers!
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Post by htmb on Jun 8, 2013 19:16:00 GMT
Such wonderful photos, nycgirl. I'd say turning around was a good decision. After the first hyena photos I was going to ask how close you were, but in the photos of the mama and her pups(?) you appeared to be very close indeed.
I love the baobab tree photo, too!
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 8, 2013 19:31:14 GMT
We got pretty close, but we did use a zoom. We were the only people there so we had them all to ourselves and, like I said, the mom was completely unconcerned about us.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 9, 2013 7:45:53 GMT
On the fourth day, we got up bright and early. Well, it wasn't very bright because the on-and-off rain continued, but that didn't dampen our spirits. This little baby wildebeest was damp, though. We saw pretty little bushbuck for the first time... ... as well as large, stately sable. I loved spotting such a wide variety of antelope. These striking, scimitar-horned animals are sadly endangered. Conservation efforts are underway, as evidenced by this tracking collar. The impala were are ubiquitous as ever. We saw two black-backed jackals... ... and this lone young hyena.
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Post by bjd on Jun 9, 2013 10:08:00 GMT
Wow. Great photos, as usual. There is such a wonderful variety of antelopes.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 9, 2013 12:52:22 GMT
Splendid pic of the hyenas! What a lucky discovery on the road. And to see cubs as well was a special bonus!
The majestic baobab tree you photographed is a very distinctive one. This Baobab is on Bowker's Kop (H1-6) and was the favourite campsite of Lowveld hunter Miles Robert Bowker. Unfortunately during the 1980's elephants destroyed one of the two baobabs that were here so this is the only one left. The Bowker family erected a marble plaque here in the 1950's. (Can't be seen from the road however - what a waste!) It reads: "Near this baobab tree a party of hunters from the Rand had their camp in 1888. Their names were: Miles Bowker whose name is carved into this tree, Alec Bowker and Charlie White, his cousins, Fred and Harry Barber the founders of Barberton, and Miller with his ox-wagon who provided the transport".
I was surprised to read the Sable Antelope you photographed was wearing a tracking collar! I have never seen or heard of Kruger animals being fitted with any type of collar. You would think they would have got them onto the rhinos long time ago due to the unrivaled amount poached hey?! Can you zoom up the photo for me of the collar? Thanks!
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 9, 2013 14:56:22 GMT
Thanks for the info on the tree! It sure is a mighty specimen. Too bad the other one is gone. Elephants can be such hell-raisers, can't they?
I was surprised to see the collar, too. I was especially puzzled to see one on a lioness the next day (which I'll post a picture of tomorrow). Why in the world would lions be tracked when there are so many animals, like rhinos, who are in much direr straights?
I replaced the photo with one that I hope is marginally better. They stayed in the foliage so we couldn't get a clear shot.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 9, 2013 15:25:38 GMT
The bird viewing was as spectacular as ever, even though some of the birds were a little bedraggled. Saddle-billed stork. The kori bustard, weighing up to 45 pounds (30 kg), is the world’s heaviest flying bird. A juvenile carmine bee eater, not as brilliant as the adults but still very pretty. Red-backed shrike. I like his little bandit mask. Burchell’s coucal. Verreaux’s eagle-owl, the largest owl in Africa. This raptor is capable of taking down mongooses, hares, and even juvenile monkeys. Sometimes bird names are woefully inadequate, as in the case of the white-crowned lapwing. Is his white crown the first thing you notice? That night my mother-in-law stayed in a bungalow while my husband and I stayed in a safari tent. It was comfortable but also felt close to nature because we could hear the sounds of the bush and we had a porch with a terrific view of the Sabie river. It was my favorite place to stay in the whole park.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 9, 2013 16:53:35 GMT
So glad you got to see such a lovely variety of bird life! Even spotting a Kori Bustard is wonderful as they aren't out in the open like that very often. Sometimes all you see is their long necks sticking up from the tall grass and not a good photo opportunity! I like the fact you got the Lapwing with dirt all over its beak! Yes, the name is inadequate - surely the 'Yellow Flapwing' would be better ;D I was amazed to see it's green legs - they should be yellow....where the heck has it been standing?! The Lapwing is of the Plover family and there are 5 different Lapwings. Only the White-crowned Lapwing and the much larger African Wattled Lapwing have those yellow flappy things hanging down from the nose. I see the African lapwing has a more descriptive name! Did you take any photos in the hides while you occupied them? I am also dying to hear about your camping diet......did you BBQ often? I'm really enjoying your report and look forward to more fabulous finds!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2013 17:40:13 GMT
This just gets more and more fantastic. The vegetation looks really lush. Even though we got bogged down in one mudhole on our safari, one of my main memories is returning from each drive with a thick coat of red dust covering me (and my parents). It was almost surprising that the shower drains did not get clogged.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 9, 2013 21:02:53 GMT
With all the rain there was no dust whatsoever but I know what you mean about the dust clogging the shower. We ruined a set of towels at a hotel room in Utah, and that was after the shower. I still have stained red sneakers.
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Post by nycboy on Jun 9, 2013 23:22:00 GMT
Did you take any photos in the hides while you occupied them? I am also dying to hear about your camping diet......did you BBQ often? We actually didn't BBQ at all. Flying in made it an all or nothing thing for us since we didn't have sides, seasoning, condiments, cooler etc we opted to take the easy way out. To be honest, I don't know that we really had time with the long days (gates opened at 430am, closed 630pm) and we spent most of the day out on the road looking for animals. The restaurants weren't very good but I stuck with steaks and burgers and they were fine. Actually had a pretty good steak at Satara, but you were right about the buffet, it looked disgusting! Ilia, being a vegetarian, was bored with the limited options so we'll probably BBQ next time. Oh you were right about the meat they sold too, didn't look very fresh and the cuts weren't very good either. Edit: I wanted to mention that we had a couple very good meals at the restaurant at Mopani. Maybe they weren't under the same contract as the other restaurants?
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 10, 2013 3:43:23 GMT
Tod, I completely forgot to take photos of our accommodations. Next time. I'd also love to fire up the BBQ next time, partly because I got tired of the restaurants and partly because I'd love to attract some predators to the perimeter fence. I wouldn't feed them, of course, just look at them.
Thanks for the kinds words, everyone.
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 10, 2013 12:00:10 GMT
On the morning of the fifth day, we spotted a group of lionesses with cubs. They were pretty far away, but we were able to view them with the binoculars. As I mentioned before, I was surprised to see one wearing a tracking collar. Later, we came across this lone bull elephant walking down the road toward us. He didn’t seem angry like the one that muscled us out of our spot a few days earlier, but we backed up to give him space. He tromped along, munching on grass, and continued to draw nearer. We kept backing up and backing up for what seemed like minutes, until he finally he turned and disappeared into the bush. Whew! Here are a few more animals. A family of vervet monkeys. Warthogs are possibly the ugliest animal in the bush, but this nuzzling couple look like loving honeymooners. As usual, I think the babies are really cute. Scenery like this makes me just sigh. There’s nothing quite like the sight of a giraffe strolling among acacia trees. Here’s a tiny, sweet-faced little steenbok... ... and a hulking, fearsome hippo. Here are some of the birds we saw: Red-billed Queleas. Little bee-eaters, puffing out their feathers to dry themselves off. Fish eagle, very similar-looking to the American bald eagle. Spectacle weaver, busying himself building a nest in a rather precarious location. Long-tailed paradise whydah. Yellow-billed stork. Little egret. And flapping around in the parking lot, we saw the dazzling Marico sunbird.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 10, 2013 12:37:38 GMT
Fantastic!! I am so glad you got out there even tho it rained at times. So many visitors go and find a book and forget about looking for animals. Wonderful birds! I like the way you caught the stork with it's mouth open. The little Marico sunbird was probably seeing itself in the reflection of the windscreen. Sometimes other birds sit on the side mirrors and have a fight with themselves!
The 'Finches' are Red-Billed Quelea's. Just looked it up in my bird book for you. As you see the two facing the camera in your photo - they are males sporting breeding colours. They can have either a black or white mask ringed with pink or dull yellow, and a bright red bill and legs. Queleas are the scourge of the grain farmer as they destroy thousand of crops when they land in a swarm.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 10, 2013 13:45:25 GMT
Boy, it doesn't pay to look away from this thread for even a moment!
I thought I'd responded to the group posted at the top of the page, but I see I'm wrong. It has one of my favorite pictures, too -- the waterbuck in among the leaves. Beautiful! Well, all the pictures are astounding. I want to reach out & pet the giraffe's velvety nose.
So much interesting & surprising information. I had no idea baobabs have edible fruits, nor that female hyenas "possess a lengthy pseudo-penis". (Am I the only person to comment on that?!) Why?
Most of your mammal photos are actually portraits -- amazing & wonderful! And the bird pictures are out of this world.
The jackals look like a cross between a fox and a wolf. And you're right about the hyenas being much nicer than expected. I guess we automatically compare them to dogs, which means they look "wrong" to us, but their faces are rather loveable.
That photo of the giraffe among the acacias really does make me think that man was exiled from paradise. Thank goodness we can still go visit, though.
Well, no point in picking out individual pictures, as they're all stellar. Really ~~ not. enough. superlatives!!!
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Post by nycboy on Jun 10, 2013 13:46:47 GMT
Those guys were part of a large swarm, though I'm sure it'd pale in comparison to one that would plague a field. Oddly enough, they were near some piece of carrion that we couldn't see along with some vultures. I really wanted to pop out of the car and see what it was...
What you said about the bird fighting his reflection cracked me up... that lovebird I had used to have epic fights with my alarm clock. I'd always find him sitting on it on the floor after he shoved it off my nightstand. Can't believe it didn't occur to me that he was looking at himself, I thought he was after insects or pollen.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 10, 2013 14:44:11 GMT
Good thing you didn't get out....you could be carrion now Facing that oncoming bull elephant and reversing was the absolutely right thing to do. He could have so easily wrecked your nice holiday with one push! Just look at the size of those nostrils......"all the better to sniff you with, m'dear!"
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