Mala Mala Minute by Minute--Trip Report
Jul 17th, 2007, 09:36 AM
#41
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It's such a pleasure reading your Trip Reports. I was especially interested in your photographs which I really enjoyed. I purchased a Sony H9 for my trip to Botswana in a few weeks but recently there have been some poor reviews. Did you bring any extra accessories? Can you share any hints for using it in Africa? Did you use the hood that comes with it? Did you have any trouble in low light? Your dog pictures are amazing. I’ve been practicing but any help will be sincerely appreciated. Thanks.
Jul 17th, 2007, 10:28 AM
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Beautiful photos! So many puppies! The hyenas look so sweet! Incredible leopard pictures! Asante sana, Lynn. On my next safari I’ll be as slim as you are and as good a photographer. I don’t know what’ll be most difficult.
Jul 17th, 2007, 07:37 PM
#43
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Thanks for all the nice comments.
Country Living,
On the Sony H9, I don’t know what the reviews say. Usually they mention something about too much purple haze. Then there is talk about noise. I don’t shoot at extremes to have problems with those and neither do most people who use a point and shoot.
I didn’t bring any accessories. I used the hood when it was bright. The H9 hood is curvy, unlike the H2. At a wide angle, meaning no zoom, sometimes the hood is visible in the photo depending on how the hood is turned. The result looks like a wavy frame around the picture. When I first noticed this I actually thought the camera was malfunctioning.
My hints for H2 and H9 or any P&S with image stabilization & high optical zoom:
1. Don’t worry about all the settings. I figure I paid a lot for those camera innards so I am going to get my money’s worth from them and use the green Automatic setting for the most part.
2. Don’t be afraid to use the continuous shoot mode when amazing sightings occur. Then you can keep the very best shots of the very best sightings. Remember to hold still for the all the shots, not just the first one.
3. In low light I take a few at the ISO setting.
4. That graph thing on the display distracts me and I turn it off.
5. Check your display often to be sure you didn’t accidentally put it in macro or something else. If you do find you’ve taken some macro shots, don’t despair. When I’ve discovered macro on by mistake, I couldn’t tell that my photos were impaired. Check your dial frequently also so that you aren’t accidentally in the wrong mode, like movie.
6. I thought that big screen on the H9 would mean that I don’t squint into the little viewfinder anymore. I still prefer the viewfinder most of the time. But the big screen is great for editing and deleting. The way the H9 screen folds out is nice if you want to snap photos but don’t want people to know you are snapping photos. It also worked nicely when I did some timed shots and had check the focus and run into position.
7. Even with Image Stabilization, I still really concentrate on holding the camera still. That’s where pushing it up against your face and looking through the view finder helps. It gives more stability. I keep my elbows in too. There will be some instances in the future when I’ll use a monopod or tripod. But I can usually get extra stability in a safari vehicle from the vehicle frame, the metal bar in front of me, or I’ll bend my knee with my foot on the seat and make my own tripod out of body parts. I’ve been offered a bean bag, but I find that if I must restrict the camera angle to accommodate a bean bag or tripod, that I miss shots. I know the pros use a tripod and their quality shows it.
8. When you turn your camera on, be sure you know how it “boots up” so that when you encounter a good sight, you are not fumbling with the take a picture mode vs. the view your photos mode. If you use the viewfinder, quickly get it to viewfinder and not screen or vice versa.
9. If you are not sure about your photo being too dark or light, use the bracket feature so you get one setting above and one below the automatic exposure. I don’t think the Green Automatic feature works with bracket. I know bracket does not work with continuous shoot. I use this rarely and it is about as advanced as I get. I use it rather than just switch to +.3 or -.3 or +.7 or -.7 because I still want the automatic shot that the camera chooses. The bracketing gives you what the camera thinks is best, then goes up and down a setting and it does this all very quickly.
10. Take your manual with you.
11. Err on the side of not zoomed in enough and take the photo rather than zoom, zoom, zoom in some more, oops zoomed too much now I have to back up. By then you may have missed the shot. If the photo is fleeting, just take it because with digital and the number of megapixels you have, you can always enlarge and crop. Don’t dither trying for perfection and miss the whole thing. Same is true if there is something in the corner of the shot you don’t want. Just crop it out later but capture the fleeting image while you can.
12. Try to catch the animals eye shine, that reflection in the eyes.
13. Stay warm enough so you don’t shiver and of course shake the camera. Keep your fingers warm enough so they are dexterous.
14. When taking pictures of the staff members in the shade or indoors, always use the flash even if it does not automatically go on.
15. Unless the scenery is the star of the picture or particularly interesting, zoom in closer on the animal. This may seem to contradict #11. Of course, if you don’t have time to zoom, then just focus and snap.
16. This one is expensive. Don’t rely on only one camera. It could malfunction, you could drop it and break it, it could get stolen, someone could spill something on it, or you could lose it. I bring more than one, which is always nice for convenience. Once my main camera stopped working and required repairs when I got home. I was glad I had a backup. This was a manual and not one of the Sony’s that stopped working.
17. That nighttime no-flash feature with the switch on the side of the H9 worked pretty well, but produces almost a black and white. I think I’ll need it for an upcoming trip with more night action.
18. Practice, as you are doing. At least digital gives immediate feedback.
19. Be on time so you can depart promptly in the morning and catch the good light. If people are bouncing around in the vehicle at photo stops, ask them nicely to hold still for a moment, otherwise your shots will be blurry.
20. Communicate with your driver/guide. Don’t be shy about asking to move forward, backward so you have a good angle without bushes in the way. Ask to stop so you can take a picture of something that interests you. If there are certain animals or scenes you’d like to see, tell the guide, so you have more subjects to photograph.
21. Bring enough memory so you can keep a lot of your photos. It is hard to tell which ones to keep and which to delete on the little camera screen. You can make better decisions on a big computer screen so you don’t want to delete before you’ve had a chance to compare them on a big screen.
22. Most drivers/guides are very adept at positioning you for good light. You want the light behind you usually. Here is Tom’s quote: A photographer who worries about equipment is an amateur, a photographer who worries about money is a professional, and a photographer who worries about light is a photographer.
23. When the light is behind you, sometimes the vehicle, others in it or you can cast a shadow in the direction of your subject. Be aware of that so you don’t shade your subject or the area near it.
24. Don’t fret over lost photo opportunities. It is those images you know you missed that you’ll remember the longest and in the most detail.
I have become an enumerator.
Country Living,
On the Sony H9, I don’t know what the reviews say. Usually they mention something about too much purple haze. Then there is talk about noise. I don’t shoot at extremes to have problems with those and neither do most people who use a point and shoot.
I didn’t bring any accessories. I used the hood when it was bright. The H9 hood is curvy, unlike the H2. At a wide angle, meaning no zoom, sometimes the hood is visible in the photo depending on how the hood is turned. The result looks like a wavy frame around the picture. When I first noticed this I actually thought the camera was malfunctioning.
My hints for H2 and H9 or any P&S with image stabilization & high optical zoom:
1. Don’t worry about all the settings. I figure I paid a lot for those camera innards so I am going to get my money’s worth from them and use the green Automatic setting for the most part.
2. Don’t be afraid to use the continuous shoot mode when amazing sightings occur. Then you can keep the very best shots of the very best sightings. Remember to hold still for the all the shots, not just the first one.
3. In low light I take a few at the ISO setting.
4. That graph thing on the display distracts me and I turn it off.
5. Check your display often to be sure you didn’t accidentally put it in macro or something else. If you do find you’ve taken some macro shots, don’t despair. When I’ve discovered macro on by mistake, I couldn’t tell that my photos were impaired. Check your dial frequently also so that you aren’t accidentally in the wrong mode, like movie.
6. I thought that big screen on the H9 would mean that I don’t squint into the little viewfinder anymore. I still prefer the viewfinder most of the time. But the big screen is great for editing and deleting. The way the H9 screen folds out is nice if you want to snap photos but don’t want people to know you are snapping photos. It also worked nicely when I did some timed shots and had check the focus and run into position.
7. Even with Image Stabilization, I still really concentrate on holding the camera still. That’s where pushing it up against your face and looking through the view finder helps. It gives more stability. I keep my elbows in too. There will be some instances in the future when I’ll use a monopod or tripod. But I can usually get extra stability in a safari vehicle from the vehicle frame, the metal bar in front of me, or I’ll bend my knee with my foot on the seat and make my own tripod out of body parts. I’ve been offered a bean bag, but I find that if I must restrict the camera angle to accommodate a bean bag or tripod, that I miss shots. I know the pros use a tripod and their quality shows it.
8. When you turn your camera on, be sure you know how it “boots up” so that when you encounter a good sight, you are not fumbling with the take a picture mode vs. the view your photos mode. If you use the viewfinder, quickly get it to viewfinder and not screen or vice versa.
9. If you are not sure about your photo being too dark or light, use the bracket feature so you get one setting above and one below the automatic exposure. I don’t think the Green Automatic feature works with bracket. I know bracket does not work with continuous shoot. I use this rarely and it is about as advanced as I get. I use it rather than just switch to +.3 or -.3 or +.7 or -.7 because I still want the automatic shot that the camera chooses. The bracketing gives you what the camera thinks is best, then goes up and down a setting and it does this all very quickly.
10. Take your manual with you.
11. Err on the side of not zoomed in enough and take the photo rather than zoom, zoom, zoom in some more, oops zoomed too much now I have to back up. By then you may have missed the shot. If the photo is fleeting, just take it because with digital and the number of megapixels you have, you can always enlarge and crop. Don’t dither trying for perfection and miss the whole thing. Same is true if there is something in the corner of the shot you don’t want. Just crop it out later but capture the fleeting image while you can.
12. Try to catch the animals eye shine, that reflection in the eyes.
13. Stay warm enough so you don’t shiver and of course shake the camera. Keep your fingers warm enough so they are dexterous.
14. When taking pictures of the staff members in the shade or indoors, always use the flash even if it does not automatically go on.
15. Unless the scenery is the star of the picture or particularly interesting, zoom in closer on the animal. This may seem to contradict #11. Of course, if you don’t have time to zoom, then just focus and snap.
16. This one is expensive. Don’t rely on only one camera. It could malfunction, you could drop it and break it, it could get stolen, someone could spill something on it, or you could lose it. I bring more than one, which is always nice for convenience. Once my main camera stopped working and required repairs when I got home. I was glad I had a backup. This was a manual and not one of the Sony’s that stopped working.
17. That nighttime no-flash feature with the switch on the side of the H9 worked pretty well, but produces almost a black and white. I think I’ll need it for an upcoming trip with more night action.
18. Practice, as you are doing. At least digital gives immediate feedback.
19. Be on time so you can depart promptly in the morning and catch the good light. If people are bouncing around in the vehicle at photo stops, ask them nicely to hold still for a moment, otherwise your shots will be blurry.
20. Communicate with your driver/guide. Don’t be shy about asking to move forward, backward so you have a good angle without bushes in the way. Ask to stop so you can take a picture of something that interests you. If there are certain animals or scenes you’d like to see, tell the guide, so you have more subjects to photograph.
21. Bring enough memory so you can keep a lot of your photos. It is hard to tell which ones to keep and which to delete on the little camera screen. You can make better decisions on a big computer screen so you don’t want to delete before you’ve had a chance to compare them on a big screen.
22. Most drivers/guides are very adept at positioning you for good light. You want the light behind you usually. Here is Tom’s quote: A photographer who worries about equipment is an amateur, a photographer who worries about money is a professional, and a photographer who worries about light is a photographer.
23. When the light is behind you, sometimes the vehicle, others in it or you can cast a shadow in the direction of your subject. Be aware of that so you don’t shade your subject or the area near it.
24. Don’t fret over lost photo opportunities. It is those images you know you missed that you’ll remember the longest and in the most detail.
I have become an enumerator.
Jul 17th, 2007, 08:03 PM
#44
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Wow Lynn, if you had a "tip jar" I would be filling it up for sure!
I am trying to keep up with ALL this great information. I adore you writing abilities and great sense of humor.
Thanks for reminding me about Sonny Bono. I used that alot on my trip but had forgotten about it since.
I can relate to the tears at departure... all good signs of a fabulous trip.
I will wait until the end of your report to ask more questions. Great job so far, thank you so much!
I am trying to keep up with ALL this great information. I adore you writing abilities and great sense of humor.
Thanks for reminding me about Sonny Bono. I used that alot on my trip but had forgotten about it since.
I can relate to the tears at departure... all good signs of a fabulous trip.
I will wait until the end of your report to ask more questions. Great job so far, thank you so much!
Jul 17th, 2007, 08:47 PM
#45
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Sightings are in 5-minute increments. Not all birds or antelope seen were recorded. For example, beautiful lilac breasted rollers often flitted from branch to branch near the vehicle or perched in the sun, but I didn’t include their frequent presence.
Our weather was cool in the mornings and evenings with lows around 6. The highs would reach 27. Most days the wind would pick up from about 9 am to 4 pm. Cool and windy sends animals into thicker brush so our conditions were not always optimal but our sightings were still plentiful. Thanks to John and Bruce.
23rd pm
3:00 An elephant herd was in front of camp as we gathered for tea
3:15 Trio of baby water monitor, Pied Kingfisher, Hammerkop hanging out together
3:20 femal nyala—This was a first sighting of a new species for me so I was excited. I asked Bruce to find some nyala for me to photograph, but when he found out I was going to Phinda, he assured me that they would be more plentiful there; 2 bushbuck and some impala; baboon family that was having an internal scuffle; elephants in the river at a distance
3:25 banded mongoose troop; juvenile Bateleur Eagle
3:30 male bushbuck
3:35-3:45 big male giraffe that we watched until he disappeared
3:45 Gymongene; Crested Barbet; bachelor herd of impala
4:00 flock of Grey Louries—Go Away birds
4:15 elephants eating in thick brush; African Wood Hoopoo (my favorite bird)
4:20-4:30 watched a kudu herd of males and females browse
4:35-4:50 watched a mother and baby rhino until they slipped into the thick brush
5:00-6:00 Leopard (Rollercoaster female’s daughter) in tree with a bushbuck carcass. She moved the carcass to a couple of locations in the tree. A hyena was lurking on the ground. We were able to sit at this sighting an hour. A couple of other vehicles came and went during that time. They were unobtrusive enough that I don’t recall anything about them. No posted pictures of this leopard.
6:05 3 male buffalo
Night drive begins
6:55 an injured male buffalo sleeping in the road—The injury appeared to be from tangling with other buffalo according to John and Bruce.
Our weather was cool in the mornings and evenings with lows around 6. The highs would reach 27. Most days the wind would pick up from about 9 am to 4 pm. Cool and windy sends animals into thicker brush so our conditions were not always optimal but our sightings were still plentiful. Thanks to John and Bruce.
23rd pm
3:00 An elephant herd was in front of camp as we gathered for tea
3:15 Trio of baby water monitor, Pied Kingfisher, Hammerkop hanging out together
3:20 femal nyala—This was a first sighting of a new species for me so I was excited. I asked Bruce to find some nyala for me to photograph, but when he found out I was going to Phinda, he assured me that they would be more plentiful there; 2 bushbuck and some impala; baboon family that was having an internal scuffle; elephants in the river at a distance
3:25 banded mongoose troop; juvenile Bateleur Eagle
3:30 male bushbuck
3:35-3:45 big male giraffe that we watched until he disappeared
3:45 Gymongene; Crested Barbet; bachelor herd of impala
4:00 flock of Grey Louries—Go Away birds
4:15 elephants eating in thick brush; African Wood Hoopoo (my favorite bird)
4:20-4:30 watched a kudu herd of males and females browse
4:35-4:50 watched a mother and baby rhino until they slipped into the thick brush
5:00-6:00 Leopard (Rollercoaster female’s daughter) in tree with a bushbuck carcass. She moved the carcass to a couple of locations in the tree. A hyena was lurking on the ground. We were able to sit at this sighting an hour. A couple of other vehicles came and went during that time. They were unobtrusive enough that I don’t recall anything about them. No posted pictures of this leopard.
6:05 3 male buffalo
Night drive begins
6:55 an injured male buffalo sleeping in the road—The injury appeared to be from tangling with other buffalo according to John and Bruce.
Jul 17th, 2007, 09:48 PM
#46
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Geez Lynn, what happened between 3:46 and 4 pm -- you hit a real dead patch. What is going on at Mala Mala? Fabulous, I love getting a feel for the drives in this manner. If you lived in Colorado I think you would have an offer to be a Field Biologist right now, I need some help with your attention to detail! Keep up the great report, I'm really enjoying it.
Jul 18th, 2007, 05:26 AM
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Thanks Lynn for those great suggestions for using the H9 (or any point&shoot) in Africa. I'm beginning to get more relaxed just reading them. I'll print them out for my camera bag to read over once in a while. I especially like the last one, don't fret over lost opportunities. What I need to work on most is keeping the camera steady. I do use the burst mode a lot. That really shows how much the camera jumps around when I hold it. I'll work more on steadying with the eye piece. I'll also try bracketing once in a while. I'm new to anything but Automatic but I'm learning. Luckily we will have four other people in our group taking photograhs with four other cameras.
Two more weeks and I've never fretted over a trip as much as this one. Your report and the many others indicate to me that all this preparation and worry is worth it.
Two more weeks and I've never fretted over a trip as much as this one. Your report and the many others indicate to me that all this preparation and worry is worth it.
Jul 18th, 2007, 06:42 AM
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Lynn, it is great fun to read your trip report, but agonizing at the same time. ;-) The clock ticks seemingly slower and slower to my departure (5 months to go). Fantastic pics...especially the leopard and elees.
Your love for this continent really shines through in your writing, as it does in each of your posts.
Looking forward to reading the rest
Shane
Your love for this continent really shines through in your writing, as it does in each of your posts.
Looking forward to reading the rest
Shane
Jul 18th, 2007, 06:52 PM
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Lynn, thanks for such a warm, humorous, insightful report. Lovely to read, endlessly informative. The MM myths v. realities sounds exactly like Londolozi next door. Thankfully we didn't have any pressed safari suits there, but equally good cheese platters.
Leslie
Leslie
Jul 18th, 2007, 08:39 PM
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24th am
7:25-7:35 2 males and a female rhino getting a drink
7:35 Bateleur Eagle
7:50-8:25 Mating lions with a giraffe watching from a distance. They mated 3 times. It was a Rollercoaster Male and a Styx female. With the Styx pride in disarray, the female will not encounter a problem from her own pride’s males when she gives birth I was told. I read that a Rollercoaster male was killed by a croc on approx June 30. If it was the lion I saw, his genes have been passed on. The turbulent nature of the lion prides at the moment at Mala Mala meant this pair would be our only lion sighting. We did see them again one evening.
8:30 2 klipspringer on a high kopje
8:35 herd of 6 kudu with 1 male
8:45-9:15 After hearing several impala bark, hearing a leopard growl (which John and Bruce heard but I did not), and watching the impalas’ heightened alertness, we searched for the leopard or whatever predator, but did not find it.
9:20 grey duiker
9:30-10:00 watched wildebeest graze as we did the same (coffee, tea, snack time)
10:15 small zebra herd—male, baby, 3 females
10:20 4 male buffalos
10:25-11:00 a breeding herd of about 15 elephant came to the river for a midday drink and the juveniles tussled in the tall grass near the river. The adults did a good job of shielding the tiniest baby much of the time.
11:20 returned to the lodge
At lunch we had Shelly’s Francolin and Guinea Flow (strutting around, not on the plate). A fish eagle was trying for his own lunch in the water in front of camp.
I bought postcards and wrote them. Reception will affix the correct postage and mail them for the price of a stamp. I wished the postcards had Mala Mala printed on them instead of being generic South Africa animals and I wrote that suggestion on my evaluation. On the plus side, I had forgotten to bring the address for one card. No problem; I popped onto the Internet in the library and 10 minutes later I had the card properly addressed.
24th pm
3:10-3:20 big male rhino that grazed then headed to thick brush
3:30 gray duiker
3:50-4:00 My notes show “twins.” But I cannot recall twin whats. I think it was zebra, kudu or giraffe and am pretty certain it was a pair of juvenile giraffes. I know for sure it was not Mary Kate and Ashley. You’d think I’d have no doubt since we watched these twins for 10 minutes. I’m attributing the memory block to the excitement of the wild dogs that came up next.
4:00-4:05 small herd of kudu with 1 male
4:25-4:40 We made our way to the dog den for our turn at viewing. The rules are quite strict and only one vehicle at a time is allowed to leave the main path to venture in to the den area. We waited a few moments until the other vehicle emerged and was back on the road and then we slowly advanced for our turn. About six adults were milling around the den, interacting with each other. (I think there are about 8 adults total.) Before our allotted 20 minutes of viewing was up the dogs rudely decided to take leave of us and head off to hunt. We followed them for a few minutes and could see a couple of pack members at a distance and then they slipped out of sight. Unfortunately those behind us in the queue did not get to see the dogs that night, as we were the last to be entertained.
4:45 African Hoopoo
4:50 male kudu
4:55 couple of male nyala
5:00 gray duiker
5:10-5:30 Sundowner and begin night drive
6:05 hyena
6:15 white tailed mongoose
6:20-6:30 sat with a herd of buffalo
6:30 small herd of nyala
6:35 back at the lodge
That evening the Rattrays were mingling with the guests during our appetizers and drinks before dinner.
25th am
7:40-7:50 herd of about 400 buffalo—We watched a few calves become tangled in vines and brush and then figure out how maneuver to free themselves.
8:20-8:40 watched huge troop of baboons and herd of impala
8:40 Black Collared Barbet
8:55-9:05 watched a mother rhino and nearly grown calf plus a young calf until they trotted off
9:10 2 steenbock
9:20 several vervet monkeys and a large impala herd
9:25-10:10 Leopard, the Rollercoaster female’s daughter with remains of the bushbuck carcass, trying desperately to find a comfortable sleeping position in the tree.
10:15-10:40 Coffee, tea break at a small pond with turtles sunning themselves on the bank
10:50 herd of running impala that I was able to photograph
11:05 frisky bachelor herd of impala
11:10 small flock of Brown-headed Parrots
11:15 family of warthogs on a ridge in a beautifully picturesque setting that was captured only in my mind and not on a memory card because warthogs don’t pose long for family portraits
11:20-11:30 buffalo herd and Redbilled Oxpeckers
11:40 back to lodge
Before lunch the buffalo herd came to the river in front of the lodge and drank then lingered on the banks, spending over an hour in sight of the lodge.
The Rattrays were again circulating at lunch and it was a pleasure to share with them how much we were enjoying our stay and our time with Bruce and John.
25th pm
3:10 Trio of baby water monitor, Pied Kingfisher, Hammerkop hanging out together. I did not accidentally copy and paste from the pm of the 24th. This must be the group’s stomping grounds. There was also an active troop of vervets nearby.
3:20 4 zebra
3:25 John demonstrated his keen spotting skills by pointing out a tiny speck of a klipspringer on a rock about half a mile away. Binoculars proved him right.
3:40 several dwarf mongoose
3:45 steenbock
3:50-4:00 3 zebra; a pair of black backed jackals
4:10 zebra herd with an impala herd; flock of Red-billed Quelea
4:30-5:25 Leopard (Newington male) was sitting on a termite mound then went to sleep at the mound’s base. We watched him nap and occasionally look up. To help keep us entertained, a Red Headed Woodpecker pecked on a dead tree nearby while the leopard slept. He took no notice of the woodpecker.
5:25 The leopard suddenly became alert and sat up. A hyena was approaching. To avoid confrontation the leopard retreated up the nearby tree where his meal of impala was waiting. We occasionally got whiffs of that meal and it was not appetizing.
5:30 lone rhino
5:35-5:45 Sundowner and night drive began
5:45-6:00 sat with buffalo herd
6:30-6:50 heard the lion roars before we saw them—The mating pair were separated by a few hundred yards and were calling. The female was calling for her Styx pride mates and the male was calling either for his brother or just serenading his girlfriend. We stopped about 5 meters from the female and her roars made my breastbone vibrate. We could all feel it. The male was roaring from the bridge and delayed many of us from crossing for a while.
7:00 back to the lodge
Heard the lions during the night.
26th am
We left early and took a breakfast box.
6:40 bushbuck
6:45 Burchell’s Coucal; impala herd noticeably fluffed up as they do in the cold
7:00 gray duiker
7:05 2 gray duikers
7:10-7:15 3 ground hornbills—mother, father, juvenile, a happy family unit. They even spent some time leaving the ground to perch in a tree. An article in a Federal Air magazine indicated that South Africa had only about 1500 of these unusual creatures left. So we had just observed .2% of that population.
7:15 3 giraffe and a zebra herd
7:30-7:45 We arrived at the wild dog den and were all thrilled to see the mother standing in front, nursing her pups. It was Ranger Bruce’s first wild dog pup sighting. She nursed 5 or 10 minutes before nudging the pups back into the den. Some went more willingly than others. We debated staying and waiting for the rest of the pack to return or moving on. There were no other vehicles in the queue for dog viewing. John gave his opinion that based on I’m not sure what he felt that the dogs had left very early to hunt far away and that they would not be back soon. We all trusted John’s judgment and headed out in search of another canine den—hyenas.
8:00 Zebra, impala, kudu
8:00-8:10 herd of about 15 kudu with males and females
8:15 Gymnogene; lone male buffalo
8:20 lone male elephant eating along the road
8:35 Black Crake; Brown Hooded Kingfisher
8:50-9:10 Kirkman’s—we were in their concession looking for the hyena den. Turns out the hyenas moved it but we did see one attractive hyena in the area and watched it. Then we saw another a few minutes away.
9:20-9:40 Breakfast. While Tracker John stepped into the bushes (denser bushes than I ever use for that purpose) I heard a rustle that did not sound like John doing his business. I mentioned it to Bruce. When John emerged he told a tale of being confronted by a hyena and frightening it off. That explains the rustle. So while the hyena den had been vacated and empty, we succeeded with hyenas in an alternative manner. We decided to try the dog den on the way back, thinking they might have returned by then after their long hunt.
10:00-10:30 Still no other vehicles present at the dogs and no one had called in their intention to see them. Lucky us, the dogs were back from the hunt. The mother was lying on the termite mound behind the den, nursing the black writhing and squealing mass.
We saw dogs milling around and we watched the alpha female mother beg for regurgitated food from the alpha male, baring her teeth in a pleading smile and uttering a cry I had not heard before. We also saw one dog regurgitate food for another.
When the alpha male and female wandered off together the other dogs immediately took the opportunity to run to the den and encourage the pups to come out. Their greetings started out as gentle nuzzling but quickly progressed to rough play. That’s when the alpha female came storming back to “rescue” her babies from their exuberant pack mates and send the little guys scurrying to the safety of the den. That only lasted so long before they’d venture out again to play with the big dogs.
This whole scene was such a privilege to watch that I felt like we had all been through some secret initiation ritual and now all held membership in an elite club. We should have created a handshake. Maybe we could just use that bared teeth regurgitation-seeking grin and cry.
10:30-11:15 We drove back to the lodge. Dog dens are often in areas that do not have lots of game around. They don’t need it close by because they have such stamina to run to where game is more plentiful. Plus less game means less predators nearby that could threaten the pups. As a result we did not see too much on the way back since we took a direct route and weren’t meandering in search of sightings. And the wind had really picked up, which does not help. But we were quite satisfied with the morning’s viewing.
During our midday break I was determined to get a photo of me and the warthog statue that was artistically placed in a decorative pond. There was no foot traffic so I didn’t have people around that I could ask to photograph me. That’s ok, that’s why there’s the timer feature and using it would be more of a challenge anyway. I set up the timer and placed the camera on one side of the pond, then I raced to the opposite side in my allotted 10 seconds to pose with the warthog statues.
The first few takes I was either absent from the photo altogether or just my foot or arm would jut out from the photo’s edge. So I knew I had to speed up my sprint to the warthogs. The next attempts I at least made it into the photo, but in weird, awkward poses. I had to move faster yet. All this running was making me hot. Though the temperature was still cool, I was removing a layer of clothing every few photo takes. I had read that Mala Mala advises “dressing to strip” to remain comfortable throughout the day, but I bet they never dreamed it would apply to stripping for the warthogs.
Now my joints were warmed up, my muscles loose and I was sure the next photo would be a winner. Timer on, run around the pond, reach the warthog before the light flashes. I thought I got it until I looked at the result. I reached only the back end of the warthog and it looked like I was trying to mate. And I was assuming the male position! Although I’ve never seen warthogs mate, it is what I envision the male position to be. Not that I spend time envisioning mating warthogs!
At last, stripped down to my T-shirt and sweating like a. . . warthog, the timer snapped a suitable photo. Exhausted, I retreated back to my room to recover from my grueling ordeal and to immediately delete that embarrassing photo. What happens in the warthog statue pond stays in the warthog statue pond.
7:25-7:35 2 males and a female rhino getting a drink
7:35 Bateleur Eagle
7:50-8:25 Mating lions with a giraffe watching from a distance. They mated 3 times. It was a Rollercoaster Male and a Styx female. With the Styx pride in disarray, the female will not encounter a problem from her own pride’s males when she gives birth I was told. I read that a Rollercoaster male was killed by a croc on approx June 30. If it was the lion I saw, his genes have been passed on. The turbulent nature of the lion prides at the moment at Mala Mala meant this pair would be our only lion sighting. We did see them again one evening.
8:30 2 klipspringer on a high kopje
8:35 herd of 6 kudu with 1 male
8:45-9:15 After hearing several impala bark, hearing a leopard growl (which John and Bruce heard but I did not), and watching the impalas’ heightened alertness, we searched for the leopard or whatever predator, but did not find it.
9:20 grey duiker
9:30-10:00 watched wildebeest graze as we did the same (coffee, tea, snack time)
10:15 small zebra herd—male, baby, 3 females
10:20 4 male buffalos
10:25-11:00 a breeding herd of about 15 elephant came to the river for a midday drink and the juveniles tussled in the tall grass near the river. The adults did a good job of shielding the tiniest baby much of the time.
11:20 returned to the lodge
At lunch we had Shelly’s Francolin and Guinea Flow (strutting around, not on the plate). A fish eagle was trying for his own lunch in the water in front of camp.
I bought postcards and wrote them. Reception will affix the correct postage and mail them for the price of a stamp. I wished the postcards had Mala Mala printed on them instead of being generic South Africa animals and I wrote that suggestion on my evaluation. On the plus side, I had forgotten to bring the address for one card. No problem; I popped onto the Internet in the library and 10 minutes later I had the card properly addressed.
24th pm
3:10-3:20 big male rhino that grazed then headed to thick brush
3:30 gray duiker
3:50-4:00 My notes show “twins.” But I cannot recall twin whats. I think it was zebra, kudu or giraffe and am pretty certain it was a pair of juvenile giraffes. I know for sure it was not Mary Kate and Ashley. You’d think I’d have no doubt since we watched these twins for 10 minutes. I’m attributing the memory block to the excitement of the wild dogs that came up next.
4:00-4:05 small herd of kudu with 1 male
4:25-4:40 We made our way to the dog den for our turn at viewing. The rules are quite strict and only one vehicle at a time is allowed to leave the main path to venture in to the den area. We waited a few moments until the other vehicle emerged and was back on the road and then we slowly advanced for our turn. About six adults were milling around the den, interacting with each other. (I think there are about 8 adults total.) Before our allotted 20 minutes of viewing was up the dogs rudely decided to take leave of us and head off to hunt. We followed them for a few minutes and could see a couple of pack members at a distance and then they slipped out of sight. Unfortunately those behind us in the queue did not get to see the dogs that night, as we were the last to be entertained.
4:45 African Hoopoo
4:50 male kudu
4:55 couple of male nyala
5:00 gray duiker
5:10-5:30 Sundowner and begin night drive
6:05 hyena
6:15 white tailed mongoose
6:20-6:30 sat with a herd of buffalo
6:30 small herd of nyala
6:35 back at the lodge
That evening the Rattrays were mingling with the guests during our appetizers and drinks before dinner.
25th am
7:40-7:50 herd of about 400 buffalo—We watched a few calves become tangled in vines and brush and then figure out how maneuver to free themselves.
8:20-8:40 watched huge troop of baboons and herd of impala
8:40 Black Collared Barbet
8:55-9:05 watched a mother rhino and nearly grown calf plus a young calf until they trotted off
9:10 2 steenbock
9:20 several vervet monkeys and a large impala herd
9:25-10:10 Leopard, the Rollercoaster female’s daughter with remains of the bushbuck carcass, trying desperately to find a comfortable sleeping position in the tree.
10:15-10:40 Coffee, tea break at a small pond with turtles sunning themselves on the bank
10:50 herd of running impala that I was able to photograph
11:05 frisky bachelor herd of impala
11:10 small flock of Brown-headed Parrots
11:15 family of warthogs on a ridge in a beautifully picturesque setting that was captured only in my mind and not on a memory card because warthogs don’t pose long for family portraits
11:20-11:30 buffalo herd and Redbilled Oxpeckers
11:40 back to lodge
Before lunch the buffalo herd came to the river in front of the lodge and drank then lingered on the banks, spending over an hour in sight of the lodge.
The Rattrays were again circulating at lunch and it was a pleasure to share with them how much we were enjoying our stay and our time with Bruce and John.
25th pm
3:10 Trio of baby water monitor, Pied Kingfisher, Hammerkop hanging out together. I did not accidentally copy and paste from the pm of the 24th. This must be the group’s stomping grounds. There was also an active troop of vervets nearby.
3:20 4 zebra
3:25 John demonstrated his keen spotting skills by pointing out a tiny speck of a klipspringer on a rock about half a mile away. Binoculars proved him right.
3:40 several dwarf mongoose
3:45 steenbock
3:50-4:00 3 zebra; a pair of black backed jackals
4:10 zebra herd with an impala herd; flock of Red-billed Quelea
4:30-5:25 Leopard (Newington male) was sitting on a termite mound then went to sleep at the mound’s base. We watched him nap and occasionally look up. To help keep us entertained, a Red Headed Woodpecker pecked on a dead tree nearby while the leopard slept. He took no notice of the woodpecker.
5:25 The leopard suddenly became alert and sat up. A hyena was approaching. To avoid confrontation the leopard retreated up the nearby tree where his meal of impala was waiting. We occasionally got whiffs of that meal and it was not appetizing.
5:30 lone rhino
5:35-5:45 Sundowner and night drive began
5:45-6:00 sat with buffalo herd
6:30-6:50 heard the lion roars before we saw them—The mating pair were separated by a few hundred yards and were calling. The female was calling for her Styx pride mates and the male was calling either for his brother or just serenading his girlfriend. We stopped about 5 meters from the female and her roars made my breastbone vibrate. We could all feel it. The male was roaring from the bridge and delayed many of us from crossing for a while.
7:00 back to the lodge
Heard the lions during the night.
26th am
We left early and took a breakfast box.
6:40 bushbuck
6:45 Burchell’s Coucal; impala herd noticeably fluffed up as they do in the cold
7:00 gray duiker
7:05 2 gray duikers
7:10-7:15 3 ground hornbills—mother, father, juvenile, a happy family unit. They even spent some time leaving the ground to perch in a tree. An article in a Federal Air magazine indicated that South Africa had only about 1500 of these unusual creatures left. So we had just observed .2% of that population.
7:15 3 giraffe and a zebra herd
7:30-7:45 We arrived at the wild dog den and were all thrilled to see the mother standing in front, nursing her pups. It was Ranger Bruce’s first wild dog pup sighting. She nursed 5 or 10 minutes before nudging the pups back into the den. Some went more willingly than others. We debated staying and waiting for the rest of the pack to return or moving on. There were no other vehicles in the queue for dog viewing. John gave his opinion that based on I’m not sure what he felt that the dogs had left very early to hunt far away and that they would not be back soon. We all trusted John’s judgment and headed out in search of another canine den—hyenas.
8:00 Zebra, impala, kudu
8:00-8:10 herd of about 15 kudu with males and females
8:15 Gymnogene; lone male buffalo
8:20 lone male elephant eating along the road
8:35 Black Crake; Brown Hooded Kingfisher
8:50-9:10 Kirkman’s—we were in their concession looking for the hyena den. Turns out the hyenas moved it but we did see one attractive hyena in the area and watched it. Then we saw another a few minutes away.
9:20-9:40 Breakfast. While Tracker John stepped into the bushes (denser bushes than I ever use for that purpose) I heard a rustle that did not sound like John doing his business. I mentioned it to Bruce. When John emerged he told a tale of being confronted by a hyena and frightening it off. That explains the rustle. So while the hyena den had been vacated and empty, we succeeded with hyenas in an alternative manner. We decided to try the dog den on the way back, thinking they might have returned by then after their long hunt.
10:00-10:30 Still no other vehicles present at the dogs and no one had called in their intention to see them. Lucky us, the dogs were back from the hunt. The mother was lying on the termite mound behind the den, nursing the black writhing and squealing mass.
We saw dogs milling around and we watched the alpha female mother beg for regurgitated food from the alpha male, baring her teeth in a pleading smile and uttering a cry I had not heard before. We also saw one dog regurgitate food for another.
When the alpha male and female wandered off together the other dogs immediately took the opportunity to run to the den and encourage the pups to come out. Their greetings started out as gentle nuzzling but quickly progressed to rough play. That’s when the alpha female came storming back to “rescue” her babies from their exuberant pack mates and send the little guys scurrying to the safety of the den. That only lasted so long before they’d venture out again to play with the big dogs.
This whole scene was such a privilege to watch that I felt like we had all been through some secret initiation ritual and now all held membership in an elite club. We should have created a handshake. Maybe we could just use that bared teeth regurgitation-seeking grin and cry.
10:30-11:15 We drove back to the lodge. Dog dens are often in areas that do not have lots of game around. They don’t need it close by because they have such stamina to run to where game is more plentiful. Plus less game means less predators nearby that could threaten the pups. As a result we did not see too much on the way back since we took a direct route and weren’t meandering in search of sightings. And the wind had really picked up, which does not help. But we were quite satisfied with the morning’s viewing.
During our midday break I was determined to get a photo of me and the warthog statue that was artistically placed in a decorative pond. There was no foot traffic so I didn’t have people around that I could ask to photograph me. That’s ok, that’s why there’s the timer feature and using it would be more of a challenge anyway. I set up the timer and placed the camera on one side of the pond, then I raced to the opposite side in my allotted 10 seconds to pose with the warthog statues.
The first few takes I was either absent from the photo altogether or just my foot or arm would jut out from the photo’s edge. So I knew I had to speed up my sprint to the warthogs. The next attempts I at least made it into the photo, but in weird, awkward poses. I had to move faster yet. All this running was making me hot. Though the temperature was still cool, I was removing a layer of clothing every few photo takes. I had read that Mala Mala advises “dressing to strip” to remain comfortable throughout the day, but I bet they never dreamed it would apply to stripping for the warthogs.
Now my joints were warmed up, my muscles loose and I was sure the next photo would be a winner. Timer on, run around the pond, reach the warthog before the light flashes. I thought I got it until I looked at the result. I reached only the back end of the warthog and it looked like I was trying to mate. And I was assuming the male position! Although I’ve never seen warthogs mate, it is what I envision the male position to be. Not that I spend time envisioning mating warthogs!
At last, stripped down to my T-shirt and sweating like a. . . warthog, the timer snapped a suitable photo. Exhausted, I retreated back to my room to recover from my grueling ordeal and to immediately delete that embarrassing photo. What happens in the warthog statue pond stays in the warthog statue pond.
Jul 18th, 2007, 09:08 PM
#53
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Only the mating pair of lions. We did not hear about other lions in the area that we just missed. But it was only 4 days.
By Sept. the prides may regroup and there are some cubs that may make a debut soon.
By Sept. the prides may regroup and there are some cubs that may make a debut soon.
Jul 18th, 2007, 09:12 PM
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I sort of doubt about prides regrouping soon with that coalition of 6 males in control. Only one pride there now anyway, Eyrefield? Yeah, like I'm an expert on lion behavior 
Sure hope some of those cubs survive.
regards - tom
Sure hope some of those cubs survive.
regards - tom
Jul 18th, 2007, 09:34 PM
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Hi everyone,
I have been thinking about the lion situation at MM which has been in out of order for a while, which I am sure is a pattern to be expected over the years. The Styx Pride is on another property, now which I am not sure, as I read a few! So the single lioness is being smart mating with the Rollercoaster Male, hedging her bets in case he is around. I am not so sure that they will not regroup after the mating is complete as the Styx Pride is a very tough yet close pride of lionesses. Certainly I have seen Eyrefield Pride Lionesses split up when older bigger cubs were not allowing smaller cubs food, so two lionesses with their cubs went a separate path and they never really did seem to regroup after that, as now down to 4 lionesses.
I have not seen those 6 males from the Eyrefield Pride for quite some time at MM, and in a way, as much as I would love to seem them again, I hope it stays that way as for sure those cubs will be killed! I am not greatly liking their chances now without the 6 males around! The current prides really need a male coalition of at least 3, and fairly youngish, to arrive in the area and be dominant for quite a few years to let some cubs reach maturity, like the West Street Males or the Golf Course Males before them.
Fewer lions have certainly given the dogs and pups a far better start, so that is a good thing about seeing fewer lions. At the very end of last year, at MM and Lion Sands, lions were few and far between, and again we saw a lot of wild dogs which was wonderful.
Hopefully things will calm down and there will be plenty of babies for me to see in December!
Kind regards
Kaye
I have been thinking about the lion situation at MM which has been in out of order for a while, which I am sure is a pattern to be expected over the years. The Styx Pride is on another property, now which I am not sure, as I read a few! So the single lioness is being smart mating with the Rollercoaster Male, hedging her bets in case he is around. I am not so sure that they will not regroup after the mating is complete as the Styx Pride is a very tough yet close pride of lionesses. Certainly I have seen Eyrefield Pride Lionesses split up when older bigger cubs were not allowing smaller cubs food, so two lionesses with their cubs went a separate path and they never really did seem to regroup after that, as now down to 4 lionesses.
I have not seen those 6 males from the Eyrefield Pride for quite some time at MM, and in a way, as much as I would love to seem them again, I hope it stays that way as for sure those cubs will be killed! I am not greatly liking their chances now without the 6 males around! The current prides really need a male coalition of at least 3, and fairly youngish, to arrive in the area and be dominant for quite a few years to let some cubs reach maturity, like the West Street Males or the Golf Course Males before them.
Fewer lions have certainly given the dogs and pups a far better start, so that is a good thing about seeing fewer lions. At the very end of last year, at MM and Lion Sands, lions were few and far between, and again we saw a lot of wild dogs which was wonderful.
Hopefully things will calm down and there will be plenty of babies for me to see in December!
Kind regards
Kaye
Jul 19th, 2007, 07:44 AM
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Lynn
I am assuming the Monitor, Kingfisher, Hamerkop trio were seen regularly on the causeway heading out at the start of drives.
When heading back at night, if you stop at the same spot you can often see a Whitebacked Night Heron, which is a beautiful bird.
I am assuming the Monitor, Kingfisher, Hamerkop trio were seen regularly on the causeway heading out at the start of drives.
When heading back at night, if you stop at the same spot you can often see a Whitebacked Night Heron, which is a beautiful bird.
Jul 19th, 2007, 08:32 PM
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NapaMatt, I'll just have to go back to search for that Whitebacked Night Heron.
26th pm
3:05 Nyala, bushbuck, kudu all before we left the confines of Main Camp
3:10-3:45 watched a one-tusked bull ele browse, reaching way up for the best leaves—I took a side shot of him so his lack of a second tusk was not evident in the photo.
3:55-4:00 tree full of baboons and surprisingly they stayed in the tree eating and grooming and did not run out of it as is their custom—Baboons run out of the tree and vervets run into the tree when the motor stops. Either way photos are often foiled.
4:00 Buffalo herd in thicket
4:05 Elephant herd in thicket
4:15 Gray duiker
4:20 Bateleur Eagle flying right over our heads with rodent-like prey in its talons. Glad it maintained a good grip.
4:40-5:15 The Newington male leopard was back on the ground underneath his treed impala, relaxing. The odor wafting from the tree had gotten worse. A mongoose had been alerted to the smell and approached the carcass. Then we lost track of the mongoose and the leopard never seemed to notice or care. But he did take notice of his hyena neighbor, just like the previous night. Only this time as the hyena approached the leopard was more aggressive. He shrunk into a crouched position and hissed menacingly at the hyena. Both circled each other warily in an uneasy truce. Eventually the leopard climbed to safety in the tree and returned to the impala carcass in the middle of the tree, out of view.
5:20-5:30 We had just reached a water filled pan with another vehicle present. We saw Bruce pump his fist into the air as we approached. All three of us thought the other vehicle had gotten to this sundowner spot first and Bruce was feigning exaggerated anger at the other ranger because he wanted to claim the spot too. Wrong. There was a pair of rhino drinking at the pan with a beautiful reflection in the water. That’s what the other vehicle was looking at. The fist in the air was his Bruce’s enthusiastic response to finding us one more rhino sighting because we had one member in the vehicle who had been lamenting the fact we had not seen any rhino that day—and we had not yet gone a day without rhino. That spontaneous gesture showed how Bruce really took our wishes to heart. I found his reaction to be so genuine, even cute. It was getting late for decent pictures, but the rhino scene was a beautiful sight.
5:30-5:35 Sundowners were at the pan after the rhino had trotted off. We were aware of another vehicle that was positioned in the direction the rhino had run. Bruce told us that it was not good for the other vehicle to hear any voices during their sighting, so we whispered during our sundowner until that vehicle drove off. It was ok for us to hear them because we were just having sundowners and not viewing animals. I was impressed with this policy that enhances the experience for everyone.
We saw some Sand Grouse at the water’s edge and learned that they were wetting their wings to bring a drink to their chicks back at the nest. Similar to the wild dog regurgitation, but for beverages. Night drive began.
6:00 Civet
6:35 We were right in front of the lodge gate when John spotted a chameleon in the middle of a bushy tree. A chameleon, champion of camouflage, at night! I asked if he had spotted its eye or its body. The answer was body. Bruce joked, “This is just John showing off.” He certainly earned his nick name of Gah Mah (rhyming with llama) which means Martial Eagle. NapaMatt knows of some other nicknames too. I guess when you’ve been in the business almost 40 years, you acquire a variety of names.
27th am
7:15 bushbuck
7:25 baboon family grooming
7:30 Burchell’s Coucal fluffed up, fluffed up impala herd, (fluffing to combat the cold) juvenile Bateleur Eagle
7:45 herd of buffalo--We were planning on sitting with the herd until a call came in that a leopard had been spotted.
8:05-9:00 A baby nyala had been killed most likely by the Kapen Female Leopard. When we arrived we found the son (year and a half I believe) of the Kapen female dragging the nyala carcass along the ground. A hyena was not far away.
Early in the trip I had asked Bruce about a nyala photo. These circumstances were not what I had expected, but here was my chance for that photo.
We followed the leopard son through the brush until he disappeared briefly. We caught up with him again in a tree where he was practicing his technique for wedging the carcass between limbs. He was obviously just learning because he almost dropped his meal several times. It was like watching a high wire act and we all were gasping at his near misses.
We weren’t the only ones observing his progress. All of a sudden the mother appeared in the grass but then disappeared just as quickly. No photos of her.
Eventually he decided to grab the nyala by the neck, descend Tree #1 and find a different tree. The two leopards both disappeared into deep grass. I hope they enjoyed their meal.
I remarked that we had seen bushbuck, impala, and nyal--all as leopard prey. Bruce told me that was 3 of the Little 5, which would also include duiker and steenbok. (Correct me if I have errors there.) So here is a goal for Kaye, NapaMatt, and other frequent visitors. Instead of viewing the Big 5, try to find prey examples of the Little 5. I suppose that’s a bit macabre and I wonder how you would score that on the chalkboard roster of sightings at the bar.
9:25-9:45 returned to the buffalo herd and joined them
9:45-9:50 lone male elephant--This bull was huge and we could tell he was in musth. Bruce immediately mentioned the potential danger of the situation and rightfully kept his distance. The keen photographer with us really wanted some shots of this big guy and made that request known. I was impressed with how Bruce accommodated his wishes as best he could, yet put safety first in keeping many meters between us, not upsetting this bull, and maintaining an escape route at all times. I took a couple of photos too and ironically because there is no real reference point beyond vegetation, the massive size of this elephant is not that evident.
9:50 couple of bushbuck
9:55 bachelor herd of impala that gave us some views before darting off
9:55-10:15 We stretched our legs and walked up to a kopje with a nice lookout. It was peaceful and relaxing, a nice way to end.
10:20 Back to lodge
A delayed departure flight meant we could enjoy one last lunch. The delay was probably once again the result of some poor soul without additional proof of purchase beyond the plane ticket.
My safari-mates and I agreed that the apple cobbler dessert was the best one yet. Would have been a pity to miss that. An elephant could be seen in front of the lodge and a woodpecker of some kind (my bird book was packed) was knocking about in the trees above our heads as we waited for the late flight. Bruce was conscientious in keeping us informed of our altered schedule. An attentive ranger right up until the end.
Our departure plane, which also had incoming guests, landed. We said heartfelt goodbyes and gazed with envy at those coming off the plane. But at the same time we felt fortunate for the amazing sightings Mala Mala had produced for us.
I noticed one of the new arrivals was being closely guided and carefully helped off the plane. He had a cane, the kind with a red tip, and he was tapping it in front of himself as he hesitantly moved forward while his wife grasped his elbow and provided direction. That put feeling fortunate and amazing sightings in a whole new light.
26th pm
3:05 Nyala, bushbuck, kudu all before we left the confines of Main Camp
3:10-3:45 watched a one-tusked bull ele browse, reaching way up for the best leaves—I took a side shot of him so his lack of a second tusk was not evident in the photo.
3:55-4:00 tree full of baboons and surprisingly they stayed in the tree eating and grooming and did not run out of it as is their custom—Baboons run out of the tree and vervets run into the tree when the motor stops. Either way photos are often foiled.
4:00 Buffalo herd in thicket
4:05 Elephant herd in thicket
4:15 Gray duiker
4:20 Bateleur Eagle flying right over our heads with rodent-like prey in its talons. Glad it maintained a good grip.
4:40-5:15 The Newington male leopard was back on the ground underneath his treed impala, relaxing. The odor wafting from the tree had gotten worse. A mongoose had been alerted to the smell and approached the carcass. Then we lost track of the mongoose and the leopard never seemed to notice or care. But he did take notice of his hyena neighbor, just like the previous night. Only this time as the hyena approached the leopard was more aggressive. He shrunk into a crouched position and hissed menacingly at the hyena. Both circled each other warily in an uneasy truce. Eventually the leopard climbed to safety in the tree and returned to the impala carcass in the middle of the tree, out of view.
5:20-5:30 We had just reached a water filled pan with another vehicle present. We saw Bruce pump his fist into the air as we approached. All three of us thought the other vehicle had gotten to this sundowner spot first and Bruce was feigning exaggerated anger at the other ranger because he wanted to claim the spot too. Wrong. There was a pair of rhino drinking at the pan with a beautiful reflection in the water. That’s what the other vehicle was looking at. The fist in the air was his Bruce’s enthusiastic response to finding us one more rhino sighting because we had one member in the vehicle who had been lamenting the fact we had not seen any rhino that day—and we had not yet gone a day without rhino. That spontaneous gesture showed how Bruce really took our wishes to heart. I found his reaction to be so genuine, even cute. It was getting late for decent pictures, but the rhino scene was a beautiful sight.
5:30-5:35 Sundowners were at the pan after the rhino had trotted off. We were aware of another vehicle that was positioned in the direction the rhino had run. Bruce told us that it was not good for the other vehicle to hear any voices during their sighting, so we whispered during our sundowner until that vehicle drove off. It was ok for us to hear them because we were just having sundowners and not viewing animals. I was impressed with this policy that enhances the experience for everyone.
We saw some Sand Grouse at the water’s edge and learned that they were wetting their wings to bring a drink to their chicks back at the nest. Similar to the wild dog regurgitation, but for beverages. Night drive began.
6:00 Civet
6:35 We were right in front of the lodge gate when John spotted a chameleon in the middle of a bushy tree. A chameleon, champion of camouflage, at night! I asked if he had spotted its eye or its body. The answer was body. Bruce joked, “This is just John showing off.” He certainly earned his nick name of Gah Mah (rhyming with llama) which means Martial Eagle. NapaMatt knows of some other nicknames too. I guess when you’ve been in the business almost 40 years, you acquire a variety of names.
27th am
7:15 bushbuck
7:25 baboon family grooming
7:30 Burchell’s Coucal fluffed up, fluffed up impala herd, (fluffing to combat the cold) juvenile Bateleur Eagle
7:45 herd of buffalo--We were planning on sitting with the herd until a call came in that a leopard had been spotted.
8:05-9:00 A baby nyala had been killed most likely by the Kapen Female Leopard. When we arrived we found the son (year and a half I believe) of the Kapen female dragging the nyala carcass along the ground. A hyena was not far away.
Early in the trip I had asked Bruce about a nyala photo. These circumstances were not what I had expected, but here was my chance for that photo.
We followed the leopard son through the brush until he disappeared briefly. We caught up with him again in a tree where he was practicing his technique for wedging the carcass between limbs. He was obviously just learning because he almost dropped his meal several times. It was like watching a high wire act and we all were gasping at his near misses.
We weren’t the only ones observing his progress. All of a sudden the mother appeared in the grass but then disappeared just as quickly. No photos of her.
Eventually he decided to grab the nyala by the neck, descend Tree #1 and find a different tree. The two leopards both disappeared into deep grass. I hope they enjoyed their meal.
I remarked that we had seen bushbuck, impala, and nyal--all as leopard prey. Bruce told me that was 3 of the Little 5, which would also include duiker and steenbok. (Correct me if I have errors there.) So here is a goal for Kaye, NapaMatt, and other frequent visitors. Instead of viewing the Big 5, try to find prey examples of the Little 5. I suppose that’s a bit macabre and I wonder how you would score that on the chalkboard roster of sightings at the bar.
9:25-9:45 returned to the buffalo herd and joined them
9:45-9:50 lone male elephant--This bull was huge and we could tell he was in musth. Bruce immediately mentioned the potential danger of the situation and rightfully kept his distance. The keen photographer with us really wanted some shots of this big guy and made that request known. I was impressed with how Bruce accommodated his wishes as best he could, yet put safety first in keeping many meters between us, not upsetting this bull, and maintaining an escape route at all times. I took a couple of photos too and ironically because there is no real reference point beyond vegetation, the massive size of this elephant is not that evident.
9:50 couple of bushbuck
9:55 bachelor herd of impala that gave us some views before darting off
9:55-10:15 We stretched our legs and walked up to a kopje with a nice lookout. It was peaceful and relaxing, a nice way to end.
10:20 Back to lodge
A delayed departure flight meant we could enjoy one last lunch. The delay was probably once again the result of some poor soul without additional proof of purchase beyond the plane ticket.
My safari-mates and I agreed that the apple cobbler dessert was the best one yet. Would have been a pity to miss that. An elephant could be seen in front of the lodge and a woodpecker of some kind (my bird book was packed) was knocking about in the trees above our heads as we waited for the late flight. Bruce was conscientious in keeping us informed of our altered schedule. An attentive ranger right up until the end.
Our departure plane, which also had incoming guests, landed. We said heartfelt goodbyes and gazed with envy at those coming off the plane. But at the same time we felt fortunate for the amazing sightings Mala Mala had produced for us.
I noticed one of the new arrivals was being closely guided and carefully helped off the plane. He had a cane, the kind with a red tip, and he was tapping it in front of himself as he hesitantly moved forward while his wife grasped his elbow and provided direction. That put feeling fortunate and amazing sightings in a whole new light.
Jul 20th, 2007, 12:09 AM
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Hi Lynn
I feel as if I am in the vehicle with you and Bruce. I have heard of the little 5, but I thought it was things like leopard tortoise, lion ant, things like that not antelope! As a rule, I am not overly keen on the dead antelope - certainly I shall take photos of cats eating from the carcass. With a group one time, who could not believe I would not take photos of a dead impala, no cat in sight, while I couldn't believe that they would take photos of a dead impala! Hardly something I want to remember!
You must be very busy taking notes during the gamedrive, I keep some notes, certainly not a minute by minute account.
Kind regards,
Kaye
I feel as if I am in the vehicle with you and Bruce. I have heard of the little 5, but I thought it was things like leopard tortoise, lion ant, things like that not antelope! As a rule, I am not overly keen on the dead antelope - certainly I shall take photos of cats eating from the carcass. With a group one time, who could not believe I would not take photos of a dead impala, no cat in sight, while I couldn't believe that they would take photos of a dead impala! Hardly something I want to remember!
You must be very busy taking notes during the gamedrive, I keep some notes, certainly not a minute by minute account.
Kind regards,
Kaye
