This is the first post after a long break due to an overseas trip and having caught Covid on the flight back from overseas. I intend to resume my regular wildlife posts. I have a significant backlog to catch up from 2022.
Mashatu is a private game reserve in the south eastern section of Botswana called the Tuli Block. The landscape and fauna is diverse and so too is the wildlife.
“Climb on to the game vehicle after your cup of coffee and a rusk and get ready to be bewitched for the next few hours.” ~ Mike Haworth
The next three posts offer a small glimpse into the wide variety of birds that can be seen on a few game drives in Mashatu. This post shows a few examples of different birds in flight.
“Tame birds sing of freedom. Wild birds fly.” ~ John Lennon
January in Mashatu is a time when the migrants are around. Some of the more notable migrants are Lesser Spotted eagle, White storks, Carmine and European bee-eaters, European rollers, and Woodland kingfishers to name just a few.
The next image is of a Steppe buzzard having just taken off from its perch. This buzzard feeds on insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. I have not seen it every summer in Mashatu. We saw several members of this species during this trip so there must have been many insects around.
The White-fronted bee-eater is a resident in Mashatu and is seen mainly along the banks of the Majale river, the main river flowing through Mashatu into the Limpopo river. In the hot mornings and afternoons when there are plenty of flying insects in the air, these bee-eaters are very busy hawking the insects.
This female Saddle-billed stork had just taken off after feeding in a pool in the Majale river. The female Saddle-billed stork has a yellow eye-ring and no yellow wattle under her beak. This stork had been hunting for frogs and fish in the shallow pools of water in the Majale river.
There were numerous White storks in the open grassland in Mashatu. They were feeding on insects in the grass. These storks urinate on their legs making them appear white. This provides a cooling mechanism similar to sweating, a phenomenon known as urohidrosis.
Summer brings the Yellow-billed kites. They are wonderful, agile fliers and are recognisable in flight by their brown plumage and forked tail. The Yellow-billed kite and Black kite ranges overlap and look very similar. The simplest way to tell them apart is by looking at the beak. The Yellow-billed kite has a totally yellow beak and the Black kite has a yellow beak with a black tip.
The banks of the Majale river provide a wonderful hunting ground for the skulking Burchell’s coucal. This bird flushed as we drove towards it. The Burchell’s coucal is identified by its finely barred upper tail coverts. It’s beautiful plumage disguises its predatory nature.
I have only seen a Lanner falcon on rare occasions in Mashatu. On this particular trip I had good sightings of a Lanner on two occasions. I was interested to see how it had fanned out its wing and tail feathers on take off to get maximum lift at low speed.
On a different occasion we found a lone Lanner falcon on a patch of bare earth. I could not see what it was eating but it looked more like an insect than a bird. Those black tear drops below the eyes are so characteristic of these falcons.
In Mashatu, the Kori bustards are skittish. It would be very unusual to have one walking towards you. They are normally walking or flying away. The Kori bustard is the heaviest flying bird native to Africa. These birds have to run to take off but are good fliers though only for a short distance to get away from a perceived threat. Kori’s thrive in the grasslands of Mashatu and are omnivorous, tending to be more carnivorous than most other bustards.
Mashatu is a wonderful place to see and photograph birds or all sizes and colours. We spent a week at the syndicated camp called Rock camp and its guide Justice is particularly knowledgable about birds. If the guests on the game vehicle enjoy their birds, Mashatu offers a stunning variety which will keep you and your guests enthralled for hours.
“Life is a photo album. Loaded with some black and white memories, some colorful dreams, some abstract expressionism and some out of focus images.” ~ Biju Karakkonam
In the next post I will show a variety of wild birds which are perching or feeding.
In this post I want to show other carnivores beyond the popular lions, leopards and cheetahs. Mashatu is home to hyaenas, jackals, and Bat-eared foxes which we see during the day and civets, genets and, occasionally, Aardwolf seen mainly at night.
“Looking outside the spotlight of popularity you can find a wonderland of treasures” ~ Mike Haworth
Not all carnivores are exclusively meat eating. The Bat-eared foxes, civets, genets and Aardwolf are mainly nocturnal and insect eaters, though civets and genets are omnivorous. In this post, I show a few images of hyaenas, Black-backed jackals and Bat-eared foxes.
“Mashatu is dry in winter and spring but there is life in abundance. Looking beyond the popular and obvious reveals another world of fascination and wonder.” ~ Mike Haworth
Spotted hyaenas thrive in Mashatu. There is plenty of food and many leopards, several lions and a small population of cheetahs to steal food from.
Although hyaenas keep their young in dens the clan of adults generally spread out during the day to form a system of sentries. The females with young will return to the den to feed and tend their young. This sentry system ensures the clan can cover a greater surveillance area for them to kill or steal prey. Spotted hyaenas have acute senses of smell and hearing.
Although Spotted hyaenas are well known for scavenging and stealing food they are are excellent hunters in their own right. The majority of all the prey they consume comes from their own hunting efforts. Given the opportunity to scavenge or steal prey from another carnivore they will take it – but so will lions and leopards.
Hyaenas live and operate in female dominated clans led by the matriarch. The dominant female exercises her authority ruthlessly. Armed with great strength, speed and endurance a Spotted hyaena is quite capable of running at speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, fast enough to catch and take down an adult wildebeest. Hyaenas are also able to pursue their prey until the latter’s exhaustion. The longest recorded pursuit was know to have occurred over 24 kilometres.
“Odours have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odour cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.” ~ Patrick Süskind
During the day the Spotted hyaena will lie in a drainage ditch or under a tree or bush for shade watching and waiting for any opportunity to feed. They have extraordinary senses of hearing and smell.
The Spotted hyaena loves water. While it is thirst quenching, it is also a place to lie in the heat of the day to keep cool. Spotted hyaena are also known to hide food in water to keep it out of sight and hide the smell.
Hyaenas have exceptionally powerful carnassial teeth behind the premolars which they use for sawing flesh and premolars for crushing bones. Hyaenas are different in their feeding to other animals as they clearly go for the joints and bones first. Hyaenas have a particularly strong and quick acting digestive system enabling them to eat and digest the entire prey: meat, skin, bones and horn. Spotted Hyenas have an incredible bite force of 1100 psi (pounds per square inch). To put this into perspective, humans have a bite force of around 162 psi, a lion 650 psi, a hippo around 1 800 psi and a five metre long Nile crocodile around 3 500 psi.
There are three species of jackal in Africa, the Black-backed, Side-striped and Golden. The Black-backed jackal is most often seen in southern Africa. I have only seen Black-backed jackal in Mashatu.
“To learn to see- to accustom the eye to calmness, to patience, and to allow things to come up to it; to defer judgment, and to acquire the habit of approaching and grasping an individual case from all sides.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Where ever you see lion, hyaenas and cheetah you will often find Black-backed jackals hoping to benefit from morsels left by the other carnivores. These jackals are cunning and daring especially around lions at a kill. Although scavengers, they are also hunters in their own right, but they are omnivorous so are highly adaptable. This jackal species is mainly nocturnal but often seen during the day, normally lying in the shade of a bush.
During our November safari in Mashatu, on the drive out of camp on the other side of the rock outcrop next to the camp, we found a female jackal had created a den in a PVC pipe which acted as a culvert under the gravel road. Interestingly, this den was frequently watched by a few Spotted hyaenas.
Black-backed jackal mating usually occurs between June and August and with a gestation period of two months produces one to six pups between August and October each year. We estimated the three jackal pups we saw were around one month to two months old.
As with most youngsters these jackal pups were very curious but never ventured too far from their den if their mother was not close by.
Pups are suckled initially and thereafter fed on regurgitated food for up to three months. Thereafter young are able to forage with the adults.
Black-backed jackals are monogamous, so pair for life. The young initially use their parents territory to gain experience and assist in raising subsequent litters. Later in life they range more widely until they find their own mates and territories. Black-backed jackals have a well-developed communication system and are frequently heard at dawn and dusk.
The third frequently seen carnivore in Mashatu is the Bat-eared fox. There are two species of fox found in southern Africa, the Bat-eared fox and the Cape fox, with only the former found in Mashatu. This fox gets its name because it has abnormally large ears for a fox. It has a racoon-like black facial mask.
“The diversity of life is there for all to see but is not immediately apparent. Some wildlife you see during the day, some at night and some only in the diurnal hours. Timing is important and so too are senses and interpretation. Some you hear before you see. Some you only see because you heard from others. You need to waken all your senses to appreciate the diversity.” ~ Mike Haworth
The Bat-eared fox is predominately nocturnal but is often seen at diurnal times. It does most of its foraging during the night where around 80% of its diet is thought to comprise termites and dung beetles. It will also eat birds eggs, rodents, lizards and even chicks if it can find them.
The most distinctive feature of the Bat-eared fox is obviously its bat-like ears which can be 12.5cm in length. These enlarged ears give this fox species acute hearing and with numerous blood vessel act as a heat radiator. These foxes locate their prey mainly by hearing. Characteristically while foraging, this fox species will stop, cock its head pointing its ears towards the ground to accurately locate insects and termites below the ground. Once located they dig their prey out with long claws on their forepaws.
“The web of life both cradles us and calls us to weave it further.” ~Joanna Macy
As you can imagine, these long ears become problematic when the wind is blowing which is why they flatten them to reduce the roaring sound of the wind.
The hyaenas and jackals are always around in the dry and rainy periods and all survived the major floods in 2013. By contrast the Bat-eared foxes usually found near Nel’s vlei, which is an extension of the Limpopo river flood plain, were decimated by the flood. We assume most of the foxes drowned in their burrows and others escaped to higher ground. We did not see the Bat-eared foxes for several years after the flood but slowly and surely they returned and we saw them in 2018.
While it is always interesting to see the larger predators, often the smaller carnivores are more interesting and more active. The nocturnal carnivores are more skittish and more difficult to photograph by spotlight.
“Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or ‘use’, value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans – or anything else – from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognises the intrinsic value of all human beings and views humans as just one particular strand in the web of life.” ~Fritjof Capra
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
This was November in Mashatu. Many changes had taken place in the lions’ world in Mashatu. The handsome unscarred male lion who had been dominant for several years was deposed and pushed out into the adjacent property called Charter. Two younger males in the early phase of their prime had taken over the Mashatu territory. The manes of these males were still relatively blonde. The older the male generally the darker his mane. Dark-maned male lions are known to have a higher level of testosterone, which means they are stronger and more aggressive fighters. An aggressive male is better able to defend his pride.
“We no longer have the luxury of time when it comes to big cats. They are in such a downward spiral that if we hesitate now, we will be responsible for extinctions across the globe. If there was ever a time to take action, it is now.” ~ Dereck Joubert
On our second morning we found the two males with three lionesses. The blonder male was lying on his own away from the other male and two lionesses.
It was late afternoon and there were many stinging flies biting the male lying on his own. To prevent being stung the male was swishing his tail back and forth and was also trying to bite at the flies.
The third lioness who had been lying away from the other lions walked up to the male lying on his own. She lingered for a few months taking in his scent.
“Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” ~Phaedrus
She then brushed past and nuzzled him catching his attention. She then without a pause walked past him with without a backward glance and strode over to the other male lying with the other two lionesses.
It was clear from the first interaction that the male lying with the two lionesses was the dominant member of the male coalition. The third lioness walked straight up to the dominant male and started rubbing herself against him ensuring that he caught her scent. She was ready to mate.
The female usually invites the male to have intercourse by assuming a position known as lordosis. The dominant male quickly got the message and began mating with her right next to the other two lionesses who seemed unfazed. The mating did not raise a reaction from either of the other two lionesses.
Lions have no particular breeding season, and often synchronise breeding, especially after a pride takeover, which enables them to raise the cubs communally. A lioness mates up to 100 times per day with an average interval of 17 minutes, each mating lasting for around 21 seconds. Male cats have spines on their penis to cause slight trauma to the vagina upon withdrawal. The resulting pain triggers ovulation. It probably also explains why females bare their teeth at males during mating. (Source: ALERT: African Lion & Environmental Research Trust). We came away from this sighting with the firm impression that the mating male lion was the dominant member of the coalition so all the females gravitated towards him and were effectively his.
Two days later, in a much more open windswept part of the reserve near the vlei (local name for a marsh) we found all five lions. This time the male previously seen on his own had a female with him.
“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.” ~ Edward Wood
He was very protective of her and every time she got up to walk back to the other lionesses he followed her. As soon as she got close to the other male he would shield her from him. There was no antagonism between the two males.
The less dominate male started to mate with the female right next to the dominate male and two lionesses. The dominant male just looked on with complete acceptance despite the fact that he had mated with her two days before.
“The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” ~ Osho
The slightly overcast afternoon was very peaceful and the mating took place every twenty minutes or so.
At one point the two mating lions got close to the dominant male and he backed away to lie in-between the lionesses. This behaviour looked amusing and stirred the ire of one lioness who was sat on.
The mating pair eventually moved further away from the other three lions. The wind was blowing but it was warm. At one point the mating male lay a metre or two from his lioness. He looked relaxed but pensive.
“See life as if it is perfectly framed. Look for the good light, best composition, framing, because it will make you view life in a different, more perfect way. It makes life better if you can see perfection in an image you make, even if the image is of a slaughtered elephant, or people caught in rubble after an earthquake. ” ~ Dereck Joubert
At no point did the mating male lion close his eyes but just watched the whole scene with a quiet acceptance.
Lions live in prides that consist of one primary male lion, several females and one or two lesser males. The primary male mates with his lionesses. Females might also mate with more than one partner. Several females are likely to be in heat at the same time. The pride leader, usually is the first to mate with each female in heat. He might tire of them during their cycle which gives the lesser male get an opportunity to mate.
“Without conservation, nature fails. Without nature, our souls wither, ecosystems fail, culture disappears, and it takes with it our integrity, our self worth, our common drive to strive for better. The eternal battle within each of us is mirrored in the way we interact with nature. If we lose this battle we don’t just lose animals, or litter a few highways. We lose our souls.” ~ Dereck Joubert
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
In south eastern Botswana, Mashatu is a dry place for most of the year. It is home to numerous predators. The active and growing cheetah population in Mashatu competes with lions, leopards and hyaenas.
“The rules of survival never change, whether you’re in a desert or in an arena.” – Bear Grylls
Cheetahs are best known for their unique physiology which enables them to run down their prey at extremely high speeds. A less obvious adaptation, but nonetheless essential for survival, is their adaptability to local conditions, where larger more dominant predators compete with them for prey and will kill them if given a chance.
According to National Geographic, there are various theories concerning cheetah evolution. A popular one postulates that cheetahs descended from the same ancestor as the American puma. About 10 000 to 12 000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age, an extinction event took place that wiped out many large mammal species around the world, including the wild cheetahs of North America and Europe. The extinction of these early cheetah species left only the Asian and African populations of cheetahs.
At the turn of the 19th century, more than 100 000 cheetahs were estimated to have been living in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Today there are estimated to be only 7 100 cheetahs left in the wild, so they are listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. A recent study revealed significant population declines, so scientists are calling for cheetahs to be uplisted to “Endangered.” In North Africa and Asia, they are considered “Critically Endangered.”
Cheetahs today are heading toward extinction, a trend they have faced twice before. Genetic analysis of wild cheetahs shows they may have survived two historical bottlenecks, events that sharply reduce the size of a population.
“Evolution is the floating bridge on turbulent waters.” ~ Sukant Ratnakar
The first bottleneck event that cheetahs may have undergone occurred around 100 00 years ago when they expanded their range into Asia, Europe, and Africa. This range expansion is believed to have occurred rapidly, dispersing the cheetahs over a very large area, which reduced their ability to exchange genes.
The second likely bottleneck event occurred about 10 000 to 12 000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age. In this bottleneck the cheetahs of North America and Europe went extinct, leaving extant only the species’ Asian and African populations. As large mammals died out across the world, the number of surviving cheetahs dwindled, causing inbreeding. Even though the number of cheetahs grew to as many as 100,000 during the 19th century, their genetic variability remained low due to the second extreme bottleneck event which took place thousands of years before.
“Every being has its own important and unique place in the cosmic dance.” ~ Laurence Overmire
Cheetahs now face extinction pressure from climate change, hunting by humans, and habitat destruction. Cheetahs’ own genes also pose a challenge to their continued survival. Cheetahs have a low rate of reproductive success. The result is the few remaining individuals end up inbreeding, or mating with relatives. Inbreeding reduces the size of the gene pool, which can lead to problems such as decreased genetic variability and the persistence of potentially harmful mutations. These factors make it harder for the remaining population to adapt to changes in their environment. In a very small population, any mutations that occur are much more likely to be passed on to offspring and propagate through successive generations.
Adult life for a cheetah in the wild is difficult. Female cheetahs in the wild have an average age span of 10 – 12 years. The average lifespan of an adult male in the wild skews lower (8 years), due in part to territorial conflicts with competing groups of males. Adult mortality is one of the most significant limiting factors for the growth and survival of the wild cheetah population. (Source: Cheetah Conservation fund.)
“Sooner or later, every last echo fades. Even the loudest thunder in the deepest valley.” ~ Brian K. Vaughan
With its long legs and very slender body, the cheetah is quite different from all other cats and is the only member of its genus, Acinonyx. The scientific genus name Acinonyx is a reference to the species’ semi-retractile claws. The cheetah’s unique morphology and physiology allow it phenomenal acceleration and to attain the extreme speeds for which it’s famous.
Distinctive black tear stripes run from the eyes to the mouth. The stripes are thought to protect the eyes from the sun’s glare. It is believed that they also have the same function as a rifle scope, helping cheetahs focus on their prey at a long distance range by minimising the glare of the sun.
“It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have a huge variety of needs and dangers.” ~ H.G. Wells
Cheetah scent marking involves spraying urine and defecating on landmarks. It is often done by males competing for the best hunting grounds. Scent is one of the main communication channels among cheetahs. These sleek cats spend a considerable amount of their time smelling and depositing their own scent on previously marked places. This is most often on elevated points such as termite mounds or fallen trees. Such spots serve as ideal observational outlooks and act almost correspondingly to a status update of who is or has been in the area – a regular station for receiving and leaving olfactory information. (https://www.wildlifeact.com/blog/cheetah-scent-marking/)
The study of scat can provide valuable information. It identifies the species, diet composition, provides genetic information such as sex, age and the individual, it provides the hormone levels and parasite load in the individual signalling its overall health and vigour.
Cheetah tails end with a bushy tuft encircled by three or four dark rings. These markings provide them with excellent camouflage while hunting and make them more difficult for other predators to detect. The tail is also thought to be a signaling device, helping young cubs follow their mothers in tall grass. The tip of the tail varies in colour from white to black among individuals.
Cheetah have a hunting success rate of just under 60%. Most of the hunting takes place in the early morning or dusk when it is cooler. If an opportunity to hunt in the heat of the day presents itself the cheetah will take it mainly because there is much less competition from nocturnal predators such as lion, leopards and hyaenas at that time of the day. In Mashatu, the Shepherd Tree provides valuable shade in the heat of the day while the cheetahs rest and look out for prey.
Our second sighting of the cheetah coalition was the next day late in the afternoon. The cheetahs were on the move and looking for prey. On the south side of the Majale river it is dry and rocky in many places.
The two cheetahs were making their way toward the Majale river. Looking at the stones on the ground in this area it is hard to believe that these speedsters can run at top speed over this type of ground.
The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. At top speed, their stride is seven meters long. The cheetah’s unique body structure: flexible spine, semi-retractable claws, long legs and tail allow it to achieve a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour. The cheetah’s body is narrow and lightweight with long slender limbs. Its specialised muscles allow for a greater swing to the limbs increasing acceleration. Increasing stride frequency is key to reaching faster speeds. This is mainly achieved through rapidly swinging the limb to decrease swing time. Cheetah muscle has been shown to contain a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, which would be highly beneficial for rapidly swinging the limb and reducing swing time. (Functional Anatomy of the cheetah forelimb -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3077521/)
“Cheetahs succeed not because they are the fastest animal on land but because of their incredible acceleration and unmatched turning speeds.” ~ Alan Wilson
Cheetahs have a thin frame with a narrow waist and deep chest. They have large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake. Cheetahs have a large lungs and hearts connected to a circulatory system with strong arteries and adrenals that work in tandem to circulate oxygen through their blood very efficiently. The cheetah’s heart rate is between 120 and 170 beats a minute at rest and between 200 and 250 beats per minute when running.
Cheetahs’ foot pads are hard and less rounded than the other cats. The pads function like tire treads providing them with increased traction in fast, sharp turns. The short blunt claws, which are considered semi-retractable, are closer to that of a dog than of other cats. The claws work like the cleats of a track shoe to grip the ground for traction when running to help increase speed.
“Change can be reversed, but evolution only moves forward and once it moves forward, it can never be reversed.” ~ Sukant Ratnakar
This cheetah was very wary and reacted to every sound. It was late in the afternoon, a time when the nocturnal predators begin to stir. The river is also a place where lions and leopards frequent because the river attracts prey which come to the river in search of water.
The cheetahs eventually made their way down to the bank of the Majale river where lions and leopards are regularly seen. The cheetahs were on high alert knowing that crossing the dry river bed was a dangerous venture.
To watch these cheetah hunting from a distance was a privilege. At dawn and dusk they were very wary and were constantly looking around to ensure that there were no potential threats approaching. The cheetah’s colouring is especially effective at these diurnal times making their camouflage even more effective.
Cheetah are able to wander all over the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (NOTUGRE) but tend to frequent the area around the Majale, Matabole and Pitsani rivers especially in the drier periods because of the proximity of water. We have been fortunate enough to see cheetahs almost very time we have visited Mashatu but the free range movement does not guarantee cheetah sightings.
“Life is neither static nor unchanging. With no individuality, there can be no change, no adaptation and, in an inherently changing world, any species unable to adapt is also doomed.” ~ Jean M. Auel
A cheetah sighting is always a thrill because something can happen at any time. Cheetahs are the most active cats during the day so the potential to see a hunt develop is relatively high if you find these cats. If there are cheetah cubs they are very playful offering wonderful photographic opportunities.
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
This the second post from my trip to Mashatu Nature Reserve in November last year. Mashatu Nature Reserve is the largest privately owned nature reserve in southern Africa and is located in the Tuli Block between the Shashe and Limpopo rivers in south eastern Botswana.
“It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earth meets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed.” “~ Art Wolfe
This is a dry place between May and November each year which is winter and spring. Then the summer rains arrive in late November until around March. The rains turn this dry place into the garden of Eden.
“I can kind of go into the wild places and immediately feel rested and rejuvenated.” ~Jorja Fox
The summer months bring all the avian migrants which swells the number of bird species to around 360. This post shows just a small selection of the variety of birds which can be seen. The avian sightings are excellent when on a game vehicle and there are many birds around the camps. I visit Rock Camp which is a syndicated non-commercial bush camp located close to the Ponte Drift border post on the Limpopo river.
White fronted bee-eater in the crotons next to the Majale river. This is the main river coursing through Mashatu Nature Reserve.
Crested barbet at the bird bath at Rock Camp, which we affectionately call the “marmalade bird”.
Blue waxbills fly in every half an hour of so for a quick drink at the bird bath. These little seed-eaters usually arrive in small flocks.
Male Red-billed firefinch is happy to share the bird bath with Blue waxbills, Jameson’s firefinches and Grey-headed sparrows and even ants.
A male Red-billed fire finch progressively moulting into his summer breeding plumage.
The ever striking Crimson breasted shrike. This species of shrike prefers the drier thorn bush areas, in thickets and riparian scrub which can be found along the banks of the Majale river.
“It is impossible not to be enthralled by the kaleidoscope of colours that birds offer.”~ Mike Haworth
The Southern White-crowned shrike characterised by its distinctive white crown and forehead, and black mask which extends above and below the eye to the side of its neck.
Southern White crowned Shrike. You can usually find them in small family groups.
Kurrichane thrushes are daily visitors to Rock Camp’s bird bath. These thrushes prefer dry savanna and miombo woodland areas which are found along the Limpopo river. They are often seen running on the ground and flicking through the fallen leaves near the bird bath looking for insects.
The Kurrichane thrush has a distinctive orange beak and orange eye-ring. On either side of its throat, it has black stripes extending from its beak down to its chest.
A non descript female White-breasted sunbird. Her belly is a lighter whitish-beige which is different to most other female sunbird species.
Male White breasted sunbird. The iridescence is more vivid in the shade. Both the male and female sunbirds drink at the bird bath by sucking up water with their long beak. Given their high energy needs in a hot climate they do need to supplement their nectar intake with water.
The ubiquitous Kori bustard is always walking away from you. This is one of Mashatu’s “big seven”. It is the largest flying bird in southern Africa. It is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore. The Kori bustard is cryptically coloured, being mostly grey and brown, finely patterned with black and white colouring on its neck. Both male and female Kori bustards are similarly coloured but the male can be more than twice as heavy as the female.
Female Red-crested korhaan is cryptically coloured and stands motionless in the shade making it difficult to see.
“In a nature reserve, the more you look for birds the more you will see. Listening will help your seeing.” ~ Mike Haworth
The Lesser Striped swallow has a distinctive burnt-orange skullcap extending onto the cheeks like a helmet, and boldly streaked underparts. It is a partial migrant meaning it flies higher up into Africa in the winter months.
Greater honeyguide is the most distinctive members of its family. It has frosted white edgings to the shoulder feathers. The male has a pink bill, black-dark brown throat, and large white “ear muffs’; the female has a dark bill and pale throat.
An African spoonbill foraging for fish in the water next to the dam wall at the vlei in Mashatu Nature Reserve.
Also at the vlei (marsh) was a large flock of Great white pelicans. The flock must have been attracted by the “fish trap” created by the last pool of water next to the vlei’s dam wall.
A squadron of Great white pelicans flying into the remaining water at the vlei’s dam wall.
“One reason that birds matter – ought to matter – is that they are our last, best connection to a natural world that is otherwise receding. They’re the most vivid and widespread representatives of the Earth as it was before we arrived.” ~ Jonathan Franzen
A Wahlberg’s eagle is a seasonal intra-African migrant. This a small Brown eagle. Its short crest at the back of the head gives its a distinct “squared-off” look. Being smaller than the larger Brown eagles such as a Tawny or Steppe eagle, this eagles hunts mainly birds but will feed on reptiles if it can find them.
This Wahlberg’s eagle did not like being watched. This species can have many different morph colourations like the Tawny eagle.
A juvenile Verreaux’s eagle-owl in the grove of Apple-leaf trees next to the rock outcrop near Rock Camp. We regularly see a pair of adult Verreaux eagle-owls in this area but it is extra special to see the new generation.
A closer view of a young Verreaux’s eagle-owl still wide awake air mid-morning. This is the largest African owl and has distinctive bright pink eyelids.
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At the other end of the owl size scale is the Pearl-spotted owlet. It is around a quarter the size of the Verreaux eagle-owl. This is one of the few owls which is active during the day and night. It has an iconic call which is a loud series of shrill, short whistles that accelerate in tempo and rise in volume to a crescendo of long, loud whistles that descend in pitch and volume “peu peu peu-peu-peu peeuu peeeuu”.
The pseudo eyes in the back of the head of a Pearl-spotted owlet. The eyes are yellow but at the back of the head there are two striking false black ‘eyes’ with a white outline.
An adult Black headed oriole is a daily visitor to the Rock Camp bird bath. It can usually be heard before it is seen. It has a beautiful clear liquid melodious whistle “bo bo weeu” interspersed with low drawn out screeching sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kK_-9rCXSE
An adult Black-headed oriole with is vivid yellow body and black head with a bright red eye and pink beak.
An adult Green Wood hoopoe has a metallic dark green, with a purple back. It has a bright red bill and feet. Its tail is dark metallic blue with distinctive white chevrons. Its wings have white markings which are highly visible when it flies.
Green wood hoopoes move in family groups of around six members. They cackle like babblers and rock back and forth in regular group displays.
I have waited a long time to get a reasonable image of an African Paradise flycatcher. This flycatcher flits around in the upper branches of thickly leafed trees are usually difficult to photograph. A pair of African Paradise flycatchers are resident at Rock Camp during the summer months. Both the male and female have a blue-grey head and neck and chest and white belly. Their wings are a vivid ochre colour and they have a royal blue eye ring and beak. The female has a short tail and the male two luxurious long ribbon-like ochre coloured tail feathers.
An adult female African Paradise flycatcher.
An adult male Paradise flycatcher has similar colouring to the female but its crest is larger and it has the long ribbon-like ochre coloured tail feathers.
An adult male African Paradise flycatcher showing off his two long ribbon-like ochre tail feathers. This flycatcher is very vocal, often giving a repeated “dzee-zwee” call and a sweet melodic “willie-willie-willie-wee-wooo” song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqAtMnVPO4
These trips to Mashatu are not exclusively for birding so we see many more species of birds than we photograph. We also do not specifically look for birds but these images are of birds we happen to see on our game drives. The birds seen at the camp’s bird baths come from a more dedicated view. Rocks which had in the past been used to mill maize and have been ground down to a saucer shape make ideal natural bird baths. I sit on the patio in plain sight of the birds and photograph in the period after brunch and before the afternoon tea when all our guests have gone for a midday snooze or quiet time to read. When the patio area is quiet it is quite amazing how many different species of birds fly into the bird bath for a drink or a bath to cool down.
The birds always fly into the branches near the bird bath to have a look around and ensure it is safe to approach for a drink or bath.
“True solitude is found in the wild places, where one is without human obligation. One’s inner voices become audible… In consequence, one responds more clearly to other lives.” ~Wendell Berry
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
In November last year, friends together with my wife Helen and I spent a week at Rock Camp, which is a syndicated camp in Mashatu Nature Reserve in south eastern Botswana. It is not a commercial camp and has retained its bush camp ethos over the years, which we love.
There are wonderful places to see leopards in southern Africa but to my knowledge there are only two places where you are almost guaranteed to see leopards when you visit. The one is the Sabi Sands Reserve and the other is Mashatu Nature Reserve in south east Botswana.
I have included three interesting sightings and interactions which we were privileged to see.
“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance” ~The Lion King
The first was this young adult female Leopard. We caught sight of her in a croton glade lying quietly on a fallen tree trunk. She was just listening to all the sounds around her.
At one point she looked left out into the open area next to the glade and she caught sight of a Steenbok.
Immediately she got up and started to walk into the open area away from the Majale river. She was careful to use the earth mounds and vegetation to hide her approach.
The leopardess walked around the side of a fallen tree and there, in the top right hand upper third of the image, next to a Stink Shepherd’s bush, lay the Steenbok in the shade. The Steenbok saw the leopardess and moved further along the river bank.
Very quickly the Steenbok caught sight of the leopardess, thanks in part to an alarm call from a Natal spurfowl. I was fascinated to watch the predator and prey interact. The Steenbok just watched her knowing it had enough flight distance between the two of them. The leopardess acted as if it was her intention all along to go and sit in the shade of Stink Shepherd tree and nonchalantly gazed at the exposed Steenbok.
The Steenbok actually walked closer to have a good look at the leopardess. We assumed the Steenbok was trying to get a better look to see whether the leopardess was injured or not. The leopardess never looked directly at the Steenbok while the latter was directly looking at her. The sighting ended with the Steenbok circling the area and then running off unscathed.
“Whatever you do, do with deep alertness, then even small things become sacred.” ~ Rajneesh
The next morning we found a young male leopard looking very relaxed in one of the forks in a large Mashatu tree. He had a good lookout. It was shady and cool but only offered him a view away from the Majale river.
“If you are intelligent, if you are alert, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary.” ~ Osho
He was completely unfazed by our game vehicle which was parked about 30 metres away.
This male leopard was watching a herd of impala in the distance which were slowly making their way toward him.
“I am not my thoughts, feelings, circumstances or changing events in my life. I am the awareness, the alertness, the changelessness which remains present behind it.” ~ Marcus Thomas
The one thing this male leopard did not take into account was that he could not see anything approaching the Mashatu tree from the river side. Consequently he did not see a troop of baboons approaching the Mashatu tree. The troop was quiet until it got to within about 20 metres from the Mashatu tree and then the baboons must have smelt the leopard because they started to bark in a particular way. The large male baboons quickly ran in from the rear of the troop. The barking baboons gave this young male leopard a fright. His whole demeanor changed. He was staring out of the tree but not seeing only focusing on what he could hear. He was assessing the threat.
“He heard them barking but was instinctively still so he could listen to assess where they where, how many there were and what their intentions were. Listening means so much more than hearing.” ~ Mike Haworth
The baboons, far from being afraid of the leopard, must have sensed the predator was a youngster. They quickly climbed up the tree far enough away not to be caught by the leopard. The large male baboons were followed up the tree by brazen youngsters. The safety in numbers added to the troop’s bravery.
There was no way the leopard could escape from the Mashatu tree because it was surrounded by baboons. A large male baboon stayed on the ground and kept a close eye on the leopard’s movements.
The young male leopard climbed higher into the Mashatu tree onto a wide bough which could give him purchase if he was attacked. Needless to say the baboons shouted and barked at him and even threw branches at him but his deep throated growl even unnerved us in the game vehicle watching the whole scene. Eventually having given the leopard enough of a hard time they realised he had an advantage and they wandered off. The leopard did not come down from the Mashatu tree but moved to an unphotographable position, so we left him in peace.
On our second last afternoon game drive we came across a female leopard lying in the shade on the bank of the Majale river.
She was minding her own business just lying quietly listening.
“Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.” ~ Amit Ray
A small family herd of elephants walking on the riverbed passed below the leopardess. The elephants wandered about 50 metres further down to a bend in the river where they had previously dug into the sand for water. In November, the Majale river was dry but the water table remained high so the elephants dug down in the sand to get the filtered water.
Having slated their thirst they even used some of the water to cool themselves. The elephants returned in the direction they had come but took a path up the bank where the leopard was lying. I was surprised that the female elephant did not see the leopard until she was about ten metres away. The elephant got a fright, trumpeted and kicked sand at the leopardess who quickly got out of the way.
There are numerous leopards along the Majale river which courses through the centre of the Mashatu Nature Reserve. The banks of Majale river are lined with Mashatu trees (Nyala Berries) , Apple-Leafs and Leadwoods. There are also many croton groves all of which provide the leopard population with plenty of cover, shade and areas in which to to hunt.
“Our senses are the doorway to the present moment and the more we expand our awareness in every moment, the less we’re lost in our thoughts, and the more we’re fully living and getting the most out of our lives.” ~ Todd Perelmuter
The sightings of leopard are usually very good because of most of them have been habituated to the game vehicles. The adult male leopards tend to avoid the game vehicles and are not nearly as relaxed around the vehicles as the females. This possibly has to do with young male leopards being forced away from the Majale river by the older more dominant males. The young males consequently do not get the degree of habituation as the females.
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
This is the last post from my trip with Wild Eye to the Masai Mara in October last year.
The Mara river and all the goings on around that river is the centre of attraction but by no means the only attraction. This post shows the diversity of scenery which you can see while travelling around the Mara Triangle.
“Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.” ~ Jaime Lyn
The Mara river can cast quite a moody spell depending on the weather. In October, it was the start of the short rains so the skies darkened on occasion which created quite an intense feeling of expectation when peering up the river.
On other occasions when the sun was out it created a relaxed carefree feeling and without animals on either bank all was calm.
We were parked on the west side of the Mara river. On the east side the wildebeest would mass and eventually the animals at the back would push the animals on the river bank closer to the river. In the next image, the wildebeest were congregating among the croton bushes waiting for the right signal to cross.
“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.” ~ George Eliot
While waiting for the crossing to build we would pull back from the river and watch from a rise about a kilometre away where we could watch the movement of the wildebeest and try to predict where they were likely to cross.
From the west bank of the Mara river looking east to Out Look Hill you could see thousands and thousands of wildebeest making their way over the hill and down towards the Mara river.
Crossing the Mara river is a daunting challenge because of the very steep banks along sections of the river. The river itself is flowing at around five kilometres per hour and each bank attracts predators. To add to the crossing’s challenge the river is home to many large Nile crocodiles.
The compulsion to follow the rains and move towards fresh grazing grounds seems to be overwhelming. Eventually the first intrepid river “crossers” venture down the steep bank and plunge into the fast flowing water.
“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” ~ Stephen Covey
From the horizon, if wildebeest see a crossing taking place and they race to join the crossing. There is relative safety numbers so it is worth joining the mass crossing.
The Peninsula crossing is close to the Wild Eye camp so we were able to get there just after six in the morning. Of the four large crossings we saw, two were around sunrise at around 6h20.
Pensive but compulsive. The wildebeest were watching the surface of the water for any signs of crocodiles.
One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” ~ William Feather
The multiple crossing routes at Miti Moja were further up river from the Peninsula crossing point. Here the bank was much steeper and deep paths had been cut into the earthen bank by thousands of previous wildebeest descending the bank towards the river’s edge.
Once in the water the wildebeest swim for their lives. The crocodiles tend to stay on the periphery of the crossing so as not to be trampled.
The Mara river takes a left hand bend just before the Purungat bridge. It is very rocky in this section and does not have the steep banks seen at Miti Moja. In the past many wildebeest tried to cross a few hundred metres up the river but drowned and would be caught up on the rocks. As you can imagine the smell of all the decaying carcasses must have been horrendous. Wild Eye was allowed to set up a camp a few hundred metres up river to prevent the wildebeest crossing at that point. The position of the camp stopped the wildebeest crossing in that section and solved the carcass build up so it no longer smells. The next image is of the view from the Purungat bridge looking up river from the bridge. The Wild Eye camp is a few hundred metres up river from the bend in the image below.
The view is also from the Purungat bridge but taken looking down the Mara river from the Purungat bridge towards the Serengeti in Tanzania.
A lone Masai giraffe looking east over the Mara river while the rain clouds were building in the background. Some of the advantages of visiting the Masai Mara in October are that it is low season and the rains were building so the skies became very colourful and moody.
Looking out over the plains on an almost clear warm October morning – bliss.
“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” ~Albert Einstein
By contrast, the afternoons tended to be characterised by huge cloud build ups which at sunset would create a vivid scene saturated with colour.
We were able to get across to the east side of the Mara river via the Purungat bridge. We ventured onto the east side to find a pair of black rhinos, an adolescent and it its mother. The background shows the vastness of just a part of the Masai Mara.
Just after sunrise we found a large male lion close to the Main road about four kilometres up from the Purungat bridge. The light was soft and behind him were the vast plains stretching down into the Serengeti.
A small herd of Plains zebra were drinking at an old borrow pit created during the road making and which had since become a waterhole.
Looking west toward the Oloololo escarpment down in the southern section of the Mara Triangle. A inselberg is partly visible on the right hand side of the image. Two young nomad male lions were making their way through the grass to an inselberg behind us. The inselberg would provide them with a hiding place and a high look out point.
Down in the south of the Mara Triangle close to the Tanzanian border. The plains were dotted with Balanites and numerous grazing wildebeest. In the background was the Oloololo escarpment with storm clouds building in the late morning. We were on our way down to find a female leopard seen in a lugga (a seasonal water course). We never got a good sighting of the leopardess but the trip to find her was worthwhile.
“Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.” ~ Bob Bitchin
About five hundred metres up the Main road from the water hole where zebra were drinking, we found three male lions. The two older males were lying in the road and the younger male was lying next to a rock which he seemed to be hugging. When you are king of the plains you can lie anywhere!
A lugga with water flowing along it collecting into small ponds. These features provide ample water for the wildlife. The luggas also provide effective ambush areas for predators.
A red flame lily growing out of the rocks near where we stopped for coffee while we were waiting for a wildebeest herd building prior to crossing. It is my Zimbabwean heritage that makes me so fond of this beautiful but poisonous lily. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous due to the presence of toxic alkaloids including colchicine and can be fatal if eaten. In Zimbabwe the flame lilies usually have orange/red petals where the bottom of the petal is yellow not red.
Looking through Leopard Gorge toward Out Look Hill in the distance. On the left hand side is Sierra Lima, one of the higher hills in the area. This is a verdant valley with a lugga coursing between the hills. This area was so-called because it was the territory of a large male leopard at that time. Unfortunately we never saw him.
A blue haze across the foothills in front of the Oloololo escarpment.
The sunsets in the Masai Mara can be spectacular. When a storm is not brewing in October, the late afternoon colours are soft and the temperature balmy.
“Wilderness is a necessity… there must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls.” ~John Muir
Driving out of camp just after 6h00 we found a male Masai giraffe sitting down in a large open area. It was a very peaceful scene. Sitting in the centre of a large section of grassland the giraffe would have been able to see any potential threats.
An iconic African sunset with the sun illuminating the underside of the clouds and a single Balanites Aegyptiaca or “Desert Date” in the foreground. This is an in-between time in the bush. The diurnal wildlife is making its way home and the nocturnal wildlife is stirring and beginning its nightly activities.
The eternal battle between predator and prey played out every day in the Masai Mara.
This large dominant male lion had been sleeping on the main road with his coalition partner. After some delay he got up to follow his coalition partner down the road toward a waterhole where many zebra were drinking.
Off the main road at the “picnic trees”, our photographic group stopped to stretch our legs and have a leisurely breakfast. This picnic site looked down onto the Kenyan/Tanzania border in the southern side of the the Mara Triangle.
On our last morning, down near Peninsula crossing point we found three large male lions. One of the males must have separated from the group during the night and returned in the morning. One of his coalition partners greeted him warmly.
“All good things are wild and free.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
A game vehicle silhouetted near a Balanite just before the sun set over the horizon.
I was fortunate enough to spend six wonderful days with Wild Eye travelling around the Mara Triangle during the day and sleeping in their bush camp near the Purungat bridge at night. The bush camp is set among the croton bushes on the banks of the Mara river. The bird life in the camp is prolific. There were constant sounds of hippos’ honks and grunts. The grunting sounds like the air-brake of a large Oshkosh truck going downhill. The grunts will keep you awake the first night but by the second night it is a familiar and reassuring sound.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”~ Mark Twain
The Mara Triangle, like the Serengeti, offers a wonderfully rich diversity of wildlife. This makes a photographic safari highly productive. I will continue to make my pilgrimage back the Masai Mara for as long as I can. It is one of the most special wildlife sanctuaries I have ever been privileged enough to experience.
“Adventures don’t come calling like unexpected cousins calling from out of town. You have to go looking for them.” ~ Unknown
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
This is the second last post from my Masai Mara trip in Kenya in October 2021 with photgraphic safari company, Wild Eye. It was a productive photographic trip with some wonderful sightings of wildebeest crossings, many predators, incredible scenery and a diverse variety of birds.
“Photographing birds will improve your knowledge of them. You see them in finer detail and be better able to discern differences. Understanding their behaviour will provide greater photographic variety.” ~ Mike Haworth
This post shows just a small selection of the birds I saw and photographed during my trip. This was not specifically a birding safari but there is a huge diversity of birds in the Mara Triangle. Of course, we saw our fair selection of raptors due to all the predation in the Mara area.
“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportsmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” ~ John Lubbock
We saw many Tawny eagles and all the morphs from dark to blonde and all the variations in between. The Tawny’s were often at the remains of a carcass before the vultures.
A light coloured young Black-headed heron was fishing successfully at one of the small ponds next to the gravel road. The heron was fishing amongst all the wildebeest and zebra milling around the waterhole.
Early in the morning, a pair of Lappet-faced vultures were warming up in the early more sun and waiting for the thermals to start developing after 9h00 so they could get airborne without too much effort.
“In the bush there is a reason for everything. If the vultures are on the ground and they are not feeding, it is too early for them to catch thermals” ~ Mike Haworth
This looked to be a wet and cold Zitting cisticola. It had been raining the night before and this small character was perched on top of a thorny branch trying to dry out and warm up.
Lappet-faced vultures are large when perched but when flying they are huge. This vulture was flying in to join its mate on top of a Balanite. The pair looked to be building a nest.
“I am totally absorbed when trying to photograph birds flying. Capturing images of large birds is easier and small birds much harder. To capture the skill and amazing changes to their wing and tail shapes is a thrill.” ~ Mike Haworth
While we were looking for a female leopard along a drainage line close to the border with the Serengeti, we were entertained by this Yellow-throated Longclaw very busily string through the grass looking for insects.
We found a pair of Black crakes at a lush waterhole which was festooned with many waterlilies. The crakes shared the waterhole with a large hippo and a lone Spurwing Goose.
Early one morning just as the sun was rising and the grass was still very wet from the night before, we saw a pair of White-bellied bustards. This pair were busy preening each other on the opposite side of the game vehicle to where a large male lion was roaring to his coalition partner across the valley.
“Get out there early. The birds are already active. Look around you might be surprised at what you see behind you.”~ Mike Haworth
We saw many Sooty chats around the Mara Triangle. They were usually perched on a prominent rock for anthill declaring their territory. They prefer lightly wooded grasslands.
An adult Black-shouldered kite perched on top of a high lookout point. Those ruby red eyes were gazing across the grasslands for potential prey.
A backlit portrait of a male ostrich. His red face was an indication that he was ready to mate. We did not get to see him go through his elaborate mating dance which can be quite a performance.
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~ Confucious
A wet and cold Spur-winged lapwing. These lapwings are usually found next to water. The spur on its wing was evident and particularly sharp.
A portrait of a Grey Crowned crane preening itself. The texture of its grey feathers and that golden crown were eye catching. We saw many Grey Crowned cranes in the Mara Triangle foraging in the grass near water for insects and grass seeds.
A Common sandpiper with its distinctive white eye stripe and white underparts which form a wedge at the shoulder. These small sandpipers are usually seen along the banks of a waterhole or small dam. They forage for crustaceans, insects, worms along the water’s edge.
We saw several Grey kestrels. This one was perched on a prominent lookout branch. It was scanning for its next meal. It will eat everything from insects like grasshoppers to small reptiles like chameleons, lizards, and snakes to frogs and rodents. This kestrel is capable of hovering like a Black-shouldered kite.
“The eye sees all but the mind shows us what we want to see.” ~ William Shakespeare
A Hooded vulture seen on the periphery of a kill zone where all the Lappet-faced, Rüppell’s Griffon and White-backed vultures were squabbling over the remains of a carcass. The size of the beak indicates that it feeds on scraps dropped by the larger vultures. Hooded vultures have excellent eyesight and are often the first vultures up in the sky partly because of their smaller size.
A Red-necked spurfowl was foraging around our game vehicle while we were waiting for a wildebeest crossing. It looked to be a young male judging from the good condition of the spurs on the back of his legs. His spurs had not been worked down in numerous fights over females.
A Rüppell’s Griffon vulture in flight. This is a large vulture bigger than a White-backed vulture but smaller than a Lappet-faced vulture. It is an aggressive feeder at a carcass. The endangered Rüppell’s Griffon vulture of central Africa is the highest flying bird in the world and has been confirmed at least once at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The adaptation that allows this species to fly so high is an alteration of one of its proteins in its haemoglobin which allows the bird to fly efficiently despite lower pressure and available oxygen.
“When you look at a bird what do you see? Looking will give its “giss” (general impression of shape and size), and colour but watching its behaviour will yield its unique adaptions, socialisation and position in the natural hierarchy. Then you will begin to see and understand the bird so much better. Just looking is not the same as seeing.” ~ Mike Haworth
Judging from the colouration of this Martial eagle it was a juvenile. Adult Martial eagles have a dark brown back, head, and chest. The underparts are white with black spots and the females typically have heavier markings than males. This juvenile must have recently had a good meal judging from the size of its crop.
On another occasion while waiting on the western bank of the Mara river for a wildebeest crossing we saw two Tawny eagles flying in and landing in a tree near us.
Ever the opportunist, this Tawny eagle was waiting in a tree above the west bank of the Mara river for any casualties after the crossing took place. Tawny eagles are predators, but also opportunistic scavengers so they will feed on anything from insects to smaller birds, hares and small reptiles, or fresh carrion.
This was a small selection of the birds you can see in the Mara Triangle and we did not go out to specifically photograph birds. I am sure a dedicated bird photography safari in the Mara Triangle would be highly productive. We saw many birds which we could not photograph from Augur Buzzards to coucals and coursers to varieties of Go-away birds and Plantation-eaters, ducks, teal and geese, widow birds and whydahs.
“To survive and even thrive in a changing world, nature offers another great lesson: the survivors are those who at the least adapt to change, or even better learn to benefit from change and grow intellectually and personally. That means careful listening and constant learning.” ~Frances Arnold
In the forests at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment you are likely to find many varieties of barbets and hornbills, woodpeckers, robin-chats and turacos. East Africa boasts a wonderful selection of savannah birds with a wider selection of barbets, bee-eaters, sunbirds, lovebirds and parrots, weavers and starlings than is found in southern Africa.
“If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk.” ~ Robert Baden-Powell
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
Warning if you do not like seeing an injured animal or seeing it being killed in nature please do not read this post.
This post shows an injured wildebeest resisting a sustained attack from a lone hyaena.
We had watched a major crossing of wildebeest across the Mara river earlier in the morning. Once the herd had crossed we drove away from the river onto Bottom River road. There were throngs of wildebeest and zebras moving west away from the river.
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” ~ Maya Angelou
Hyaenas operate in clans. Each clan member spreads out over the clan’s territory and waits for scavenging or hunting opportunities to arise. During the day each hyaena tends to hide by either lying in a gully or in a large tuft of red oat grass. It is only when an individual needs help will it call for back up. We saw a few hyaena wandering parallel to the moving wildebeest herd but did not think much of it.
That was until we saw a lone adult hyaena scouting close to a lone wildebeest which had been lying in the grass about 50 metres off the road. As soon as the hyaena approached the wildebeest it got up and began to defend itself. Initially the hyaena circled the wildebeest assessing why it was not walking with the rest of the herd.
“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” ~ Roger Crawford
The hyaena quickly grasped the opportunity. The wildebeest must have had a broken hind leg during or after the river crossing. It had managed to walk around three quarters of a kilometre from the river before lying down to rest.
The hyaena knows only too well that an attack head on with the wildebeest would cause it injury.
The attacking hyaena was not a large female such as a matriarch. Nevertheless, it quickly worked out that the wildebeest could not spin quickly and managed to get around to its back and began biting at its spine just below its shoulder.
“Pick your battles, big enough to matter and small enough to win.” ~Jonathan Kozal
Time and again the hyaena would attempt to pull the wildebeest over by pulling its mane.
“Patience and tenacity are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.” ~ Thomas Huxley
When the wildebeest was squarely lying on the ground the hyaena would repeatedly bite at the skin and muscle covering its spine.
While difficult to watch we got an insight into how tough both animals were. The hyaena was tenacious and repeatedly bit at its prey’s spine area. The wildebeest despite a broken back leg continued to get up and swirl around trying to hook the hyaena with its horn.
Initially, the hyaena was just biting at the wildebeest’s hide. It must have been tough because the hyaena struggled to get through the hide into the underlying muscle and bone. It repeated attacked from the back continuously biting in the same place.
Hyaena have an extremely strong bite force. Once this hyaena latched onto the wildebeest the latter found it almost impossible to dislodge it by turning and goring it in the side with its horns.
“When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. Don’t give up.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
I learnt that morning how relentless a hyaena can be if it senses weakness in its victim.
After what must have been three quarters of an hour the wildebeest started to slow down probably due to exhaustion and loss of blood.
“It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is you get up one more time than you were knocked down.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
Despite its severe injuries, the wildebeest continued to get up and face its attacker.
All the activity soon caught the attention of a nearby hyaena scout who joined in the attack.
Once down the hyaenas took advantage of the fallen wildebeest by repeatedly biting it.
“Choose your battles wisely. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to fight. Life is too short to spend it on warring. Fight only the most, most, most important ones, let the rest go.” ~ C. JoyBell C.
The hyaenas then started feeding on the wildebeest while it was still alive.
On the surface it seems that hyaena are particularly cruel by eating their prey alive. But a hyaena does not have claws like a lion to hold onto its prey while it throttles it. All hyaena have are their numbers and their exceptionally strong jaws. The hyaena also so not have the luxury of time as there are many lions in the Masai Mara who will quickly steal the prize – if they can.
It is harrowing to watch a hyaena systematically wear down a wildebeest to the point of exhaustion by continuously biting at tearing at its hide. There is no question that hyaena are skilled hunters, especially when working in a clan. Under normal circumstances a lone hyaena would not pull down a fit strong adult wildebeest but in this case when the weakness was discovered the opportunity was taken.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”~ Calvin Coolidge
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
We were privileged to see four major crossings in our six days in the Masai Mara in October 2021. All the crossings were along the Bottom River road section of the Mara river between Peninsula and Miti Moja. The Bottom River road gives a good view from the west side of the river looking east towards Look Out Hill. From here you can see the wildebeest moving over Look Out Hill and on down towards the river and get a good idea of how big the crossing could be.
“Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery.” ~ Lois Crisler.
This particular morning the crossing started at around 6h30. The herd massed on a large flat section on the east bank of the Mara river. The wildebeest lingered on top of the bank for sometime and eventually the first animals began to descend the deep ruts in the steep bank. These ruts were created by hundreds of animals in previous crossings.
Invariably the rut turns out to be a one way route because of the steepness. Once an animal starts down the rut it is committed to cross the river because of all the animals following down the rut behind it.
Wildebeests’ legs are strong but thin and their hooves are not shaped for effective swimming so it is little wonder there is a momentary pause before the leap.
The wildebeest dive off the edge of the bank into the fast flowing muddy water.
“Life is a journey which never lets you know when and where it will end.” ~ Biju Karakkonam
Some of the ruts although deep are very steep and once an animal has entered one of these ruts it is effectively a one way head long controlled fall.
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot
At times in their panic the animals dive in on top of each other but seem to survive.
Different routes down the bank create different entry points and some are significantly less steep and dramatic than others.
For some inexplicable reason, some of the wildebeest descend the bank and enter the water only to decide that it is not the best place to swim across the river. They then try to move along the bank at the water’s edge looking for a more suitable launching place.
Incredibly the calves dive in after the adults. A calf is usually following its mother and it is probably its first time crossing the Mara river. The calf is on its own once in the river. There is nothing its mother can do to help it.
“You may not find a path, but you will find a way.” ~ Tom Wolfe
Once in the fast flowing river the wildebeest swim across in a wide arc, frantically swimming with their heads facing upstream.
You can see the fear and panic in their eyes.
Seeing other wildebeest climbing out of the other side the river must encourage those on the eastern bank to move forward. There is still an equally steep climb back up the western bank and if that is not enough there are, at times, lions and leopards waiting to ambush them in the bushes. The hyaenas hang around a few hundred metres from the river to pick off those animals that cannot run away because they were injured during the crossing.
“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” ~ T. S. Eliot
Considering the drama and difficulty for the animals crossing the Mara river, their odds of surviving the crossing are good. Around 6 200 wildebeest die in crossing each year, which in the context of over one million crossing, are reasonable odds.
“Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.” ~Joy Adamson.
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
Howie's Wildlife Images 