The maximum temperature here today is 3⁰C, minimum -4⁰C. North wind of 18km/h with gusts up to 45 km/h.
Photos today from March 2023. I am not naming the game reserve because of the rhinos though many have been dehorned, poachers are still a problem.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024.
Many of these photos especially the birds were taken at a great distance, they are not that sharp but I am adding them for my own record.
South African giraffe or Cape giraffe (Giraffa giraffa or Giraffa camelopardalis giraffe)...
As above.
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious).
The white rhinoceros, or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Zebras (Equus quagga) in the background and Yellow-billed egrets (Ardea brachyrhyncha)
As above, I am not sure what the birds are on the rhino's backs, they are not Oxpeckers.
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| As above. |
The Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).
Blue Wildebeest also called gnu (Connochaetes taurinus).
Zebra, Wildebeest and Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus).
Bontebok...
as above.
African Hoopoe (Upupa africana)...
As above...
As above.
Black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala)...
As above.
Blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (Vanellus armatus).
Blue Crane or sometimes called the Paradise Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus).
I think this is a Cape wagtail (Motacilla capensis) though the bib is not visible.
White-breasted cormorant ( Phalacrocorax lucidus )...
As above...
As above...
As above...
As above...
Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Male and female...
Two females as above.
I think this is one of the Weavers but I am not at all sure which!!
I have been told this is a Spotted-backed weaver or Village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), female.
You might enjoy this video which I took at Tembe and is worth watching until the end
Just click on the picture.
Please note that I am away from next week until the beginning of April so if I go very quiet you will know why. If I find time and a good connection I might blog but no guarantees.
Hopefully, there will be some great photos to show you on my return.
I enjoyed the video! The heron and the cormorant are so like the species here. Have a wonderful vacation.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie some birds are very similar but others are so very different. I hope the holiday works out as planned and I will get some good blogs from it. Cheers Diane
DeleteThose wild animals are so amazing! Thank you for sharing them with us, Diane.
ReplyDeleteI am so lucky to see these animals in their natural environment. Keep well Diane
DeleteThanks for the great pictures and the video, Diane. Enjoy your upcoming return visit to Africa. May the wildlife be plentiful and cooperative. We’ll all be looking forward to seeing your pictures when you return. Gros bisous et bon voyage. David
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup, glad you enjoyed the video. I could never do this before with the slow WiFi!!! I hope I get some great photos but only time will tell. Bisous mon ami, Diane
DeleteWhen I see fabulous images like these, Diane, it leaves me in absolutely no doubt as to why you are keen to return to Africa. I hope that you both have a wonderful time there and that you come back with loads of wonderful memories and photos. Take good care - - - Richard
ReplyDeleteRichard I certainly left my heart behind when I left Africa, to me it is still home, though we live in a much better environment and with electricity we can rely on (most of the time!).
DeletePlease take care you two, my very best wishes to you both, Diane
Thanks for the beautiful serie. I love the chiraffes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Aritha and so glad that you enjoyed the photos. My very best wishes to you and the family. Diane
DeleteHi Diane. You seem to be having the winds that we have suffered. Another storm coming our way Saturday night after a few days of frost. Looking at the mystery bird, is it the Red-billed Oxpecker rather than the Yellow-billed? The African Hoopoe is strikingly dark as compared to the ones we see in the Med and Greece. It's awful that you dare not mention the name of the reserve in your photos, what a terrible indictment on the world we live in. Enjoy your trip, wherever you are going.
ReplyDeleteHi Phil the weather is rubbish here though it seems we have a good weekend coming up, though the rain returns on Monday. I am a bit confused by your comment!! That is easily done though these days! The Yellow-billed Egrets are the white birds on the ground and no reason to think otherwise. The two birds on the backs of the rhinos are not clear enough to ID but they are definitely NOT oxpeckers. The only bird I am unsure of was the Weaver which I suspect now is the Village Weaver (female) but a friend who is an expert will not commit himself. The African hoopoe is not only darker but smaller than the European bird.
DeletePoaching has made such a difference to African wildlife. Rhinos used to be around every corner, now they are very hard to find and most have been captured and dehorned to try and save them, so very, very sad. Elephants have dropped in numbers but not to the extent of the rhino. The worst is when they poison a waterhole and not only do they kill the rhinos and the elephants but everything else that drinks there. The human race has a lot to answer for!!
Shadows Over an African Heart: by Diana M. Hawkins is worth reading but I read it with tears rolling down my face (see link above on the right).
We are off to Namibia. Take care, Diane
Hello Diane, so good of you not to name the game reserve. The animals need all the help they can get from poachers. Your photos are amazing. I have enjoyed each one tremendously. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise and I am glad you enjoyed this blog. I hope the upcoming holiday will produce lots more good photos. Take care, cheers Diane
DeleteThe wild animals in their natural environment are amazing. All the pictures are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip. All the best.
Thanks Stefano, wonderful to see, I hope that one day you will get to see them yourself. Keep watching as I hope in the next few weeks we will get some more great photos. Take care and I hope you are fit enough to keep running again. Cheers Diane
DeleteWonderful animals - cant wait to see them myself! Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will have a wonderful time, take care, cheers Diane
DeleteI see you will be back in Africa for quite a while. Enjoy! Love all the photos, especially the Hoopoe.
ReplyDeleteThanks Yvonne, we will be in a part of Africa that we have not been before so it should be interesting. Cheers Diane
DeleteAmazing and beautiful animals. Lovely shots too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane, I hope to get more photos from Namibia very soon, Cheers t'other Diane
DeleteHi Diane - great photos - love the selections. The elebum ... I thought he was going to go back in and push his 'mate' out - but no ... lovely video. Just enjoy your time down south ... gorgeous ... some friends have just been to Botswana - brought back many happy memories. Cheers and have a glass of SA vino on me! Happy days ahead - see you in April if not before ... Hilary
ReplyDeleteNamibia I hope is going to be different from the other parts of Africa we have seen but the wild life will be much the same. Keep well Diane
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