… and here comes the prey

While people may not think that general game such as zebras, antelopes, or giraffes are quite as spectacular as the Big 5, I beg to differ. Yes, they are ubiquitous, but that does not make them any less interesting. We saw them fiercely fighting for dominance, standing around looking cute, running from predators, joyfully jumping about in the water, daring a pride of lions (giraffes can be incredibly stupid!), nursing their young and peacefully grazing. Without them, Africa wouldn’t be the same.

Predators

They are scary, impressive and magnificent, nonetheless, there are times when they can be outright cute. Below, I would like to share a few of those moments with you.

The Beauty of Birds in Flight

Birds in flight are fascinating me. The way they spread their feathers, stretch their delicate bodies and show off the beautiful colors and patterns of their plumage – it’s simply mind-boggling. On our last trip to Africa I set out to focus more on capturing this momentary beauty. Enjoy!

 

birds-in-flight-yellow-billed-kite
Yellow-billed Kite
birds-in-flight-yellow-billed-kite2
Yellow-billed Kite
birds-in-flight-woodland-kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
birds-in-flight-southern-carmine-bee-eater
Southern Carmine Bee-Eater
birds-in-flight-red-billed-hornbill
Southern Red-billed Hornbill
birds-in-flight-marabou-stork
Marabou Stork
birds-in-flight-lilac-breasted-roller
Lilac-breasted Roller
birds-in-flight-fork-tailed-drongo
Fork-tailed Drongo
birds-in-flight-european-roller
European Roller
birds-in-flight-egyptian-geese
Egyptian Geese
birds-in-flight-coppery-tailed-coucal
Coppery-tailed Coucal
birds-in-flight-african-fish-eagle
African Fish Eagle

 

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Some of them creep you out, others may even kill you. Yet – it’s hard to resist their eery beauty. I never get anywhere close to them … Thus, when it comes to taking pics of spiders, snakes, and similar creatures, a long lens comes in quite handy.

Buffalos – uniquely black

At first glance they all look alike, but then, when you look closer you realize that every single animal has its very unique personality, either expressed through posture, facial features, body shape, behavior or fancy headgear.

Striking Patterns

I love to take pictures of giraffes and zebras when they are standing in some kind of formation (this includes reflections!). Of course, if they form silhouettes against beautiful backgrounds I don’t mind either. 🙂

Antilopes!

Impalas, kudus, klipspringers, nyalas, wildebeest, oryxs, steenboks, waterbucks … alone or in large groups – they are always worth a shot!

Pachyderms

Black and white rhinos, elephants and hippos: they are truly magnificent creatures, though quite a challenge to ban on film as the composition can easily get boring and static. Oftentimes, they may also look “classier” (more artsy?)  in black and white. This said, I hope you enjoy this selection of coloured pictures as well. My personal favourite: the “turning hippos” (Ngorongoro Crater).

More Birds

Weavers, bee-eaters, rollers, owls, kingfishers, hornbills, magpie shrikes, secretary birds, herons, ducks, storks, marabous, vultures, cranes, eagles, drongos, ibis, flamingoes, hamercops, champagne birds, kites, … Without exception they are all beautiful, elegant, and never boring. The pictures above were taken in Botswana (Okavango Delta), South Africa (Phinda, Ngala, Kirkmans), Namibia (Sossusvlei), and Tanzania (Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater). You may wonder what my favourite bird is? My honest answer: the African Hawk Eagle. Although the flamingo is a close second. What is yours?

Wild Dogs

African Wild Dogs – we did not see them for many years; they are indeed a rare sighting. But finally we lucked out and came across two large packs in Ngala, South Africa. One of them counting 19 individuals, the other about 10. We watched them tease elephants, ‘play’ with a group of buffalo bachelors, fight over a recent mini kill (a shrub hare) and scare off hyenas. They are fierce, fast, constantly on the move and highly successful predators. In short, absolutely stunning animals.