Hi Everyone
The trip is starting to take a physical toll on me. Am starting to drag and need time to myself, but hopefully that will not happen until the trip is over.
Same day, but different discoveries. Five AM wake up, coffee in the room and by six, on the road. This morning we went searching for lions and cheetahs. If you have never been in safari, don’t think like it’s a huge zoo or wildlife park. You have to go find the subjects and there are times when Africa is stubborn and will not yield any wonders until you prove to her you are worthy and patient. We drove for about forty five minutes with no luck until we spotted two Eagle Owls sitting on a perch and talking. They made chirping sounds and periodically starred at each other. Maybe they were talking about the humans watching them? We drove and spotted a mother lion with her two cubs n the tall grass. I enjoy taking pictures of the African wildlife surrounded by the tall grass. The grass always gives me the ability to capture wildlife in their natural way and the grass is a great way to frame the subject. It was then back on the road and we stopped at a huge bush full of “Weaver Birds.” Weaver Birds come in different colors and these were masked Weavers. They are a bright yellow with a sort of black mask over their eyes. Weavers are called this because they build or weave intricate nests hanging from trees that look like a big clump of sticks. Outside my tent there are quite a few of their nests hanging from a huge acacia. I was able to get some great pictures of one looking at me. It was then time for breakfast.
After breakfast , our tracker picked up the markings of a cheetah and we were able to follow those footprints to him. Cheetahs are normally solitary creatures, except males will sometimes form small groups. They are the worlds fastest land mammals. We then spotted him. His body seemed like it was well sculptured. We followed him for quite some time and he seemed to be very shy.
When we arrived back at Camp and I immediately took a long cold shower. The days get quite hot, but you do not sweat at all. Then it was time for a quick nap followed by lunch and then some post editing work with Andy. Made some time for a longer nap and then back onto our Land Rovers at five.
We drove to a lake to try to capture the flamingoes in the changing late day light. Fortunately, some elephants were around and we were able to get some good pictures with the elephants and flamingoes together. Our driver then received a message from another driver saying that there was a lioness with her two cubs up the road. We immediately drove there and were able to get up very close. It seemed like the cubs loved our presence and they inched up closer to us. Mom was always in the background to make sure nothing happened to her darlings. It was then back to the flamingoes and eventually to Camp.
Now the action picks up. Our driver saw a small calf walking in the road by itself and we pulled over. Our other vehicle arrived and it was decided to rescue the calf from being eaten by one of many predators, such as lions and hyenas. The drivers and trackers cornered the calf and lifted him up into one of the vehicles. We then drove to the Camp and presented the staff with a new guest. The calf was then transported to the local Masai Village and returned to its owner.
I nice way to end another beautiful day.
Love Larry