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Dawie Jacobs

Nov 13 2018
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Lesson Time For a Young Huntress …

By Sabi Sand Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s News from Elephant Plains on the Tusk Sabi Sand Photo Tour:

As the early morning was very overcast and quite gloomy we decided to start the day by trying our luck at the Hyena Den. The animals were out, with many inquisitive pups and youngsters playing boisterously. The entire scene looked wonderful against the moody sky, and our photos turned out remarkably well.

We were still photographing at the den when we received a call. One of the female Leopards had been sighted not far from us. She was close to where we saw her previously with her impala kill. The report had said that she was in a tree, and we were keen to photograph her up there. However, she jumped down shortly before we arrived. For just a second we were a trifle disappointed, but that changed when we realised why the Leopard had jumped down from the tree. We spotted two Lionesses with a young male Lion, and the Leopard had jumped into the tree to try and locate the exact position of the Lions. Having seen the Lions from her lofty perspective, the Leopard came down and quickly made her way in the opposite direction to get as far as possible from the large intimidating big cats.

We followed the Leopard as she swiftly left the vicinity of the Lions. When she spotted a Duiker she started to stalk it and for a few minutes everything became very tense indeed. We held our breath as she crept closer and closer to her prey, but before she reached a close enough distance to pounce, the Duiker sensed danger and fled.

We followed her for a while longer until she was lost in thick vegetation.

Next we moved towards an area we haven’t explored on this trip before and on the way there we encountered another young female Leopard. She was walking along in a riverbed, and moved along, playing, and pouncing on moving twigs and leaves. She is not quite two years old, and her playful kittenish mannerisms are still very evident. When she spotted some vultures in a tree they fully absorbed her interest as she approached them. We actually thought that she would attach them, but eventually she lost interest and went to drink at a pool in the river.

Then the young Leopard spotted a herd of Nyala. She tried to stalk them, being much to young to realise that they were far too large for her to take on. But nonetheless, she tried valiantly and of course she messed it all up. The Nyala spotted her easily and trotted away, but it was a good training or practice session for the young huntress. She walked towards us along the riverbank and we were able to add those images to our lovely collection of the beautiful young cat.

After lunch and a Lightroom session we made our way to another area of the property we have not visited on this trip. We had reports of a pride of Lions there and started our afternoon game drive in that direction.

We drove along slowly and passed two Rhinos grazing peacefully in an open area.

We photographed Nyala, Kudu, and other Plains game. It was still a little early for the Lions to stir in the heat of the afternoon, so we went in search of another Leopard with a cub that is sometimes seen there. Thee was no sign of her or her cub – not even a track, so we went to the Lions.

There were five young Lions – males and females. They eventually woke up as the sun set, and started to greet and groom each other. They sat together on a termite mound, placing them in the most ideal position for photographs. We remained with them until dark and time to return to the Lodge for our dinner under the Stars in the boma.

Whew! After the amazing days we have experienced here, what can tomorrow hold for us …?

Nov 12 2018
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A Very Close Encounter …

By Sabi Sand Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie Reports from Elephant Plains on the Tusk Sabi Sand Photo Tour:

Our early morning game drive here in the Sabi Sand Reserve started quietly – but that was not an indication of how the day would progress. When we left the Lodge we decided to try and locate the male Leopard that we saw previously so close to the camp. We found his tracks easily and followed them. Each time we thought we were close to him as we judged by his fresh tracks, we were thwarted and he remained just a step ahead of us.

Eventually we decided to rather visit one of the waterholes. Because it is so dry here the waterholes are very muddy and we could actually see Barbel wallowing in the muddy water while Hippos sank as much as they could of their bulk into the coolness.

After our visit to the water hole we drove towards the area where we saw one of the female Leopards yesterday. On the way we stopped to photograph Elephants and plenty of Plains animals like Impalas and Giraffes.

We found the female leopard with her impala kill. The remains of the impala were stashed securely way up in a tree – well out of the reach of any hopeful Hyenas. Meanwhile the Leopard lay in the riverbed, where she entertained us with ongoing wide yawns and stretches, giving us some great photos. She scratched herself and twisted this way and that, looked at us from time to time, and appeared for all the world as though she was practising aerobics.

At this stage it was time for a coffee break and our return to the Lodge for breakfast, followed by a workshop on flash photography.

This afternoon we tried to find the male Leopard again – and followed new tracks that this time led us directly to the cat lounging peacefully in shade under a bush. We waited, hoping that as the heat of the afternoon abated he would be more inclined to move around. And that is exactly what he did, although he wasn’t up for very long before he decided that it was time for another nap.

We left the slumbering Leopard and next received quite a surprise. Ostriches are rather unusual in this part of the world, and it took a moment for us to register that this was actually what we could see. The two were quite skittish, but it was a treat to see them in this setting.

A White Rhino watched us without too much interest as we photographed him on his way to a muddy patch where we wallowed and covered himself in as much cool mud as he could get all over himself.

When we returned to the Leopard he was on a termite mound with a beautiful deep blue sky behind him. We used fill-in flash to create beautiful photographs with that deepening sky as a backdrop and the handsome feline in the foreground. Everyone was keen to practise the techniques we had covered in the earlier flash tutorial.

Just as we had all our setting perfect for the changing, colourful sky, the whole mood changed. The Leopard suddenly jumped up and started to run. What had he seen? Then we saw them – a little Warthog family that was returning to the safety of their burrow in the termite mound as evening approached. The Warthogs sensed the Leopard and they scattered. The Leopard then stealthily made his way in a large loop as he closed in on the Warthogs. When the family reached the termite mound two of them quickly disappeared into their burrow while the other two remained at the entrance to the burrow. Something that we could not identify spooked one of the two outside Warthogs and he suddenly bolted – he ran directly towards the lurking Leopard. We could scarcely believe our eyes. This is it for the Warthog, we thought. But then the strangest two seconds ever unfolded! The Warthog saw the Leopard and gave a loud squeak of fear. The Leopard was so startled that he jumped in alarm – and ran away from the Warthog that quickly turned and fled back to the burrow! Whew! That was so close! As split second made all the difference.

The Leopard returned to the scene and searched and searched for his prey, but they were out of sight. We followed him as he checked and re-checked the area, to no avail. A Hyena had heard the squeal and commotion, and arrived to see what he could purloin, but all he found was a Leopard busily searching around.

As it was dark at this stage and time to return to the Lodge, we started back, still quite shaken by the excitement we had witnessed, and more than ready for dinner, bed, and our next adventure …

Nov 11 2018
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Multiple Leopard Sightings Keep Us Busy on our First Game Drive …

By Sabi Sand Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie Reports from Elephant Plains on the Tusk Sabi Sand Photo Tour:

Aahhh! Back at Elephant Plains again in the fabulous Sabc Sand Reserve. After arriving in time for a delicious meal and a briefing, we were really anxious to start our first game drive.

What an awesome start to our time here. The afternoon started a little cloudy but cleared up by the time we set out. We were uncertain about what to expect because the area is extremely dry – rains are very very late and sparse again this year.

We saw plenty of Impala, and then our first herd of Elephants appeared. And shortly after that we realised that luck was really on our side on this drive when we came across a female Leopard. She actually had a kill with her. She had killed an Impala Ewe earlier in the day, and was feeding. Everyone was delighted to see a cat so early on our very first game drive, and what a beautiful, clear, unobstructed sighting it was!

We moved on to see what else was in the bush. We found more and more Elephants, and not even thirty minutes later we were looking at Plains animals when we received a call – another female Leopard was not far away. We dashed there and found her. She had made a kill earlier in the day, but she wasn’t feeding when we saw her. She lounged about, relaxed, and enjoyed the setting sun.

We remained with her for about fifteen or twenty minutes when a herd of Elephants pitched up. Luckily they didn’t chase the cat, although they spent some time smelling and checking the area. The Leopard was almost invisible as she flattened herself in the grass, trying very hard to resemble a neglected log. The Elephants appeared to be unaware of her presence as they sauntered casually along, without even a glance in her direction.

Shortly after we left the scene we we told that the Leopard lost her kill – it was stolen
by one of those bush thieves – a Hyena.

On our slow drive back towards the Lodge and not far from the Lodge we unbelievably bumped into a third Leopard. This time a male was on his evening evening patrol. It was wonderful to follow him as he walked down the road and stopped intermittently to scent mark a bush, log, or tree branch. He called from time to time. He was salivating quite a bit and we realised that this was most likely because he had caught the scent of a new young Leopard that recently moved into the area, and is trying to establish a territory for himself. This male has been here for some time, and is determined to protect his area! Finally we lost him in the thick bush and darkness.

Our game drive was not over and we stopped three more times before we reached the Lodge. We photographed a Spotted Eagle Owl, some Bush Babies (Galagos), and a Nightjar.

After this fabulous start to our safari, everyone is in very high spirits, and looking forward to more action tomorrow …

Oct 17 2018
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Busy, Eventful, Final Game Drives …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s News from Ta Sebube Lodge on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

After the long drive to Mata Mata the day before we decided to take the day at a more leisurely pace, and as it was not far away, we first headed towards one of the areas where we saw Cheetahs previously. We hoped to see them again, and as it was our last full day for this safari, everyone was keen to photograph just about everything available.

On the way we stopped at the Cape Fox Den and spent ages there. The little pups were out and we photographed them as they romped around.

We also found some Bat-eared Foxes and were able to spend time with them as well because they were fairly relaxed and did not seem too bothered by our presence, as long as we didnt approach too close.

As always there were Oryx and Wildebeest everywhere and we again practiced panning shots – by now everyone is becoming quite adept at this technique. And once more the Ostriches put on a great show for us as they dust bathed.

During the later part of the morning we sat at a waterhole to watch what animals or birds would arrive. Sand Grouse and Cape Turtle Doves were very busy as they splashed, bathed and drank. While we watched we noticed that a couple of Lanner Falcons were very interested in the birds. And sure enough, they were more than just interested – they were hunting. We saw them swoop, but there were no catches while we watched, cameras ready. But wow, did we ever get fabulous flying shots!

On the way back to the Lodge we practised some panning shots and photographed the other Tusk photographic vehicle as it drove parallel to us.

During our final afternoon drive we concentrated on the typical photographs that are unique to the Kgalagadi area. The dunes, vegetation and animals create the type of image that could only have been captured here.

We photographed small creatures again, and used the slanting sun rays for backlit shots. And when Ostriches created a lot of dust backlit by the sun, it looked great. Some Springbok posed for us under beautiful trees that created a perfect setting for high-key photos.

We travelled further, hoping to see a Caracal or Wild Cat. We didn’t find either, but there were plenty of Ostriches that ran around, dust bathed, and created a beautiful cloud that looked beautiful with the sun creating a warm, golden light from behind the scene – a beautiful, iridescent glow shone over everything. In the middle of all that some Ostriches decided to fight, while others displayed. It was a magical moment.

We called in at the Cape Fox den again on the way back to the Lodge and found the three little pups playing tirelessly in the setting sun.

Our last early morning drive was very productive and started again with the Cape Foxes. Shortly after, we saw the Bat-eared Foxes again. They are quite relaxed, but not as much as the Cape Foxes, so we moved on, rather than disturb them.

We didn’t drive far because of time constraints – and just when we turned our vehicles around to head back to the Lodge we spotted a Lioness. She crossed the river close to us and went to rest at the top of one of the red sand dunes. She looked so beautiful up there.

On the way back to the Lodge we bumped into three more lionesses from a different pride. They were very lazy, and were not keen to move around as the day was warming quickly.

Further down the road we saw a big dust cloud and saw that two Gemsbok were sparring. Actually, it was quite a fight, and their long horns seemed about to pierce their opponent at any moment. The duelling carried on for ages, as the dust cloud thickened. And then suddenly it was all over, and the two gave up simultaneously.

At Upington airport we bade everyone farewell, and some have already arranged their next safari with us, so we should hopfully see familiar faces again soon …

Oct 13 2018
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Meerkats on the Lookout …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s Update from Ta Sebube Lodge on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

After fetching everyone at the airport in Upington we headed straight to the game reserve. On the way to the Lodge we saw plenty of Plains animals, including Red Hartebeest, Oryx, Ostriches, Springbok, and Wildebeest. It was a superb way to start the safari with the new arrivals.

We left for our afternoon drive and first official dame game after we checked in at the Lodge and enjoyed high tea.

Once again the Plains animals were plentiful. Ostriches were dust-bathing, watched by Springbok and Gemsbok.

When we spotted a Martial Eagle in a tree the light was golden and bright behind him, and with a cloud buildup that was lit by the early rays, the scene was quite magical. We hoped that the eagle would fly and that we could capture a shot against that lovely backdrop. But the animals don’t often do exactly what we want and although we managed to capture some great shots of the bird in the tree, he didn’t give us a flight shot. Maybe next time.

We also photographed some very alert little Meerkats. They kept a close eye on the Martial Eagle and responded to each movement he made. At every moment there were a few of the little Meerkats watching the eagle intently, ready to scuttle to safety if he left the tree.

A Leopard had been spotted on a ridge during the early hours of the morning and we headed in that direction. We didn’t manage to find a leopard, but we did come across a female cheetah.

She went to drink water and we followed to photograph her there. Actually, we followed her until sunset, and because it was late we had to leave her and return to the Lodge.

On the way back we spotted a Caracal. The light was very dim, and we did our best to capture some low light images, some of which turned out well.

Our final sighting was a Cape Fox, and in the morning we plan to visit the fox den, hoping that the new guests will get to see the pups …

Oct 15 2018
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A Snake Raids a Bird’s Nest – And Later We are Serenaded at Dinner! …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s News from Ta Sebube Lodge on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

Our day started with a visit to the Cape Fox Den. Although we really hoped that the little pups would be playing outside, luck abandoned us there. The little ones were possibly having a lie-in or were resting for whatever reason. They did not appear while we waited, but we spent a great time with some of the adults.

Next we wanted to practice panning shots, and Oryx and Wildebeest obliged us by running around so that we could get those images. There were many raptors around during our drive and we photographed them, concentrating on Tawny Eagles and Pale Chanting Goshawks.

Stopping again and again to photograph the different animals and birds we finally arrived at the remains of the Caracal Kill. We searched around carefully, but there was no sign of the Caracal. But some Black-backed Jackals lay close by. They were completely stuffed! They had eaten really well and may have chased the cat away at some stage.

At a nearby waterhole we spotted very fresh lion tracks and followed these. It didn’t us long to find a beautiful, large, healthy Black-maned Lion. He was just across the river and looked quite magnificent as he rested in the shade.

Some Bat-eared Foxes were next, and we had a lovely time with them as they foraged around in the ground and around shrubs for food. They always look so adorable with their huge, disproportionate ears.

On the way back to the Lodge we stopped again. The first stop was for a very entertaining Ostrich that kicked up a huge amount of dust as he dust-bathed. The second stop was for another male Lion sleeping less than a kilometre from the Lodge.

We took a quick drive to refuel our vehicles, and what a lucky detour that was. We heard a huge commotion coming from a tree and saw that the Sociable Weavers that have a nest in that tree were really perturbed about something. They put up a huge fuss. Then we saw why – a Cape Cobra slithered along and entered the nest, to the consternation of the birds – they went crazy! We didn’t see the snake emerge again, so it must have found what it wanted inside.

When we left the Lodge for our afternoon game drive we stopped at the young male Lion first. He was still fast asleep. We continued to the other male Lion, hoping that he would be active and possibly close to the road. He was awake and this time he had the company of two lionesses, but they remained on the far side of the river.

We turned back for a slow drive to the Lodge. A Pale Chanting Goshawk caught our attention. He was hunting and had his eye on a mongoose, and when he swooped for the catch, we thought for just a second that he had been successful. But no, the mongoose escaped the talons.

Then some Crowned Lapwings entertained us for a longish time. The were doing two things at the same time, and seemed unsure whether to concentrate on harassing a Tawny Eagle or to forage and dig around for ants. They continued to alternate between the two activities, or tried to do both at once.

Well, we thought, what an interesting day, as we arrived back at the Lodge. But in the driveway a final show for the day awaited us. The young male Lion was there, and with the blue sky behind him our shots as he strolled along, sat down, looked at us and then carried on again, were a gift. And that was not all! He serenaded us all through dinner as he walked back and forth past the front of the Lodge. The sounds and sight were a phenomenal end to yet another remarkable day.

We plan to search for the Lion again at first light …

Oct 11 2018
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A Martial Eagle with a Kill …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s Update from Ta Sebube Lodge on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

The last full day of the safari was less eventful than the previous busy days. We decided as we left the Lodge in the morning that we would rather take this day in a leisurely fashion. This was great as we could concentrate on the smaller creatures like Meerkats. We also spent some more valuable time with the Cape Foxes. The pups were out and playing boisterously, and we often had to remind ourselves to pick up our cameras as we watched their delightful antics.

The Meerkats also kept us very busy. They bustled around, catching insects and geckos. Again, their activities kept us so busy that we were quite unaware that time passed so quickly.

We also spotted a Martial Eagle. The raptor had recently killed a Springbok lamb and was feeding voraciously.

There were the usual different animals that we have seen each day, and now and then we stopped to photograph Ostrich, Springbok, or Oryx if their surroundings were particularly picturesque. There are newborn Springbok everywhere, with very attentive mothers to protect them from dangers from the ground and from the air. The little Springbok lambs are very energetic, and dash and prance around seemingly endlessly and without any signs of slowing down or exhaustion.

During the afternoon we heard that a leopard had been spotted close to our location. We gave the area a cursory look over, but as our aim for the day was to take life at an easy pace, we didn’t stress, and rather turned our attention back to the other animals.

We practised quite a lot of backlighting, with Ostriches, and also the smaller animals.

Our quiet day was quiet, but a lot of fun, and we achieved exactly what we wanted before our final game drive for this safari group in the morning …

Oct 09 2018
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Mission Accomplished! …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s Update from Ta Sebube Lodge on the on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

After all the different experiences before, we set out this morning with mixed feelings. It would be great to see lots of exciting animals, but just as wonderful to practise different photographic techniques using the Plains animals, birds, and small creatures as subjects.

When we set out we started with a search for the lions we saw previously. We found tracks and followed them. But we were interrupted by a Wild Cat that crossed the road and then sat down in the grass next to the road. What a treat it was to see a Wild Cat again. We were thrilled.

Next we spent a lot of time concentrating on Wildebeest, Ostriches, Oryx, and Springbok. We did this for much of the morning before we moved on to photograph Meerkats. They always make such a fabulous subject, and make photography a pleasure.

For the afternoon drive we wanted to concentrate on birds. We thought that our day would be made if we could locate a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and a a tiny Falcon, the Pygmy Falcon. So one large and one very small bird were our mission for the afternoon. And yes, we were lucky and actually found both.

Our attention was drawn to the Verreaux’s Eagle Owl because it was being mobbed by two Pale Chanting Goshawks. The Goshawks flew over the Owl and harassed it continuously to get it to fly away. It was really interesting to watch the interaction between the birds.

Shortly after that we spotted two Pygmy Falcons – mission accomplished.

We drove on fairly slowly to where cheetahs had been reported during the morning. We found tracks, but there was no sign of the cheetahs themselves, so we decided to return early in the morning to check again.

As the day was progressing we decided to go past the Cape Fox den to see if the little pups were out and about. But all was quiet when we arrived there. There was no sign of adult or pups.

But not far from there we spied a Pale Chanting Goshawk in a tree – and it had a kill. It had killed a snake. It appeared that the snake was attempting to raid a bird’s nest when the goshawk found it and grabbed it. We couldn’t identify the snake, but what an amazing sighting to end our day.

Not quite! We passed the den again and there were the foxes. It was a little dark for photography and we didn’t want to disturb the little pups with flash so we oohed and aahed for a while before we returned to the Lodge.

In the morning it would be a wonderful start to our day if we manage to find those cheetahs …

Oct 10 2018
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Cheetahs, Cheetahs, Lions, Leopard! …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s Update from Ta Sebube Lodge on the on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:
(Photos from back of Dawies’ Camera)

A brilliant day lay ahead for us as we left the Lodge early in the morning. We planned a full day trip all the way to Mata Mata and took a packed lunch so that we would not have to return to the Lodge at noon.

Just north of the Lodge we found a Spotted Hyena trotting along the road. Because the light was still rather dull we concentrated on panning shots. He stuck to the road and when he veered off, he didn’t go far. We were able to follow until we were satisfied that we all had a collection of good images.

We went onto the Dune Road. This was a fabulous idea as we saw plenty of action along the way. The bird life was superb. We saw Northern Black Korhaan with its distinctive black and white markings.

And we found a little Steenbok family. A tiny baby was accompanied by its parents, and they were relaxed enough for us to admire them and get some decent images. And Gemsbok looked so dramatic and beautiful on the dune ridges.

As we continued our drive we stopped again to photograph Jackals, and finally we reached the Auob River. Here we were greeted by Tawny Eagles in a dead tree. It was a beautiful sight with the birds in that stark tree.

Further on we stopped for Ground Squirrels before two Cheetahs caught our attention. The cats were on a ridge, and they gazed with great interest at a herd of Springbok below them. Oh great, we thought – would the cheetahs hunt? And sure they did! They crept closer to the herd, but just as our excitement increased and our cameras were ready, a Wildebeest pitched up and the Springbok scattered. We left the scene because the Cheetahs returned to the ridge where they lay down and showed no further interest in their surroundings.

And just as well! Less that four kilometres further we found another Cheetah – with two cubs. They obligingly relaxed right next to the road, and we spent ages photographing them from different angles, and with different techniques. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

Having collected images of every possible description we decided to move on. Again this was a great decision as we soon bumped into lions at a waterhole. A large Black-maned lion with three lionesses lounged lazily under some Camelthorn Trees. They were a bit sleepy so we didn’t stay for long.

On the way to Mata Mata we passed Secretary Birds, Crimson-breasted Shrikes, Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters and too many others to list.

And then we stumbled onto an amazing Leopard sighting.

The leopard was asleep in a tree at first, but then a herd of Springbok arrived under the tree and within seconds everything changed. The Leopard saw the herd as they arrived at the tree and almost leaped out of the tree, directly onto one of the buck. The cat came down to a low branch, about a meter from the ground. The Springbok spotted the predator and retreated hastily. The leopard thought that further pursuit was not be worth the effort and climbed back to a higher branch again. She was so relaxed and in such a beautiful position that we photographed her from every possible angle.

By now it was time for a late lunch, after which we turned back to the Lodge. We passed all the same animals again, including the Leopard, Lions, Cheetahs, and others. We photographed them all again in the different afternoon light. We found Meerkats everywhere, and could not resist a stop for them.

Then almost unbelievably we found another Cheetah. This time a male lay comfortably in the shade of a tree. We didn’t stop for long because we already had some outstanding photos from earlier. (We are getting spoiled and picky).

Just before we reached the Lodge we found a herd of Wildbeest. The sun was low, and the Wildebeest kicked up dust in all directions. It looked so beautiful with the sun behind the dust, with rays piercing through, and the Wildebeest looming as dark shadows.

Ahh, it really was a suitable and brilliant ending to another memorable day. So one cannot help wondering what tomorrow will bring …

Oct 08 2018
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What a Day! Cape Fox Babies, a Brown Hyena Kill, a Springbok Birth …

By Kgalagadi Photo Safari No Comments

Dawie’s Update from Ta Sebube Lodge on the on the Kgalagadi Photo Safari:

What a hectic, fabulous, amazing day! We were bombarded with beautiful sightings from the moment we left the Lodge shortly before sunrise.

First we came across a pair of Cape Foxes. Not only that! They had three of the cutest little babies with them. We remained with the adorable little pups until the sun rose and we were able to capture that beautiful warm golden light as the three played their puppy games. Cute isn’t even the word for those little bundles! They darted in and out of their foxhole, getting in the way of their very patient mother who was digging and clearing out their little den. Typical of children anywhere –

After this we drove toward the Nossob river. Suddenly a Brown Hyena appeared, and ran in almost a blur across the road. What was happening? We stopped and peered into the bush. The hyena darted around as we tried to take photographs. The hyena was very anxious – and then we noticed that it had a Cape Fox in its mouth. The hyena must have killed the fox moments before and was running away from wherever he had grabbed his prey. No wonder he was so very nervous, and we watched as he darted back and forth before he disappeared from view over a ridge.

We continued our drive, keeping a lookout for further action. The setting is so very beautiful here with the dunes and the trees and we stopped frequently to photograph Oryx, Springbok, Wildebeest and other Plains animals.

We heard that a Cheetah had been spotted south of where we were, and we quickly turned to head to that sighting. Unfortunately we missed the Cheetah, but as we continued our drive we came across a Springbok giving birth. We arrived just as the hooves started to show. We waited, and were able to witness the whole event, and the first hesitant, tottering steps of the newborn. What an amazing experience that was for everyone.

Before we returned to the Lodge for lunch we practised some high-key photography again. And on the way to the Lodge we saw Bat-eared Foxes, a Leopard Tortoise, and plenty of small creatures.

This afternoon we wanted to find a Caracal that we heard had been seen lurking in a defined area. On the way we took panning shots of Wildebeest around a waterhole. And we photographed a number of different birds as well as more Springbok and Wildebeest. We stopped again for Whistling Rats as they foraged around in the veld. We took so long that we never actually got to see a Caracal.

We headed back towards the Lodge, having heard that Lions had been spotted at another waterhole. We stopped close to the waterhole when we saw a pair of Purple Rollers in a tree next to the road. As we photographed the Rollers we could see the waterhole clearly, and there was a lioness, enjoying a long drink. We rushed there in time to photograph her drinking and when she finished she delighted us by taking a stroll directly towards us.

What a perfect ending to a really eventful day! So many different, amazing experiences – and we are all ready for more tomorrow …

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