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WILDLIFE BLOG
A View from the Luangwa – March 2018
We have known for some time that the greatest threat to the wild places on our Planet is the growth of the human population. As our numbers rise, we encroach into areas where we used not to tread, either to expand agricultural production, obtain natural resources or simply to build more houses. The news stories on this topic tend to be dominated by poachers targeting headline species such as elephant, rhino and pangolin, and certainly these [...]
Wildlife: exciting wild dog sightings!
We have had an unusually dry couple of months in the Luangwa, with not much serious rainfall since December. This will have its problems later in the year but, for now, it allows us to drive much more widely in the park that we normally can at this time of the year. Over the weekend, we took two trips into the National Park, and both times we found the well-known Manzi pack which have been living [...]
February in the South Luangwa
By the time we reach February, the nature of Zambia's rainy season is beginning to change: we see a shift from the gradual build-up and impressive thunderstorms, to a more steady, persistent frontal rainfall. Skies are overcast, often giving cool days with intermittent rain throughout. The overcast conditions allow for beautiful portraits of mammals against the soft greenery. Zebras' against the greenery - a view not seen by the 99% of safari visitors who visit the [...]
Through the Lens: a Celebration of Black & White
Photographers often use black and white conversions to add dramatic impact to scenes where the colours are either poor or not important. Monochrome conversions - when used appropriately - generate some of the most impressive wildlife images of all. Given that Nature is full of wonderful colours, it's pretty clear that monochrome is a powerful technique that delivers stunning images even the colour has been removed. Over the years here, I have made many hundreds of [...]
Know your African Wildlife: Leopards
It’s hard to identify what it is that so attracts safari goers to leopards; some say it’s their secretive nature and apparent scarcity, and yet in many of the best safari areas, sightings are readily available to guides who know how to find them; some say it’s their beauty, but there is similar beauty in many of Nature’s finest creations; others say that it’s the leopard’s blend of elegance, agility and devastating power. Whatever it is [...]
Guest Report: Jacqueline vd Heuvel | Private Safari | December 2017
Jacqueline has travelled to Africa many times, on holiday and doing reportage photography for various projects. You can see a great selection of her work on her website. Having been to Africa so many times, and to Luangwa once before, she wanted to see something different; so she booked to visit in the early-rainy season when the grass is green, but still short, and the game has not yet dispersed too deeply in to the back [...]
A Day out at Xtreme Falconry
A couple of days ago, I took up a day out at a falconry centre which was given to me as a birthday present by some friends. It was a great idea since I love big raptors and, despite working in the bush, we rarely get very close to them! To be able to handle, fly and observe owls, hawks, falcons and eagles close up was very exciting. Xtreme Falconry are based in Dorset but run [...]
Guest Report: Eric Williams | Double Luangwa | 2 – 9 October 2017
Eric only took up photography a few years ago but has fast acquired a good range of skills, and a good grasp of his camera. He made the best use of the trip and I'm hoping that some of his best shots (which he is holding back!) will be winners in his camera club competitions! He has a good eye for the unusual and frames his shots in interesting ways. He and Jill had buckets of [...]
January in the South Luangwa
January is about half-way through Zambia's rainy season; large amounts of rain have usually fallen, carpeting the country in green grass, and stimulating extraordinary plant growth. The lagoons are filling, and the river has risen dramatically from the annual low in October and November. A seasonal lagoon - known as a dambo - which has filled from annual rainwater. Surrounding the waterways, a carpet of short green grass offers grazing for hungry herbivores. Herbivorous mammals are [...]
Guest Report: Nick Gill | Double Luangwa | 3 – 10 September 2017
Nick & Caroline travelled with me in September 2017, in the prime photo safari period. During the booking stage, we discussed which camps we should stay at and I encouraged them to choose camps that were deep in the heart of the best safari areas. These camps sometimes command higher rates, but the payoff in terms of sightings more than makes up for that! This was particularly the case with Nsefu Camp which provided us with [...]
Through the Lens: Hippo Skirmish
Hippos spend most of their daylight hours in the shallow water of rivers and lagoons. They venture out at night to find food, when the cooler temperatures and cover of darkness protect them from the enemies of overheating and predation. However, at night they are usually solitary and tend to move away from approaching safari vehicles with bright headlights! By day, they rest, often doing nothing more than flicking away a fly with a spray of [...]
Guest Report: Kathy Phipps | Private Safari | 29 Aug – 1 Sep 2017
Kathy Phipps joined me on safari in August for a few days. August is prime-time in the Luangwa so as expected, the sightings were spectacular! She and her group had particular skills that they wanted to develop during their trip so we focused our attention on certain elements, rather than particular animals or sightings. Kathy's Flickr page shows lots more of her great photos, but some of her favourites are below. She wrote this about her [...]
EDWARD SELFE
I organise & run photographic safaris in the finest wildlife areas on Earth.
