WILDLIFE BLOG

Behind the bizarre Shoebill, Pel's Fishing Owl is probably the most sought-after bird in African birding circles; the leopard of the bird world. We have a large number in the Luangwa Valley and we often find them near big lagoons during night drives. However, it's more unusual to see them during the day, so I was very happy to find this one sitting high in a tree when I was on a morning drive recently. They [...]

As I was returning to camp after an afternoon drive to check out the condition of the roads through some of the gullies, I noticed so Crowned Cranes crossing the sunset in the distance. Hoping to catch them in flight as they moved across the open sky, I moved to an open are and found them landing in a dead Leadwood tree in the distance. As the sun dropped lower and the colours intensified, I took [...]

.....is in the middle of Walking Guide Exams so very little time for taking photos, except to record new wildflowers! However, I did find this photo in my archives which made me smile! Reminds me of doing long jump at school!

We have a beautiful lagoon near the entrance of the park, where a raised track allows you to look down over the area and observe animal behaviour without interfering. While I was sitting out watching elephants feeding on the rice grass, a Bateleur took off from a nearby tree and started hunting at my eye level. As it raced back and forth, I tried to keep up with my camera! At one point, it plunged to [...]

When on drives, I don't often take my camera, since it's more important to position guests for the best photos than snap away for myself. But this morning, we managed to creep so close to this Lilac-breasted Roller, that I couldn't resist reaching for my camera and grabbing a shot!

Over the weekend, I spent some time with a small pride of lions. Initially, they just lay in the sun, but later a couple of the females got up and began to stalk a pair of warthogs which were foraging nearby. The warthogs knew that something was going on even if they couldn't see the lions, so they never strayed into striking range - I decided to try to video the event, rather than taking still [...]

After what seemed like weeks of camp building, I finally got out in the park again last night. During the rains, there is often a storm in the late afternoon, but on afternoons when there is not, the dramatic clouds and clear light make for great photos. As it was, I didn't take many photos until it was almost dark when I came across a troop of baboons preparing to roost in some Ebony trees along [...]

I just spent a fantastic weekend on the river, a wonderful bonus of the high water at this time of the year. Very few people visit this area during the rains - and with unpredictable weather, it's easy to understand why - but those that do take the chance and book a boat safari on the Luangwa are in for a treat. Hippos are one animal that you won't miss; they lie around in languid groups, [...]

It's well known that mating and relationships in the animal kingdom are rarely romantic. Dominance, fighting, relentless pursuit and agressive mounting are all part of a female's day, but when you add the power, speed (and claws) of a lioness to the equation, it gets a lot more interesting! We found this young adult male following a female down a track. She contiunally trotted ahead of him, but occasionally relented and allowed him to mate with [...]

Sometimes it is....

This Pied Kingfisher spent a whole afternoon hunting fish from the same perch across the river from me. She caught several during the time I watched, but wasn't so lucky this time.

While I was in the North Luangwa National Park recently, we went out to have a look at a large nest that had been seen in a Brachystegia. The finder of the nest had reported seeing a pair of Bat Hawks nearby, and concluded that they had constructed the nest. We consulted one of our field guides which said that Bat Hawks - a medium-sized raptor which feed largely on bats in the evening and at [...]