Life in the Bush: South Luangwa 29 October – 12 November 2020

The Luangwa received its first rains of the season yesterday….but it was little more than a shower. It’s left us hot, sticky and longing for more! But the small amount has cleared the skies, settled the dust and left us with clear light and beautiful views. Trees and hills, which seemed so distant through the haze, appear closer and more detailed.

Since returning from North Park and Mutinondo, I have been busy with end-of-season closing at Tribal Textiles and protects that have to be completed before the rains arrive in earnest. I’ve made a number of outings into the park, but sometimes taking only binoculars to keep my attention on Nature and observation rather than recording. Here’s a quick summary of the sightings I’ve had when I took my camera along too.

I took Sukey out one afternoon for a short safari. We were lucky to find a young leopard resting on the bank near some water. She didn’t come any closer, which we had hoped, but the colours in the late afternoon were beautiful.

Close to the leopard, in the same pond, was a large hippo. As the sun dipped below the treeline, he started to yawn and display his massive teeth.

The waterholes are a buzz of activity as elephant, zebra and antelope herds arrive to quench their thirsts. Elephants always take the opportunity to mud-bath at the same time. Here the distant elephants are clearly outlined against the dark bushes behind.

A favourite photo from recent times of my favourite antelope. Kudu bull feeding on combretum leaves.

Backlit by morning light, a young elephant enjoys a fantastic dust bath after crossing the river.

Part of the same herd, this young calf, still showing pink behind the ears is no more than a few days old.

A small, but noisy member of the bird world – a bleating bush warbler pauses during a feeding session in a thicket.

It’s a treat to find relaxed giraffes and oxpeckers as there’s always fun to be had with close ups. Here, I parked on the shady side of the giraffe (where the oxpeckers prefer to feed as it’s cooler) and then waited for the giraffe to move its head so that the sun half-lit the bird. The mixed light is challenging but more interesting than standard even lighting.