A second year of living with the covid-19 pandemic was dramatically better than the previous, but also far short of the rich, full year that we had all dreamed of during the depths of 2020’s dark days. I hope that you are all well, your friends & family are healthy and you have found ways to cope with the frustrations of the last 12 months.
Over the last 22 months, around the world, everyone has faced times where they felt less fortunate than others, and enjoyed times where they have felt lucky to have freedoms and support unavailable elsewhere. In this regard, the pandemic has been a period of learning for me. Sometimes our life in Zambia has brought with it incredible freedoms and fortune compared to many in the world. But there have also been times when the worry of owning our own businesses in a country that cannot operate a bailout scheme has been all-enveloping. Learning to grab the happy times with both hands, enjoy them without reservation, and share them in an authentic way without feeling guilty is crucial to maintaining mental health in such situations. Equally, when times are hard, acknowledging that burden and resisting the part of you which tells you that “others have it much harder than you” is important for navigating through.
In 2021, miraculously, a few guests made it through the restrictions and travel unpredictability, and joined me on safari in Zambia. The 4 trips that I ran (a total of 54 days on safari) brought memorable experiences, wonderful sightings and the sense of fulfilment which has been missing for me for a long time. I am grateful for these safaris and to the guests who travelled, against the odds, to make them happen.
12 months ago, we looked ahead to 2021 as the recovery year that we all needed. As 2021 draws to a close, I am cautiously optimistic that 2022 will bring further freedoms that allow people to visit family and friends and travel the world again. In the meantime, I hope that governments with the resources to do so will support the delivery of vaccine programmes worldwide so that this pandemic can join the many relatively unremarkable flu viruses which circulate the world annually.
I treasured the experiences that I had with my guests even more than normal this year, so the images that I have selected have been chosen because they reflect moments and memories rather than necessarily being the best, most high-impact photos. I hope that you will enjoy the story that goes with them. Thank you for reading, for following my blog and I wish you a very Happy Christmas.
In February, I joined a team travelling up-river to Luambe National Park to explore the area during the rains and build up the bird, reptile and amphibian list for that park. On route, during the 5 hour boat journey, we had endless encounters with hippos, including these two who charged towards us to get into deeper water.
My first safari of the year was based at Flatdogs Camp with a single photographer who enthusiastically threw himself into every situation I presented. When there was the chance to capture back-lit guinea-fowl on a fallen log, we tweaked the vehicle position and waited for the birds to position themselves until we had the perfect shot.
In May, I visited Lower Zambezi National Park with my daughter. One afternoon, we found this beautiful female leopard and spent a couple of hours with her. The opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family has been an unexpected and very welcome benefit of this pandemic.
Back in Luangwa in June, we went to Lion Camp as a family for a recce trip prior to a safari that I was running there in July. Mid-winter is a lovely time in that area, with mist rising off the water and sharp, golden sunlight. The three of us sat on the banks of a small lagoon photographing hippos against the rising sun.
In early June, I hosted Valentin Lavis, a French photographer who created a wonderful new video about my photo safaris in the Luangwa. You can find the video on the home page of my website if you haven’t seen it already.
In late June, I ran my first full-length safari for almost 18 months, guiding 2 guests from America on an adventure through central and eastern Zambia. We searched for sitatunga antelope in Kasanka National Park…..
….looked for shoebill storks on the swamps of Lake Bangweulu…..
…and found them!….
…and ended with 5 nights at the fabulous Lion Camp in the northern sector of the South Luangwa National Park. This image reminds me of our final morning, still reeling from the lion kill we had watched the night before, as more than 50 zebra descended from the plains to graze in the dried up bed of Fish Eagle lagoon. We had played with slow shutter speed images throughout the trip, but this was perhaps the best opportunity of all.
In August, I spent 2 days with friends who own Tafika Camp (part of the Remote Africa Safaris collection) exploring the northern part of the Nsefu Sector and discussing how we could further improve the South Luangwa offering for photographers. It was a very enjoyable couple of days and I’m excited about the future of the relationship.
In late August, I began the longest safari I have ever run, 26 nights spread across the South Luangwa, the Lower Zambezi and the Kafue National Parks. The guests were both very experienced safari travellers and I was super excited at the thought of what lay ahead.
Well, it did not disappoint! As well as incredible predator sightings, hunts, cubs, puppies and beautiful scenery, we took time to create images of the lesser-noticed subjects of the bush, like these two Lesser Striped Swallows which sat patiently while we discussed apertures, shutter speeds and framing.
With 54 consecutive game drives, it’s crucial be innovative to keep things fresh. There are only so many images of each species that can be taken, unless you are creative…like we did with these giraffe late one afternoon.
During the trip, we spent quality time with Olimba and her new cubs in the Nsefu Sector. Her 6-month old daughter has a beautiful and unusual chestnut patch on her flank which will surely only add to her character as she grows up and creates her own path.
At Lion Camp, I enjoyed my first sighting of a trio of leopard cubs….up to that point, I had only ever seen 2 cubs together!
Before heading to the Lower Zambezi, on our last morning in the Luangwa, I drove out to the plains inland from Lion Camp. There was something about the light that day which had a glowing pink quality and every direction we looked was stunning.
In the Lower Zambezi, our fortune continued. I happened to be focused and tracking a crocodile in a shallow channel when it met a competitor and they briefly reared up in combat!
We’d had a quiet afternoon, but the light was developing a strong golden effect, so we drove to the river to photograph the baboons that I could see moving along the top of the bank. Out of nowhere, an elephant herd appeared between us and the sunset, giving us a beautiful scene. This was a “pinch myself” moment where I realised that my guests were the only internationals in a camp that would normally be buzzing with activity…..and yet the wildlife continues as a constant throughout. So many times, wildlife has been a comfort to me over the last 2 years.
Our tour continued in the Kafue National Park, with time in the central area as well as in the Busanga Plains. There were highlights at every camp, but the big lions of Busanga were the hogs of the limelight.
One morning, we patiently waited as 4 males ambled around on a grassy island. We knew that they had to cross the channels at some point, so we positioned for the best possible shots and crossed our fingers. We got lucky as 2 of the 4 males jumped directly towards us as they cleared the water!
The lechwe are also superstars of the Busanga system and it was so rewarding to spend time watching them leaping the watery channels that criss-cross their home.
On our final day of the tour – always a challenge for a photo guide who hopes to end with memorable final sightings – gave us the highlight of the safari. An unusually foggy morning combined with a lion pride outside camp, gave us a sunrise to remember…
My brother’s plans to get married in Europe had always felt out of reach from my position in Zambia. But COVID restrictions relented in October and I realised, with a few days’ notice, that there was nothing stopping me making the journey to be there. I saw my family for the first time in 20 months and joined the wedding celebrations. Another 2021 event that I am very thankful for.
Back in Luangwa, late October, and the dry season was starting to bite. Hot weather, very limited water and dusty, filtered light combine to make a dramatic time of year. The fishing parties of pelicans, storks, spoonbills and egrets, which have been massing during the previous months, culminate in huge congregations of birds as the pools finally dry up.
I love the southern part of the South Luangwa National Park, with the backdrop of the Chindeni Hills. We enjoyed a (very hot, end of October) weekend with the co-owners of Tribal Textiles at Bilimungwe Bushcamp, which included this memorable sighting of elephants crossing the shallow waters of the Luangwa.
The rains didn’t arrive in November this year, or at least they didn’t arrive in the Luangwa. We baked in hot dry conditions throughout the month, with temperatures of 40 degrees every day. But there is always something in Nature to compensate, and this time of year sees a peak of births for impalas and elephants. We found this new-born elephant calf early one morning and spent 2 hours with him waiting to see that he reached the milk from his mother. (He looks older than he is because the mother was endlessly dusting him with sand which has covered the blood and fluids from his birth.)
The rains finally arrived in mid-December, just after a short photo-safari that I ran for Earth Ark Travel. It’s now been cool, cloudy and regularly rainy for a week and we are all enjoying the fresher air, the cooler nights and the soundtrack of birds starting their breeding activities.
Just prior to writing this, I was driving home through the thick forest behind our house when the unmistakable colours of a Narina Trogon flashed across my path. I rushed home to collect my camera and was able to capture photos of this stunning rainforest bird high in the branches of a sausage tree. It’s only the second time I’ve managed to photograph it, despite numerous sightings, so I am happy with the slightly sub-standard image!!
Thank you for reading my 2021 summary and for all your support during the year. I always appreciate it, even if I don’t have a way of thanking you individually. Kirstie, Sukey and I wish you a very Happy Festive Season and join you in hoping for a fantastic 2022.
