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I am so thrilled to be able to go back to Mashatu in a few weeks and share this remarkable place with my guests. It's an experience like no other that they will never forget. Only two places left for my November Photography Tour to Mashatu and Chobe in Botswana. https://dianaandersen.com.au/project/botswana-photography-safari-2024/
So pleased to have this experience added to my November photo tour! Only two places left!
One of the smallest and most beautiful of Africa's antelopes. This is a male Steenbok in the Kalahari. Only males have horns and while pairs often share a territory, you rarely see them together.
My favourite little antelope, the Steenbok. One of the smallest antelopes, there is something a little mystical about them. This was taken in the Kalahari at sunset.
One of the world's most invasive species, in fact, the Indian Myna is listed as among the top 100 of the world’s worst invasive species. Just as this one is about to do, this aggressively territorial species evicts native species from their nesting hollows. In their countries of origin, however, they are considered valuable for pest control in cropping areas as their diet is largely insects.
If you have ever dreamed of a trip to Botswana, the Mashatu Game Reserve won't disappoint! Great wildlife, including leopards, lions, elephants and also wonderful birds, particularly as the wet season approaches in November, bringing large numbers of migratory birds. You can read more about visiting Mashatu, for wildlife photography in November in my blog post. https://wildanimalinfo.com/botswana-safari-mashatu-lodge/
It always looks like such an effort for Giraffes to take a drink. They are browsers which means they eat from trees so they don't have to reach the ground often Drinking is a necessity though, so they need to make the effort. At least they do it with style! :)
Helmeted guineafowl are widely domesticated in Australia, the US, and others, but rarely in their country of origin, Africa. It was lovely to see them running about in the wild. Did you know that the term for a group or flock is a 'confusion of guineafowl'? It's a great term and really apt when you see them rushing around looking confused and alarmed. Of course, they are on the menu for many species so it pays to be active and light on your feet!.
We always think of lions as being powerful, but the reality is that life can be very hard for them, particularly the males who have been ejected from pride and have always relied on their pride and their mothers to provide food. We came across these two brothers travelling together in the Okavango Delta that were doing it tough. With the calving season approaching, hopefully, they will make it, but many die from starvation.
Another kingfisher, this time the pied kingfisher, which has the remarkable ability to hover in one spot over the water, looking for prey before turning itself into an arrow plunging straight down vertically bill-first to capture fish. It is widely distributed in Africa and Asia and just amazing to watch.
The dates for my November trip to Botswana have been released! If you've been enjoying my photos and are keen to treat yourself to the trip of a lifetime and learn to take better wildlife photos, take a look at the itinerary. 🙂 https://dianaandersen.com.au/.../botswana-photography.../
On Australia Day, g'day, who are you? Greetings from a true Aussie. :)
If you have ever dreamed of a trip to Botswana, the Chobe River area won't disappoint! Great wildlife, including wonderful birds, particularly as the wet season approaches November, bringing large numbers of migratory birds. Of course, hippos, buffalo, elephants and the big cats are also in the area. You can read more about visiting Chobe for wildlife photography in November in my blog post. https://wildanimalinfo.com/chobe-river-in-november-with-pangolin-photo-safaris/
Our next kingfisher is the woodland kingfisher, again from Africa. They are migratory and are found south of the Sahara and north of Pretoria. As the name suggests, they prefer woodland areas and can be a long way from water, so their diet, as you can see by my photo, is more often insects, small mammals like mice and other invertebrates. In Botswana, you can hear their beautiful call everywhere, but seeing them is not so easy. My guide in Shinde Camp in the Okavango Delta worked hard to find me this one.
I thought we might look at some kingfishers this week. It's a huge family of birds numbering 116 species, the largest of which is the giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) found in large areas of Africa. They can be seen along the riverbanks where they dive for fish and dig nest tunnels into the riverbanks using their feet and bills.
Birds are so remarkable. If you travel from Australia to Africa or somewhere like Canada, the mammals are vastly different. However, many of the birds are very similar, the same family, just a different subspecies. It says something about their resilience and ability to adapt. This is an Australian Darter on the left and an African Darter on the right. You would have to agree; they are very similar and generally share the same habits, behaviour and habitat.
I am on a roll this week with another article published. If you would like to read about visiting the Chobe River in Botswana with Pangolin Photo Safaris. Some amazing opportunities to photograph birds and other wildlife on the river. Photos of course are included so if you are enjoying my images, take a look. :)
Chobe River in November with Pangolin Photo Safaris can be hot and potentially stormy in Botswana but rewarding for wildlife and birds.
If you have ever wanted to see and photograph wild animals from inside a hide in Africa, you can read about the experience at the Matebole Hide in Mashatu, Botswana. Being at eye level and so close to animals in their natural environment is amazing. I thoroughly recommend it! https://wildanimalinfo.com/matebole-hide-wildlife-photography/
One last look at the lions of the Kalahari. With 9 cubs between 3 lionesses, it will be challenging to raise them all. While the prides are more spread out than in other wildlife areas, making them less vulnerable to attack by males from other prides, finding enough game to feed 9 hungry mouths will be difficult. As they get older, the young males will be driven away by their fathers, often leading to starvation and causing conflict with farmers as they target livestock for an easy meal. I hope they will fare well in the future despite the threats they face.
From elephants to elephant shrews, if you would like to see and read more about visiting Tuli, in the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana, take a look at my article on visiting this remarkable oasis in the dust. https://wildanimalinfo.com/botswana-safari-tuli-lodge-mashatu/
You don't need to go to exotic locations to enjoy beautiful wildlife. Don't get me wrong, going away and seeing animals in the wild is one of my favourite things, but we have animals in our own backyards, and we need to see, enjoy and most importantly, look after our local wildlife as well. This is a Great Egret in Perth, such a beautiful thing.
Back to the Kalahari Lions! This time, the big boys, who we only saw once before they headed off to the Central Kalahari according to their tracks. This is one of the things leading to the demise of these beautiful cats. They roam long distances in the desert, away from their main pride, often coming into conflict with humans because of the threat to their livestock.
Australia and Africa share many of the same bird species, like some egrets, herons, and other waders. We definitely don't have these amazing saddle-billed storks (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis), but they are similar in habits and body shape to our Northern Territory black-necked stork (Jabiru). They even have the same eyes, with the female having yellow irises and the male having black. They get their name from the yellow shield across their bill (the saddle), which is definitely unique to this species.
The Kalahari is a place of extremes, an endurance test for everyone and everything living within it. Derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning 'great thirst', the name Kalahari describes life in the desert region in a nutshell. It is unforgiving, and life revolves around the need for water. My guide told me that desert-adapted animals of the Kalahari are larger than others of the same species. Desert supports only the toughest, the strongest and the most resourceful.
The magnificent black-maned lions are no exception. My research suggests that they may not be the largest ever recorded, so I can neither confirm nor deny that this is true, but they were undoubtedly the most powerful and impressive lions I had ever seen. As three lionesses with nine cubs between them strolled past our vehicle, I could feel myself holding my breath.
Here are some of my favourite images of these magnificent Kalahari lions this week so you can decide. First, the lionesses. 🙂
The weaver group of birds are truly remarkable. It's not only in the level of skill required to weave their creations but also in the way in which each type of nest is created to make life difficult for predators to access their nest. Today's weaver is the red-billed buffalo weaver. These unique weavers build communal nests with several chambers for multiple pairs out of thorny, inhospitable vegetation that helps protect the nest from predators.
Sunset serenade from one of our handsome resident mature male Magpies. The Western Australian male magpies have a full white back that can take up to three years to fully develop.
Meet ‘Baby’. That is a name that was never intended. Originally, we referred to her as ‘the baby’. You see, she was born to our resident wild flock established from rehab birds that came into our care some years ago. A very late baby, she fledged in January last year, and by mid-Feb we saw that she had been injured. One leg hung like a piece of string, and the other seemed unable to bear her weight. It was pathetic to see her resting on branches with both legs dangling on either side of the branch. However, she could fly well, and her parents still fed her. She would fly down for water we put out for them and drag herself across the ground to reach it. We experienced a run of days in the high 30's and low 40's. Eventually, the heat was too much for her, and we were able to catch her.
The dangling leg was detached at the hip and broken in a couple of places, but the other leg was uninjured, just too weak to support her weight. Euthanasia was discussed, but we decided to give her a chance as birds can often adapt quite well to life with one leg. The injured leg was supported, and her rehab began. After several weeks, euthanasia was back on the table as she still had not stood up on the uninjured leg. As I deliberated and D-day approached, she suddenly stood up. To maintain the bond with the family, she was kept outside during the day, where the family could see her. The bad leg we had expected to possibly shrivel up and drop off began to improve.
After several months of rehab, she could balance using the bad leg, so it was decided that it was time to give her freedom. Remarkably, the family accepted her, and one of the males even fed her for a couple of days. So now she has been free for several months. She flies in for a feed two or three times a day which we are happy to provide as she missed out on some of the training her parents would have given her. We have seen her foraging for herself, and while she will always have a bad limp, she seems to manage much better than we ever hoped.
The moral of the story is to hang in there despite what life throws at us! If you have read the whole post, best wishes for 2023!
Over the years on my property, we have seen an increase in tiny softbill birds like this Weebill and a decrease in spiders and this would be one of the reasons why. This tiny Weebill is snacking on some unfortunate spider. Spiders of course have their purpose but nature can balance things out if humans stay out of the equation! 😊
Landing gear fully extended and ready for touchdown! Pelicans always remind me of B52 bombers. 😊
Little Egrets often hang out and fish in small groups, dashing around like mad things or standing and stalking. Either way it's something I will never tire of seeing. 😊
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You don't need to go to exotic locations to enjoy beautiful wildlife. Don't get me wrong, going away and seeing animals in the wild is one of my favourite things, but we have animals in our own backyards, and we need to see, enjoy and most importantly, look after our local wildlife as well. This is a Great Egret in Perth, such a beautiful thing.
Many photographers are sharing their best images from 2023. For me, I just want to share what puts a smile on someone's face or something that reminds them of home. This reel is from my resident magpie family singing to family members. It's what binds them together. Take care of yourself in 2024, be kind and best wishes for the coming year! #australianmagpie #magpie #wildanimalinfo #animalinfopublications #wildlifephotography #wildlife #australianbirds #bestbirdsofinstagram
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After working with animals for many years, I founded Animalinfo Publications. My name is Diana Andersen and I was concerned about the growing trend for unverified information on animals and animal care being shared on the web and wanted to help make more accurate information available.
It is my firm belief that fewer animals would need rescue if people made better, more educated choices in their dealings with animals.
