WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE For the …...wouldn’t be able to pick up reflections...
Transcript of WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE For the …...wouldn’t be able to pick up reflections...
WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE
ForthemonthofSeptember,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 18,2˚C(64,7˚F) Forthemonth:1.4mm Sunrise: 05:30
Minimumrecorded: 13,5˚C(56,3˚F) Fortheyeartodate:402.9mm Sunset: 17:50
Averagemaximum: 33,2˚C(91,7˚F)
Maximumrecorded:40,2˚C(104,3˚F)
Greetingsfromparadise.Let’scuttothechaseastheweatherhasbeenhotandthegame-viewingiscooking!
WildlifeoverviewforSeptemberWilddogsWiththepupsstillquitesmall,wearedelightedtofindthatthepackhasspentthemonthonourreserve,
ratherthanheadingsouthtoGonarezhouNationalPark.We’vehadawesomesightingsofthem–suchasall27
fightingwithninehyenas;andanotherwatchingthemfeastonanimpalawhilethreehyenashungaround
hopingtostealthekillfromthem.Itwasveryspecialtoobservehowtheadultdogsletthepupsfeedfirstand
kepttheopportunistichyenasatbaywithsomewell-placednipsonthescavengers’rearends!
LionsWe’vereallybeenenjoyingseeingtheanticsofacoupleoftheprides’cubs.
Themajorityofthesightingscamefromthecoalitionofthreeadultmales–andonafewoccasionstheywere
relaxedenough,andguestsbraveenough,toobserveonfoot.
Thereweresomekillstoo–oneofthesewaswhenaprideofsixlions(twomalesandfourfemales)were
feedingonabuffalocarcass,withaboutahundredvultureswaitingpatientlyforashare.
CheetahCheetahsightingshavebeengood–especiallyoftheoldshort-tailedfemalewhoselife-storywe’vefollowed
forsomanyyears.She’sstillahuntingmachineandmadeacoupleofimpalakillsthismonth.Shewasalso
seeninthesameareaastwomalecheetahs.
LeopardWiththebushlowanddrywe’vehadsomegoodleopardsightings.Twospecialoneswerewatchingafemale
leopardhuntingagrysbok;andanotherofasleepybigtomcatcurleduplikeacroissant!
RhinosItseemstherhinoshavebeenkeepingeachothercompanythismonth,aswe’veseenbigcrashesofthem:ten
whiterhinoswiththreecalves;andthreeblackrhinosbrowsingatajunctionoftracks.
Averyinteresting,yetfrighteningsightingwasoftwoblackrhinosfightingatapanforoveranhour.
ElephantsLet’sputitthisway–it’sbeenhardtomissseeingatleastoneelephantoneverydrive.
BuffaloOurbestbuffalomomentwasofaherdof400feeding,bellowingandinteractingwitheachother.
PlainsgameTheplainsgamehasbeenplentiful,andwe’vehadgoodsightingsoftheusuallyshyandsecretivesablesthis
month.That’sasablebullphotographedonthefrontpage,headingtoawaterhole.
SmallwondersWhilesearching(unsuccessfully)foraserval,wefoundthreecivets,agenetandanelephantshrew!
Alovelyencounterwaswith30bandedmongoosesforagingaboutnearourairstrip.
RaresightingsTworarecreaturesshowedthemselvesthismonth–anAfricanwildcat,andthenabirder’sultimatetwitch,a
Pelsfishingowl!
PhotohideOurundergroundphotohideisveryproductiveatthistimeofyear.Onegroupofguestsspentafewhoursin
thehideandsawabullelephant,twoeland,eightLichtensteinhartebeest,andanAfricanharrierhawk.
WalksAgain,becauseofthedry,lowvegetation,it’sagoodtimefordoingbushwalks.Ononeoftheseweenjoyeda
goodsightingofsixwhiterhinosandfivebullelephants;onanotherwesawafemalecheetah,hyena,three
whiterhinosandtwobullelephants.Twobraveandintrepidfemaleguestssawthreemalelionswhileonfoot
andspentsomequalitytimeintheirpresencewhilechattingaboutlionhistoryandbehaviour.
BoatcruiseWeencourageallourgueststodoasundownercruise,anditreallyisameditativelyrelaxingwayofspending
anafternoon.Breakingthespellofzenononeoutingweretwoseparateblackrhinosightings,andthreemale
lionsrestingontheshore.
FishingBrilliantfishingwashadonemid-morningaswetriedourluckonthepredatorytiger-fish,landing12andlosing
farmore.Thetrophyofthedaywasa4kg(8,8lb)fighter!
FlowersThesedefiant
beautieschoosethe
driesttimeofyearto
bloom,andthat
makesthemextra
special–notonlyto
usbuttotheinsects
thatpollinatethem
andrelyonthemto
seethemthrough
harshtimes.Leopardspotted
Wesetoffearlyonemorningwiththefirmintentionsoffollowinguponaprideoflionsthathadbeenseenthe
nightbefore.Itwasjustbeginningtochangefromdarknesstodawn,andinafewmoreminutesthespotlight
wouldn’tbeabletopickupreflectionsofpredators’eyes.Butwewerebarelyoutofcampwhenweroundeda
riverbankandfoundthismaleleopardcurledup,withpawstuckedinandhistailwrappedaroundhim.
Ourleopardsightingshereareoftenfleetingflashesoftheseelusivecats,butthismalewasquitecontenttolie
ashewas,andletusadmirehiminawedsilence.However,thevervetmonkeysfeltdifferently.Unbeknownto
themtheyhadsleptthewholenightinatreewithaleopardatitsbase!Attheinstantthatitbecamelight
enoughforthemtospottheleopardbelowtheybeganshrieking,alarmingandhurlingabuseatthepredator.It
waslikeareallyannoyingalarmclockgoingofftooearly,withnosnoozebuttonplusajammedoffswitch!A
fewminuteslatertheleopardcouldtakenomore,andflickedhistail,gotup,turnedaroundandslunkoff.
Whogoesthere?
Thetrackingteamhaddevotedhourstotrackingacoalitionofmalelionsinthickmopanewoodland,andonce
they’dspottedthemonfoottheycalledus,hoppedonourvehicleandguidedusintoposition.Butthelions
hadmovedoffalittlefromwherethey’dleftthem,andwescoutedaroundtofindthem.Thisisthemoment
whenwedid–youcanseehowthismaleislookingslightlyalarmedandhaslockedhisstareontome.Hesoon
settleddownandrelaxedagain.Canyouspothisbrotherinthebackground?
Overtheedge
ManyofourgravelroadstakeusalongthebanksoftheChiredziRiveranditsdrainagesystem,buttheroads
havetobesetwellbackforerosioncontrol.Asguidesweoftenstopalongtheroadsandwalktothe
riverbank’sedgetoseeifthereisanywildlifeactivitybelow.Onbothoftheseoccasionswewerelucky:
Thefirstshowsanoldelephantbullwithmassiveivory,eventhoughtheonetuskisbroken.Hewasbackedup
byan‘askari’a‘youngersoldier’wholearnsfromandhelpsprotecthiselder.
Thesecond
photo
showsa
lovelyscene
ofajourney
ofnine
giraffe
crossingthe
river.It’sso
enjoyableto
beonfoot,
onthe
safetyofan
elevated
bank,and
stand
quietly
watching
whatgoes
onbelow.
Reflections
WorldRhinoDaywason22September-althoughitiseveryday,hourandminutehereasweprovide
sanctuaryforthesepersecutedanimals.There’ssomethingespeciallypoignantaboutphotographingarhino
anditsreflection…
Phototips
Thered-billedquelea(Queleaquelea)istheworld'smostabundantwildbirdspecies,withanestimatedadult
breedingpopulationof1.5billionpairs,andsomeestimatesoftheoverallpopulationhavebeenaslargeas10
billion.Red-billedquelealiveandbreedinhugeflockswhichcantakehourstoflypast.Wecameacrossaflock
settlingonsomereeds,andwithtimeonourhandscouldsetupourcamerasontripodsandfindwaysof
photographingthemeffectively.
Thisistakenataspeedof1/1250second,andyoucanseehowthislightningspeed‘freezes’theirflightaction.
Thisistakenataspeedof1/60second,andyoucanseehowthebirdsinflightareablurwhichgivestheidea
ofthespeedtheyflyat.
Allatwitter
Birdingissucharewardingpastime.Herearethree
momentsfromthemonth:
Guineafowlshaveacarefulsundowner.
Brown-headedparrotsfindasculpturalperch.
Atrioofwattledstarlingsdisturbsomedovesby
takingabath.
Septembermoments
Ateenagehyenaleaveshome,boredwithclanrules
anditspeskyyoungersiblings,andtriestoekeouta
mealfromanoldgiraffelegbone.Beforenightfell
itboundedhome,fullofasulkyshamefulattitude.
Avervetmonkeygivesherselfapedicure.
Anelephantreachesgreatheightsinhisquestfor
thejuiciestleaves.
WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishin
SingitaPamushana
MalilangweWildlifeReserve
Zimbabwe
ThirtiethofSeptember2016