It was one of those days in which the sky growls and then goes quiet again, only to find its voice again later on. Thunderstorms and downpours alternated with blue skies and sunshine. We went out for an evening stroll and I managed to get this photograph before the biting insects had completely sucked me dry…
Tag: photoblog
Dassie on the rocks
The rock hyrax or dassie is not at all afraid of heigths. Balancing on a rock above the crashing waves is its idea of a relaxing spot. Dassies live in groups of up to 80 animals. Their teeth show a pair of elongated upper incisors, which they have in common with their close relative, the elephant.
Photo taken in Mosselbay.
Reed cormorant
A lovely black reed cormorant drying its wings before diving into the water again.
Photo taken in Wilderness.
On the road
The N1 leads from the Musina borderpost in the North-East to Cape Town in the South-West of South Africa. It is a highway that traverses many different kinds of landscape. After Bloemfontein, the dry, hilly steppes of the Karoo give endless views over an empty land.
Secretary bird
The magnificent secretary bird is one of my favorite animals to encounter on a safari. So it really felt as a gift from the universe to encounter one on my birthday yesterday! We spotted it while it was still far off. Luckily, while we waited he came closer and closer to our vehicle so that I was able to capture this image.
Photo taken in Rietvlei Nature Reserve.
Tiger
I’m coming to get you!
Tiger in the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria.
Leopard
Photographing a leopard in the zoo is a different challenge than finding a leopard in the wild. No adrenaline rush here! But the lightning conditions can be challenging – for this image I set an ISO of 1600, so there is quite a bit of noise when you zoom in. I love it though!
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Hornbills are birds with huge bills that can account for up to 1/6th of the entire body length. Because of their large beak, the hornbill can’t see very well what is right in front of them. They will often search for food on the ground, overturning twigs and leaves to find insects.
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park
Crested francolin
A crested francolin – or bosveld patrys in Afrikaans – is checking out some green shoots for seeds or berries to eat. I absolutely love the colours on this bird!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park
Awesome wonder 