Tag: travel

A cloudy day in the hills

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…

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.

The Big Tree

The Big Tree in the Tsitsikamma forest near Storms River is a giant Outeniqua Yellowwood tree. Standing over 35 meters tall it towers over the rest of the canopy. What this tree must have seen in its 800 years of life!

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.

White-bellied sunbird

The white-bellied sunbird is one of the beautifully colored sunbirds of southern Africa. I took this photo in Pilanesberg National Park, but they are common around our house as well. Actually, once a female white-bellied sunbird flew through a window into our livingroom. She sensed immediately that something was wrong and perched on one of the windowsills in front of a closed window. She didn’t protest when I scooped her up in my hand and let her outside. A white-bellied sunbird is 10 cm long and weighs between 6 and 10 grams. Such a special experience to hold this tiny bundle of feathers in my hands!

Baby zebra grazing

A small baby zebra is gingerly tasting the green shoots between the rocks on the ground. Zebras are born after thirteen months of gestation. They start nibbling on grass within a few weeks from birth. The coat of a baby zebra is more brownish than the clean black and white of the adult. It is also adorably fluffy!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park

Don’t look back in anger

As he walked away from our attention, the leopard threw one last look at us over his shoulder. These sightings are always too short!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park.

Snack on the go

A big bull elephant having a snack on the go. Elephants are vegetarians; they eat leaves, bark, grass, roots, and even fruits. Although they eat a massive amount of food each day – up to 150 kg! – their digestive system doesn’t break it down very effectively. Elephant dung therefore still contains a lot of nutrients, which other animals make use of!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park