Tag Archive for 'african-birds'

Fowl Play: Video

Published

on June 27, 2009

. 5 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, blogumentary, bush, bush-knowledge, documentary, ecotraining, education, elephants, endangered-species, experience, film, flickr, giraffe, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, guineafowl, hunting, Impala, IUCN-Red-List, lions, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, predators, teach, video, waterhole, wild, wild dogs, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, zimbabwe

There was a little excitement on the property today with a fire getting out of hand at the dump site. I headed over to help, but was a little late as they had it under control by that time, I was a bit disappointed, it was the perfect opportunity to get my firefighters badge. Kim, on the other hand, did receive his; he came home smelling like burned toast and looking like Bob the…I mean…postman…no…now I can’t think of a fireman character – lets just say he epitomized the FDNY, except even more hardcore as he was barefoot.

Now I recall from yesterday talking bout my stubborn visits to Nyari knowing there was not much going on, well, victory was mine. I met up with five elephant bulls about an hour before sunset and spent a bit of time with them.

It was nice to have a few chilled characters for a change. They were very inquisitive coming right up to the vehicle smelling and exploring the unknown.

I was chuffed! I then dashed over to Banyini to get the sunset with a dragon like cloud spreading across the sky. Last night the lions were reported at Banyini, but the interesting thing was this time there were four lionesses, three cubs and the two males. Looks like they are importing females from down south…Sjambok, just can’t seem to get enough.

Chekwa’s Water Birds Survive The Elephant

Published

tracker

on February 18, 2007

in videopost

. 0 Comments Tags:africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, buffalo-stampede, bush-knowledge, conservation, ecotraining, education, egyptian-geese, elephants, experience-adventure, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, malilangwe, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, ornithology, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, water-birds, waterhole, wildcasting, youtube, zimbabwe

The water birds at Chekwa were not happy when the herd of elephant came by for a drink. Egyptian Geese, Black winged Stilts and many more were scattering in all directions to avoid being trampled by the towering grey bodies.

Around the 20^th Century, Black winged Stilts were much less common residents to Southern Africa than they are today. The numbers are still on the increase especially in urban areas around man made water sources.

Although the Egyptian Goose is no longer found along the lower Nile, it is still a common resident through the rest of Africa. These birds were regarded as sacred by the Pharaohs. Malilangwe surely got a healthy population of these birds.

All were very relieved when the Elephants decided to move off.

Elephant Immobilization: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on February 14, 2007

in videopost

. 3 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, blogumentary, bush-knowledge, cites, conservation, documentary, eagles, ecotraining, education, elephants, endangered-species, experience, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, groups, IUCN-Red-List, lions, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, ornithology, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, wildcasting, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, zimbabwe

Malilangwe Drugs Course is on.
For the next week some 70 wildlife veterinarians and students from across Africa are at Malilangwe learning the latest in wildlife capture techniques and the use of medicinal drugs.
Today the practical was to dart this elephant bull. All went according to plan and he was soon on his way again, probably only nursing a slight hangover.

Earlier in the day I was happy to find Snorkel again. He still has a breathing problem but it’s a lot better than last week. Although he’s now only breathing through his trunk, not through his mouth any more, you can still hear he battles with each breath. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay with him as he moved into the wet clay soils. We were hoping to use him for the drugs course and at the same time try and alleviate his breathing problem.

The collared lioness was on her own today with no sign of the rest of the pride. No doubt they’ll join up again tonight.
Tomorrow for the drugs course we plan to change this large cumbersome collar for an implanted transmitter.

Earlier while walking in the hills try to locate the lioness I came across this young Spotted Eagle, probably only just out the nest. It sat around for me, just long enough for a couple of photos, but when I got too close it took off.

Chipfongwe’s got competition! This new little female elephant calf can only be a week or so old. How cute is that? Mom was drinking at Chekwa pan, but little miss wasn’t sure what to make of me and wanted out. But mom was relaxed. When mom did leave, the little girl took off ahead of mom.

Marabou Waltz: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on February 10, 2007

in videopost

. 2 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, blogumentary, buffalo-stampede, bush-knowledge, conservation, documentary, ecotraining, education, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, hunting, kill, lions, malilangwe, marabou-stork, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, ornithology, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, wildcasting, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

The Marabous Storks were still on Banyini this morning, giving me the chance to recapture the footage that was ruined yesterday when my camera overheated.

They kept me busy for several hours and I only left them once they had cooled off in the pan and temperatures were soaring.

I went on to find the Nduna pride on a buffalo kill right down in the south east of the reserve. The kill was probably made last night and all were well fed. But when I got there, only one lioness was lying in the shade near the carcass, which was out there in the sun.

The others had moved off into deeper shade.
This lioness wasn’t budging. The skies were full of vultures and others were already landing in nearby trees. Had the lioness given them the slightest chance they would have descended en masse and polished off the carcass.

She spent her day guarding the carcass.
Only at sunset did the others venture from their shade and continue to feed. And as overloaded as they were I always wonder how they manage to stuff more meat down their throats.
I’ll be spending the rest of the night with the lions to be with them at dawn when they probably move off and the hyaenas move in. That’s if the hyaenas don’t challenge the lions tonight and take over.

Sunbird Feast: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on January 31, 2007

in videopost

. 7 Comments Tags:adventure, africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, blogumentary, conservation, documentary, eagles, ecotraining, education, elephants, flickr, giraffe, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, kill, lions, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, ornithology, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, rain, teach, video, wildcasting, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

It’s that time of year.

February and March are always tough times to be working in the bush. Our main rains fall over this period and the bush is just so thick we battle to find the game and then to stay with it.
I usually try and take some time off in this period because of it just not being very productive. And the last couple of days have proven just that, with it not looking like getting any better in a hurry.

The elephants were still in the south in those clays that have me running scared. Did I say I was scared? No ways, tough guys don’t say that. Must have been the American.

But I was able to catch up with the lions and that wasn’t fun. They had placed themselves in some really horrible bush. Thick thick stuff! But after much crashing and twisting and turning I was able to locate them. No they weren’t on a kill, just sleeping and hardly visible. I waited a while with them in case I might have missed a kill in that thick bush, but nothing materialised and I bashed my way out of there.

Up in the hills the Sunbirds were having a feast on the Aloe Erythrina. This is a lovely big specimen of these rare trees. But they get heavily persecuted by elephants and only survive when hidden in the hills in inaccessible places.

On Banyini at sunset the quelea are back! They’re nesting in huge numbers in several places on the reserve but only have eggs at the moment. As soon as the chicks hatch the predators (eagles, storks snakes, etc.) will descend on them. But in such huge numbers the predators have little impact on the overall population.

Elephant calf survives challenges: Video

Published

Wildcaster

on January 25, 2007

in videopost

. 5 Comments Tags:africa, african-birds, animal-kingdom, birding, birding-african-birds, blogumentary, buffalo, documentary, ecotraining, education, elephants, endangered-species, flickr, giraffe, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great-Limpopo-Transfrontier-Park, lions, malilangwe, marabou-stork, mashable, narrowcasting, Open-Content-Alliance, ornithology, pamushana, peace-parks, photos, podcasting, polls, predators, teach, video, vultures, waterhole, white-rhino, wildcasting, wildlife, wildlife-documentary, youtube, zimbabwe

Where did those lions get to?

Hopefully for them they’re sitting on a buffalo kill. And sorry for me if they really are, but I wasn’t able to pick up any trace of them.

The elephants were in the Albizia woodlands again but at midday headed southeast. All along the way they were dropping in at mud wallows to cool off.

So when they got to Bandama all they really wanted was lots of refreshment and then it was back on the move again.

There aren’t many bulls accompanying the herd at the moment. This could be that they are spending their time more to the south where the grazing is better and the cows are relying on the productive Albizia woodlands to sustain them.

I had a great jog today running along the shores of the Malilangwe dam. I came across about 20 vultures and some Marabou storks milling on the ground but closer investigation didn’t reveal anything. Really don’t know what they were up to. Further on I disturbed 2 buffalo bulls wallowing in the dam and they ran away. I also encountered some impala, zebra and a waterbuck with a small calf. The waterfowl that are usually in abundance around the dam are not there at the moment probably having moved on now that the veld is full of other surface water.

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Tag Archive for 'african-birds'

Fowl Play: Video

Chekwa’s Water Birds Survive The Elephant

Elephant Immobilization: Video

Marabou Waltz: Video

Sunbird Feast: Video

Elephant calf survives challenges: Video

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