Tag Archive for 'storm'

Pups beg and search: Video


I was happy to see the dogs again this morning being anxious that they might have crossed out the fence last night.
I had just picked them up, followed them on a quick chase and as they got back to the track, down went 2 of my tyres! Thankfully the one was going down slowly and I managed to limp to the workshop before it finally died on me.

Mopanie patrol
45mins later I was back with the dogs. They’d already killed, fed and moved on. How did I know this? Several members had bloodstained faces.
The weather was cool with a very fine drizzle coming and going which probably kept the dogs active a little longer than usual before chilling at a dried out wallow.

Pass out pan
I’d hoped for some big rain to film the dogs in but the useless drizzle continued and definitely wasn’t visible.
Later in the afternoon some seriously threatening weather came tumbling in. The cloud was dark and low. Surely this was the big one I wanted. But as fast as it tumbled in, it tumbled out.

Threatening!
Being nice and cool still, the dogs tumbled out of bed early too. Puzzles took them west on the hunt. But impala seemed scarce until they got to Khayeni and dogs scattered in all directions after their prey.
I eventually caught up with Jiggy and Puzzles having killed a young impala. They fed well and then called the pups. But no one came. Eventually Chevvy came running in screaming with excitement and begging for food. Puzzles regurgitated when a couple more pups arrived.

Puzzles trophy
With that little snack to get them going, the frantic search was on to find the remains of the carcass. In the long grass going was tough and the dogs have to jump their way around. I battled too just trying to find them in my viewfinder. I didn’t have any problem finding the grass!
Nearly an hour later the other pups turned up, one with the head of a young impala. So they too had been successful.
And finally my only success was catching the sunset.

Sunset 03/16
I did have some fun on the way home. It was almost dark and I came across 6 hyaenas strolling down the road towards me. It was too tempting and I got out the car, sat on the road and waited for them to approach. Of course it was the 2 youngsters who were the most curious. They just had to check out this thing. With bodies tense, ready to jump back at any moment they came to within a meter, but just wouldn’t push it that bit further. An adult joined them coming slightly closer, but it too wasn’t about to push it.
I left them all in the road sniffing my scent, wondering what this thing was that had interrupted their patrol.

Rain on the plain: Video


The rains kept coming all night and into the day. Realising I would be in for another day stuck in the office, I prepared myself for getting wet. I covered all my equipment in the car, taking only the essential stuff with me and headed out in the rain at dawn.
I was hoping to follow up on the dogs but that area was so wet I hadn’t a chance.

Purple perfect
Heading east I didn’t get any further than the airstrip where this huge herd of impala were grazing. The rains had let up and the sun was almost out. I took the time to strip and dry what I could. But I was really wanting to film animals in the rain and now it had stopped.
Massive flocks of Red-billed Quelea arrived today and will no doubt start their madness at building nests. They come through in the long clouds of thousands of birds in search of rich grass pastures.
It wasn’t long and a dark heavy low slung cloud advanced on us. I was ready for it with camera out and under it’s cover, but no cover for the operator.

Plain game
It was almost as if hitting the airstrip triggered the cloud to burst and the drenching started. My camera was a happy camper managing to stay well and truly dry. Thankfully.
I was in the same boat as the impala out there, just sitting it out until the storm had passed. Thankfully it’s still pretty warm.
For half an hour this cloud released itself on us leaving no doubt that I was totally soaked. All very fresh and invigorating!

Taking cover
As the rains stopped and the clouds lifted I tried to dry what I could and headed back home only to have another mother of a cloud follow me all the way and let rip just as I got home. And so it rained on and off all day.
I was really bleak though that I didn’t get a chance to find the wild dogs today.

Dogs duck the rain: Video


2 small kills were really just snacks for the wild dogs yesterday. And today they were just left to eat millipedes as they disappeared into the dark without killing.

Moving out
At least Puzzles was off her mission and the pack was now being led by Jiggy. He took them west but soon pulled up short. There was something up ahead that concerned him. He turned and took the pack south and then continued west towards Khayeni. But again just before arriving there, the whole pack pulled up short. And this time they did a U-turn and headed back east.

Wet roads
The only thing that would make them turn like that would be lion, but I didn’t get the chance to investigate as I now battled to keep up with the pack heading east at pace.
They eventually rested up not far west of their initial den site near Manyuchi.

Happy
The afternoon saw the weather change as storm clouds came rolling in from the east. And then it started raining. As those first drops started falling the dogs took cover under any little bush they could find. They really don’t like the rain. And when it really pours they get restless wanting to move to find better shelter but soon realise the spot they’re in is better than the option of venturing out into the full blast of the rain.

Team mates
Today the rain didn’t last and before sunset the sun was out when Puzzles led the pack off hunting south along the foothills. It’s rough country out there and there’s not much prey, leaving the pack going hungry for the day.