I'm embarrassed that I haven't posted anything for a while. It's not that my interest has waned - it's just that I don't feel inspired by images that I've been recording. I figure that if I'm not excited by the same-old-same-old pics that I've been getting, then there is no reason why my followers should be.
However, I've recently been allowed into an access-controlled nature conservancy which I think is going to be rewarding. Here are some of my first photos:
A male Grey Rhebuck (
Pelea capreolus) with female in the background. These antelope are fairly common in these parts but one usually sees then dashing away with their white tails flashing as warning signs.
A Common Eland (
Tragelaphus oryx) which is the world's heaviest antelope, weighing up to 900kg. Even though they have something of a cow-like appearance, and attitude, they are great jumpers and can clear a 2m fence. Perhaps that is why they are not farmed for their meat (which is apparently of high quality) more often - although many people have tried.
Mountain Zebra (
Equus zebra zebra) - distinguished from the more common Plains Zebra by the lack of stripes on it's belly. It was once widespread in the mountainous areas of the southern tip of Africa but now is largely restricted to nature reserves.
A couple of young Red Hartebeest (
Acelaphus buselaphus). This species was also widely distributed in the old days but, again, is now largely confined to protected areas.
However this was my favorite image:
The Secretarybird (
Sagittarius serpentarius). If there is a "big 5" of the African bird world this guy has to be on the list. They are very successful snake killers and do this by dancing around the unfortunate serpent and striking it with downward blows of their feet. Sadly their status is listed as
near-threatened and it would be a sad day if one never again saw them striding across the African grasslands.
However, what excited me most about my first images were these:
Notwithstanding the fuzzy images there is no doubting that there is a leopard (or leopards) patrolling the area. It's time to set up the Cuddebacks along this jeep track to see if I can capture some more impressive shots.
Cool shots, as usual!
ReplyDeleteObviously the Leopard is awesome...but so is that Secretarybird.
Also....the number of ungulates in your neck of the woods is staggering. It's one of those things that's easy to take for granted by yanks like me!
Having said all of that, as far as I'm concerned you can post pictures of the same critters over and over again. They're all interesting and unique from my perspective...and seeing them repeatedly helps me remember them (especially with your diversity of ungulates)!
Thanks Trailblazer.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like you need to take a camera-trapping sabbatical to our neck of the woods at some stage! You'd be fascinated with what we have here - and I'm sure you'd teach us a whole heap too.
Here at the southern tip of Africa the carrying-capacity of our natural environment (fynbos) is pretty low. You therefore need quite a bit of time (or luck) to record the available species. I'd guess there are probably around a dozen ungulates and slightly more other mammals - if you exclude rodents.
However in the north-eastern part of South Africa you can probably double or triple that number of species - and the densities will also be far greater. Now that's real camera-trapping country!
I'd love to come over there some day! I've never had the money to be able to travel (inside or outside of the US). I often feel like I'm missing out!
ReplyDeleteWow...even a dozen ungulates is amazing. We basically have one here (the White-tailed Deer)...unless you get to areas where they are working at Elk restoration...but those are few and far between in the eastern US. We do have some introduced Sika Deer populations and wild pigs, but not around my sites (and they don't count anyways!).
Nice shots. The Secretarybird is my favorite one also. I'll have to agree with Trailblazer. I don't mind looking at the same animals.
ReplyDeleteWow, great photographs! And please keep on posting your photographs, even if they seem "normal" to you. Most of us still enjoy seeing them and hearing the stories.
ReplyDeleteThings have been a bit slow on my side, so it's even better seeing some local camera trap images :)