Six giraffes looking for my sixth blog from Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Miller stayed at the reserve today while I went out to see the Blythe River Canyon. So he has already put out his blog and gone to bed.

After six weeks in Africa I am still looking for a Leopard.  I did see a Cheetah this week but unfortunately there wasn't an opportunity for a picture. 

John, Claudia (head ranger), and I had a giraffe dung spitting contest.  I won with a shot that had to be 30% longer than my opponents.  There was talk of a re-match since I am much taller but one dung spitting contest is enough for a life time.

We had a successful bush walk this week.  Rhinos look much bigger and a little more frighten when you are on foot.  Fortunately they were more scared of us and took off through the woodlands.

We bogged our cruiser down to the axles in sand after a river crossing.  After two hours of jacking up each wheel multiple times and placing rocks and palm fronds under the wheels we were still stuck. A radio call was made and a tractor pulled us out in short order.

Here are this weeks pictures.

This picture was taken in poor light at the end of the day.  But it is the only picture I have of a hippo expressing displeasure because we were too close.

This is a Paradise Whydah. The male only grows this long feathers during mating season. After mating season the feathers drop off.

This is a Lilacbreasted Roller in flight.  While this picture isn't as sharp as I would like I believe this shot gives you a better idea of how beautiful these birds are.

 

Lilacbreasted Roller

Many of the animals in the reserve use the roads on a regular basis. These hyenas were jogging in front of the cruiser for quite a ways early one morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Yellowbilled Hornbills were perched right next to the road.

 

Pale Chanting Goshawk

This sign is in the reserve.  It translates to "It is great to live in the bush"

This is the first of three pictures of the Little Bee-eater.

These White Face Ducks must have had motherly instinct.  They were shortly chased away by the Knobbilled Duck mother of these 17 ducklings.

Waterbuck Antelope

Giraffe silhouette at sunset.

The first of eight lion pictures.  There were thirteen cubs and three moms hanging out in the shade on a hot day. The moms will suckle any of the cubs not just theirs.

I thought this guy was so cute that there are three picture.

One of the females was watching us closely.

A Leopard Tortoise - the only kind of Leopard I have seen in Africa.

Helmented Guineafowl

Crocodile

 

 

 

The Blythe River Canyon. The third largest canyon in the world.

A wide angle closeup of a chameleon.

 

Only two more weeks in Africa. I hope to have picture of Leopards and Cheetahs to show you next week.  

The 4oo mm of rain they had here a few weeks ago has changed some of the animals movement patterns. It looks like there has been a significant impact on the wart hog population.

The camp is quiet now. Looks like I am the last one up. Last night at this time a large bull elephant stopped by.  I hope he is not between me and my bed.