We have Brent
Leo-Smith to start with Dave Eastaugh on camera. He tells us it rained a lot
overnight 7mm of rain so we won't be able to do much, if any off-roading.
However the birding challenge between he and Jamie is on again with a fresh
start. Probably since she has the vehicle with bad signal so far. Just kidding.
- Yellow fronted canary #1 for Team B & D (Brent and Dave)
- Impala alarm calls
- Cape turtle dove #2 for for Team B & D
Jamie
Paterson says good afternoon with a Tawny eagle
soaring above in the sky
(#1 for Team Js - Jamie and Jeandré). She
has Jeandré Gerding on camera today.
- (2016/03/19 16:07) Woodland Kingfisher #2 for Team Js
- (2016/03/19 16:08) We can see a Cape buffalo just ahead at the dam, but signal is bad and as soon as she tries to move towards it the signal cuts out and we go to Brent.
Brent,
A
quick video note below from Brent to Safari Dean,
a regular viewer. Hilarious Brent!!
- (2016/03/19 16:13)Fork-tailed drongo #3 for Team B & D.
- In the same stop a grey go-away bird #4 for Team B & D.
- (2016/03/19 16:16) Yellow billed hornbill #5 for Team B & D
- (2016/03/19 16:17) African grey hornbill #6 for Team B & D
- (2016/03/19 16:21) Hawk moth
- (2016/03/19 16:23) African monarch butterfly
- In the same place is also a Yellow pansy butterfly
- (2016/03/19 16:24) Crested francolin #7 for Team B & D
Jamie,
- (2016/03/19 16:27) Elephants but they are hiding behind a large bush now.
- (2016/03/19 16:30) A young elephant plays in the muddy water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**A
special thanks to Crystal Safari, who took notes for me today, since I had
appointments, and was unable to see most of the drive. Great notes Crystal! Thanks
so much for all you have helped me with i.e. Being my sounding board when I came up with
the idea of this blog and just generally being a good chat friend, as well as
your help with hyena identifying photos.**
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRYSTAL'S
NOTES
Brent,
(2016/03/19
16:38)
To Brent:
Who has
a gorgeous White-throated robin-chat #8 for Team B & D in a
drainage line. It has an absolutely gorgeous call. It's an insectivore, mainly
eating termites, moths, caterpillars, ect. They
are great mimics, but he was doing his own call. Not a mimic. It is probably a
part of a mating pair.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GREMLIN!!
(2016/03/19
16:42) Gremlin attack -- Tech difficulties loop then to
Djuma cam and back to tech loop.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
16:53) To Jamie! Back up and running!
The
elephants have made their way into a thick block but she gets us one last view
of a big cow feeding.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
16:55) Brent has a Crested barbet. #9 for Team B & D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
16:56) Quickly back to Jamie who has another bird! A
yellow-billed hornbill #3 for Team Js
. Master Jeandre
followed it in flight.
The
ellie has turned around. She slowly heads off and Jamie tries to re-position.
We get a better view of the entire herd. A few young ones and other cows, but
they quickly melt away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
16:59) To Brent with zebra.
They
are hiding behind bushes. Brent tries to move, but of course, the zebra
moves...
- (2016/03/19 17:01) Brent has a very big surprise for us so we leave the zebra! He says it may be a bit smelly. Some signal breakup on our way. Brent says the road has historically iffy signal, but he thinks what we're going to is worth the risk. Hmmm. He's even ignoring bird calls during a bird challenge! This must be something neat!
- (2016/03/19 17:06) Big Birmingham boy! He rolls onto his back and flops to his other side. He is all by himself. No lioness is with him, or any other males. It does seem to be the same male who was mating with the Nkuhuma lioness recently. He looks much perkier with a dry mane.
Three
of the Birmingham Boys are in Torchwood, and the other is in Chitwa Chitwa.
He sits
up and looks around before flopping again. We will probably not be spending
much time with him at the moment as it is hot and he probably won't be doing
much until after 6pm, so the plan is to come back then.
Off to Buffelshoek
Dam we go!
- (2016/03/19 17:14) It is quite full of water. Brent looks around hoping for birds, but there is only one, which is astonishing, a blacksmith lapwing #10 for Team B & D. Usually there are a few water birds around.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
17:15) Back to Jamie
Update
for those who missed sunrise safari, the Wild Dogs came on the property during
the night and left.
- (2016/03/19 17:16) Red-backed shrike. #4 for Team Js. They will be migrating back up north soon, so we will probably only see them a few more months.
- Jeandre spots a blue eared starling (name?) #5 for team Js.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
17:17) So did Dave & Brent so we jump to him!
They
also have a Wahlberg's eagle next to the Burchell's starling (#11 for Team B & D) on a dead tree. But very
far away.
- (2016/03/19 17:19) Red-billed hornbill (#12 for Team B & D)
- He heads closer to the eagle and Burchell's starling, we get a good view of the starling but not the eagle, he won't count the Wahlberg's eagle it was too far.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
17:20) to Jamie
Signal
issues. Apparently she had a dove, during the black out.
She is
headed back to the ellie herd.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
17:21) back to Brent since Jamie has no signal.
Bird
challenge- Brent- 12 : Jamie- 6 I only have 5 for Jamie. (per viewers score)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
17:22) Back to Jamie with elephants.
They
are eating grass as they should have been doing this time of year.
There
is a tiny baby with the herd, he is carrying a stick about. He is proud.
Slowly they melt off into the bush. Jamie is reluctant to follow because she'll lose signal. She searches for a bird instead. No luck.
Jamie
says every female in that herd had a calf under 3-4 years old.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
17:24) Back to Brent while Jamie moves.
Bird
talk. I can only listen to so much of it. lol ( I agree Crystal)
(2016/03/19
17:26) Emerald spotted wood dove. hiding in a tree.
Dave manages to catch him on cam though. Team (#11
for Team B & D) More bird talk. About Kingfishers.
(2016/03/19
17:28) Southern black tits (#12
for Team B & D)- I can see them moving and hoping around but I am
sure a screenshot won't shot it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
17:29) back to Jamie and ellies.They
are quietly feeding and moving.
- Jamie sees a Magpie Shrike (pic with green outline) while watching the ellies, but we only see its tail. (#6 for team J)
- We see a different magpie shrike, a quick glimpse.
- (2016/03/19 17:38) Burchell's starling. (#7 for team J)
- We go around and get a better view of the ellies.
(2016/03/19 17:43) A cow who looks pregnant.
- Jamie says she saw the musth bull with the holey ear today.
- (2016/03/19 17:48) we talk about the rock hyrax. The closest living relative to the elephant. The manatee also shares ancestors, but the hyrax is related more closely.
- (2016/03/19 17:50) One last look at vanishing ellie bottoms before we move on. Jamie needs to catch up on the bird challenge!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
17:51) To Brent-
- We are slowly making our way back to the Birmingham male. Hopefully he gets his lazy bones moving!
- (2016/03/19 17:52) We talk about Holey-Ear Elephant. Brent thinks it's unusual and learned behavior from getting reactions from cars.
We talk
about oxpeckers--- Off to Jamie!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
- (2016/03/19 17:55) Jamie has a Black-Bellied Bustard (#8 for team J). Jamie attempts to get him to call, but fails. lol Valiant attempt though.
- (2016/03/19 17:57) Another Magpie Shrike. Quite beautifully lit.
We talk
about how the Magpie Shrike is a murderer. It kills other birds and especially
chicks... Most of their diet will consist of insects though they will catch the
occasional rodent or bird.
All shrikes are carnivores and they are birds
of prey though we wouldn't call them raptors. They are still passerines. The shrikes are called "Butcher Birds" in some areas.
We're
heading to the hyena den where Jamie hopes to have stable signal! I'm fine with
that!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
17:50) Back to Brent since Jamie lost signal.
- (2016/03/19 18:00) We arrive at the Birmingham boy, who is still flat, in the same exact spot where we left him.
- (2016/03/19 18:02) Brent tries to call out a Rattling cisticola and ends up calling out a flycatcher bird (#13 for Team B & D).
The
lion snores in the background....
- (2016/03/19 18:04) The lions sits up! He has an itch...And he yawns.
(2016/03/19
18:06) He sits up a bit more... Come on dude! Another
yawn, more grooming.
(2016/03/19
18:08) The lion gets up, but he is limping pretty badly.
Perhaps it is not the same male that was with the Nkuhuma, but one from
Torchwood? Unless he hurt himself during the previous night. It is his front
left paw. There is some swelling around the joint area. Hope he gets well soon!
(2016/03/19
18:09) A big yawn and a tiny bit of calling before he
gets up. He didn't roar, just let off a couple of contact calls. He starts
sniffing the ground intently. Brent says perhaps he is sniffing the Nkuhuma
ladies? More quiet contact calls. He limps slowly away down the road and we
amble along after him. His limp starts to get better the more he walks. Brent
says it may just be the soreness is worse from sleeping on it all day.
The big
boy eventually veers off the road, but sadly, if he goes too far off-road we
won't be able to follow him due to all of the water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
18:14) to Jamie at the hyena den! The J-twins are out
and playing happily. Jamie says she saw all 5 cubs when she arrived though.
D2 pops
up out of the hole. The hyenas are surely posing tonight! Lovely lighting on
them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
18:17) Crash cut away to Brent with a duiker.... The
lion is just behind it.
The
duiker springs off and lives another day! Brent circles around to catch up with
the lion, as he can't off-road.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie,
(2016/03/19
18:18) Back to Jamie and the hyenas.
One of
the J-twin cubs is eating a tree and watching a wasp. So cute. Then the other comes out of the den again and
just sits there looking around. They must know how absolutely adorable they are
even it the very dime light.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
(2016/03/19
18:21) Back to Brent and the lion, who comes walking out
of the bush towards us.
**Just
a note from Chell - I absolutely love the male lions even watching them just
lay still and look around but especially these shots of him walking right
towards us Just amazing how memorizing it is. I wonder why I don’t care as much
about the females, unless they are hunting or playing? Maybe because we see
them less? Who knows. Ok back to our regularly scheduled note taking. This time
by Crystal edited by Chell)
His leg
seems to be feeling better already. We back down the road and let him approach,
it's awesome seeing a male lion walk straight at you, through a computer screen
or not. (Funny I made the above note before reading this written by Crystal and
hearing what Brent said about the male lion walking towards you.)
The Birmingham then continues to turn and walk directly in front of an absolutely glorious sunset before vanishing through a wall of vegetation and down into a drainage line.
The Birmingham then continues to turn and walk directly in front of an absolutely glorious sunset before vanishing through a wall of vegetation and down into a drainage line.
Brent
couldn't follow and looped around to catch him on the boundary, thinking that
perhaps he was going towards Torchwood to join the rest of his coalition.
At around (2016/03/19 18:23) is when we see our last glimpse of the Birmingham Boy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Both
Jamie and Brent Drive around, with spotlights in hand looking for nocturnal
creatures for us; however no luck tonight.
My Bird Challenge totals
(#13 for Team B & D)Brent and Dave and (#8 for team J) Jamie and Jeandré
Then
they say good night.
End of Drive. (2016/03/12 18:00)12pm
©
2016 Chell Taft
All
rights reserved. None of this material may be copied, published, broadcast,
rewritten, or redistributed by media of any kind.
No comments:
Post a Comment