Happy Monday! I am super grateful that I was able to get my computer back out of sick bay this weekend, complete with a new SSD drive, so hopefully it’ll be running well for a couple more years (at least).
I got the computer back, but haven’t actually had an opportunity to do anything with it in terms of editing. Even with the system restore from a backup, there are little quirks that need to be addressed.
So here is a giraffe image I edited a few weeks ago and had ready to go. These two were part of a group of about 6-8 that were spread out amongst the acacia trees. We were on our way to check on a lion sighting from the previous day, so we didn’t spend too much time with these guys. Not that we needed to rush to the lions; they had barely moved since the previous day.
This image was created when I was playing around with my infrared filter during the early afternoon, in the down time between game drives. This was shot from my deck while staying at Lion Sands River Lodge. Infrared is definitely an area I want to explore more; this was definitely a case of playing around and seeing what happens, but I like the results.
My main computer has gone into sick bay after several months of acting funny, so I am without my editing software for the next few days at least. I do have a bunch of edited photos to choose from to create posts, but not quote as many as I would like on any one topic. C’est la vie. There’s nothing to be done about it, so I’ll just carry on and make the best of it.
Today I chose a couple of images I took while on a Panorama route tour in South Africa last May. It was a beautiful day trip that I would highly recommend to anyone; it is well worth the tie, especially if you have a nice day to explore.
Both of these were shot in an area called The Potholes.
Fingers crossed I am up and running again like normal next weekend 🙂
Hyenas are an often misunderstood and much maligned creature, seen as a lowly scavenger, robbing the kills of leopards, wild dogs, cheetah and even lions (given the right circumstances). From all that guides over the years have told me, and my watching many nature documentaries, I know that while they do scavenge a lot, and provide a necessary ecosystem service in that regard, they are also skillful hunters, and have very interesting clan dynamics, led by an alpha female.
Hyenas can be pretty hit and miss on safari though. Unless there is an active den on the property, guides (that I have been with) don’t generally seek them out or follow their tracks. It’s more a situation of randomly running across them, and then stopping to watch for a few minutes before moving on. If there is a den on the property with little ones, it can be a very enjoyable sighting, as the cubs can be quite boisterous and inquisitive. I still recall my first time in the Okavango Delta, sitting just after sunset at a den and a cub came over and started chewing on the tires of the vehicle, getting into it the way my dog used to take to his squeaky toys as a pup.
No such luck with young cubs this past trip, but here are a few of the images I did capture of hyenas.
Wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead.
The only cubs I saw on this past trip; a pair of juveniles with Mom, and another hyena hanging around in the background.This hyenas was sniffing around as there was a kill nearby that had been stashed in a tree by a leopard.This hyena seemed to be having quite a good time in the water; it definitely wasn’t warm enough for it to need to be cooling off.A very alert herd of impala, watching the approach of a lone hyena.
It was awesome to spend some time with the dogs on an afternoon game drive during my last trip. I’ve been fortunate to see wild dogs on almost all of my trips to Africa, but I still get really excited when a ranger tells me that dogs have been spotted on the property.
I spotted a barred owl hanging out in the backyard a couple of days ago while I was having lunch. It spent a bit of time trying to hunt, and the rest trying to nap. It was -28C, so I took the photos through my window, as it was just too cold for me to get out to take a couple of pictures. Besides, Murphy’s Law would have kicked in, and by the time I got bundled up enough to head outside and take a few images, the owl would have flown away.
Thankfully things have warmed up a little bit here; still cold, but at least not bitterly cold. I hope your week ahead is looking up too 🙂
Trying to catch a few zzz’s
Puffed up against the cold.Scanning for something to eat.
Much like yesterday, today also felt like a perfect day to share an elephant image.
This was shot while staying at Lion Sands Tinga Lodge. We couldn’t go on a game drive without seeing elephants, sometimes an immense number of them, which our guide kept commenting on. It made me incredibly happy, since they are my favourite animal to spend time with our on safari.
An elephant calf makes a quick meal stop in the middle of the road.
Today felt like the perfect day to share some elephant pictures 🙂 Basically, if the day ends in Y, I think elephant images are just right!
My editing software had a bit of a meltdown trying to open one of the raw files to edit; I have no idea what was going on, as the images before and after were fine. Thankfully, I have lots of back ups, and after deleting the file and reloading it, everything was okay. Public service message for the day – always make sure you have a backup of your data!
I hope you enjoy, wishing you a fantastic week ahead.
An elephant enjoying a drink from a rather large puddle.Look at the curled trunk 🙂Feeding time for big and little.An elephant drinks while a herd of buffalo graze the banks of the river.A tiny face peeking out from under Mom.
