We are heading up to Etosha and then along the Caprivi Strip - we are only about 700kms from the Namibian border here and it is possible for us to do the southern part of the country in a week, so I am much more interested in spending as much time as we can in the north while we have this opportunity to be away for so long. We will take three days to get to Etosha and spend a week there, then two weeks along the Caprivi Strip, a few days at another reserve on the way back and then over to Swakopmund on the coast and home via Sossusvlei and the West. 

The Landy has had her final checks, the cameras are clean, charged and loaded with huge memory cards, and I've just got to sort out the camping gear and pack the clothes !

See you on the flip side...

Very carefully !

African Buffalo and WarthogsWarthogs attempting to get a drink at a watering hole where a Buffalo is lying to cool down on a hot day in Southern African savanna. African Buffalo and WarthogsWarthogs attempting to get a drink at a watering hole where a Buffalo is lying to cool down on a hot day in Southern African savanna. African Buffalo and WarthogsWarthogs attempting to get a drink at a watering hole where a Buffalo is lying to cool down on a hot day in Southern African savanna. African Buffalo and WarthogsWarthogs attempting to get a drink at a watering hole where a Buffalo is lying to cool down on a hot day in Southern African savanna. African Buffalo and WarthogsWarthogs attempting to get a drink at a watering hole where a Buffalo is lying to cool down on a hot day in Southern African savanna.

Black Wildebeest herdA herd of Black Wildebeest crossing the savannah in the eastern Cape, South Africa

Blue WildebeestA side profile portrait of a Blue Wildebeest in Southern African savanna 2 : Gnus are a strange combination of parts, almost as if a child has been playing Mr PotatoHead with animal bits. W.Cornwallis Harris penned the perfect description of a Gnu in 1840 - “A more whimsical compound than the Gnoo could scarcely have been thrown together, or a monster imagined of more fantastical and anomalous exterior”.

Two Black WildebeestA pair of Black Wildebeest greet each other in the Southern African savannah 3 : Nowadays a herd is often called an "implausibility of Gnus", a phrase coined by James Lipton in his 1968 book "An Exultation Of Larks".

Blue Wildebeest groupA family group of Blue Wildebeest standing in early morning light, South Africa 4 : Cows of both kinds reach sexual maturity at 16 months.

5 : Newborns are very vulnerable so as a protective measure most are born en masse within about 3 weeks to create a glut for predators and enable more to survive.

6 : Although very wobbly when born, a newborn calf is on it's feet within minutes and can keep up with it's mother and the herd within 48 hours.

7 : If conditions are right, a female Wildebeest will give birth to one calf every year throughout her life.

8 : The 6 minute Wildebeest stampede scene in the movie "The Lion King" took 3 years to make !

9 : Although only an average of 1.2m at the shoulder (not much bigger than a Shetland Pony), Black Wildebeest are very dangerous and have been known to attack and kill people.

Black WildebeestBlack Wildebeest standing in savanna in Southern Africa 10 : The Coat Of Arms for the South African province of Natal featured Black Wildebeest, and it has been incorporated in the combined Coat Of Arms since the 1994 unification of Natal and KwaZulu into the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Just me, my camera and an appetite for adventure...

With the Sanccob Penguin Festival coming up on Saturday,

today we're looking at the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach on False Bay.

Yes, our Penguins live on the beach !

These funny little birds are expert athletes in the water, but on land their ungainly waddle makes them very comical and a favourite with visitors of all ages.

African Penguins are monogomous colonial breeders and always return to the same site if possible, with peak nesting in South Africa usually between March and May. They will usually have two eggs and the adults take it in turns to incubate them for the forty days until they hatch. Once hatched, the chicks are guarded by the parents for about a month, after which they will be left in a crèche with other youngsters while the adults go fishing. 

At between two and four months old the chicks will develop their juvenile plumage and leave their parents. Lifespan in the wild is between 10 and 27 years.

Sadly, Spheniscus demersus are now listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered as they are experiencing a very rapid decline in population, and there are now probably only 10% of the numbers that there were at the beginning of the 20th century. Over-collection of eggs for food and disturbance caused by collection of guano for fertiliser was the initial cause of the population fall, but today over-fishing and oil pollution are the chief threats. There are also incidents of Penguins being killed by dogs or Leopards, and they are prone to being hit by cars as well in the areas where they choose to nest near roads. The IUCN Red List estimates that the number of mature individuals at 2009 was 52,000, with an estimated decline in population of 61% in the 28 years (3 generations) up to then.

One of the attractions of the Penguin Festival on Saturday will be the release of some rehabilitated youngsters by Sanccob to the colony. 

Sanccob is a registered NPO that works to attempt to reverse the decline of seabird populations, and they provide a 24 hour rescue, care and rehabilitation service for all kinds of problems from injuries to oil spills. They rely entirely on their sponsors and donations and among other things have a wonderful Penguin Adoption scheme, which my friends and family know well because animal adoptions are my preferred gifts for them !

So please, next time you are casting about for ideas for a present ~ be it a birthday, wedding, valentine, christmas or anniversary ~ consider adopting a Penguin.

You get a great adoption pack, and can even choose your own name for it !

Who could resist that face...

Without immediate conservation action the African Penguin will be gone in our lifetime.

Possibly even within the next 15 years.

We can help reverse that.

We only saw one Bryde's Whale, but quite a few groups of Penguins out enjoying the calm water and lots of birds almost too fat and lazy to scoop up the Baitfish that were making the surface of the ocean look as if it was boiling in places. 
We also stopped by Cape Point to take in the iconic landmark from a viewpoint that most people don't get to experience.

White RhinocerosA dark monochrome portrait of a White Rhinoceros

Today is World Rhino Day. 

Sadly, we don't use this day to celebrate these magnificent creatures anymore,

but to highlight that they are on the brink of extinction

and try to find ways to bring them back from the shadows.

#WorldRhinoDay

We drove 1800kms in 3 days through the Northern Cape to see the Spring flowers and it was wonderful - I wouldn't normally post so many photos at once but they are such a spectacular show !

Enjoy...

Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers Spring Flowers

If you are lucky enough to be visiting a reserve that has Rhinos be sure to keep a safe distance, as their eyesight is not good and although usually if they approach you it is due to curiosity, they can reach speeds of 50kph when charging and change direction quickly. Mothers with young calves are very protective and we were recently charged by a Black Rhino that we had not realised had a small calf with her because it was shorter than the grass surrounding it. We always make sure we are in a position to drive away quickly should an animal look agitated, and try not to let it get ahead of us as reversing at high speed can get messy ! It is also a good idea to close all your windows if they do come close so that they cannot smell you. 

As with all wildlife - respect their space, don't stay with them for long or disturb them, and should they start to pace or look agitated in any way, leave. 

Three White Rhinos in grasslandThree White Rhinos standing in savannah in the Northern Cape, South Africa Black RhinocerosA lone adult Black Rhinoceros in grassland in Southern Africa White RhinocerosWhite Rhinoceros crossing road in Southern African savanna Black Rhino and calfBlack Rhino and calf White Rhinos WalkingA pair of adult White Rhinos walking in savanna in Southern Africa

Northern Cape landscapeA dirt track stretches to the horizon in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Mokala National Park

"Where endangered species roam"

No large predators, no tarmac, no crowds - just 26,000 hectares of koppieveld and open savanna heaven for lovers of Antelope, Birds, Giraffes, Warthogs, space and tranquility. Sable and Roan antelope and Buffalo roam freely and you just might come across a family of Giraffe around the next corner.

Giraffe PortraitA closeup facial portrait of a giraffe in Southern Africa Sable AntelopeSable antelope standing in grassland, South Africa Roan Antelope PortraitPortrait of a Roan Antelope in savanna in Southern Africa Kudu BullKudu bull at a watering hole in Southern African savanna Muddy TsessebePortrait of a Tsessebe antelope that has had a red mudbath African Buffalo Mother And CalfAn African Buffalo mother and calf standing in savanna while the mother gets a grooming from Oxpecker birds Burchell's Zebra PortraitA portrait of a Burchell's Zebra standing in savannah in Southern Africa Springbok JumpingA Springbok gazelle jumps as it crosses a track in Southern African savanna Warthog PortraitCloseup of a lone Warthog in Southern Africa Bat-eared FoxA Bat-eared Fox in savanna in Southern Africa Blue Wildebeest groupA family group of Blue Wildebeest standing in early morning light, South Africa Black WildebeestBlack Wildebeest at a watering hole in savanna in Southern Africa Young African Buffalo PortraitFacial portrait of a young African Buffalo

There are no ugly high wire fences round the rest camps or picnic sites so you are free to enjoy the beautiful landscape uninterrupted, and some cheeky antelope and Warthogs take advantage of that in the evenings - you might just emerge from your accommodation after dark and find the grass nearby being nibbled, and the Hares and peculiar little Springhares will be hopping just beyond the edge of the light when you walk down the path. Breakfast at one of the open picnic sites on the Matopi or Kameeldoring loops could have you holding your breath as you arrive to disturb the wildlife that has been grazing there at dawn. With no large predators in the park I daydream of doing horseback safaris there, but with the parks so overstretched already with the limited resources they have I suspect I will have to keep on dreaming for now.

     Springhare (Pedetes capensis)Springhare (Pedetes capensis)

For those of us that like to take it slow and are interested in everything large or small, the park is brimming with the smaller side of life, and the trees are alive with birdsong.

      Ammophila WaspA closeup of an Ammophila wasp in the process of digging a burrow in red sand in South Africa Meerkat SentryA Meerkat stands sentry on a termite mound while the family forages in Southern African savanna

African SpoonbillAn African Spoonbill bird foraging for it's meal in a waterhole in the Northern Cape, South Africa Dung BeetleA Dung Beetle rolls it's ball across a red dirt track

Yellow-billed HornbillYellow-billed Hornbill Red-crested KorhaanA Red-crested Korhaan standing in savannah in Southern Africa

The park is also home to Cape and Lappet-faced Vultures, who can often be seen circling high overhead or you might just find them fighting with Black-backed Jackals and each other over a meal provided by a hapless antelope that died during the night, as we did two weeks ago.

It always surprises me that so few people appear to be aware of Mokala, but I am torn between joy that we so often have the park almost to ourselves, and disappointment that more people aren't here to appreciate this incredible sanctuary. An unusual sighting or Vultures fighting over food would cause huge traffic jams in many parks but here we are left in peace and if another car or two happen to stumble across us there is still more than enough space to enjoy the sighting uninterrupted. Usually the only traffic jams you come across are those that you really don't mind...

  Rock MonitorRock Monitor ​ Rush HourA group of Giraffes runs across a red dirt track in the Northern Cape, South Africa

It's just under 1,000kms from our house to Mokala, 70km southwest of Kimberley, but I will hop in the car at the drop of a hat and head there at every chance I get - we have already visited three times this year, and one visit last year was just for a long weekend ! The accommodation isn't 5-star but neither are the prices, with chalets starting at R.700 per night for two people and camping spots at R.400 or less, each with it's own bathroom and kitchen. 

If you haven't visited this special place yet make a plan.

That soft red earth is calling...

Northern Cape LandscapeA red dirt track stretches off into the distance in the Northern Cape savannah, South Africa

One of the most iconic conservation symbols is of course the Rhino and the time, passion, effort and incredibly hard work put in to protect these magnificent and somewhat grumpy individuals against an army of well-funded, armed and ruthless idiots that will stop at nothing to decimate the population in the pursuit of the almighty dollar is an inspiration to see. 

The poachers come in armed to the teeth with no morals or scruples and those charged with the protection of the wildlife simply cannot match what is being thrown at them and are effectively putting their lives on the line with every anti-poaching patrol they do, so to be able to visit the sanctuaries and view the Rhinos going about their lives safely for the moment is an opportunity not to be missed.

White RhinocerosWhite Rhinoceros crossing road in Southern African savanna White RhinocerosWhite Rhinoceros in Southern African savanna White RhinocerosWhite Rhinoceros in Southern African savanna White RhinocerosWhite Rhinoceros crossing road in Southern African savanna

It was an early start to the roadtrip season for us this year, and we have already got most of our trips done it seems, so are three months ahead of schedule so far. I've agreed to collaborate on a book so that will be taking up a huge amount of time for the rest of the year - it's a bit of a text book (nothing to do with photography) so needs a lot of technical research, though there will be some creative writing and a lot of photography involved as well so that is more in my league. 

I spent some wonderful weeks camping out in the Northern and Eastern Cape, covered in dust and loving it, and as always the wildlife and scenery were magnificent, so I will get all those pics sorted and on the net as soon as possible. Here are some of the ones I've looked at so far...

AardwolfAn Aardwolf comes out at sunset to forage in Southern Africa African Buffalo HerdA family group of African Buffalo in the Southern African savanna African Ground SquirrelAn African Ground Squirrel forages in grassland in Southern Africa Burchell's Zebra Family GroupA family group of Burchell's Zebra standing in Southern African savannah Black RhinocerosA lone adult Black Rhinoceros in grassland in Southern Africa Kudu BullAn adult Kudu bull stands in bushveldt in Southern Africa MeerkatA lone Meerkat stands sentry while the rest of the family forage in the Southern African savannah Two Giraffes DrinkingA pair of Giraffes bend to drink at a waterhole in the Northern Cape, South Africa Waiting For The StormThe sky darkens as a strom approaches behind a dead Camel Thorn tree in the Southern African savannah

Peace, dust, wildlife and peanut butter sandwiches.

Heaven...

Gone Travlin'We're off again ! Back at the beginning of May...

We had a wonderful roadtrip to the Northern Cape, and I need to get on and finish going through the photos - quite a job !

Have a great weekend out there folks, hope you have adventure planned...

The Joker

It's definitely time to plan to go and see some wild life...

StampedeTime to hide as a herd of Wildebeest stampede

Swift Tern In Flight

Too many projects on the go at once means that none get finished of course, so I must just make myself sit down this week and focus. When I emerge from my desk this time it will all be planned, laid out and organised.

Oooh look, a new bug...

So I guess I mustn't complain, as they are the unlucky ones that don't get to call it home.

have a wonderful holiday, and stay safe out there !

I have been absent and busy with other things, in part attempting to get my head around stuff that a friend is dealing with.

I have failed in that, but I think you will understand why...

"We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form."

  William Ralph Inge (1860-1954)

But it won't make a blind bit of difference to our determined rush to go to hell in a handbasket.

The moment we decided we and all our pathetic clutter and insane waste were the most important thing about this planet, it was dead already.

(Rant over)

https://youtu.be/auheKkW6zn8

Last week it came to us, and we had a hectic two days of watching the mountain behind us and sadly several properties burn. 

When this happens you won't find us out with cameras slung round our necks, it's one time we leave the pictures to others while we swing into conservation volunteer mode, and spend the duration of the fire backing up the emergency and firefighting services in any way they need. Anything from feeding and watering them to rescuing wildlife, manning hoses or closing roads. 

Somewhere under all that smoke is Simon's Town. 

Have a great week ahead folks...

Chacma Baboon, Cape Point, South AfricaChacma Baboon, Cape Point, South Africa

With the weather forecast for the weekend promising a little much-needed rain, it could be perfect timing for him to get some serious snoozing done while I sort out the photos from this week.

We have a tradition of giving animal adoptions as presents, so that's half of Christmas sorted already !

Heading To WorkHeading To Work

Penguin Company

I wasn't kidding about those Penguins ! Back in the days when I had to turn up to work at an office every day, I often used to stop off at the Penguin colony down the road from my house and have my morning coffee there. That short immersion in their world left me wanting more, so I started spending my spare time at the Cape Point nature reserve which is just ten minutes further down the road, and that in turn led to me getting involved in conservation volunteering. It's a short hop from that to picking up a camera to attempt to show everybody else the wonders surrounding us in this little corner of the world.

I don't do morning coffee at the beach so much anymore, but it was a good lesson in that old saying about the importance of the journey, not the destination. The world is a very different place when your day starts with a Penguin...