Photography

Weaver bird

A Weaver bird just about to take off …This shot was taken at lake Mburo National park, Uganda.

Mountain Gorilla

One of my favourite animal, where I got an opportunity to be up close and personal….One of the endangered species on earth, mountain gorillas are mainly found in Uganda, Rwanada & Congo in the Virunga mountain range and Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Having a view of them is not easy. One has to trek the rain forest and then look for them. 

 

Egret with elephant background

 

This is a typical sight in Chobe river, Botswana where water birds and elephants can be seen together.

 

Croc kill

 

An action shot a crocodile killing a cat fish in the Chobe river, Botswana. if you notice , a piece of meat flying the the air on the top left corner…

Hungry eyes

This lioness was hungry and looking for a hunt. She walked past our vehicle is when she turned and gave a deadly look . Taken at Chobe National park,Botswana.

Monitor lizard

The Nile monitor lizard is the largest lizard in Africa. Because they eat crocodile eggs, Nile monitors are often seen near crocodile nesting sites. This was taken in Chobe ,Botswana where it was coming towards a dead fish.

Leopard look

Leopards are astoundingly strong, solitary animals and strong swimmers. The leopard is the most elusive and secretive of the large felids. They are extremely difficult to trace and locate in the wild.

I took this shot just before this leopard hiding in the bush. It was a mid day and a hot afternoon.

 — at Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Mother & young ones

 

A group of ostriches is a pride or a flock, and they live in small herds that typically contain less than a dozen birds. The flightless ostrich is the world’s largest bird and it is mainly found in the African savannah as well as in other selected desert lands.A young ostrich is called a chick.This is the first time I saw a flock with young ones.

Cheetah portrait

Have a great week ahead…Looking straight into the camera..The cheetah was at my arm’s length distance in Masai Mara, Kenya..When he looked at me(the camera), i was frozen but took an instant click to preserve this moment…

Gazelle stot

Thomson’s gazelles are found mainly in Tanzania and Kenya, and there’s a small population in southern Sudan. They form herds of up to 200 individuals, but form much looser groups while migrating. Like other gazelles they perform ‘stotting’ or ‘pronking’ when alarmed by a predator. This involves jumping repeatedly with legs stiff and back curved and landing on all fours. Stotting is thought to demonstrate to the predator the amount of energy the gazelle has and thus to forestall a long chase by telling it ‘I’m too athletic for you to catch’.

Curiosity

Cheetah prowling..The curious expression in his face shows that he is upto something mischievous!!! He was about to mock chase a herd of wildebeests. — at Amboseli National park,Kenya

Impala staring

Males are known as rams, while females are referred to as ewes and have no horns. Male impalas have Lyre-shaped and ringed horns, up to 75cm long. The male’s horns can take many years to reach full length, which is why young animals are unlikely to establish a dominant position and breeding territory.

Elephant dusting

This was taken near the swamp in Amboseli National park, Kenya.Elephants fling dust to keep themselves cool and free of pests. Though they are rough to touch, their skin is very sensitive.Mud is actually very affective at blocking UV radiation and heat, which elephants find much less comfortable than dirt.

Laughing hyena

These are a pair of spotted hyena.In spite of their reputation as cowardly scavengers, spotted hyenas are actually highly interesting and intelligent animals. They are efficient hunters that can bring down such large animals as buffalos and zebras. Powerful teeth and jaws enable them to crush and consume bones to get to the nutritious marrow, before the stomach’s highly concentrated hydrochloric acid helps digest the bone. Also called as laughing hyenas , as they are capable of 11 different sounds. They are also the scavengers as they help control populations of a wide variety of species, and, because they’ll eat almost anything, they appear to clean up everything in their path. The spotted hyena social system is very complex. There can be 50 to 100 individuals in a clan. Spotted hyenas have a matriarchal society, and the females are larger and much more assertive and aggressive than the males.

Magical Masai Mara

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Good morning friends…My Kenyan safari starts from tomorrow for a week…I was reminded of the last year Mara trip and thought of posting this today….The action packed Mara is always full of surprises….Am on a safari to Amboseli NP and Masai Mara for a week. So see you all with lots more wildlife pics soon.

Giraffe feeding

This Giraffe is licking the ground for salt and mineral deposits.He has to bend his knees to enable his long neck to reach down to the ground. Taken at Chobe national park,Botswana

Patterns

Patterns Zebras(Burchell’s zebra) are one of my favourite animals on a safari. The black & white patterns indeed makes the park colourful. In this picture, each zebra is posing differently.This was taken at lake Mburo National Park,Uganda. It is one of the few parks in Uganda which has zebras in abundance and the park is popular for antelopes and zebras mainly.

The majestic flight

This shot was taken at lake Mburo ,Uganda. The challenge in taking such a shot is one has to wait patiently for the fish eagle to fly. Since they are birds of prey, they act only when there is a prey sighted.It was a beautiful weather with blue sky as the backdrop. The African Fish Eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it will swoop down upon from a perch in a tree, snatching the prey from the water with its large clawed talons. The eagle will then fly back to its perch to eat its catch. It perches with an upright posture and mostly in trees. Like other sea eagles, the African Fish Eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allows it to grasp fish and other slippery prey.

Cast Vote

Please go and cast your vote for the largest democracy in the world. Today is elections in India…. This Male Impala says from Lake Mburo National park ,Uganda. A little about Impala- It is a medium sized African antelope.The impala inhabits savanna grasslands and woodlands close to water sources. This shot was taken during one of the game drives in the park and it was raining. On a closer look, you can see the water droplets falling to the ground.

African Fish Eagle

African fish eagles are birds of prey on the waterways of sub-Saharan Africa, noted for their distinctive and haunting call. These eagles perch on branches overlooking the water, swooping down to catch fish which are then carried back to the perch or dragged to shore if too big to carry. African fish eagles also eat birds, monkeys and even crocodile hatchlings. These efficient predators can get away with spending as little as 10 minutes a day actively hunting.

Reticulated Giraffe

The giraffe is the tallest living land animal. Males can reach a height of 16 to 18 feet while females are somewhat smaller at 14 to 16 feet. Giraffes are known for their spotted coats. Different subspecies (types) of giraffes have different patterns of spots. Reticulated giraffes have large brown spots separated by cream-colored lines. Males are darker than females.Giraffes have extremely keen eyesight and can see great distances: they can spot a moving person a mile away! They also have excellent hearing. These sharp senses help giraffes stay alert for predators – like lions! This shot was taken at Samburu National Reserve ,Kenya

Martial Eagle

Martial Eagle is the largest eagle in Africa weighing 6.5 kgs & 32 inches long capable of knocking an adult man off his feet.The upperparts are dark brown with a white belly with black streaks, the legs are white.This shot was taken at Queen Elizabeth National park,Uganda.