Kwando Lagoon/Lebala June/July 2014

[madaboutcheetah]

Another Leadwood silhouette - this one a close up with the Prime Lens ....... (something different)

[madaboutcheetah]

This one I'm proud of ........ Pity we couldn't get closer because of the swampy marshes. I have a whole series of lechwe jumping - alas, no water splashing ones. I've always wanted front-on or sideways jumps of the lechwe jumping instead of the Bum shots that are normally taken when they get fiesty and flee away.

[madaboutcheetah]

Now for pictures of those puppies from the Lebala triple wild dog den ....... Details already mentioned in some of the previous posts. About the location of the den - it's right behind the BDF camp of the Botswana army in the Lebala side (not to be confused with the one on the Lagoon side near the lagoon airstrip). When parked at the den, you can hear people shouting and their BDF truck pull in and out of their camp. Maybe the dogs picked the location because they might think other predators stay away from humans? ...... who knows.

 

The image with the dominant female - you can see a lump on her throat from her fights with the other mum.... I'm sorry if the images are not safaritalk worthy ..... there was just one small spot in the den to get any images (the rest of it was bush/grasses) - had to make do with this one angle from a fair distance from my 500mm lens. More images as and when I sort them out

 

 

[Zim Girl]

.... I'm sorry if the images are not safaritalk worthy .....

 

 

Are you kidding, these puppy pictures are amazing!

[FlyTraveler]

Fabulous photography Hari (as usual)! Good focus on the cheetah behind the grass. Are using a back button auto-focusing technique? Love the jumping red lechwe photo the lions and the leadwood tree silhouette, as well...

[michael-ibk]

Just love the little ones.

[Marks]

Those pups are showstoppers...

 

Nice job with the reedbuck, as well.

[madaboutcheetah]

Fabulous photography Hari (as usual)! Good focus on the cheetah behind the grass. Are using a back button auto-focusing technique? Love the jumping red lechwe photo the lions and the leadwood tree silhouette, as well...

 

Thanks - Yes, and the focal point on the eyes of the cheetah ........ which was fortunately not obstructed by the grass there. I have more in that series that i haven't edited yet @@FlyTraveler

 

Thanks all for your kind and encouraging words. You guys are much too kind!!!

[twaffle]

Love the puppies + all the others.

[madaboutcheetah]

Back to the Lions at Lebala ........ here is some bonding within the pride (colorfully) - The entire few days we spent with them was within a 2 KM radius of camp ....... At one stage, I had hopes of getting the pride on a termite mound with the camp in the background (alas, they didn't get up that mound )

[Soukous]

your lions may be photogenic Hari but the cheetahs and wild dog puppies have them beat hands down. although i do like the shots in the pink evening light very much.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Soukous

[madaboutcheetah]

Back to some scenes from the wild dog den .......... Note the social interaction., at 3-4 weeks of age ..........

[Dam2810]

Amazing pictures of the puppies. You have been very lucky to be able to get access to the den!! It must have been amazing. I am jealous;-) I think that quite a few camps (like selinda and zarafa) do not allow guests to go the dens when the puppies are so young.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Dam2810

[madaboutcheetah]

I believe they know what they are doing; after all they've had year after year of denning dogs ....

 

This particular den is a strange den right off a busy main track behind the heavily used BDF camp!

[graceland]

Precious pups Hari, and I love the pink evening shots..great experience you had.

[madaboutcheetah]

Let me pop in a couple of images of the quintessential Kwando speciality- Elephants (it's the logo afterall ) ...... Elephants not in their massive numbers as of yet (We didn't go out looking for them specifically - they always pop in where you go). As mentioned in many threads in safaritalk in the past, the Elephants are more and more relaxed these days - Not even a single mock charge this year! Go figure ...........

[madaboutcheetah]

Let's go birding ............ The wattled crane series are the Kubu Pan residents (if you wish to look for Wattled cranes; either Twin Pools or Kubu Pan is a good place to look for them). The Saddle Billed stork in flight - I know it isn't a great image; but has a quirky effect that he was flying behind the tall grasses in the marsh.

 

Two of my friends are keen birders (and believe it or not - we went into the mopane woodland to look for Arnott's chat ..... according to Spencer, a lot of birders come to Kwando just to look for them) - image not here in this post (will look for it later) ........

Edited July 11, 2014 by madaboutcheetah

[Marks]

Dreamlike light on those lion photos.

[bettel]

All pictures are beautiful, but wold dogs pups are just best of the best

[Jochen]

Hari did you do something to your workflow?

Those images are stunning!

 

I touched my screen and I swear one of those pups chewed my finger.

[Kitsafari]

im just drooling over the pups. they are adorable. the pix of them are great.

[marg]

This is fun! We saw the cheetah brothers in the Selinda area last September. But, the photos of the puppies are priceless....lucky you!

[Safaridude]

Those pups are incredible. Too bad they will not be as cute when I see them in two months!

[Sangeeta]

Awww...those are completely adorable pups! The lions in the evening light are beautiful. As is that ele photo - looks like such a gentle giant. These are easily amongst your best photos, Hari. You've really taken this up many notches!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks guys for all the encouragement .... I've got tons of images to still sort out. Will keep working on it bot by bit.