Kruger circuit: A South Africa Safari at the "optimum" time, September 2014

[Tdgraves]

Such beautiful golden leopard photos.

Also, @@Tdgraves, your own pic of the nighttime hyena looks brilliant to me - clear and colorful!

Not when its full screen......

[graceland]

 

Such beautiful golden leopard photos.

Also, @@Tdgraves, your own pic of the nighttime hyena looks brilliant to me - clear and colorful!

Not when its full screen......

 

 

 

Ha Ha, love your sense of humor!

 

That is why my pics are always undersized!

 

 

 

When do you come to my neck of the woods?

Edited March 31, 2015 by graceland

[Tdgraves]

@@graceland fly out on 18th, first 6 days in DC.....

[graceland]

@@graceland fly out on 18th, first 6 days in DC.....

You picked the best month for Virginia.

 

I should get on my broom and fly over to the Blue Ridge and have a mini GTG.

 

PM me your itinerary; I might escape. I'd love to meet you. Not many come to these parts

[Tdgraves]

Day 13 Morning Drive

 

The "plan" for this morning was to locate a female leopard with two cubs (the ones which the Australians had already seen). I am always nervous when there is a plan, as it can lead to disappointment...

 

We were quite far from her last known location, so I guess this is the reason they let you know what the plan is, so you don't get bored/frustrated.

 

The other vehicles with the same idea got there first, so we had to hang around a bit for our turn. This involved being surrounded by a head of buffalo and a large breeding herd of elephant, so not too boring

 

 

 

When it was our turn, we got there just in time as they were on the move....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, they went from the dry river bed, where they were a little beneath us, up onto some really rocky terrain, so it was a real struggle to keep up with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time we had negotiated the huge rocks, the vehicle in front of us reported that the mother had caught a cane rat! She and the other cub wandered off out of our sight, so we kept with this one, who set to work plucking it and eating it. I've never seen one before - they are HUGE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grass was my enemy, but I managed to get a few shots!

 

We had a good sighting and moved aside to let others in

 

On the way back to camp we saw two purple crested turacos (a first) but they were too quick and shy for a photo

[graceland]

@@Tdgraves I have never SEEN so many leopard cubs...how adorable. Spotty cat overload is a good thing. And well fed I see.

 

The most I've ever seen was in Botswana; but nothing like your Leopard Hills, so aptly named!

 

Also loved your photo of the giraffes; the young with the crane like neck!

[Tdgraves]

@@graceland Me neither. It always the hope and it paid off, twice!

[Alexander33]

@ Tdgraves

 

I love the shot of the leopard cub with his/her bloody red tongue in post #80! It really captures the conflicting attributes in these magnificent creatures: beautiful, adorable, fiercesome, all at the same time.

 

Can I take you all the way back to the owl photos in post #6? Like you, I was frustrated by the challenges of photography on our night drives. Unlike you, I just gave up and put the camera away. I don't want to have to do that when we go back this August. So, from what I've read here, it seems you used a combination of spotlight from the vehicle and high ISO, no flash, to capture these night time photographs. Is that correct?

[Tdgraves]

@@Alexander33 this was the first time I had tried taking spotlight shots, as previously I had always had an inferior camera with poor high ISO performance. So I have taken my lead from th OH who was previously in charge of such shots. It is a balance of having the ISO high enough to get a decent shutter speed, but not so high that you get noise, which makes it look blurry, even if it is in focus (the more expensive the camera, the better the high ISO performance it seems). So you are correct, no flash, just illuminated by the trackers spot. If you wedge yourself onto the side of the vehicle and hold your breath (and hope that no-one else in the vehicle moves) then a shutter speed of 1/50 is just about ok (I still leave the camera set on aperture priority)

 

Re. The cub, the OH has done a monochrome conversion but left the tongue red, this really emphasises the point - I'll see if I can dig it out....

[Alexander33]

@ Tdgraves

 

Thanks so much on both counts. I look forward to my trying out your technique!

Edited April 6, 2015 by Alexander33

[Tdgraves]

For @@Alexander33

 

[Alexander33]

@ Tdgraves

 

Thank you! A truly compelling effect.

[Tom Kellie]

~ Hi, @@Tdgraves!

 

You've posted the ‘Flying Roller’ shot of my dreams! As I'm partial to shading and color saturation, your style is highly appealing to me.

While one might typically override the urge to caress, seeing the soft ear flaps of the baby elephant, furled close to its head, I would like the mother's leave to feel them. “Fat chancm fella!”, she'll say.

Baby leopards are photographed on Kruger safaris?

Sigh...

That's incentive enough to consider a wee visit to northeastern South Africa, your trip report providing ample other reasons.

Really enjoy your photography, @@Tdgraves!

Tom K.

[Tdgraves]

Thanks for the compliment @@Tom Kellie

 

We have been going to South Africa for years, but at the wrong time to see leopard cubs. Part of the plan of going in Aug/Sept was to see cubs. Luckily it paid off

[Tom Kellie]

Thanks for the compliment @@Tom Kellie

 

We have been going to South Africa for years, but at the wrong time to see leopard cubs. Part of the plan of going in Aug/Sept was to see cubs. Luckily it paid off

 

~ @Tdgraves:

 

Well, well, well. What timely information you share with me.

Many, many thanks for explaining that.

I say that because in the back of my mind is a kernel of interest in Sabi Sands.

Mind you, nothing at all has congealed yet, but I'm mulling over the costs and logistics, especially concerning transport of my big lens to and from Johannesburg.

Oddly enough, August was the timeframe of choice.

Your kind explanation moves the idea up a notch or two.

Many thanks! That's also why I've been reading your nice trip report with above average interest.

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

[Kitsafari]

@@Tdgraves awww i love the series of the leopard cubs. so small and cute, and what looks like snarling while protecting her rat too! i've not seen cane rats before but that's a mighty big rat.

[xyz99]

Amazing pictures - we'll be there in September, would love to see some leopard cubs! You really had a wonderful trip, thanks for sharing it, and thanks for the night photo tips. My camera is not as good as yours, the highest ISO is 6400, and I'll have to try it yet, to see how noisy it gets. I don't think I ever got that high before...

[Tdgraves]

Day 13 Evening Drive

 

During afternoon tea on the deck, a new couple spotted a leopard sitting under a tree MILES away. Even with bins or a long lens, I couldn't convince myself that I could see it and they spotted it with the naked eye!! Obviously both vehicles went in that direction to try and find it...

 

En route, we found this pale morph Wahlberg's eagle

 

 

We drove cross country to the spot where the leopard had been seen, but there was no trace of it. We went across to the nearby dam instead, where we found this guy....

 

 

I don't think the resident hippo like it very much though

 

 

 

We went around the other side of the dam to get a closer look at the rhino

 

 

 

 

One of the other vehicles arrived to see him. While we were looking to the right at him, the other vehicle radioed our guide to let us know that there was a leopard in front of us (probably the one we had been looking for!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a young female. "Sorry" for more spotty cat overload....

 

Just time to see some waterbuck before sundowners

 

 

 

And then a side-striped jackal going back to camp

 

[Tdgraves]

Day 14 morning drive

 

Our last drive in Sabi Sands and of our trip. The main event was the lion pride. They were on the move on the boundary road. This had upsides and downsides. The upside was that they were walking, so the guide could drive to get in front of them and we could get shots of them head on, walking towards us, multiple times. The downside being the fence and trying to cut it out of the frame...

 

 

 

 

 

And we got to see them playing - this one waiting to pounce....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So nice to see the juveniles playing.

 

 

It's great to have a guide who is also a photographer, in order to get us into position for shots like this....

 

 

 

 

Apart from the odd sideways glance, most of the lions were not interested in us. However, I was looking down the lens and wondered why their demeanour had changed. They became very alert and all looked in the same direction. So I looked in that direction. What was there? A bakkie full of workers standing in the back. Just goes to show that they think people in a safari vehicle are different to people standing in a bakkie and presumably to those on foot.....(our vehicle mates didn't even notice.........)

 

 

 

What a great farewell. We moved off to allow the next vehicle in to the sighting

 

I saw a sunbird and caused a bit of consternation in the vehicle when I took photos of it in preference to the lions!

 

 

It was getting close to breakfast, so we made our way back towards camp, where we found a pair of African hawk eagles

 

 

 

We found a small herd of buffalo near to camp

 

 

Back to camp with breakfast with big grins

[michael-ibk]

Wow, the lions really did put on a show for you. Fantastic pictures!

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Tdgraves:

 

I was considering heading off to bed but then checked out your latest trip report posting.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Your skills as a photographer are really something!

No flattery, just fact.

I looked at these and marveled. Whatever lens(es) your using, you're getting good value from them.

I rarely sit up and make primate noises, but you inspired me to do so.

You've achieved what I'm seeking to someday do.

Tom K.

Superlative! The light edging the horn, the body half submerged — Wonderful!

The look in that eye. What this photo expresses...

All of your morning lion shots are SUPERB, but the uplifted tail moves me.

This shows me how black & white enhances — Like!

You were near Leopard Hills? I've seriously considering going there later in 2015.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Tom Kellie

[graceland]

Super pics!

[Tdgraves]

@@Tom Kellie

 

You are too kind. Canon 5d mark iii with a 100-400 (mark I) lens

 

We were not near leopard hills, we were at leopard hills. Highly recommended, however, it is very expensive and super luxurious - we were only there as we had a good deal (they have 8 nights for the price of 6 at all of their lodges) and a discount. There are other lodges in the same area of sabi sands with less luxury and hence less cost.

[Tdgraves]

Wow, the lions really did put on a show for you. Fantastic pictures!

Such a nice change from sleeping under a bush

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie

 

You are too kind. Canon 5d mark iii with a 100-400 (mark I) lens

 

We were not near leopard hills, we were at leopard hills. Highly recommended, however, it is very expensive and super luxurious - we were only there as we had a good deal (they have 8 nights for the price of 6 at all of their lodges) and a discount. There are other lodges in the same area of sabi sands with less luxury and hence less cost.

 

~ @Tdgraves:

 

This information arrives at exactly the right time, when I'm very seriously pondering the possibility of a little ‘getaway’ to Leopard Hills.

If I were to do so, it would be wholly separate from the safari planned for 3 or 4 months hence, and the safari two weeks from now.

You're ‘highly recommended’ means a LOT, and I do mean a LOT!

What's held me back were concerns about getting my larger lens — EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II — in a soft-sided bag into a Federal Air flight from Johannesburg to Leopard Hills.

If that's resolved, it's possible I'll go over for several days.

I thrive on shorter getaways, whenever my professional responsibilities allow.

The reason that I'm electrified by your response is that I was planning to write to the rangers at Leopard Hills to ask about lenses.

Considering your experience as a guest on game drives at Leopard Hills, and considering your very fine zoom lens, would a 400mm lens be essential?

How about a 300mmL or 200mmL lens?

My profession is teaching field ecology, so it's not essential for me to get super-closeups of every whisker. Showing an mammal or a bird in ecological context often tells my students more than a detailed close-up.

Looking back, what focal length seemed best? I have zooms but tend to use primes.

BTW: I love the Zeiss 135mm Apo-Sonnar lens, despite it being manual focus, as the images are generally stellar, with a 3-D quality and remarkably accurate color.

I'll upload a few more photos to the trip report as learning that you stayed at Leopard Hills and highly recommend it is of greatest interest.

With Much Appreciation,

Tom K.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Tom Kellie