Ruaha March 2015

[xelas]

@@Gregor

 

Looking at your photos, again and again, each time I like them more!

 

The black border, and the exif data at the bottom of the border, is it a trade secret or you can share with me (us) how to use this technique?! TIA

[TonyQ]

@@Gregor

What a great start to this report, and it is fascinating to contrast the wet season with the dry season as shown by @@FlyTraveler

You capture the hunt really well, the landscapes with elephants are beautiful, and I also really like the giraffe in the mist.

It is also interesting seeing your shot settings.

I look forward to the rest of the report.

Edited May 27, 2015 by TonyQ

[Gregor]

Thank you all for your cheerful comments.

 

I have only done basic adjustments in Lightroom, actually quite sloppy work. I´m about to learn more how to work in photoshop, and there is definitely more quality to squeeze out of my workflow. Most of my learning come from participating in the wildlife forum on http://www.birdphotographers.net/. @Morkel is a moderator there, and he is very good. And he should be, he is professional. I´m a beginner, with very little time over in my life.

 

The frame is from a plugin to the export modul in LR. It is free. http://www.photographers-toolbox.com/products/lrmogrify2.php

[Gregor]

Day 2, 22nd March

 

First full day at Ruaha We left early at 6.00 when the park curfew allowed us. The Tanapa cottages is situated beautiful on a hill side with a great view over the Ruaha river valley.

 

 

The first days in a new park, often have the character of driving a lot. To see a lot of locations and experience the park. We wanted to see as much as possible, and decided to skip lunch. We had packed breakfast with us, that we had as a brunch. The cooking at the Tanapa cottages is simple. We had tea, a fried egg and some kind of pancake. This we had every day. The only option for both lunch and dinner was rice or pasta with tomato sauce. It works. Very simple and we got a bit hungry (I lost 3 kg in a week, which is good). They had no bar or drinks of any kind. So it was good luck for us that we had a lot of water with us. Later in the week we visited the rangers baracks and from then we bought extra water and a few beers. So there was not much point in spending time eating, and we stayed out in the park every day from 0600 to 1900. We covered a lot of distance. And I got to say, I´m surprised we didn´t see more animals. Wildlife was sparse and there was not much variety. My friend Lars have been a birder for 50 years, and his interest for safari and wildlife is new. But he still enjoys birds a lot. So we watched birds a lot, since there is always birds around.

 

 

Black-faced Sandgrouse

 

 

 

Van der Deckens´s Hornbill

 

 

Lilliac-breasted Roller

 

 

Grey-headed Kingfisher

 

 

White-browed Coucal

 

 

Crimson-rumped Waxbill

 

 

Namaqua Dove

 

 

And finally for the birds of this day, a sweet couple of Ring-necked Doves.

 

 

Ruaha have a varied landscape. During the wet season there is a lot of bushes and not very many open spaces. This is a typical view. Or actually mostly there is denser bushes. But still very beautiful. I regret I didn´t spend more time doing landscape photography.

 

One of the few ungulates we did se with some frequency was the Greater Kudu. Usually this is what we did see

 

 

 

 

 

A fine specimen of Impala in a small meadow.

 

 

There is several sand rivers in Ruaha. Following them is very beautiful, and one of few places where you get open views.

 

And finally a close up.

 

 

After a long day the rice and tomato sauce tastes very good

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you all for your cheerful comments.

 

I have only done basic adjustments in Lightroom, actually quite sloppy work. I´m about to learn more how to work in photoshop, and there is definitely more quality to squeeze out of my workflow. Most of my learning come from participating in the wildlife forum on http://www.birdphotographers.net/. @Morkel is a moderator there, and he is very good. And he should be, he is professional. I´m a beginner, with very little time over in my life.

 

The frame is from a plugin to the export modul in LR. It is free. http://www.photographers-toolbox.com/products/lrmogrify2.php

 

~ @@Gregor

 

Thank you for explaining the provenance of the photo frame with shooting information.

It's such a helpful touch.

It's nice of you to mention birdphotographers.net, as I'd never previously heard of it.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@Gregor

 

Beautiful colors.

The setting is my idea of gorgeous!

Tom K.

[xelas]

@Gregor: thanks for the tip. I am a beginner at PP, using ViewNX 2, so even behind you . One day (maybe) I will try Lightroom. That 600 f/4, that is one sweet lens, such a creamy bokeh. The birds shots must have been made with TC14 on it?

[Gregor]

"The birds shots must have been made with TC14 on it?" - Yes, that is correct.

[Marks]

Great job with the birds. Your photo reminds me why I love the LBR so much; great colors.

 

The kudu poking its head above the greenery has a comical touch to it!

[pault]

Great kudu.

 

After a great start it's a pity Ruaha more lived up to its reputation in the wet after that, even with all your hard work. But it makes for beautiful photos. All that green is lovely. Was the grass very long? It can be difficult to get an clear idea from photographs because of course we will take more of them where the grass is shorter and we can see the animals.

 

Thanks for the menu information. I didn't realise they had even that much. Could you have cooked yourself if you wanted (or took a cook from Iringa)?

 

Your work Looks natural rather than sloppy - at this size at least.

[FlyTraveler]

 

 

The cooking at the Tanapa cottages is simple. We had tea, a fried egg and some kind of pancake. This we had every day. The only option for both lunch and dinner was rice or pasta with tomato sauce. It works. Very simple and we got a bit hungry (I lost 3 kg in a week, which is good). They had no bar or drinks of any kind. So it was good luck for us that we had a lot of water with us. Later in the week we visited the rangers baracks and from then we bought extra water and a few beers.

 

Hi @@Gregor, another patch of beautiful shots! Thanks for this post!

 

When we were at the cottages at the end of September/beginning of October, there was some kind of a shop in the same building where we took our meals (with the great view towards Ruaha River) and they were selling at least 2-3 types of beer at descent prices. The only reason we didn't try it is that up to this moment I usually don't drink alcohol an safari (I like feeling very fresh early in the morning). There were also selling bottled water there at almost the same price as in Iringa, small souveniers, as well. Perhaps the shop works only during the dry season...

 

The menu was rice or pasta and we had a choice of chicken with it (really bad, I didn't like the chicken) or some sort of beef on some days. They would cook also traditional ugali, which I like very much. In general we were not bothered by the lack of variety in the food and felt very happy eating there for 5 bucks per meal and enjoying the view. We always skipped breakfast and had some sort of snacks that we brought from Iringa in the vehicle.

[Gregor]

Hi

Yes, the grass was high and there was a lot of bushes. To some extent maybe that depends where our guide chose to drive.

 

Well, most of the week we were the only guests at the bandas. The "shop" was closed. And the chicken (which I anyway didnt eat), was out after our first day. But we had a god time. Food never was the reason for this trip. And this would not make me choose different. If i knew before, I would have bought snacks etc. in Irringa.

[graceland]

Beautiful pictures @@Gregor, I love the birds of Africa....so colorful and exquisite. I also like your black framing so thanks for the "secret". I am a lazy photographer and have never tried a lightroom program, but may try it next.

 

Though Ruaha's green season did not provide all the wildlife you had hoped, it is quite scenic. I always wondered if I would go back in green and I think I could add a few days to enjoy the beauty...and there are always some elies and impala around, along with the birds!

 

Our guide, Moli told us it was his favorite time to be in Ruaha, so there must be something to it!

 

Thanks for sharing so much of your adventure,

G.

[egilio]

@@egilio. The report is a real shock, and I hope the lack of carcasses (identified in both the report and by TANAPA) are a good sign and that the amount of tree cover and wide dispersal area available have at least something to do with the results, but after what happened in Selous it is difficult to trust in TANAPA on this matter. If it happened in the year after a task force was established specifically to deal with the threat then it's hard to know what to say.

http://savetheelephants.org/elephant-news-service/tanzania-more-efforts-put-in-antipoaching-drive/

 

For what it is worth, elephants were generally very relaxed and in small groups in the same area a few months ago, during the dry season.

 

One of our members, Paul Tickner, runs safaris there and has I think more than a few contacts in the area. Such a huge area though. I am sure he will respond if he is in Iringa.

 

@PaoloT Have you heard about this report (link to TANAPA's response is at the beginning of post #3 of this thread)?

 

Well, the elephant census results are out.

http://safaritalk.net/topic/14535-tanzanian-elephant-population-down-60-in-5-years/

 

It could be that indeed there are no carcasses anymore (I didn't read live to carcass ratios in the media about this report), but it states the estimate of the elephant population in the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem were down by 76%. Either poachers have moved on as effort vs gain greatly reduced, or the rangers look in the wrong places for elephant carcasses.

[TonyQ]

@@Gregor

Your bird photographs are beautiful. I really like the picture of the elephants by the river (and the close up!), and the landscapes. The park does look beautiful even if you did have to work hard for your wildlife.

[notpop]

Just thought I would mention for other fans of "the Little Five Thousand",I no of nowhere to compare with Ruaha in green season for richness and abundance of wildflowers and butterflies !

(also a few tetse flies)

[Tom Kellie]

Just thought I would mention for other fans of "the Little Five Thousand",I no of nowhere to compare with Ruaha in green season for richness and abundance of wildflowers and butterflies !

(also a few tetse flies)

 

~ @@notpop

 

That's a strong recommendation concerning something in which I'm highly interested.

A factor in considering safari destinations is likelihood of luxuriant wildflower growth and concomitant high butterfly populations.

Your post jumped out when I read it. Ruaha thus moves up a step or two in my ‘maybe’ list.

Thank you!

Tom K.

[Gregor]

Day 3, 23rd March

 

This morning we left early going in the Jongomero direction, with the goal to find Roan and Sable antelopes. As you already know, we didn´t find them. The first stretch (maybe 10 km) along this road was really nice and beautiful in the morning sun. First of all we bumped in to a couple of not fully grown males. Didn't get a clear shot, but here is one of them.

 

 

and a baboon

 

 

As we continued along the Jonomero road it got bushier and there was a lot of tse-tse flies. But in the midst of trying not to get to much bitten, we saw something very fluorescent red. It was the southern red Bishop. Nice bird

 

 

This is the female I think.

 

 

We stopped at a place (big bushes in a damp spot) that was very good for taking photos of the smaller birds. So here is a bunch. (I´m writing this at my country place, and don´t have my field guide with me, and can´t identify them)

 

 

 

 

 

After this we reached the Jongomero air field. We got out there for a while, but it was so much tsetse flies that we jumped back in to the car, closed all windows and roof and drove straight back to Ruaha River area. Here is a bend of the river that I made a panorama shot of, combining 4 pictures.

 

 

 

And there was a large hippo..

 

 

 

Next bend of the river there was a Impala posing perfectly in a opening.

 

 

In the hill side there was a cute giraffe.

 

 

At noon we stopped for brunch, and got out of the car at the big bridge over Ruaha River (first bridge yu reach coming from the entrance gate). A Hammerkopf was sitting just under the bridge.

 

 

And a Pied Kingfisher in a tree.

 

 

Back out on the road again, we bumped in to this couple of greater Kudu. Greater Kudu is on of the antelopes we did se regular.

 

 

A Pygmy Falcon

 

 

A Zebra with a cut. It might very well be one of those Zebra that got hunted by lions our first afternoon.

 

 

Since we did put in a lot of time in the car, it was really nice to once in a while stop and get out of the car. We stopped several times at a bridge that went over one of the sand rivers (Mdonya I think ). This Rock Hyrax I shot on foot from the bridge.

 

 

Some minutes later down in the sand river, a elephant appears, and slowly walks towards us. This was a really nice sighting

 

 

 

We finished of the day with a bunch of birds..

 

 

A Grey-headed Kingfisher

 

 

A Nightjar

 

 

A Diederiks Cockoo

 

 

A European Roller. This was it for this day, more to come.

[Marks]

Great detail on the birds. The framing of the extra-wide hippo shot and the second elephant shot are also especially pleasing.

[TonyQ]

@@Gregor

Those are really beautiful bird photos - and the elephant in the sand river - excellent!

[FlyTraveler]

I would just echo the post of @@TonyQ...

Edited June 12, 2015 by FlyTraveler

[Soukous]

wonderful stuff @@Gregor - terrific photos, well presented.

a great recommendation for travelling in green season and so nice to see some water in the Ruaha.

[Gregor]

Day 4, 24th March

 

This was to be a rather slow day, and most interesting was birds. As I wrote in previous post, we did put in long days, touring the national park from 6 in the morning to 19 in the evening. As the other days the weather was shifting all the time, from sun to cloudy, and occasional short rain showers. I love it, and shifting weather is good for photography (except early morning end late afternoon, when you want that golden light). Anyway, we started of the day with a group of ground hornbills.

 

 

And a Great Egret

 

 

A White-crowned Lapwing

 

 

This were taken by some ponds close to the Ruaha River. And here we are having our brunch, with the pond in the background.

 

 

And there was also an African Cucko, a Fish Eagle and some male antelopes.

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to start rolling again.

 

 

A couple Grey-capped Social Weaver

 

 

d´Arnaud´s Barbet

 

 

A Hammerkopf

 

 

A European Bee-eater. Very beautiful bird I think

 

 

This evening we was a bit late back to the lodge, and just outside of the lodge sitting on an old road-greying truck, there was a Spotted Eagle-Owl

[Treepol]

@@Gregor I am enjoying your Ruaha report, and your excellent photos.

 

I was looking at your vehicle - does that have 5 window seats, 1 in the front and 4 in the back? Are the back seats a bench seat or 2 singles?

[pault]

You created some beautiful photos with those green backgrounds. Your lens creates lovely blurred backgrounds but my favourite arel the ones where the vegetaition is part of the shot, like the two Greater Kudu (classic shot) ands what I guess is a Jackson's Widowbird (anyway a widowbird). And it looks so wonderfully quiet.