Tales and memories from the Kwando concession Sept 2015

[fictionauthor]

@@madaboutcheetah I love the poetry of your aerial shots. How many hours does this represent? Did you take a shot of the helicopter on the ground? This is all very interesting.

[Atravelynn]

The aerials give a great perspective. From your intro, the action at ground level proved promising as well!

 

I have been hearing more and more from a variety of sources and a variety of locations that for all its positives, the month of Sept can be plagued by hazy, smoke-filled skies.

[marg]

@@madaboutcheetah...it's a totally different experience to do a flyover in a helicopter. Photos are great! From one year to the next the water levels are so different and make such a difference. Looking to reading and seeing more.

[madaboutcheetah]

You guys all much too kind! Thank You!!!

 

Will post more aerials this afternoon -

@@fictionauthor - This is all in just over one hour. It was a fantastic experience something new and a totally different perspective from the air. I do have a photo of the helicopter on my iphone.

 

Lynn - More than the haze.......... I may have read one of your comments earlier somewhere (?) about the full moon cycle. IMHO, that combined with the extreme heat makes predators very inactive. Going forward I might have to plan according to the moon cycle. The dogs were just not interested in moving until the light got completely flat.

 

@@marg - I think it's a combination of both lower rainfall from the past rainy season combined with a shift in tectonic plates. I hear there was an earthquake along the Linyanti fault line last year in June/July and this means the water flowing in from the highland probably changed it's course.

[madaboutcheetah]

This next instalment comprises some famous landmarks at the Lebala end of the concession -

 

The famous dead Leadwood tree in an area called, "white plains" - you can see why it's called that!

 

Also, the famous strangler fig "sundowner tree" at Twin Pools

 

Lebala airstrip (and)

 

Kubu pan - a KM from Lebala camp .......

[madaboutcheetah]

Kudos to the BDF (Botswana Defense force) and their anti-poaching unit ........ Shoot at sight is Botswana's policy against any poachers found.

[KaingU Lodge]

BDF Airboat. Blasting through channels in that thing must be almost as much fun as a helicopter!

[madaboutcheetah]

Last of the scenics .......

[Game Warden]

@@madaboutcheetah Please do consider writing a review of the properties in which you stayed for the new Lodge and Camp review subforum. Thanks, Matt.

[michael-ibk]

Love the Lagoon photos! Are those Ground Hornbills in the third pic?

[madaboutcheetah]

Yes, Michael - Ground hornbills, indeed!!!

[Big_Dog]

Awesome stuff. The new male lion looks like a rough customer...though what is it about the collar making you gulp?
I love the aerial hyaena walking down the road, and the photo after it is a fantastic photo of a classic Botswana landscape.

[egilio]

I know of no project which monitors their lions with a helicopter, that would cost so much money! There are a number of projects in northern Botswana studying lions, but I don't no the geographic locations of them all. I don't know any project in Caprivi which collars lions (yet). Have you asked BPCT if they know who this lion could be?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@egilio - these male Lions were only seen for the first time around September 28th in Kwando. We saw the helicopters twice (once right around camp when the collared male came to the lagoon in front to drink) ........ helicopters left - once they realized that the game drive vehicles were around.

 

@@Big_Dog - The one with the collar isn't the one in the pic - his partner in crime You'll see why the (Gulp) when i edit the pics.....

Edited October 11, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[Kitsafari]

Love the Lagoon photos! Are those Ground Hornbills in the third pic?

 

@@michael-ibk i thought so too when I first saw it.

 

@@madaboutcheetah and isn't one flying up to the tree?

 

sorry about all the likes. they are such great aerials, and a certain poetic note going through the selection as i think someone noticed.

loved the elands, the multitude of buffaloes scattered around the plains (especially the third one with buffaloes in the failing light and shimmering river in #23), the hippo trails, the elephants as they rush into the river and the pelicans.

 

and the teaser about the dogs..... what a magnificent male lion too!

Edited October 11, 2015 by Kitsafari

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @@Kitsafari - Yes, indeed that's correct about the Ground hornbills .......

 

Okay, here's one for a sunday night - I had a very good weekend and I must round it off with this cheetah silhouette.

[egilio]

Curious about the collar. Maybe that's the reason why researchers were so desperate to locate him that they hired a helicopter.

[Marks]

The lone hyena on the road and the cheetah silhouette above are both really great! The hyena in particular seems to suggest a story.

[AKR1]

The cheetah silhouette is just exceptional.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks everyone for your extremely kind comments ....

 

@@egilio - I shall look for a pic of the guy with the collar tonight. For the most part I looked for an angle that would hide the collar (photographically) ....... I should have a couple with the collar.

[Bush dog]

The cheetah silhouette is just exceptional.

 

+1

[PT123]

+2

 

@madaboutcheetah the cheetah silhouette is great and am very much enjoying all of the aerial shots! I agree with Marks that the open mouthed hippo shot is great. Did the animals seem at all disturbed by the presence/sound of the helicopter or were they fairly well habituated? Also, any cats from above?

[CDL111]

Hari, I have to agree with @@Bush dog and @@PT123, what a superb cheetah silhouette.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks for all the kind comments and appreciate your keen interest in this trip report ......

 

@@PT123 - our pilot, Richard told us ahead of time that he would not get too low to disturb the animals. Case in point, the Elands ....... they seemed to stay their ground without knowledge of the helicopter (although they may have heard the noise). The Elands in Kwando - you couldn't ever even attempt a photo when you see them from a vehicle.

The only time we got lower down was for a couple of scenics - the dead Leadwood tree at Lebala and the Sundowner Strangler Fig tree.

Cats - we did see Lions from top ...... but, we didn't go anywhere close range since the gameviewing Landcruisers were with them. So, no photos .......

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

So, Hari has gone aerial!

 

Just catching up now. Look forward to more. That cheetah/sunset is a winner!