Gemsbok.. of the Kalahari.

Gemsbok (Oryx gazella)

A large antelope with striking black and white markings on the face and legs, black side stripes on the flanks and a long black tail. Bulls measure 1.2m at the shoulders and attain a mass of 240 Kg. Both bulls and cows have horns. The male horns are shorter and stockier than the female horns.

Gemsbok mostly feed on nutritious leaves, grasses and herbs. During the dry season they feed on flowers and will also browse for food. To supplement water requirements gemsbok dig for succulents and extensively eat tsama melons.

The behaviour of this species is geared to energy and water conservation. In the heat of the day they will lie-up in the shades of trees. Where shade is not available they will orientate themselves to present as little as possible of their body surface to the sun. Lone bulls are common and have been known to kill attacking lions by impaling them with their strong horns.

This like the cape buffalo is a tenacious animal… and have been known to attack predators that prey on their young, as demonstrated in this video clip, don’t give up on the clip, the young survives… here’s some photos of them in the Kalahari desert…

Grey Heron, Lake Panic, Kruger National Park.

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea),

This a wading bird of the heron family. I took these photos at Lake Panic in the Kruger National Park.

It’s native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions. It has become common in summer even inside the Arctic circle along the Norwegian coast.

Adults have a white head with a broad black supercilium and slender crest, while immature birds have a dull grey head. It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The call is a loud croaking “fraaank”.

This species breeds in colonies in trees close to lakes, the seashore or other wetlands, although it will also nest in reed beds. At Lake Panic there is one nesting in a tree direct across from the Bird hide…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is catching a ride on a Hippo’s back…                                             I wonder if this one knows the crocodile is there, I didn’t till I looked at my photo..

Goliath Heron

The Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath),

also known as the Giant Heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller numbers in Southwest and South Asia.

This is the world’s largest heron. The height is 120–152 cm (47–60 in), the wingspan is 185–230 cm (73–91 in) and the weight is 4–5 kg (8.8–11 lbs.).Among standard measurements, the tarsus measures from 21.2 to 25.5 cm (8.3 to 10.0 in) and the wing chord averages around 60.7 cm (23.9 in) in length. The culmen measures from 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in), while the bill from the gape measures around 24 cm (9.4 in).

Goliath Herons are solitary foragers and are highly territorial towards other Goliaths entering their feeding territories.

This particular bird I found at Lake Panic in the Kruger National Park, and as I entered the hide it struck and caught a fairly large Carp. As you can see I had little time to take the photograph, and in front of me was a fairly large Lady with a big camera and lens, her arms were just as big and I was not going to argue with her.. but here’s the result…

It left the water and went into the taller grass where it either swallowed it whole or left it for later…

A half hour later it re-emerged and drank water and took a bath, before returning to its original fishing spot.. must have been hungry…

 

Saddle-billed Stork, Kruger National Park.

The Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family.

It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa.

This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 150 cm (59 in), a length of 142 cm (56 in) and a 2.4–2.7 m (7.9–8.9 ft.) wingspan. The male is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of 5.1–7.5 kg (11–17 lb.). The female is usually between 5 and 7 kg (11 and 15 lb.). It is probably the tallest of the storks (though not the heaviest), due to it extremely long legs (tarsus length is up to 36.5 cm (14.4 in)). The long bill measures from 27.3 to 36 cm (10.7 to 14 in). The sexes can be readily distinguished by the golden yellow irises of the female and the brown irises and dangling yellow wattles of the male.

The Saddle-billed Stork breeds in forested water lands and other flood lands in tropical lowland. It builds a large, deep stick nest in a tree, laying one or two white eggs weighing about 146g each. It does not form breeding colonies, and is usually found alone or in pairs. The incubation period is 30–35 days, with another 70 – 100 days before the chicks fledge.

 

 

 

The Saddle-billed Stork, like most of its relatives, feeds mainly on fish, frogs and crabs, but also on small birds and reptiles . They move in a deliberate and stately manner as they hunt, in a similar way to the larger herons.

Elephant. Natures Big mother.

Elephants are the largest living land animals on Earth today.

The way I eat chocolate, I’m doing my best to haul them in.. Elephants are a symbol of wisdom and are famed for their memory and intelligence; their intelligence level is thought to be comparable to that of dolphins. The saying is “An elephant never forgets”, I’m like that, till it comes to birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but this is a monster that I love to watch. So many stories are bandied about of their memory, how they live in the deserts and know exactly where to go for water and food at certain times of the year. I just love the critters…..

This one was not too friendly and gave us fair warning of that, I gave him a smile and he forgave me, never to forget…