Out and about during October

Even though it may feel as if time stands still in the bush, it is hard to believe that October has already showed its face.

Tisela is found snoozing on a log after hoisting a scrub hare kill in a nearby bushwillow tree. She has grown into such a fine feline and has finally carved out a neat little territory for herself.

One thing I really love about viewing elephants is that that are always doing something. They simply love water and I waited patiently for this one to cross the Sand River to meet mom on the other side.

The larger Plains Camp male lion polished off half a buffalo before coming to look for his brother. Watching this beast muscle his way straight towards you is quite an experience. He could just about walk in a straight line with such a large belly swaying from side to side.

One of the big sightings for the month was finding a fallen giraffe that had only just been fed on. Looking at its condition, it most likely died from old age rather than being taken down by a predator.

When I first arrived on the scene there was a lone hyena feeding on the carcass. One could feel a sense of nervousness in the air. The hyena kept looking up and scanning around after each bite. It must have been thinking the same way as I did, “when will the lions rock up?”

Once the hyena moved on from feasting, a frenzy of vultures descended from a nearby lookout post. They wasted no time tucking into the free meal.

Throughout the course of a couple of days, it was most surprising that no large cats made their way to the giraffe. This was rather odd given that the Plains Camp males, Thumbela male and Ximungwe lionesses were in the general area.

With some of the days warming up nicely now, many reptiles are using the opportunity to warm up their bodies. This enormous crocodile was no exception. It even opened its mouth wide open to show us how pretty its smile was.

Catching up with the wild dogs (aka painted wolves) is always a treat. They will provide you with one of two options. Either moving at a frenzied pace while hunting or settled down after a hunt and being as lazy as can be. The latter is not the worst option, as it does allow you the chance to grab a few photos before they fall asleep.

Not all days can be sunny days. When the clouds pull in, aim that camera at the sky. Shooting into a blown out cloudy sky offers a great opportunity to play with monochrome or even high key photography styles. Eagles and vultures can easily be found perched on dead trees and will bed down until the sun arrives again, making for easy posed photos.

This Hamerkop bird spent a great time wading through some shallow waters. It kept skimming through the water and flicking something up. I could not see what it was until I saw my images. The bird found the small shoal of fish I have seen (zoom in to see its catch of the day).

It is always worth scanning through the multiple Marula trees while out on a safari drive. These trees have relatively soft wood. Once the heart wood is exposed, they are prone to having cavities dug out by woodpeckers and other birds. With these cavities in place, smaller critters like snakes, lizards, birds and squirrels may use them as their homes.