WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE For the month of September, Two Thousand and Sixteen Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 18,2˚C (64,7˚F) For the month: 1.4 mm Sunrise: 05:30 Minimum recorded: 13,5˚C (56,3˚F) For the year to date: 402.9 mm Sunset: 17:50 Average maximum: 33,2˚C (91,7˚F) Maximum recorded: 40,2˚C (104,3˚F) Greetings from paradise. Let’s cut to the chase as the weather has been hot and the game-viewing is cooking! Wildlife overview for September Wild dogs With the pups still quite small, we are delighted to find that the pack has spent the month on our reserve, rather than heading south to Gonarezhou National Park. We’ve had awesome sightings of them – such as all 27 fighting with nine hyenas; and another watching them feast on an impala while three hyenas hung around hoping to steal the kill from them. It was very special to observe how the adult dogs let the pups feed first and kept the opportunistic hyenas at bay with some well-placed nips on the scavengers’ rear ends!
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WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE
ForthemonthofSeptember,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 18,2˚C(64,7˚F) Forthemonth:1.4mm Sunrise: 05:30 Minimumrecorded: 13,5˚C(56,3˚F) Fortheyeartodate:402.9mm Sunset: 17:50 Averagemaximum: 33,2˚C(91,7˚F) Maximumrecorded:40,2˚C(104,3˚F) Greetingsfromparadise.Let’scuttothechaseastheweatherhasbeenhotandthegame-viewingiscooking!WildlifeoverviewforSeptemberWilddogsWiththepupsstillquitesmall,wearedelightedtofindthatthepackhasspentthemonthonourreserve,ratherthanheadingsouthtoGonarezhouNationalPark.We’vehadawesomesightingsofthem–suchasall27fightingwithninehyenas;andanotherwatchingthemfeastonanimpalawhilethreehyenashungaroundhopingtostealthekillfromthem.Itwasveryspecialtoobservehowtheadultdogsletthepupsfeedfirstandkepttheopportunistichyenasatbaywithsomewell-placednipsonthescavengers’rearends!
LionsWe’vereallybeenenjoyingseeingtheanticsofacoupleoftheprides’cubs.Themajorityofthesightingscamefromthecoalitionofthreeadultmales–andonafewoccasionstheywererelaxedenough,andguestsbraveenough,toobserveonfoot.Thereweresomekillstoo–oneofthesewaswhenaprideofsixlions(twomalesandfourfemales)werefeedingonabuffalocarcass,withaboutahundredvultureswaitingpatientlyforashare.CheetahCheetahsightingshavebeengood–especiallyoftheoldshort-tailedfemalewhoselife-storywe’vefollowedforsomanyyears.She’sstillahuntingmachineandmadeacoupleofimpalakillsthismonth.Shewasalsoseeninthesameareaastwomalecheetahs.LeopardWiththebushlowanddrywe’vehadsomegoodleopardsightings.Twospecialoneswerewatchingafemaleleopardhuntingagrysbok;andanotherofasleepybigtomcatcurleduplikeacroissant!RhinosItseemstherhinoshavebeenkeepingeachothercompanythismonth,aswe’veseenbigcrashesofthem:tenwhiterhinoswiththreecalves;andthreeblackrhinosbrowsingatajunctionoftracks.Averyinteresting,yetfrighteningsightingwasoftwoblackrhinosfightingatapanforoveranhour.ElephantsLet’sputitthisway–it’sbeenhardtomissseeingatleastoneelephantoneverydrive.
BuffaloOurbestbuffalomomentwasofaherdof400feeding,bellowingandinteractingwitheachother.PlainsgameTheplainsgamehasbeenplentiful,andwe’vehadgoodsightingsoftheusuallyshyandsecretivesablesthismonth.That’sasablebullphotographedonthefrontpage,headingtoawaterhole.
SmallwondersWhilesearching(unsuccessfully)foraserval,wefoundthreecivets,agenetandanelephantshrew!Alovelyencounterwaswith30bandedmongoosesforagingaboutnearourairstrip.RaresightingsTworarecreaturesshowedthemselvesthismonth–anAfricanwildcat,andthenabirder’sultimatetwitch,aPelsfishingowl!PhotohideOurundergroundphotohideisveryproductiveatthistimeofyear.Onegroupofguestsspentafewhoursinthehideandsawabullelephant,twoeland,eightLichtensteinhartebeest,andanAfricanharrierhawk.WalksAgain,becauseofthedry,lowvegetation,it’sagoodtimefordoingbushwalks.Ononeoftheseweenjoyedagoodsightingofsixwhiterhinosandfivebullelephants;onanotherwesawafemalecheetah,hyena,threewhiterhinosandtwobullelephants.Twobraveandintrepidfemaleguestssawthreemalelionswhileonfootandspentsomequalitytimeintheirpresencewhilechattingaboutlionhistoryandbehaviour.BoatcruiseWeencourageallourgueststodoasundownercruise,anditreallyisameditativelyrelaxingwayofspendinganafternoon.Breakingthespellofzenononeoutingweretwoseparateblackrhinosightings,andthreemalelionsrestingontheshore.FishingBrilliantfishingwashadonemid-morningaswetriedourluckonthepredatorytiger-fish,landing12andlosingfarmore.Thetrophyofthedaywasa4kg(8,8lb)fighter!
FlowersThesedefiantbeautieschoosethedriesttimeofyeartobloom,andthatmakesthemextraspecial–notonlytousbuttotheinsectsthatpollinatethemandrelyonthemtoseethemthroughharshtimes.LeopardspottedWesetoffearlyonemorningwiththefirmintentionsoffollowinguponaprideoflionsthathadbeenseenthenightbefore.Itwasjustbeginningtochangefromdarknesstodawn,andinafewmoreminutesthespotlightwouldn’tbeabletopickupreflectionsofpredators’eyes.Butwewerebarelyoutofcampwhenweroundedariverbankandfoundthismaleleopardcurledup,withpawstuckedinandhistailwrappedaroundhim.Ourleopardsightingshereareoftenfleetingflashesoftheseelusivecats,butthismalewasquitecontenttolieashewas,andletusadmirehiminawedsilence.However,thevervetmonkeysfeltdifferently.Unbeknowntothemtheyhadsleptthewholenightinatreewithaleopardatitsbase!Attheinstantthatitbecamelightenoughforthemtospottheleopardbelowtheybeganshrieking,alarmingandhurlingabuseatthepredator.Itwaslikeareallyannoyingalarmclockgoingofftooearly,withnosnoozebuttonplusajammedoffswitch!Afewminuteslatertheleopardcouldtakenomore,andflickedhistail,gotup,turnedaroundandslunkoff.
Whogoesthere?Thetrackingteamhaddevotedhourstotrackingacoalitionofmalelionsinthickmopanewoodland,andoncethey’dspottedthemonfoottheycalledus,hoppedonourvehicleandguidedusintoposition.Butthelionshadmovedoffalittlefromwherethey’dleftthem,andwescoutedaroundtofindthem.Thisisthemomentwhenwedid–youcanseehowthismaleislookingslightlyalarmedandhaslockedhisstareontome.Hesoonsettleddownandrelaxedagain.Canyouspothisbrotherinthebackground?
Overtheedge
ManyofourgravelroadstakeusalongthebanksoftheChiredziRiveranditsdrainagesystem,buttheroadshavetobesetwellbackforerosioncontrol.Asguidesweoftenstopalongtheroadsandwalktotheriverbank’sedgetoseeifthereisanywildlifeactivitybelow.Onbothoftheseoccasionswewerelucky:Thefirstshowsanoldelephantbullwithmassiveivory,eventhoughtheonetuskisbroken.Hewasbackedupbyan‘askari’a‘youngersoldier’wholearnsfromandhelpsprotecthiselder.Thesecondphotoshowsalovelysceneofajourneyofninegiraffecrossingtheriver.It’ssoenjoyabletobeonfoot,onthesafetyofanelevatedbank,andstandquietlywatchingwhatgoesonbelow.
ReflectionsWorldRhinoDaywason22September-althoughitiseveryday,hourandminutehereasweprovidesanctuaryforthesepersecutedanimals.There’ssomethingespeciallypoignantaboutphotographingarhinoanditsreflection…
PhototipsThered-billedquelea(Queleaquelea)istheworld'smostabundantwildbirdspecies,withanestimatedadultbreedingpopulationof1.5billionpairs,andsomeestimatesoftheoverallpopulationhavebeenaslargeas10billion.Red-billedquelealiveandbreedinhugeflockswhichcantakehourstoflypast.Wecameacrossaflocksettlingonsomereeds,andwithtimeonourhandscouldsetupourcamerasontripodsandfindwaysofphotographingthemeffectively.Thisistakenataspeedof1/1250second,andyoucanseehowthislightningspeed‘freezes’theirflightaction.Thisistakenataspeedof1/60second,andyoucanseehowthebirdsinflightareablurwhichgivestheideaofthespeedtheyflyat.
AllatwitterBirdingissucharewardingpastime.Herearethreemomentsfromthemonth:Guineafowlshaveacarefulsundowner.Brown-headedparrotsfindasculpturalperch.Atrioofwattledstarlingsdisturbsomedovesbytakingabath.
SeptembermomentsAteenagehyenaleaveshome,boredwithclanrulesanditspeskyyoungersiblings,andtriestoekeoutamealfromanoldgiraffelegbone.Beforenightfellitboundedhome,fullofasulkyshamefulattitude.Avervetmonkeygivesherselfapedicure.Anelephantreachesgreatheightsinhisquestforthejuiciestleaves.
WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana
MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe
ThirtiethofSeptember2016
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