Whenever Guts and I have an afternoon off – which More →
Latest Articles
- The Elephant Bunker is Open for Business
- Lyn’s Feathered Friends – Vultures
Though Vultures are certainly not some of the prettiest of More →
- Lyn’s Feathered Friends – Chobe Regulars
In the Chobe area, the first sign of migratory activity More →
The Elephant Bunker is Open for Business
Whenever Guts and I have an afternoon off – which is getting rarer and rarer these days thanks to all of our wonderful clients – we can be found sitting on the viewing deck of The Senyati Rest Camp chatting about the business and marveling at the huge number of elephants that frequent the waterhole that Oom Louw has dug and into which he pumps gallons of fresh water.
Anyone who has heard of The Chobe knows about the abundance of elephants in the region and we are very luck to have such amazing access to the herds up and down the river. They have become so habituated to our presence that they really produce some startling photographic opportunities through out the year and none more so than at The Senyati waterhole. The question was how to make the most of this opportunity?
Lyn’s Feathered Friends – Vultures
Though Vultures are certainly not some of the prettiest of birds found in the Chobe area, they can definitely be described as some of our more fascinating species. They are common, conspicuous and awe-inspiring, at least to those of us who do not find them awe-ful! There are not many people who do not have an opinion of and questions about these great birds.
Lyn’s Feathered Friends – Chobe Regulars
In the Chobe area, the first sign of migratory activity occurs as early as May with the arrival of the amazing African Skimmers, who lay their eggs on exposed sandbanks! Skimmers are not very active during the day, but in the late afternoons they can be seen flying at a constant, but seemingly leisurely pace just above the water. Their bill is open, and the tip of the elongated lower mandible cuts the surface of the water hoping to catch one of the small fishes which have come to the surface looking for warmth. As soon as contact is made, the bill snaps shut, thus enabling them to feed with little or no light.
Lyn’s Feathered Friends – Migrations
Hi there. Toby here and its with great pleasure that i introduce the first of what we hope will be many blog posts from our good friend and Chobe resident Lyn Francey.
Lyn has been living in the region for a very long time and is our “go-to gal” for all things avian throughout the birding calendar. Her infectious enthusiasm for all things natural means that she is always welcome on board the Boat or the Unimog especially when we have clients specifically interested in birding. Her enthusiasm doesnt stop there and Lyn can often be found zooming around the park – voluntarily – cleaning up after messy campers and mobile operators…..its this sort of dedication that means Lyn will always be a friend of Pangolin and i look forward to learning more and more from her…….over to you Lyn…..
Lilac Breasted “Eyeballer”?
Sometimes to get that shot you need a little bit of luck and infinite amounts of patience and then the ability to “MacGyver” a solution using the most simple of materials.
Pangolin sighting!!!
When we were coming up with the name for the business Guts and i toyed with many ideas which were summarily dismissed by the company registration authorities in Botswana for being too similar to other companies currently trading…..the most amazing rejection came when we applied for the company name Focus Botswana and were told that someone had trademarked the word Focus and we couldnt use it in any way shape or form!!!
Colour in a cat’s eyes
Africa’s big cats are some of the most sought-after subjects amongst wildlife photographers.
What is a Photo Safari anyway?
There is a fabulous chap called Pierre who lives in Kasane, Botwana and as you may have judged by the name he is French but even though I am a dyed in the wool Englander I still cant hold it against him.
Wildlife Photography and Shutter Speed
As a wildlife photographer, I often find it necessary to shoot at fast shutter speeds. I do this to help eliminate camera shake, and also to freeze subject movement.
Anyone for Phunting?
One of the great things about the safari industry is that you get to do some of the craziest and fascinating things sometimes, which is why I met with an intrepid group of like minded individuals, mainly from UCT, at the gates to the Strandfontein sewerage works on a beautiful springtime morning for the worlds first Phunting competition.
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