Thursday, February 29, 2024

29/02/2024 Just a few more photos but so many still to go through!!

The maximum temperature here today at Swakopmund, is 20⁰C, minimum 15⁰C. West-South-West winds of 14 km/h. Very pleasant, especially as we experienced some days on safari up to 42C!!

Namaqua sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua) male.

Kalahari giraffe.

White Rhinos.

Red Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama),

Vultures mostly Lappet-Faced Vultures (Torgos tracheliotos).

Springbok (Antidorcas marsupials).

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) Kalahari.

The sand dunes after a very bad sand storm.  There will be no trains running here for a while!!

Kalahari sunset with rain in the distance.

The wild horses of Namibia.

As above.

Dune number 40 as it is 40 km from the main gate.

Big Daddy is the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area.  This magnificent dune is situated between Sossusvlei and Deadvlei and at 325 meters it dwarfs the other dunes.

Our amazing driver Obi and Nigel.  Obi was not only a great driver, but he had eagle eyes and there were very few questions on any subject that he was unable to answer.

Oryx or Gemsbok ( Oryx gazella).

Sunrise over the desert.

Any mistakes in the post please forgive me.  It has taken many hours to get this far and I have had to redo in many places.  Each photo has taken me ages to download, and I should have given up long ago, but I do not like being beaten by anything let alone an extremely slow WiFi.

My next blog will only be when I return home in April.

Saturday, February 3, 2024

03/02/2024 A few photos from our accommodation in Windhoek, Namibia

 It is 28C as I type this at 11am on Saturday morning but every day it is over 30C in the afternoon.  Since we have been here there have been numerous storms which are more than welcome as they have had serious drought restrictions.  Yesterday they had 57mm in half an hour.  I think we brought our rain with us.  The people here are happy though!

Typical Agamas (Agma).

Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus).

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix).

As above.

White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda).  Seconds before was the perfect photo when it turned and looked straight at me but I had the lens cover still on!!!!!

White-browed Sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali.)

A family altercation!!! Yes there are 
House Sparrows here as well. (Passer domesticus).

Giant African Millipede (known as a Chongololo), (Spirostreptus gigas)....

As above

As above when coiled defensively.

Gastropoda of one kind or another making sure they do not end up on the endangered list.

Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris).

The garden is beautiful but all succulents...

I think this may be a Golden Barrel Cactus  (Kroenleinia grusonii). Very spiteful!

Typical Agamas (Agma). plus lunch!

Western honey bee (Apis Mellifera) on one of the Bottle Brush plants..,

As above.

Christuskirche (Christ Church) in Windhoek if interested more info here

As above...

As above...

and as a bonus, we got to see wedding photos being taken.

Wall mural down the road.  It looks like a kudu horn has been converted into a wind instrument.

We leave for a 3-week safari next week so I may only get to catch up again in March,


Thursday, January 18, 2024

18/01/2024 Just catching up - still from last year!!

  The maximum temperature here today is 3⁰C, minimum -4⁰C.  North wind of 18km/h with gusts up to 45 km/h.

Photos today from March 2023.  I am not naming the game reserve because of the rhinos though many have been dehorned, poachers are still a problem.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024.

Many of these photos especially the birds were taken at a great distance, they are not that sharp but I am adding them for my own record.

South African giraffe or Cape giraffe (Giraffa giraffa or Giraffa camelopardalis giraffe)...

As above.

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious).

The white rhinoceros, or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Zebras (Equus quagga) in the background and Yellow-billed egrets (Ardea brachyrhyncha)

As above, I am not sure what the birds are on the rhino's backs, they are not Oxpeckers.

As above.

The Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).

Blue Wildebeest also called gnu (Connochaetes taurinus).

Zebra, Wildebeest and Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus).

Bontebok...

as above.

African Hoopoe (Upupa africana)...

As above...

As above.

Black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala)...

As above.

Blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (Vanellus armatus).

Blue Crane or sometimes called the Paradise Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus).

I think this is a Cape wagtail (Motacilla capensis) though the bib is not visible.

White-breasted cormorant ( Phalacrocorax lucidus )...

As above...

As above...

As above...

As above...

Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Male and female...

Two females as above.

I think this is one of the Weavers but I am not at all sure which!!
I have been told this is a Spotted-backed weaver or Village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), female.

You might enjoy this video which I took at Tembe and is worth watching until the end
Just click on the picture.

Please note that I am away from next week until the beginning of April so if I go very quiet you will know why.  If I find time and a good connection I might blog but no guarantees.
Hopefully, there will be some great photos to show you on my return.