Ihaha - the next day
Sunday 19th September, 2004The memories of last night's elephant lingers
on into the early morning .....
.... but is replaced by yet more beauty. What can be more tranquil than waking to the unique sound of a Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). This beauty had perched just behind out tent, so I hardly woken when I was confronted by this scene. The day just continued to improve from that point on. Now you know why, after yesterday's photos and today's, Ihaha is still my favourite place.
This common Glossy Starling (Lamprotornus nitens) came to investigate what we were having for breakfast, but soon lost interest.
Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus africanus) were very numerous throughout our trip, but this one was the closest that any came to us. She literally walked between our two vehicles to get from the one side of the camp to the other, and then obligingly knelt down for a nibble on the edge of the camp.
The Kori Bustard's (Ardeotis kori) claim to fame is that it is the heaviest flying bird, weighing up to 18 Kg and standing over 50 inches tall, it really is a big bustard.
No trip to Okavango or Chobe would be complete without the beautiful Common Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus). The ring around the rump is the give-away that this is only the Common Waterbuck and not Defessa's Waterbuck, which lacks the ring. Surprisingly, they are not as at home in the water as the Lechwe, despite their name.
The complete cycle of life is as apparent here as anywhere, and these Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) are that essential piece needed to complete the jigsaw. Unfortunately they are endangered, and their numbers have been dwindling over the last 40 years to a frightening degree. While they are very rare in Botswana, they are fortunately are fully protected species here, so maybe we will see an increase in their numbers over time.
The magnificent Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) was the last animal we saw before leaving the Chobe valley, and it quite a sight seeing this 600 lb animal moving at this speed, judging from the sharpness of the 40 inch horns, it isn't surprising that the males can fight off an adult lion without much difficulty.
We said a sad goodbye to the Chobe river and Ihaha and headed toward Kasane and the Chobe Safari Lodge that would be our home for the next two days.
[Complete Safari and wildlife photo index]
.... but is replaced by yet more beauty. What can be more tranquil than waking to the unique sound of a Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). This beauty had perched just behind out tent, so I hardly woken when I was confronted by this scene. The day just continued to improve from that point on. Now you know why, after yesterday's photos and today's, Ihaha is still my favourite place.
This common Glossy Starling (Lamprotornus nitens) came to investigate what we were having for breakfast, but soon lost interest.
Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus africanus) were very numerous throughout our trip, but this one was the closest that any came to us. She literally walked between our two vehicles to get from the one side of the camp to the other, and then obligingly knelt down for a nibble on the edge of the camp.
The Kori Bustard's (Ardeotis kori) claim to fame is that it is the heaviest flying bird, weighing up to 18 Kg and standing over 50 inches tall, it really is a big bustard.
No trip to Okavango or Chobe would be complete without the beautiful Common Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus). The ring around the rump is the give-away that this is only the Common Waterbuck and not Defessa's Waterbuck, which lacks the ring. Surprisingly, they are not as at home in the water as the Lechwe, despite their name.
The complete cycle of life is as apparent here as anywhere, and these Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) are that essential piece needed to complete the jigsaw. Unfortunately they are endangered, and their numbers have been dwindling over the last 40 years to a frightening degree. While they are very rare in Botswana, they are fortunately are fully protected species here, so maybe we will see an increase in their numbers over time.
The magnificent Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) was the last animal we saw before leaving the Chobe valley, and it quite a sight seeing this 600 lb animal moving at this speed, judging from the sharpness of the 40 inch horns, it isn't surprising that the males can fight off an adult lion without much difficulty.
We said a sad goodbye to the Chobe river and Ihaha and headed toward Kasane and the Chobe Safari Lodge that would be our home for the next two days.
[Complete Safari and wildlife photo index]
