It’s hard to believe that we are now in July. Time is a very odd thing; on the one hand, time has passed slowly and 2020 seems already to have lasted a lifetime, but equally half the year has gone by and I’m not sure where it went! It is strange in the Luangwa as the absence of safari activity makes it appear that we are still “pre-season” whereas we’re actually in the peak months now. What an odd feeling.
As always, this blog comes with the hope that you and your families are fit and well and that the steady relaxation of restrictions is helping with health and well-being. We are fortunate in many ways compared to much of the world which has experienced a tight lockdown, but we are also fraying at the edges somewhat. The bush, and any time in outside space, still continues to nourish the soul and soothe the strains of trying to maintain daily structure and normality in this most unusual time.
A double public-holiday in Zambia, for Heroes and Unity days, led to an influx of domestic visitors to the national park. This was welcome business for the local economy, but meant that we gave way to these visitors and spent less time in the park than normal. Even so, I had a week of wonderful sightings, mostly of elephants which seemed to be in abundance everywhere I went! As before, here is the photo record:
Quality morning light on a small pond just after sunrise gave me beautiful images of water birds arriving from their roosts. This spoonbill arrived to join the….
…saddle-bill storks which were already there.
Another morning, I spent around 3 hours at a well known elephant river crossing point, enjoying the peace of just sitting in one place.
I was well rewarded with herd-after-herd of elephants appearing on the far bank, dropping into the water and wading towards me.
The young bulls played in the deep water on the park side, just below where I was sitting.
The family herds are always more cautious, crossing quickly and in a tight bunch.
On exiting the river, elephants are always keen to dustbath. Positioning with the light behind the dust creates dramatic images…but usually only the first few images can be used as the later ones are too hazy to make out the shape of the elephants!
The beginning of dust and smoke accumulation in the atmosphere creates rich, orange sunsets.
I took an afternoon drive which is unusual for me since I prefer the morning light and the higher activity levels of the animals. But this outing was special as I found a young giraffe calf….
…captured a pleasing panning blur of a waterbuck running from a larger male….
..and sat on the ground next to my vehicle for 2 hours while elephants fed peacefully nearby.
I had to wait a while for it, but just before the light failed, two youngsters started to play…
….the bull sometimes becoming a bit overbearing!
Perhaps not the best way to end a week of sightings, but I located the source of an awful smell that I had occasionally scented while watching the elephants: a dead hippo floating in the river was being fed on by a large number of crocodiles. A reminder that the dry season is upon us and the food supply is beginning to diminish, especially for the bulk grazers such as hippo who are able to feed only at one level.I’m running a social media takeover for People & Places Travel (any of you who have travelled with me will know Emma and her amazing team) so you can find me there this week. Search for them on Instagram or Facebook. But if you miss them, I will repeat the updates on my own channel later this week. Many thanks for all your support and following along. Best wishes.
