29 November 2012

Skywatch Friday - Zebra crossing


This is what one can call a "zebra crossing" against a perfectly bleak sky. This shot as taken at Vukani Loop in the Addo Elephant National Park.


Visit Skywatch for more great skies from around the world.

28 November 2012

City lights

The Port Elizabeth beach front at night. Conditions were perfect for night photography, a full moon, no wind and a spring low tide.

27 November 2012

Cape Buffalo


The buffalo were grazing very conentedly on the side of the road, competing with each other as they looked for the best patches grass.  For us this was great as it provided some good photo opportunities. There was the occassional "moo," not as strident as the bellow of cattle but a low, gentle almost imperceptable sound that belied their size.

The peaceful mood was suddenly disrupted by a loud scuffle, as these two buffaloes somehow got entangled. The one with its nose pressed in the dirt was trying frantically to lift its head, while the other one was intent on pushing its head down, so that it could move off. It was an interesting tussle, almost like a yo-yo going up and down, but they eventually extricated themselves and resumed their grazing as though nothing had happened.



26 November 2012

New life - Cape Buffalo

For a long time the buffalo herds have eluded us, when we did see them they were in the distance, or quickly retreated into the dense bush. We have often come acoss a mean and manky looking old lone bull on the side of the road, who would fix a beady eye on us as if to say, get out the car and let me show you what I am capable of.

Well finally our luck changed when we met a herd with a good sprinkling of calves that were willing to let us photograph them. It was almost like watching a herd of cattle grazing. It was a delight to watch this calf as she pranced along beside her mother, as they headed into the wide open spaces.


25 November 2012

New life - Elephant

There are a lot of new elephant calves in Addo at the moment. This one cannot be more than a few days old.

I always find it so amazing how protective the herd is of its calves - it is not only the mothers who takes care of the little ones, but there is always a group of willing helpers. They can often be seen protectively surrounding a little one in open spaces, or gently drawing one back when it tries to leave the safety of the herd.


24 November 2012

New life - zebra

For the past five months my focus has shifted away from much of what I enjoy doing, as I have been involved in a protracted dispute in our community, which I have decided is now going to take a back seat.

It is now a time for renewal for me, to look around and enjoy the beauty of the Eastern Cape and for doing the the things I enjoy most, like indulging myself in photography and spending time in nature, especially the Addo Elephant National Park.

The Park has a harsh climate, but after good spring rains the green countryside is interspersed with large expanses of yellow flowers and splashes of pale blue where the plumbagos ramble through the bush.  In some areas where the park was extended there is still evidence of the former farm lands, where the bush was cleared, with the alien thistles making a  make a statement all of their own. I know they should not be there, but I am still captivated by their beauty.

Wherever you look there is new life like this zebra foal that momentarily separated itself from the safety of the herd, as it frolicked through the bush.


For many of us Addo holds a special appeal, because of its enormous bio-diversity and yet many people visiting the area choose give it a miss, in favour of the game parks up North. We don't only have the big five, we have the big seven - when we throw whales and great white sharks into the mix.