It has been awhile since I've updated this blog. I've been busy building a bird hide and taking care of babies. Remember this baby?

Well he's not a little baby anymore. Now he's a big baby!

He's very independent now and has a girl friend. He still comes by for a snack about two thirds of the time, but the rest of the time he's out and about.

I have built a nice bird hide over the water on my dam. The bird life is amazing. Here are a few photos you might enjoy. Just click on anyone and they should enlarge for easier viewing.

One big gulp and it's down the hatch!

Check out this next photo! Look closely.

The fish eats insects in the water, the bird eats the fish, the insects eat the bird! Look closely under his bill. See the ticks sucking his blood!! I'm sure there must be a moral to this story. I just don't know what it is.

There are always newborns hanging around the house. This is a Water Buck with her little one.

When it rains the frogs go crazy. It is deafening to listen to them. They keep it up for several nights.

We have a new baby to take care of. This baby rabbit was kept in a box and taken out only for the kids to play with. They played too ruff and badly broke the rabbits leg. The leg had to be amputated.

The vet called us and asked if we had room for another baby. We said why not. So, now our squirrel has a friend and visa versa.

When we got the rabbit he weighed 400 grams. Now he weighs over one kilo. The giraffes around our house are as common as chop sticks in China. Sometimes the light just begs for a photo. This was one of those days.

In their infinite wisdom, Kruger National Park has closed all of its man made water holes. Our dam is one of the few still left open in this area. The elephants have picked up on that and are now regular guests in our front yard.

Being a photographer of sorts I couldn't resist trying to get up close to these guys. I sneaked through the bust to the bird hide near the edge of the water.

The hide looked like a safe place to take a couple of pics.

The problem was one of the elephants spotted me on the walkway.

I quickly jumped inside the hide. It looked very sturdy and I thought it would be good place to hide. The problem was the elephants didn't run off. If fact they came over to the hide to see what was going on. The closer they got the more flimsy the hide looked.

They just kept coming!

Soon they were so close I couldn't take anymore photos. In fact I could have reached out of the camera hole and touched one.

These guys were as tall as the hide. I realized too late that they could have pushed the hide and me right into the water. Looking out the other side I could see Psycho our pet Nile Crocodile.

Now he likes me a lot. Seasoned or unseasoned it would make no difference to him. I was starting to sweat. The elephants put their trunks right up to the camera holes a sniffed a deep sniff just to let me know I wasn't hiding from anyone. They were very gentle. They ate some of the tree branches that hung over the walkway and some of the green grass under the hide. After awhile they moved off into the bush and I exited the hide. It was exciting. Once, but I won't do it again.

This is a Boom Slang. It is a very poisonous variety. It is however non aggressive and rarely strikes unless provoked. He was laying on top of my front gate. I couldn't resist the temptation for a quick pic.

We took a trip to the Kalahari last week. We were the only people in the area. That's the way I like it. It was near freezing at night but nice during the day. We tented as usual and cooked outdoors.

The Kalahari light is famous for its beautiful orange glow in the early morning and late afternoons.

We were here to photograph lions. We tried a new technique. We get about 15 meters from the cats, get out of the car, lay on the ground and get that most appealing eye to eye photo that looks so special. The trick is to get back into the car before they get you. Here are some photos you may enjoy.

Lions breeding are interesting to watch. It starts out very tenderly, but it ends up like a bitter divorce.

Sometimes they just pose for the camera. It's just the luck of the draw.

These two are sisters and just playing.

When we went back to the camp later that morning we got a big surprise. While I was cooking I heard Pepi yell "LOOK OVER HERE QUICK". I could tell by her voice it was serious. I baby lion cub walked into the camp and sat down next to the table like a puppy.

She stared calling for Mom. The hair on my neck stood up straight. If mom hears her she will come charging in, blinded by rage and ready to attack anything that moves. I held my breath. No mom!
Now what?

We had to get it back to its mom. We took her over to the water hole and placed her in some thick bush.

We backed off and stood watch all day to be sure no other predators would harm her. Just as it got dark the pride started roaring in the distance. The cub headed straight for the sound. The next day we saw a female hanging in the area. We assume it was the mother. We don't know for sure but we hope they were reunited. It could have ended much worse.

The animals in that area are beautiful. The light makes every photo a magical moment.

This Springbok looked so appealing in this morning light.

These are Kudu. They are the most regal looking antelope in the Kalahari. They grow huge in that area with long spiraling horns.

This Gemsbok has horns as long as his body. It is one of the lions favorite prey.

The giraffe are plentiful in the Kalahari and amazingly curious. They will walk up to a car and just stare. They keep getting closer and closer until one decides it's had enough. Then they just turn and walk away.

The bird life around the watering hole is something to behold. They all arrive at different times of the day. Some drink at daybreak, others through out the day. The vultures show up at noon. You can set your watch by it.

Well that's about all there is. In August we will be in Kuhmo. Where the hell is that? Check in on us in late August and we will fill you in on all the details. Have a great day and take care.