https://www.otocyonphotography.com/ https://www.otocyonphotography.com/links.html https://www.otocyonphotography.com/about.html https://www.otocyonphotography.com/otheritems.html https://www.otocyonphotography.com/gallery.html https://www.otocyonphotography.com/news.html https://www.otocyonphotography.com/friends-images https://www.otocyonphotography.com/gear https://www.otocyonphotography.com/mammals https://www.otocyonphotography.com/birds-of-prey https://www.otocyonphotography.com/other-birds https://www.otocyonphotography.com/burchells-sandgrouse-portrait https://images.on-this.website/6837_993459624da3598147bcf.jpgBurchell's sandgrouse portrait Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park December 2008 https://www.otocyonphotography.com/kori-bustard https://images.on-this.website/6837_6085611504ade3d20b2693.jpgKori bustard Kori bustard about its business in the late afternoon Kalahari light; image taken near Twee Rivieren camp. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/roan-antelope https://images.on-this.website/6837_7219192304b191cfd54419.jpgRoan antelope There are a few roan in Mokala NP. They were quite relaxed and we saw them quite a few times during our stay in Jan 2009. They were mostly lying down and not very interested in posing. This image was taken late afternoon with a lot of shade on the roan's face. During post processing I decided to desaturate the background completely to B&W to make the roan stand out more. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/a-neat-little-guy https://images.on-this.website/6837_10003788034af3e93323369.jpgA neat little guy This image of a scaly feathered finch was made in Mokala National Park, NW Province, SA during a Dec 2008-Jan 2009 trip. These little birds always look immaculately groomed. Mokala is a great place to see a number of smaller birds as well as raptors. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/pale-chanting-goshawk https://images.on-this.website/6837_14827015894ade3ca74f35b.jpgPale chanting goshawk The Kalahari is pale chanting goshawk country. I am at home when I see the pure blue sky and hear their haunting call. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/blacksmith-lapwing-plover https://images.on-this.website/6837_2483653154cd875967fa1f.jpgBlacksmith lapwing (plover) Pilanesberg NP, Nov 2010. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/juvenile-bearded-vulture https://images.on-this.website/6837_43588734b12c54e2a0ea.jpgJuvenile bearded vulture Captured at Giants' Castle Aug 2009. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/buffalo https://images.on-this.website/6837_14186736944b12c5c102b31.jpgBuffalo Captured at Mokala NP Jan 2009 https://www.otocyonphotography.com/photo3815614.html https://images.on-this.website/6837_8066549814ade39d831e97.jpgBearded vulture https://www.otocyonphotography.com/sharpes-grysbok https://images.on-this.website/6837_7261025314b47684e620e2.jpgSharpe's grysbok Found this shy little Sharpe's grysbok ("grey buck") ewe between Punda Maria and Shingwedzi camps in northern Kruger NP. She happily posed for a while, and looked very pregnant. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/zebra-portrait https://images.on-this.website/6837_7704341284cd8753aa01a8.jpgZebra portrait Pilanesberg NP, Nov 2010. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/cape-griffon https://images.on-this.website/6837_13238629834addcfc6803ac.jpgCape Griffon At the vulture hide, Giant's Castle, Drakensberg https://www.otocyonphotography.com/booooooring https://images.on-this.website/6837_20743817134d9b74f4db720.jpgBooooooring..... The same young spotted eagle owl, yawning in the midday heat. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/places-to-go https://images.on-this.website/6837_15532001724af3ea43c0e63.jpgPlaces to go.... This black-backed jackal was purposefully on the way in the late afternnon. Captured in KTP, December 2008. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/leopard https://images.on-this.website/6837_6295687994aebf69d64fe2.jpgLeopard Leopard seen on the last evening of the last day in KTP, Dec 2008-Jan 2009. This beauty was within sight of the Twee Rivieren Gate. It was 5 minutes from gate closing time and there was quite a traffic jam. Due to digital technology it was possible to get a reasonable photograph in low light. There was a kill (springbok) close by; she was strolling leisurely to the kill after a rest on the dunes. I later found out that she is well known to photographers; some lucky people got shots of her with her cubs. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/hamerkop https://images.on-this.website/6837_4370654814b476783b5e99.jpgHamerkop Found this hamerkop in great late afternoon light at the hide in the western section of Mapungubwe NP (Far northern Limpopo province in RSA, close to the Limpopo river). He visited every day and was quite a successful fisherman. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/photo3815600.html https://images.on-this.website/6837_12760164944ade39b69eb62.jpgCape griffon https://www.otocyonphotography.com/photo4055712.html https://images.on-this.website/6837_5750420684b12c58683aa1.jpgBearded Vulture Captured at Giants' Castle Aug 2009. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/photo3987340.html https://images.on-this.website/6837_10252146894b01ba4366439.jpgLeopard Another view of the same leopard https://www.otocyonphotography.com/jackal-buzzard https://images.on-this.website/6837_11363600714ade3978174c8.jpgJackal buzzard https://www.otocyonphotography.com/ground-squirrel https://images.on-this.website/6837_9858995454b191c353b4d7.jpgGround squirrel Taken at Mata-Mata campsite Dec 2008. They are very tame, playing under the tree at the camp entrance. They are also vulnerable because of this- they get run over frequently. We saw a casualty while I was taking this photograph. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/namaqua-dove https://images.on-this.website/6837_494248314b191d8ec4dae.jpgNamaqua dove This male Namaqua dove posed beautifully in an acacia shrub across from a waterhole in the Aoub river bed in Kgalagadi Transfronteir Park. Image taken in Dec 2008. This is the smallest local dove, with the longest tail. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/pallid-harrier-juvenile https://images.on-this.website/6837_6245602174ade3c3f0f714.jpgPallid harrier (juvenile) My first sighting of a pallid harrier- at a water hole near the Twee Rivieren-Nossob road. Image taken Dec 2008. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/kudu-portrait https://images.on-this.website/6837_7339383414b12c96ca2c03.jpgKudu portrait Young kudu bull(14-17 months) in the thick vegetation near Punda Maria camp. Jul 2008. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/the-family https://images.on-this.website/6837_9269966634ae1a95e0fb1b.jpg"The Family" Bearded vultures, 2 adults and a juvenile at Giant's Castle Hide, on a rainy, overcast morning. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/bearded-vulture https://images.on-this.website/6837_12948561774ade39ed40000.jpgBearded vulture https://www.otocyonphotography.com/lets-not-discuss-diet https://images.on-this.website/6837_1323637934af5f0b3849cf.jpgLets not discuss diet... Found this lioness early one morning in KTP, under a bush next to the road. She was tearing into a spring buck carcass in a very businesslike manner. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/familiar-chat https://images.on-this.website/6837_17988400764aef42a9e89a3.jpgFamiliar chat While waiting for the vultures to appear, these chats kept us occupied https://www.otocyonphotography.com/the-stare https://images.on-this.website/6837_17504719124af1d03d824ea.jpgThe Stare Bearded vulture at Giant's Castle. The vulture hide at Giant's Castle affords wonderful opportunities to observe these beautiful birds in flight. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/buffalo-calves https://images.on-this.website/6837_391623114b12ca7d778f1.jpgBuffalo calves Buffalo calves mimicking the adults'dominance behaviour. Captured Feb 2008. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/in-your-face https://images.on-this.website/6837_10578338994af3ec82af5cd.jpgIn your face Found this young spotted eagle owl in a dense acacia shrub in KTP in the middle of the day- in the December heat. One parent was sitting at the base of a neighbouring tree, ignoring the youngster and trying to catch some sleep. This is a very tightly cropped version. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/black-shouldered-kite https://images.on-this.website/6837_18784489024ade3bfa43d38.jpgBlack shouldered kite Though very common throughout South Africa the always immaculately groomed, attractive black shouldered kite is hard to find in a natural setting- they love to hunt from telephone/power line perches. This sub adult does not yet have the distinctive red eyes. https://www.otocyonphotography.com/photo3987341.html https://images.on-this.website/6837_19823048684b01bad18eaac.jpgBearded vulture Yet another bearded vulture view- severe head angle