Kgalagadi holiday part 2 - the wildlife

Last week I wrote a post on our Kgalagadi holiday part 1 and today I’m showing the amazing wildlife that we saw.

Being in nature and seeing these beautiful animals and birds was an experience I will treasure forever. These photos I took with my Canon 70D and 55-250mm lens.

The Lion above was one of my favourite sightings. He was laying on top of one of the largest red dunes in the shade of a tree and stayed there for ages as he had recently eaten. We were able to get beautiful photos from our car and simply enjoy watching him.

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS

This is an adult Cheetah we were fortunate to see. What made this sighting special was we saw her again with her cubs (2 of her cubs are in the photo below).

The Gemsbok were beautiful.

KGALAGADI TRANSFONTIER NATIONAL PARK

The Kgalagadi is different to the other National Parks we’ve visited. Addo Elephant National Park and Pilanesberg receives more rain annually and therefore has more grass and greenery. I adored Kgalagadi, I loved everything about the arid landscape and how the animals have adapted to the harsh environment.

This Blue Wildebeest is so striking against the dry background and stands out beautifully.

One of the many things I’ve had to learn about photography is seeing how the time of day transforms your photos.

This is a Black-backed Jackal in the early morning light.

Another Black-backed Jackal later in the day - they look totally different due to the light.

When we are observing wildlife and away from our laptops I feel a sense of calm envelope me. I am able to be present and simply soak up the moment. I honestly feel that being in nature puts back what work stress and routines takes out. I always come away from the experience feeling like my cup has been filled. Experiencing it with hubby makes it so special, I’m grateful we both love wildlife and nature as much as we do.

These are Springboks walking calmly past. Again I’m fascinated with the dry, almost unsaturated background.

I appreciated every wildlife sighting, big or small! These Ground Squirrels were so entertaining to watch. This was one evening just before we were leaving for the day, such a fun way to end a day in the Park.

THE BIRDLIFE

We were told the bird life was spectacular but the sightings exceeded our wildest expectations!

Below is a Tawny Eagle soaring gracefully seconds before swooping down and killing a turtle dove.

Below is the same Tawny Eagle now feasting on the turtle dove. We parked and watched this unfold for ages. The Tawny Eagle was calm and unperturbed by the cars parked by and observing.

This is a juvenile Pale Chanting Goshawk.

Below is an adult Pale Chanting Goshawk. I haven’t photographed one before and to get a juvenile and adult in the same tree was quite an experience.

We were so fortunate with the weather, while it was chilly in the night and early mornings, we had beautiful warmish weather during the day.

This is a Lanner Falcon, a very striking bird.

I loved visiting Kgalagadi Transfontier Park so much that I cannot wait to go back. The saying about once you get the red sand between your toes you will never stop visiting the park is SO true, it is simply magical.

xx