Tags
black rhino, black-backed jackal, blacksmith lapwing, elephant, Etosha National Park, Etosha Pan, glossy starling, Halali camp, Hyena, Impala, kudu, laughing dove, Lion, marabou stork, Namibia, red hartebeest, rhino, Rock kestrel, Scops owl, secretary bird, Spotted hyena, Springbok, Striped mongoose, whydah, zebra
Monday, morning, 25th February. Here is a map of Etosha National Park. “>http://a href=”https://www.etoshanationalpark.org”><img src=”https://www.etoshanationalpark.org/media/Etosha-Map2.jpg” alt=”Etosha National Park Map” title=”Etosha National Park Map”/></a>
It’s huge. Etosha Pan itself is 75 miles/120 kilometres long. This is a dried up lake, the salt from which affects the land to its south. We had entered the NP by Anderson Gate, in the middle of the Park, and Halali Camp is a little over a third of the way along the Pan to the northwest of the Gate. The map shows the many waterholes.
After a very early breakfast, we went out for a ‘game’ drive. It was not quite as light as my camera made out to begin with.

















When we got back to Halali Camp, it was still relatively early, and we had a couple of hours off. The Camp had no free wifi, but our vehicles did, and I spent some time in one of them (as it was being driven to get fuel and then parked somewhere in the camp) catching up with vital home political news. (For those interested in such things, I learned that THAT vote, due already for the nth time on 27th February, was being put off again for two weeks.)
Before lunch, the group walked five minutes to the waterhole a few had visited the previous evening. En route we saw in the camp grounds, among other things, …


Once at the waterhole, where we were comfortably seated, we saw plenty of life.













It had been quite a morning!
Blimey! I like pussycats but I think the sight of that lion approaching with interest might have alarmed me somewhat! And I always feel sorry for hyenas – really rather ugly and invariably with an air of defeat. But what a magnificent owl – one of my favourite birds and this one is a real star. Great pictures!
LikeLike
Not the tiniest frisson of fear among us over the lion, just huge admiration and sense of privilege x.
LikeLike
I love the photo of the red-billed teal with the zebra reflections!
LikeLike
Lovely to hear from you Pam. Yes, I enjoyed framing that photo!
LikeLike
I am gasping with amazement – what an exciting morning.
LikeLike
Indeed!
LikeLike
You saw and photographed an enormous array of wild life, you must be delighted. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
LikeLike
My pleasure Susan.
LikeLike
A great set of lion pictures and the video was a bonus.
LikeLike
I’ve tried to find what the huffing means, and one suggestion is that it’s a sign of general contentment.
LikeLike
So the huffing is just the purring of this big cat?! What magnificent pictures, and video. Talk about gender differentiation for the Long-tailed Paradise-Whydahs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The differentiation is only when the males are in breeding plumage, as I understand it.
LikeLike
What diversity!
– Rock kestrel (?) Rather a Lesser Kestrel female, Falco naumanni, Faucon crécerellette. Like our kestrel, but with clear nails!
– Laughing dove and whydahs (?) Yes for laughing dove, and Long-tailed Paradise Whydah – Vidua paradisaea, Veuve de paradis, females
– I think this is the male of a species of paradise, but I’m not sure: possible post breeding adult male. Males and females are almost indistinguishable outside of the breeding season.
Superb pictures of the Lion King and excellent red-billed teal with zebra reflections, thank you so much for sharing!
LikeLike
Thank you in turn, Bernard, for your advice. There’s lots more to come!
LikeLike