|
See Links below for My African Safari Photo Album
First Giraffes...
We had left the Maasai with their spears and herds of cattle and goats behind. Suddenly we noticed that the
lead land rovers had stopped. Giraffes!! Not just giraffes, but at least 18 of them, and right alongside the road.
The sun was from the opposite side of the road and the giraffes were perfectly lighted. I shot numerous pictures
using my 100 to 300 mm zoom lens. The framing was spectacular. We got out of the land rovers to get closer to the animals.
The terrain was rocky and provided no real
cover for predators. Lion attack was not a concern here.
If only one of these shots comes out as I envisioned it, the trip, I thought, will have been worth it. Dave
McLean commented that he anticipated the time when we would no longer consider giraffes as special sightings. I had difficulty
in imagining sighting of these magnificent, oddly graceful creatures ever becoming commonplace.
We had several sightings of secretary birds and crowned cranes on the ground, but no leopards. As we were about to return
to the lodge for lunch, Mussa stopped to talk with a driver who was returning from another area. There was much excited conversation
between the drivers in Swahili. The other driver drove on and Mussa turned back and veered off on a road to the left. Not
more than one half mile away, in a lone acacia tree there was a leopard draped over one of the upper branches. Mussa put
us very close to the tree and we all got some great shots
A view of the African Landscape From Seronera Lodge.
For a full account of my African Safari,
click on the
Trip Log Link below.
|