Black-chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus spectoralis), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and Canon EF 1.4x III Converter attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 400. 1/2500sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

We undertook another trip to the Kgalagadi this November as we had so enjoyed our visit there last year at the same time.  Things are never quite the same again.  Last year we had some rain and fairly spectacular cloud formations on most days.  This was not to be on this visit, as we had very hot and windy conditions with no virtually no clouds at all.  Because of conditions last year, I had tended to favour the landscapes of the Kalahari.  This year’s conditions did not favour that.

Whilst we had some good sightings there was not an abundance of game.  However, the bird sightings were very good, especially the raptors and owls.  So this blog is going to concentrate on some of the photographic opportunities presented by those sightings.

By far the most common raptor sightings were the ubiquitous Pale Chanting Goshawks.  For me, the juvenile goshawks are far more attractive than the adult. The adult is a fairly uniform grey with bright legs and sere, whilst the juveniles look totally different in their various garbs of speckled browns.  The eyes of the juveniles are particularly attractive displaying an intense near-white coloured iris.  The adult’s dark red eyes are more obscured and deep set.

I have set out a few images below of the juvenile Pale Chanting Goshawks including some that are close-ups of the eyes.  This is juxtapositioned against an adult at the end of the sequence of images.

Pale Chanting Goshawk juv. (Melierax Canopus), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens @ 250mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/3200sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens @ 366mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/2000sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 400. 1/1600sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens @ 217mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/4000sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Adult Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax Canopus), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with 1.4x ext. @ 513mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Pale Chanting Goshawks are near endemic to the western and central parts of South Africa, whereas the smaller Dark Chanting Goshawk occurs in the far eastern part of the country.

The Lanner Falcon is a very common sighting at most water holes in the dried river beds hunting doves and sand grouse. However we did see quite a few Pygmy Falcons which are usually found near the Sociable Weavers’ nests. They are typically only about 18-20 cm. in height.

Pygmy Falcon(Polihierax semitorquatus), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Another of the smaller raptors which were common sightings was the Black-winged kite.  It has the distinctive black shoulder patches and striking red eyes.  It often hunts by hovering and then folds its wings upward in a deep”V”and parachutes onto prey.

Black-winged Kite (Milvus Aegyptius), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and a Canon EF 1.4x III converter attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter. ISO 800. 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually. Handheld.

The best sighting of a large raptor was no doubt of a Black-chested Snake Eagle (see the featured image at the beginning of this blog).   We had travelled north of Nossop camp up to the Kousant waterhole and had not seen much except for perching Pale Chanting Goshawks (virtually no mammals at all). The best light had passed and we decided to return to Nossop.  We stopped at the popular Cubitje Quap waterhole just before the camp to watch the jackals trying to catch Sandgrouse and there in a small pool of water was a Black-chested Snake Eagle.  I thought I had better capture an image before it flew off.   I had a 600mm lens with a 1.4x converter attached to one R5. I grabbed that, although I knew it may be too much focal length.  However it worked out just fine for the first few shots as the eagle was drinking.  It then flew off onto the side of the waterhole stone surround and I did get a shot with its wings stretched out, although the focal length of 840mm was a bit much to get it all in.  From there it took off and did a splendid fly past for me – enough to fire quite a few images of it in flight.  It was very difficult hand holding such a big and heavy rig upwards out of the window.  However I was pleasantly surprised at the result.  The following few images, together with the featured image, are from that marvellous sighting.

Black-chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus spectoralis), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and Canon EF 1.4x III Converter attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 400. 1/2500sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

All the above images had the same camera settings as the first image, except for the two flight images where I reduced the shutter speed by a half a stop to 1/2000 sec.

We also had a good viewing of an immature Martial Eagle.  Although it was well posed and in the open, I could not get a position where the light angle was good and that there was a clear background behind the bird.

Immature Martial Eagle(Polemaetus bellicosus), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and Canon EF 1.4x III Converter attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 320. 1/4000sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

It did eventually move and I managed a few better images.  The size and ferocity of the talons always amaze me.  The latin”bellicosus” is certainly descriptive of this species.  The feather ends on the wing look as if they had been painted on.

In this image below the eagle does not look nearly as threatening.

Immature Martial Eagle(Polemaetus bellicosus), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens and 1.4x extension @ 540mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 400. 1/2500sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

It wasn’t just raptors that we saw, but collectively they were in abundance.  There were also owls to be seen – Spotted Eagle Owl, Barn Owl and Southern White-faced Owl.

Southern White-faced Owl(Ptilopsis grant), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with 1.4x extender @ 533mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter

ISO 800. 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

Other than bird watching and photography, we did spend time watching the jackals trying to catch the birds at the waterholes – with limited success.

A promising start

Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesmelas), Kgalagadi TFP, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens @217mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter. Hand held.

ISO 800. 1/2500 sec at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

MISSED  ….. and the Sandgrouse and Doves live a while longer.

Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesmelas), Kgalagadi TFP, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Canon EOS 1DX Mark III with Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens @2oomm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter. Hand held.

ISO 400. 1/2500 sec at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

And not to forget the smaller stuff.  That is an aspect of the Kgalagadi that I enjoy.  There are many smaller creatures to observe if you look carefully.  From Geckos  to Mongooses, there is always something to see like this Sand Lizard which are often seen in the small bushes bordering the roads.

Sand Lizard. Kgalagadi TFP, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens at 280mm attached with a Canon RF/EF adapter.

ISO 400. 1/2500 sec at f/5.6. Exposure set manually.

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Considering the hot windy weather, we still had a good trip – especially the photographic opportunities for raptors.