We have recently returned from a visit undertaken in June to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. In all honesty I should call it the Raptor Visit, as we saw an abundance of raptors and very few cats. There had been widespread rains in the late summer which evidenced itself by the long grass all over the dunes and the river beds. This had all resulted in an explosion of rodents and armoured crickets which you could see crossing the roads in great numbers. All great fare for the raptors and we had superb sightings of eagles, kites, hawks and falcons.
I managed to capture so many images that I have decided to split the blog into four parts, with each part covering a day or a few days of sightings. This particular blog covers the first full day we had in the park. We drove from Twee Rivieren to the Melkvlei picnic area and back to TR. In all my years of going to the Kgalagadi, I have never seen that many raptors, especially Black-winged Kites. Just about every thornbush seemed to have a raptor perched on it – scanning the grass for something to eat.
Our first good sighting was a pair of Tawny Eagles which were nesting in a tree. One did take off, flew around the tree and I managed to get a good flight shot of it. It took off again, presumely to hunt, and I again captured it in flight against a clear sky. Both images clearly show the intricate flight feathers and structure.
both images
Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) in flight. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Canon EOS R3 with Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens. Handheld
ISO 1000. 1/4000sec @ f/6.3. Exposure set manually
It was a special start to our trip. We stayed there for some while but the eagle did not return – a long hunting trip? The other eagle was still sitting in the tree but did not emerge for a clear picture.
After that, all the way to Melkvlei was about Black-winged Kites. As with much of the photography in this Park, correct light angle is difficult to achieve. However, I did manage to get some good stationary images as well as take-offs of the Kites. Later in the trip we would see quite a few juvenile Black-winged Kites which I think are more attractive than the adult – as is with Pale Chanting Goshawks.
All three images
Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus). Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Canon EOS R3 with Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM lens and RF 1.4x extender. Beanbag supported.
ISO 800. 1/3200 sec @ f/6.3. Exposure set manually.
We had a good break at the Melkvlei picnic spot where we watched some White-browed Sparrow-Weavers really close up. My wife was walking around the pinic area and spotted some interesting plants in the clay sand. Am sure these plants just bloom after good rain. It looks like the buck eat the leaves and leave the flower part of the plant alone. Wonderful to see colour like this in the desert-like surroundings. Have not yet identified the plant name.
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali). Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z lens. Handheld.
ISO 800. 1/6400 sec @ f/5.6. Exposure set manually.
The return journey was just as eventful as our drive to Melkvlei. This time I again spotted a Tawny Eagle which turned out to be a juvenile. I thought it looked different but it could not be a Steppe Eagle at this time of the year. Also managed to get it in flight.
Tawny Eagle juv. (Aquila rapax). Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and EF 1.4X III extender. Handheld.
ISO 800. 1/2500 sec @ f/7.1. Exposure set manually.
A morning of bird photography of raptors in the park would not be complete without an image of the numerous Pale Chanting Goshawks.
Pale Chanting Goshawks (Melierax canorus). Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and EF 1.4x III extender. Beanbag supported.
ISO 800. 1/2000 sec @ f/8. Exposure set manually.
It was certainly a great morning trip. Raptors galore, which allowed me to get my hand in with some action photography. It was also the first time I had used the Canon R5 Mark II in the wild. More remarks about the camera bodies and lenses at the end of part four of the blog.
wow, well done John! Amazing photographs