LIttle Winged Hunter

Grey Headed Bush Shrikes are both gorgeous and elusive.

They are also efficient, scary predators on smaller creatures in the bush.

 

This one is eying up a very large grasshopper.

 

Moments later, another shrike swooped in and grabbed a chameleon.  Shy and skulking, these birds are not easy to get close to, but that's what zoom lenses and cropping are for...

Notice the tail of the chameleon curled around, visible behind the small branch.

Roan

Ever elusive, a roan antelope is a pure beauty.  Capturing one on camera in Katavi has been a challenge, but finally a brief pose before this bull decided to turn and run.

Minutes later, more roan, with a lone female zebra...what a nice sighting for us.

 

Now we need to find those even more elusive Sable antelope...

Thirst

I am so Thirsty right now!  Too bad there's a hippo in there.

 

Listen Girlfriend, we are lions.  L-I-O-N-S.  I'm thirsty.  Let's do this.

 

Aaah!  That's good.  Being lions is so awesome!

 

Pardonnez-moi?  You did not just try to drink from my pool...

 

I believe the title is, King of the Jungle.  This is a waterhole.

We may be L-I-O-N-S, miss spelling bee, but that is an H-I-P-P-O, so let's go!

I'm right behind you!  Just go!

 

This is soooo embarrassing!

 

I stand by what I said before.  We are lions, girlfriend.  We tell no one about this.  No one!

The Far Side

Shame on us for making fun of one of the creatures we admire, but come on!  Look at this guy.  He reminds us of a Gary Larsen cartoon...

Crocodile with a funny face

Lovely Lady

The dry season dramatics of Katavi can overshadow other parts of it's beauty at times.  But above all the desperate quests for water and the territorial battles for mudholes, above the scramble between lions, hyenas, crocodiles and vultures to be first on the scene of any site of carnage...this lovely lady adds a touch of serenity and calm.

So It Begins

As you can see, water pools are still available, for now, in Katavi's Katuma "river," but this crocodile is taking no chances.  Soon this cave and others like it will be the only refuge from the sun for the thousands of crocs of Katavi.

Even Elephants Need to be Dusted in the Dry Season

Mkorofi Mahoney, eldest boy of Chada Katavi elephant Family is very comfortable reaching into and onto the Library tent.  Yesterday he found the dusting cloth that waiters use for cleaning the Library tent.  It was hidden above the tent, under the flysheet.

      He found this cloth so amusing that he put it on his head and wore it for a while.

Sometimes you just can't believe what these creatures will do.  Good luck finding this in a guide book.