2023-07 Botswana by David Pitts
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  1. David Pitts' Gallery
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Wendy and David go to Botswana!

This was a trip organized by Backcountry Journeys and Grant Ordelheide was our photography guide. I worked with Grant previously when I did Canyons of Utah in the Winter so I knew this was going to be good!

It takes a while to get there. Flight to Newark, NJ. 7 hour layover. Flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, delayed 2 hours. 15 hours on the plane. Get through customs, overnight at the airport hotel. Flight to Polokwane, South Africa. 2 1/2 hour drive to Pont Drift border crossing. Exit South Africa. Cross the Limpopo River dangling from a cable in a small steel cage. Frankly, I thought Wendy was going to say HELL NO, but she was a trooper. Enter Botswana. From there it was a 15 minute drive to Tuli Lodge.

The accomodations were awesome and our "tent" was a building that incorporated a bunch of canvas in its design. Very comfortable. No heat. None. Instead the staff would put a "baby" in your bed. A baby is a hot water bottle with a soft furry cover. It works astonishingly well. We slept fine every night when we were not awakened by elephants or baboons.

I took great (and a great number of) photos and Wendy went along for the ride as a spotter. She's a good spotter. We had a very small group and the other photographers were easy to get along with.

I don't know when, but I'm likely to return to Africa.

Ladies in a line
This Giraffe thinks that he is hiding. Their camoflage is actually quite good and often when someone called out "Giraffe" they had to point to it before I saw it.
Rock Hyrax. Cute, cute cute.
This Jackal is an opportunistic little devil and is known to follow larger predators around to participate in a meal.
Male Impala getting vulnerable to get a drink. He probably took about an hour to come in from the time we first saw him. The Elephants blocked him a few times. They do not like to share.
Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill
Another way to get low enough to drink. It makes it tough to get a running start if a predator shows up.
Baobab Tree. All baobabs lose their leaves in the dry season which is when we were there.
This elephant was telling us to back off. We did not. I'm glad we had a trusted guide that knew when to hold them and when to fold them.
First night of "Sundowners". At sundown the guide would find a scenic view and we'd have a beverage and a snack. Very nice since they always brought my favorite bottle of Scotch.
Heyenas and Black-backed Jackals sharing a meal of Elephant. The Elephant died of natural causes.
Black-backed Jackals
You put your left foot in...
Chacma Baboon and baby
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Giraffe looking tall
Cheetah with a big lazy yawn. Check out those choppers!
The Cheetah just looks fast!
Cheetah cubs playing
Female Impala with Oxpeckers along for the ride
At the watering hole
Kudu coming in cautiously to the watering hole
Blue Waxbill and Golden Breasted Bunting
Ring-necked Dove
Inside the "hide". There is no way these Elephants did not know we were there. They just didn't care.
African Green Pigeon
Blue Wildebeest
Texas Wronghorn. OK, African Wronghorn. Looks like this Blue Wildebeest was born with a deformed horn.
Some African tribes historically considered the Lilac-breasted Roller to be a symbol of peace, and their kings would sacrifice it to celebrate the end of a war.
Young Lion
Female Lion
Leopard
Leopard
Leopard lounging under a tree
This Leopard did not stick around to be a model for us. A couple seconds later he dissapeard over the hill.
Kori Bustard. The national bird of Botswana. These damn things are huge.
Leopard lounging in a tree
This is a White-brested Bee Eater. They eat bees.
Young male Leopard
Young male Leopard lounging about. He was totally unconcered about the presence of our vehicle.
Mother Cheetah portrait
Rock Kestral
Klipspringer peeking over the rock
Ostrich on the run
Kori Bustard in flight. They are the largest flying bird native to Afica. The male Kori Bustard may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight.
Kori Bustard
Brown-hooded Kingfisher. This Kingfisher doesn't fish. He is an insect eater.
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