A-weekend-in-the-bush

A Weekend in the Bush

Spending a few days in the beautiful South African bushveld this weekend was like an instant recharge to my batteries. I am so blessed to live a mere few hours drive from an abundance of wild animals.  But due to the devastating threat to Rhino in our beautiful country, this area, which this weekend we called “The Garden of Eden”  will remain unnamed.

rhinos-in-the-wild

Rhino poaching has increased dramatically in the last few years, with hundreds killed each year for their horns for use in asian countries. Because of this, photographers are now being asked to make sure their geo tagging is switched off when taking photographs, as poachers are being supplied by international criminal gangs with sophisticated equipment to track exact locations of rhino through social networks and the internet. And this does not only mean professional photographers. Anyone taking photographs with smart phones should also switch their geo tagging off, if you are intending to share your pictures of rhinos on any social media sites.

 

Animals-in-the-wild

Zebra-drinking-in-the-wild

A few hours spent at this watering hole was like stepping into an animal paradise.  Because of the drought conditions in this area, all the game make their way here to drink, providing  us with spectacular sightings on Rhinos with babies, herds of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and buck of all kinds.

animals-drinking-in-the-wild

A very playful troop of baboons arrived with their young, and sat in the trees socializing, grooming each other  and enjoying the cooler weather.

Baboon antics

The flora in winter is spectacular with  indigenous aloes in abundance, falling leaves with dry bark and algae making for a macro photographer’s dream.

indigenous-aloe
flora-in-the-wild

Here are a few of the beautiful birds we came across.

Birds-in-the-wild

 

Where is your favourite place to relax and enjoy nature?

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19 Comments

  • Reply eric June 24, 2015 at 3:29 PM

    Great Pics and such a Wonderful experience, complimented by Great Food and Wine.

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon June 24, 2015 at 6:42 PM

      Yes, loads of great South African red wine and gourmet meals cooked on the open fire. Well done team, everyone excelled themselves with such amazing meals.

  • Reply Michelle June 24, 2015 at 6:27 PM

    So so beautiful!!!!!

  • Reply Jenny June 24, 2015 at 6:53 PM

    I wish I could see wild animals like that. I have to make do with a zoo which is less than ideal.

  • Reply Marie June 25, 2015 at 11:40 AM

    Ev, your photos are wonderful – the subjects strutted their stuff for you to capture great shots!

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon June 25, 2015 at 2:57 PM

      Oh my gosh you don’t understand Marie. They were definitely performing for the cameras.

  • Reply Mike June 25, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Nice pics, well done

  • Reply Elizabeth June 28, 2015 at 7:04 PM

    The opening image is for a book cover, Ev! Thanks so much for this post. Certainly, a Nat Geo experience! Love it.

  • Reply Emma June 29, 2015 at 4:29 AM

    Your photos! That fluffy little yellow bird and the zebras are so gorgeous. I love seeing blog posts like this, it reminds me that we still have beautiful wildlife in the world despite so many being on the endangered list.

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon October 3, 2015 at 12:05 PM

      Yes Emma, its was so uplifting to see the number of animals at such a small watering hole. Quite rare actually.
      Thanks for commenting and so sorry my reply is so belated, but I have just discovered that ALL my comments had been put into the spam folder due to a technical error.
      I love your birthday cake images by the way – so pretty and I hope you had a great birthday !!!!

  • Reply KEITH STEENHUISEN June 29, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    Sorry for all the coughing it must have been very irritating but it did turn into a chronic chest infection which had to treated with antibiotics. Great weekend with amazing food and wine and great friends. Lovely pics Ev well done with your blog.

  • Reply ratna July 10, 2015 at 11:49 PM

    Amazing photography. What lens did you use to take the bird pictures, may I ask?

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon July 11, 2015 at 12:24 AM

      Hi Ratna, thanks so much for your kind words. I used a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. I found it a nice affordable lens and not too heavy .

  • Reply Georgina @theamazingflavoursofbrazil.com July 16, 2015 at 1:54 PM

    Oh wow Ev! What a wonderful country you live in. The pictures of this beautiful wildlife are fantastic. Thanks for the tips regarding tagging, I had no idea this was happening. I suppose if everyone contributes a little bit that can make a big difference! Please keep the travel articles coming!

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon July 16, 2015 at 6:21 PM

      The plight of our Rhino is reaching catastrophic proportions. The killing, and maiming of rhinos for their horns by poachers is reaching such proportions that the extinction of Rhinos is a real concern. All South Africans are passionate about this subject, and I feel so privileged to have seen rhinos with such tiny babies. It is a rare sight and definitely lifts my spirits.

  • Reply Mobile App Developers August 20, 2015 at 12:36 PM

    Nice post, things explained in details. Thank You.

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