Roodeplaat Nature Reserve - 10 October 2015

This past weekend I thought I'd write up another short post with photographs, just to find out that I hadn't done so since last year September; that was 10 months ago! I also realised that there were many sets of photographs that I hadn't processed yet. That set me on a quest to do processing on photographs that I took months ago.  

 

Last year in October I visited the Roodeplaat Nature Reserve (RNR), and although it isn't one of my favourite photographic spots, I did get a few photographs. When you visit RNR, you have to be VERY patient.

I arrived shortly after sunrise, and the light was a beautiful golden colour; indeed the golden hour!

The zebra above stared at me very intently, but it didn't seem like he was much bothered with my presence.

I came upon the Kudu above nibbling on the grasses. He looked at me for a short while, and then turned to his left and bolted out of there!

The rest of the photographs of this outing can be found here.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve–2015-05-30

Rietvlei Nature Reserve is one of my favourite places to visit. It is close to home, and there is enough to see. Early mornings provide for great sunrise photography. One thing is for sure; every time you visit, you will not get to see everything it has on offer. There are some animals there that I have never seen, such as the cheetah and otters. Anyway, here are a few pics from this visit, and if you want to see more go to the album on my Flickr account.

When I walked out of this bird hide, I simply turned around, liked what I saw and took the shot. For some reason, this is my wife’s favourite.

This Waterbuck was hoping that I couldn’t see him.

A beautiful Common Fiscal.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve–2014-12-20

This morning I was up at 05:30 in order that I could get ready, feed the animals, and then to leave for the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, which is only 7Km (4.35mi) from my house! Having arrived at the reserve, I started doing what photographers do at reserves…, take photographs! Having taken about 25 photographs, I realised that the battery of my camera was dying. So, I did what any photographer would do at this point. Open the equipment bag and get out the second battery. It was at this point that I realised that my second battery wasn’t charged! How it came to this point I do not know. I have been very good at keeping a charged backup battery! All I can think of is that somehow at some previous shoot, I use the backup battery and forgot that I did. Then when I got home I only charged the battery that was in the camera, thinking that it was the only battery I used.  Here are a few of the photographs I shot.

Yellow-billed Duck

 

Zebra

 

Little Egret

 

Blesbuck calves

 

Springbuck

 

Created with flickr slideshow.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve–2014-11-22

Back in April, for the first time in my life, also at Rietvlei, I saw the European Bee Eater. I immediately fell in love with this beautiful bird. At the time, I only had a 55-300mm lens, and the birds were fairly far away from where I was, and unfortunately, I couldn’t get closer. I took a couple of photographs, and that was it! By the end of April these migratory birds had left, and at the time there was no chance to see them again. Then, one day (I think it was somewhere in October), while I was outside in my garden, making sure the swimming pool was in good order, I suddenly heard this sound that I knew so well. Prrrrt, prrrt, prrrt! I looked up, and there I saw a whole flock of these Bee Eaters flying right over our house. They were coming in from the north, on their way to Rietvlei.

That very Saturday, after this event, I took my camera and the Sigma 150-500 lens that I had bought in the meantime, and headed for the reserve. I couldn’t find the birds. It took me a couple of visits before I eventually saw them on 22 Nov 2014. I was very happy. When I saw them, I was actually heading out, since it threatened to rain and some drops had already started to fall. For a short while the threat subsided and I could sit in the car just watching them and waiting for an opportunity to photograph them. I was very happy.

Anyway, here are some pictures of them, and some other creatures that I photographed.

European Bee Eater

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/9
Shutter:	1/1250
ISO:	800
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Zebra Foal

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/5.6
Shutter:	1/1600
ISO:	400
Focal Length:	150mm (35mm Eq = 225mm)

Blesbuck family

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/4000
ISO:	400
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Whiskered Tern

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/3200
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

 

More pictures can be found in the slideshow below. There are more photographs of the European Bee Eater, a Pied Starling, and African Darter, a White Throated Swallow, more Zebras, etc.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve - 2014-11-16

This time, when I visited the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve on 16 Nov 2014, I was lucky to take a photograph of a Greater Striped Swallow, which is a really pretty bird.

Greater Striped Swallow

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/9
Shutter:	1/640
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Blood lily

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/500
ISO:	400
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Hiding Impala

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/1000
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	360mm (35mm Eq = 540mm)

What bird am I?

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/1000
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Yellow Masked Weaver

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/1000
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Yellow Masked Weaver

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/1000
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Yellow Masked Weaver

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/6.3
Shutter:	1/1000
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm Eq = 750mm)

Ostrich with her chicks

Hardware
Camera:	Sony SLT-A37
Lens:	Sigma DG 150-500mm 5-6.3 APO HSM
Photo Settings
Aperture:	f/9
Shutter:	1/800
ISO:	200
Focal Length:	210mm (35mm Eq = 315mm)

Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve–18 October 2014

I realized, as I was preparing for this blog post, that I haven’t created any posts between my last post (of Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve - MKNR), and this one, even though I have been taking pictures all over in between. I will have to rectify that some time!

Anyway, MKNR is one of my favourite places to visit for 4 reasons:

1. It is free to visit the reserve;
2. You can walk through the reserve (many come to do some jogging here);
3. You essentially get much closer to the animals;
4. It is only 7km (4.35mi) from where I live.

So, here are a few of the pics I shot in the 3 hours I spent here.

The pic above is of a Cardinal Woodpecker

 

Impalas checking me out, wondering what their next move should be.

 

Zebra having breakfast.

 

Created with flickr slideshow.

Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve - 28 September 2014

I popped into Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve today to take a couple of photographs. For some reason the animals were nowhere where I was. I only saw one Springbok. There are many zebra, springbok and gemsbok there. I somehow missed all of them.

Here is a slideshow of the pics I shot.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve–4 Jan 2014

I visited the Rietvlei Nature Reserve yesterday. I go there so often because there are so many animals. They have all kinds of animals, from buck, to zebra, to rhinos. They have an array of birds that can be seen at the bird hides.

With the pic below I played a bit with my in-camera HDR. Interesting detail that popped up!

You can see some of the photos I took there yesterday in the slide show below.

I ran into some zebra with a foal. Cute little thing! I was also lucky to pass three huge rhinos. They were within 3 meters from the car.

Enjoy!