Into the dry Kgalagadi (but in the wet season)

Earlier this year, I went on a trip to the Kgalagadi with my good friend Marianne. It was a first for the both of us, and I like to think that we approached it with a few preconceptions, but generally an open mind and excitement about what the Kgalagadi had to offer us.

After a 14 hour drive from Johannesburg to Mata Mata rest camp, we decided to give the afternoon drive a skip. However, plenty was happening in the Aoub river bed in front of our Chalet. 3 Gabar Goshawks were trying to help themselves to some of the White-browed Sparrow-Weavers nesting in the river. Without even getting out on drive, the Kalahari was already proving to be a place where things happen.

The next morning, our Kgalagadi safari started in earnest. And the Kgalagadi cliche’s didn’t disappoint . Within minutes we found a large Sociable weaver on the top of a dune at sunrise, Springbok, Oryx and jackal. A nice surprise was some Bat-eared Foxes foraging in the Auob river bed. With a beautiful golden back light coming through, we decided to try for some Sociable Weavers coming in and out of the nest.

The next 2 days provided some excellent game and bird viewing. The absolute beauty of the Kgalagadi is the openness of the environment, which is extremely pleasant for us photographers. The majority of the game activity takes place in the ancient riverbeds, which makes finding the game relatively easy and then with a long enough lens, the photographic opportunities are fantastic. The birds of prey are abundant in the Kgalagadi, and we had great opportunities to catch a shot of Black chested Snake-Eagles, Brown Snake-Eagles, Secretary birds and Pygmy Falcons. We also had good Cheetah and Lions sightings on top of the Ostriches, Oryx and Springbok.

I’ll be loading another blog about the 2nd half of the trip in a few days. Please drop a comment if you like the images and content, or if you have any questions regarding the area.

Chat soon

Darren