March 6, 2015
Brown Hyena, Lioness, Hornbill, and a Baby Cape Ground Squirrel in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

I've just completed nine days in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which encompasses the former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, in South Africa. It's one of my favorite parks anywhere and I enjoyed this visit too. Shooting was a bit slower than usual, but I still got some great images and it was hard to select just four for this blog. I saw three different Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea, formerly Parahyaena brunnea) all on one day! This was the last one and it gave me lots of good opportunities to photograph it right next to the road and then after it crossed the road (above). Lions (Panthera leo) are rather easy to see in Kgalagadi, and one pride gave me some nice photo ops one morning. I always love to get head shots when the subject is looking right down the lens like this lioness was. I enjoy photographing the unique hornbills, and this Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) was about to eat a grasshopper — an added bonus! My favorite image, and most thrilling to make, is this one of a baby Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris). I enjoy photographing these prairie-dog-like rodents, and I was surprised to see this little one in the middle of the road with no adults nearby. It seemed unconcerned that I was there photographing first from the car and then from ground level with the camera supported by a beanbag on the ground.