Gorilla Tracking

Mountain Gorilla in Uganda - Bwindi forest 

This is a strenuous activity and one should be physically fit to enjoy gorilla trekking.  Professional guides from UWA (Uganda wildlife authority) will accompany groups of no more than 8 but porters are available to carry personal belongings. 

While possession of a gorilla permit is a guarantee of joining a trek, its not however a guarantee that you will be able to find or view gorillas. Nature and animals are unpredictable and unforeseen circumstances could lead to difficult or unsuccessful trips (Its a rare occurrence but a remote possibility). 

The permits allow for one hour with the gorillas (thus from the time you allocate the family in the rain-forests in Uganda) 

No flash photography is allowed and fast film is therefore recommended (minimum 400-1600 ASA). Personal DVD recorders are allowed. Special arrangements need to be made for professional film makers, and filming permits are required for commercial photography and filming.

We strongly recommend a breathable and lightweight rain jacket or poncho, a warm jacket or fleece for overcast days and evening, long-sleeved shirt and trousers, sturdy waterproof walking boots (seasoned or well worn footwear - don't try out those new shoes you just had to have, you will regret this), leather gardening-type or lightweight gloves, sunscreen, cap or sun hat, sunglasses, insect repellent, comfortable day pack for carrying water and minimum amount of personal items. 

Its all in the eyes of this great Ape - Mountain Gorilla in Uganda 

 Keep the following in mind if you want to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda:

Minimum age is fifteen years to qualify for a Gorilla trekking permit. Anyone with signs of communicable disease like a cough or runny nose will not be allowed to trek. (This is to protect the mountain gorillas from transmittal of disease) 

Chimps and gorillas are highly susceptible to human diseases and it is therefore essential that you declare all illnesses and seek our advice if you are unsure. National Park Authorities reserve the right to deny access to individuals they consider unfit to accompany any activity.

Swing over to Uganda and make your dreams come true 

For more information you can contact Premier Safaris based in Uganda - they specialize in primate Safaris in Uganda and Rwanda. www.premiersafaris.com enquiries@premiersafaris.com  

Some great examples of those bucket-list Safaris we always dream about when we think of the tropical rain forest in Africa. 

The ultimate Uganda and Rwanda 

http://www.premiersafaris.com/ultimate-uganda-and-rwanda.html

The intimate gorilla by Premier Safaris that also made the CNN travel list of must do "Bucket-list" trips for 2015. 

http://www.premiersafaris.com/dr-gladys-intimate-gorilla-experience.html 

Sh*t happens!

Every organism has its role in nature but perhaps none are more important than the much loved dung beetle.  Its role as the bush sanitation engineer has raised its lowly profile to gargantuan proportions and every safari goer gleans as much pleasure from watching their ball rolling antics as they do from seeing the mighty elephant. 

Dung Beetle by Corne Schalkwyk while on Safari with PremierSafaris 

If you want to learn the intricacies of nature or just emerge yourself in true wilderness areas make sure to speak to the bush guys at www.ecotraining.co.za 

Great link to grow your knowledge of the humble, yet hardworking beetle 

http://ecotrainingblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/sht-happens-dung-beetles-role-in-nature.html

Children of the Kazinga Channel

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we felt as if we were returning one of their own. Smiling faces and loud greetings are exchanged as we disembark to explore the village and its people. 

Below are some of the images taken along the Kazinga channel in Uganda while we visited the fishing village. 

Running along the waters edge by Corne Schalkwyk 

Faces of the children along the channel by Corne Schalkwyk 

Young girl at the fishing village by Corne Schalkwyk

For the full story please read the travel blog: http://travelcorne.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-fishing-village.html 

Social media links @cornepremier and FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/CT-Schalkwyk-Photography/161674203990102 

Capture the essence of birds

Getting that shot!

Fish Eagle taking flight along the Kazinga Channel by Corne Schalkwyk 

Surely, the most celebrated technical challenge in bird photography must be that of capturing crisp images of birds in flight. Though I personally find static portrait shots of birds at rest to be just as pleasing aesthetically, there is no doubting the dynamic power of a well-executed flight shot in the mind of the typical viewer. 

Birds are, after all, the dominant flying vertebrates, so in some sense the flight shot might be said to more fully capture the essence of the living bird.

Although still a novice at this, spending countless hours trying to capture this elusive “essence”, I can state it doesn't come your way without some hard work on the ground.

Bird photography is regarded by many as the most challenging branch of wildlife photography, and taking pictures of birds in flight is certainly the most difficult type of bird photography. With the right techniques, though, your hit rate for flight shots can be dramatically improved, making it possible to capture birds at their most spectacular.

African skimmers over the Kazinga channel by Corne Schalkwyk 

 What I have learned: Photographing birds in flight poses a real challenge for cameras and lenses. They have to be able to focus on rapidly-moving targets and stay locked on to them long enough to enable images to be captured, even if the bird flies in front of ‘distracting’ backgrounds. They have to be able to automatically set a correct exposure in fast-changing scenes and operate with shutter speeds fast enough to freeze the action. Finally, to give you a reasonable chance of getting a shot with the bird’s wings in a decent position, they need to be able to capture a burst of images in rapid succession.

Female Pied Kingfisher ready to dive by Corne Schalkwyk 

Flight shots are possible with most DSLR/lens combinations but, again, there are restrictions on the types of flight shots that can be handled by budget to mid-range gear. Almost all DSLRs can use shutter speeds of 1/4000th second or faster, which is fast enough to freeze virtually all flight action. They can also rattle off three or more frames per second, which will give you a reasonable burst of well-timed shots. Where budget models struggle, though, is with autofocus ability, making it very difficult to lock on to and track your subject.

This doesn’t mean you can’t get decent flight shots with this gear, but does mean that you will need to work hard on your technique and your hit rate may still be low but its possible (These photos were taken with a very basic Nikon D3100 that made it easy for me to carry and handle on a relatively small boat on the Kazinga channel)

Weaver bird landing at my breakfast at Mweya Safari lodge Uganda By Corne Schalkwyk 

For Safaris in Uganda including boat Safaris on the Nile and the Kazinga channel contact Premier Safaris. Website: www.premiersafaris.com (They have great specialist for birding Safaris as well) 

One of the best itineraries to use is the Uganda meander – 11 days of the best of Uganda.

For accommodation in these areas contact Marasa Africa who have great lodges in in the best locations within the national parks of East Africa: www.marasa.net 

Landing by Corne Schalkwyk 

African buffalo in Kenya #wildlifewednesday

#wildlifewednesday

This large African bovine is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, and its ancestry remains.

Due in large to its unpredictable nature, which makes it highly dangerous to humans; the African buffalo has never been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart, the Asian buffalo.

Kenya Buffalo by Corne Schalkwyk 

The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the adult bull’s horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield referred to as a “boss’, which cannot always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base, the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curve upwards and outwards.

When a herd member is attacked, others will rush to its defense. Collectively a number of buffalo are more than capable to stave off an attack by an entire pride of lions. A wounded buffalo bull is regarded as most dangerous by hunters, and is one of the reasons why this animal is included into the so-called ‘big five’. This trait is the origin of many hunting adventures, myths and legends.

Buffalo mud bath by Corne Schalkwyk - Queen Elizabeth National park Uganda 

I have always had a fascination with Buffalo and will always make time to get a good photo of a buffalo while on Safari. 

The below photo is part of Premier Safari's offering referred to as the Uganda Meander. I took the photo while travelling with Premier to explore Murchison falls National park in Uganda. 

Uganda Meander Premier Safaris

We stayed at Paraa and Chobe Safari lodges (both owned by Marasa Africa lodges based in East Africa) 

Premier Safaris website: www.premiersafaris.com 

Marasa Africa Lodges: www.marasa.net 

The “ugly ducklings” of the bird family

Let’s face it, most people are not smitten by vultures but despite your opinion of these birds, they are vitally important scavengers.

Lappet-faced vultures in Uganda by Corne Schalkwyk 

Research in East Africa has shown that carcasses decompose almost twice as fast when vultures forage at carcasses as opposed to carcasses where vultures are not present. If vultures were to go extinct, carcasses may persist longer in the environment and this could have a number of consequences for the health of wildlife, livestock and humans.

Did you know that Rüppell's & Lappet-faced vultures are the only two species of vultures that can open up carcasses?

Lappet-faced vulture flying over Queen Elizabeth National park by Corne Schalkwyk 

Lappet-faced Vulture uses its strong bill to tear up skin and tendons. It also steals food to other raptors feeding close to him. It often feeds first, because it is the most adapted to tear up the skin and starting the feast. The strong, large bill easily tears up the flesh, and thanks to the bare head and neck, it is able to dig about into the carcasses without blood on its feathers.    

 If you are a birder and would like to do a birding Safari in East Africa contact Premier Safaris or visit their website at www.premiersafaris.com

For the best Safaris in Uganda and Rwanda make sure to speak to Premier Safaris. Also have a look at the Uganda Meander “Best of Uganda Safari” 

http://www.premiersafaris.com/itineraries/uganda-meander-11-days-best-uganda 

#BirdingUganda #PremierSafari 

The Uganda Meander

The Murchison National park is suited in the northern part of Albertine Rift Valley. A place where the massive Bunyoro escarpment amalgamate into the enormous plains of Acholi land. It’s well known to be one of Uganda’s ancient conservation areas. In 1926, it was known as a game reserve set up to protect the savannah grassland that was talked about by Winston Church chill in 1907.

Uganda Meander by Corne Schalkwyk 

I wanted to ensure that I get a photo that reflects these vast grasslands that the area is known for, and this buffalo made for a great accent to show the wildlife as well. 

 

Ground level Lizard

Photography can become a great adventure at times. This was one of those adventures along the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda.

I spotted this Nile monitor also referred to as a water leguaan from the boat as we passed an enclave on the banks of the channel, and hopped off into the shallow water to get a closer look. I decided that this would be a great opportunity to use a smaller lens and get up close and personal. The lizard had incredible colouration and patterning on its skin and I wanted to bring that out.

Nile monitor by Corne Schalkwyk

This in turn meant getting closer that I would normally do in the wild, especially since the water was full of crocks, undeterred I sneaked up (basically crawled) up to the monitor lizard, that surprised me by holding his position. I’m very happy with this photo that really brings out the colour and skin texture as I played around with focus points. 

If you want to visit the area contact Premier Safaris at reservations@premiersafaris.com or have a look at the western wonderland trip on their website at www.premiersafaris.com   

First Sight of the “hairy People”

This photo of the black back of the Mubare Family has become one of my favourite photos. In part its due to the fact that it was taken on my first ever encounter with a Mountain gorilla family. But its more than that.

We had a very difficult trip up the mountain to reach this family and I really had to work for this one. The photo also shows the difficulty in photographing these critically endangered animals or “hairy people” as I love to call them in the wild.

First sight by Corne Schalkwyk 

 The photo achieved international acclaim that is ongoing and was featured in different magazine articles and will also be part of DHL’s calendar of 2014.

It’s become the face of Premier Safaris gorilla focused Safaris and – you can also see more of the photos and my account in the official magazine for the Bidvest Lounges at the airports in Southern Africa (Interestingly also called Premier Magazine) 

http://www.premiersafaris.com/sites/default/files/files/blog/gorillas.pdf 

www.premiersafaris.com if you wanted to see these animals up close and personal 

The misty covered mountains

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in south-western region of  Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda's oldest and most biologically diverse rain-forests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 320 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked.

Misty covered hills on route to the rain forests  by  Corne Schalkwyk 

 This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.