Beautiful Kingfishers At Nambiti

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge

Photo by Paul Toslo

One of the most relaxing things you can do at Nambiti is go fishing. Mention it in advance, and Brett or Ross or one of the wonderful Nambiti Hills game guides will take you down to the dam or river to try your luck. The dam, to my knowledge, is full of bass so I’m sure you will get a few bites. You will also be in good company, as several hippo reside there too.

The weather is perfect right now for a little fishing trip. Not as hellishly hot as mid-summer but still warm as we head into winter. You can spend most of the day down by the water’s edge, with nothing but the sound of your line going out and the occasional call of the African Fish Eagle to interrupt your meditative state. Wild animals are likely to be grazing nearby and may venture closer for a drink or quick bathe. This is where you unwind and connect with some of the magnificence of Africa – the heat and smells and wildlife and birds and vegetation of the bush.

If you’re keen to make a meal of it, so to speak, and stay down by the water for several hours, the lodge will prepare you a snack or even deliver something tasty later on. And the chefs, I’m sure , will gladly prepare you a gourmet dinner with the fish that you catch. You can expect to be joined by a fellow fisherman, the Kingfisher. A brightly coloured bird with a large head, long sharp pointed bill, short legs and a stubby tail.

I gather there are 86 different kingfisher species throughout the world, with 18 in Africa, and 10 of those occurring in Southern and East Africa.

And they are just a small part of the beauty of being at Nambiti. If you haven’t relaxed yourself into the state of a coma by the end of your fishing session, you’ll have just enough time to try and eliminate any dreaded fishy scent, and head out with other Nambiti Hills guests on a magnificent evening game drive. A perfect end to a perfect day.

- Siobhan Gunning, writer, wildlife enthusiast, lapsed fisherwoman

Nambiti Hills, And The Wonder Of Nature

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge

Photo by Tony Heald

If I said I had recently seen Phacochoerus africanus at Nambiti, you’d be forgiven for thinking I was swearing. I suppose it’s not too far off someone calling one a “Pig!” They are at least related. What am I on about? The Phacochoerus africanus is in fact a warthog, which is part of the same family as the domestic pig, although its appearance is quite different.

I actually think they look really cute but they have been described as not the world’s most aesthetically pleasing animals. This is due to the fact that they have large, flat heads covered in protective bumps that could be misconstrued as warts. They have sparse wiry hair and a thickish mane on their backs. I concede, not pretty, but certainly full of character.

Whilst they look somewhat ferocious, they are mainly grazers, eating grasses and plants and using their snouts to dig or locate roots or bulbs. You will often see them at Nambiti, sometimes really close to the Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge. Most likely, when they see you, they will just charge off. When startled, they can apparently get up to speeds of 48 kilometres an hour which is pretty impressive. Something else I learnt from one of the Nambiti Hills game guides (Joe, I think it was), was that warthogs are extremely adaptable and are capable of going for long periods without water – as much as several months in the dry season.

I am forever in awe with how in tune animals, birds and insects are with their environment and each other, and their innate ability to quickly accommodate to changing situations. As humans, we have so much to re-learn and the only way to really do this is to get back into the wild. The added benefit of doing this at Nambiti Hills is that you can get the best of both worlds: you can not only engage with mother nature, you can also experience the best of what human nature has developed – artworks, well-considered and luxurious interior design, 5-star cuisine, superlative service, and a range of wonderful creature comforts.

- Siobhan, writer and wildlife enthusiast

Eagle Owl At Nambiti Spotted

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge

Photo by Peter and Beverly Pickford

Going on a night drive through Nambiti Private Game Reserve is always memorable and offers its share of surprises, thrills and African romance. If you’re fortunate enough to be staying at the glorious Nambiti Hills now, you will be setting off into an increasingly chilly night, wrapped up in the back of the open Land Rover in a luxurious blanket. As you bounce along the rocky road, creatures will dart into the bushes or trees. You will likely drive past herds of wildebeest standing exposed in the savannah, and maybe need to stop for a zebra or two, ambling across the road in front of you. You may well almost rub shoulders with an elephant helping itself to fever tree leaves as you turn the corner, the sun behind sliding quickly beneath the horizon.

Then, much later, as the sky blackens and you begin your return to the lodge for massive glasses of wine at the bar followed by dinner, the creatures of the night come out. Bats, nightjars, cicadas, and many more. The game guide driving will swivel his spotlight, an arc of light swinging across the road, over the grasses and bushes on the edge, and into the trees. If you’re lucky, you will see it. The spotted eagle owl. It’s one of the smaller eagle-owl species but, that said, it still possesses an impressive one-metre wingspan. Also known as Bubo africanus, the spotted eagle owl’s plumage is heavily marked with large white spots and blotches and it has two distinctive, elongated ear tufts that point upwards.

Photo by Frits Hoogendijk

Emerging at dusk to start hunting, the spotted eagle-owl swoops silently down from its tree perch onto its prey, either snatching it up in its talons or pursuing it on foot along the ground. It will skilfully chase and catch airborne prey such as bats, birds and insects on the wing. But it also preys on mammals, reptiles and amphibians. It is also known to eat carrion, and is often found on the roadside scavenging road kill.

With the image of this magnificent bird forever imprinted on your mind, you will continue your journey back to the welcome warmth of Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge, where the fires will be burning in the lounge and dining areas. You will share your sightings with other guests, settle down to another magnificent 5-star meal created by Bryce and his fellow chefs, and then retire to the luxury of your executive suite from where you may still hear the haunting hoot, hoot of the spotted eagle-owl.

- Siobhan, writer, wildlife enthusiast and lousy birder

Rutting in Nambiti

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge

Photo by Clinton Friedman

March is traditionally the start of the rutting season in the bush. March is the month so that the calves will be born once the rains come in November after a 7-9 month gestation period. This is when the males of various herbivore species compete for territory and females.

Throughout the summer, the males have been in bachelor herds while the females form nursery herds with their young. Now the males start to break away from the bachelor herds and set up territories. They do this by scent marking in various ways. They rub their preorbital glands on trees or on the ground, they scrape their hooves on the ground and they also leave dung middens in the area.

All these scents serve to tell any other males that this area is taken and they should find another area. Then, if the females come through that area, the dominant male has the rights to them. This is when the real activity starts, as intruding males are chased away and the females are herded up to remain in the demarcated area. There are also lots of sounds associated with this time. The impala make what’s called a ‘rutting roar’ which one can’t quite picture coming from a little antelope. Guests often confuse it for a lion call. The wildebeest make a strange ‘gnu’ type sound to let the other males know of his presence.

Every season in the bush is fantastic for various reasons, but this is certainly one of the times when the bush feels very alive.

- Ross, game guide at Nambiti Hills

Three Basic Photography Tips for Taking Great Nambiti Landscape Shots

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Nambiti Hills Private Game Lodge

Photo by Clinton Friedman

Really, it’s a case of the place being so magnificent that, unless you’re shooting with an old cell phone or taking pics as you bump around in the Land Rover, you can’t fail to capture something interesting. But if you want to take some truly spectacular photos that the Nambiti setting certainly warrants, then follow some of the tips of the pros:

Create Depth by using a small aperture, from f/16-f/22, that keeps objects in both the foreground and background sharp. To eliminate camera shake, place your camera on a tripod (or hold your camera tightly in position and wedge yourself against the side of the Land Rover for stability). This is especially important when using a small aperture, as less light enters the lens.

Use a Wide-Angle Lens to give a sense of wide open space. Wide-angle lenses also give a greater depth of field, allowing you to use faster shutter speeds. If you take an image at f/16, for instance, it will make both the foreground and background sharp.

Use Photographic Filters – Polarising filters darken the sky, bringing out the contrast of the blue sky and the white clouds. Neutral Density (ND) filters prevent too much light from entering the camera so they are perfect for bright days.

- Siobhan, writer, aspiring photographer (truthfully, a snapshooter), and wildlife enthusiast

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