After a restless night’s sleep I really did not feel like getting up – the thought of a lie in was much more appealing – then I remembered – terrapin hide water level & asked myself is it over the tunnel yet?
Jan was right, I just could not resist – we dashed out to see where it was…& I took my coffee & cameras along, just in case.
Water level was not quite there – only a centimetre or two to go but already it looks like one is “walking on water” – amusing for bystanders to see.
Now I was at the terrapin hide, so took my coffee, camera bag, did the “terrapin shuffle” and settled into my second home – in the waterhole. As always I marvel at the view from inside the hide and walk from one window to the next seeing what is around me, anticipating what might pop over the horizon.
The woodlands kingfisher has found a mate – they both flew to the tree perch and showed their brilliant blues to each other, the wasps are building their nests in the corners of the hide – I tried to capture one flying in with the mud ball
A terrapin popped up & looked at me from so close by I could see right into his nostrils and each of his bright eyes (no camera in hand and I was too scared to move for fear of frightening it away), so I just enjoyed being looked at.
A few great pictures of the glossy starlings bathing – in twos and singly – with others watching or deciding if they were going to follow suit.
Some ox peckers flew in to drink – I thought yes – the buffalo are on their way – the ox peckers left and I waited.
Then I heard a sound – click click click, my first thought was eland then over the hill popped a zebra, followed by another so I assumed I had heard their foot falls, then over the hill appeared one eland, followed by another & another: my heart stared racing, my hands were shaking and I truly did not know what to capture and where to look – in total 8 cows and one bull together with several zebras, including the very young foal I had wanted to photograph – came into view and moved towards the water….
Just as they started to move away I realised I had not even zoomed in so quickly adjusted my lens length and snapped a few more shots, then they walked back over the hill and were gone.
What an exciting & exhilarating & breath-taking moment – to think if I had slept in I would surely have missed them – tomorrow I’m going to be up even earlier and stay longer!