Jackie’s Birding Safaris

28/09/2023

Hello friends- I’m asking for a favor…Anyone have any zoo connections?

I’m currently working on a research project through my masters program exploring enrichment activities for rhino orphans to have the greatest success when released back in the wild. The goal is to create an enrichment guidebook for rhino orphanages in South Africa, and beyond. It is really important work as the rhino poaching crisis threatens the populations of these incredibly special creatures.

I am looking to chat with any rhino keepers or caretakers at zoos/ sanctuaries. If anyone has any contacts they can connect me with, that would be greatly appreciated!!

05/04/2022

So I turn 27 today 🎉 and its got me thinking of the most meaningful things I've found in life....

What seems to shine brightest is my time at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage helping to rehabilitate those sweet baby rhinos, nothing's ever felt so important.

One month ago, the newest orphan was found next to his mother, who's life had been taken by poachers. Traumatized and malnourished, the little one was rescued by the beautiful people and rhinos, like Leko

27/12/2021

Up close and personal...Getting nice and clean by a red-billed oxpecker friend

27/12/2021

We so often see the tracks, but rarely get to see the little paws that make them :)

27/12/2021

Pearl Spotted Owlet - KNP April, 2021

I'll never ignore alarm calling, no matter how small the creatures are that are alarming... You'll never know what predator they'll lead you to! It was the rattling cisticolas that led us to this little beauty

12/10/2021

A miraculous photo of my favorite bird 😍🙌

SUMMER DAYS ARE FOR SWIMMING! 💦
It's and today's Turaco feature is a gorgeous Knysna turaco taking a dip! A bird bath is a great way too attract birds to your garden and they'll really appreciate the cool, clean water as the days start getting warmer! This great moment was captured by Colin Lyall.

28/09/2021

Absolutely precious 🥺

23/09/2021

World Rhino Day. Honoring the old man who changed my life. Before losing his life to poachers, the old man was the strongest, most respectful, model rhino. He showed me what is worth investing time and energy in, and how to be a top dog while maintaining modest class. I’ll always fight for your kind and carry you with me, old man ❤️

21/09/2021

A cause so worthy of understanding and considering donating to. 😇

PANGOLIN POACHING REALITY: Amidst the rampant illegal trade of Temminck's pangolin, we, along with African Pangolin Working Group and law enforcement are in the fight of our lives.

Becoming aware of a specific pangolin in the trade induces immense strain on our team, worrying about the safety of that pangolin, as well as the team trying to save her. Arrival of the pangolin at our Investec offsite location brings with it our streamlined fast-thinking, quick-acting team. We have treated >160 Temminck's pangolins since our hospital opened, and with each pangolin, even though we have proven processes and protocols in place for their care, we still find it an emotional and nerve-racking process.

Will our processes be enough?
What new concerns will THIS pangolin bring that we haven't encountered before?
Will they eat the ants available here?
Will they survive?

An ultrasound scan is part of our protocol, and should a pregnancy be discovered, sheer excitement and more panic ensues. Now that we know she is pregnant, a new avenue of thoughts prevail:
What medication can we use that wont affect the foetus and how can we reduce her stress to avoid her aborting?
How quickly can we release her to have this baby in the wild?

For Rose, the process was no different, and we are devastated to share that she has lost her baby. Due to poachers ripping Rose out of her natural habitat, her unborn pup was malnourished, and unfortunately because Rose was, and is still, very ill, she could no longer sustain her pregnancy.

Even though we are saddened by this, we need to focus on Rose and getting her healthy. She is still not out of the woods yet, but without having to grow her unborn baby, she can now use all her energy to heal herself.

(We do try to keep our page upbeat and educational, but we felt you ought to know as we had shared her pregnancy.)

We treat indigenous wildlife, free of charge, relying on the community for donations and support.


www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
📷: Dr K

06/09/2021

One of my favorite shots ever- perfectly captures how sweet and respectful this young male truly was.

KNP, South Africa

Kruger National Park - The Best Of Kruger
Kruger Sightings

05/08/2021

So proud of little baby Leko at 3 months has finally started mud wallowing on his own! This precious little angel has had a rough ride but under the care of the beautiful souls at Zululand Conservation Trust has come a very long way. Congrats baby boy and keep growing strong sending so much love you’re way!!!

14/07/2021

The beauty of a little kid playing 🌞

KNP, South Africa

14/07/2021

We were so blessed to get to spend lots of time with this hyena clan. I totally fell in love with this special little family

13/07/2021

The Queen Herself

13/07/2021

Simba and Nala

23/03/2021

The African Monarch butterfly on it's host plant, Milkweed, nicknamed Old Man's Balls!

The Monarch butterfly larva feed on the poisonous milky latex of the "Old Man's balls" part of the plant. This poison stays inside them by means of bioaccumulation, even after metamorphosis! This is why the monarch butterfly is poisonous, as expressed by its bright orange aposematic coloration. As you can see, the butterfly continues to feed off of the flower in adulthood, fostering its lifelong bond with the Milkweed.

23/03/2021

Doll's Powderpuff, or Cyanotis speciosa - species name speciosa meaning 'showy' or 'good looking' which is honestly an understatement 😍

Seen by Mpembeni just outside Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

12/03/2021

Captured and released another Mozambique spitting cobra from the lodge...this one was a full grown adult with an attitude who got caught up in the shower drainage system...yikes! But Hancke and myself managed to him out safely and back into the wild.

Thank you to Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge Management for calling us when snakes come into the lodge, for safe removal. Every animal deserves respect and it's own space!

Here's a video of the release in Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park

28/02/2021

Dwarf Bittern

Found this little beauty in a seasonally flooded dam by my house just outside Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in Mpembeni. Apparently quite the uncommon bird with only 200 breeding pairs in the country, 100 of which breed in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, according to Roberts.

I flushed him while walking my doggie, Pepita, in the late afternoon as they are crepuscular and partially nocturnal. Notice how he's stretching that neck to show off his stripes which help him blend into the tall foliage!

Photographed with 2 village weaver friends

Thank you to Johan Ge**er for information on plumage :)

22/02/2021

Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park

To track an animal, you must get into it's mind.

After tracking a lone bull elephant, we finally caught up to the big boy. He seemed to be on a mission and never even noticed us. One of the rare moments I capture an elephant encounter on film.

22/02/2021

Eastern Shores, St. Lucia KZN

Interesting sighting of both Samango (left) and Vervet (right) monkeys coexisting in harmony. Samango monkeys are mostly found in thick forest while Vervets can be found anywhere from home gardens to savanna grasslands. Sharing similar diets, Samangos will usually not tolerate Vervets in their viscinity, but these two seemed to get along.

22/02/2021

Village Weaver
Mkuze Game Reserve

A weaver constructing his nest is probably one of the most impressive forms of nest architecture. Through a series of knots and weavings, a male takes days to perfect his nest for his mate's approval. Whats most fascinating is that this is not learned knowledge, but and instinctive knowledge individuals are born with. It is noted that with time and age, skill and nest quality improve.

I had the privilege of watching this little guy weave from the comfort of the Kumasinga Hide.

01/05/2020

The first morning of lockdown freedom produced the most magnificent birding! Green malkoha, black crake and....drumroll please.... african finfoot (female)! Excuse poor quality photo of her.. the latter 2 were lifers :)

All seen on the Siyayi Trail in Mtunzini, KZN

26/10/2019

Little Egret, uMkhuze Game Reserve KZN

I love the feet! Little egrets will wiggle their little yellow feet in the water to bait fish.

04/10/2019

⚠️Interesting sighting at Mtunzini - Ongoye Forest Reserve

Mountain Wagtails with red legs⁉️ Now, I've only seen descriptions of them having pale grey legs, even as juveniles with "yellowish grey yellowish pink or mustard," but these breast bands are distinct, indicating adult status, anyway, according to Robert's. I spent a long while with this pair, observing them and capturing photos of them in different lighting from different angles to confirm my sighting of this coloration abnormality. Please if anyone has any further information weigh in!

Sorry for poor image quality, these guys just don't stop moving!

04/10/2019

How cool is that

28/09/2019

It's "Get Your Slurp On" Saturday! For a Giraffe, drinking can be a very vulnerable activity and so will only occur for a few seconds at a time. Holding its neck downwards is a lot of weight on the nuchal ligament, the ligament that holds a giraffes neck upwards, which is the relaxed position. Also with the legs splayed and the head down, predator detection is hindered as well as reaction time. Luckily, giraffes don't need to drink often since they get a lot of water from the leaves they eat. They are just one of the most fascinating animals based on anatomy alone!

Taken at Kwantu Private Game Reserve, EC

26/09/2019

African Harrier Hawk ( Gymnogene), St. Lucia KZN

Adult and juvenile side by side for comparison...colors may be very different but those long dense feathers tell the story. (Different sightings)

25/09/2019

Olive Bush-shrike (buff morph), Igwalagwala Trail, St.Lucia KZN

What an exciting sighting! Once we entered the forest, this little guy was haunting us with his beautiful call in the distance. After following the call for some time, we veered off the trail, bashed through the bushes, crawling through vines and under spider webs, we finally saw him high up in the canopy posing for us.

To hear the Olive Bush-shrike call, press play on my video in the comments :)

Photo by Hancke Benade, Instagram: budahed

23/09/2019

Woolly-necked Stork, uMkhuze Game Reserve, KZN

Love the beautiful rainbow iridescent breeding plumage of this sub adult. I got to watch this individual for a while, he was such a bashful little thing! Too adorable.

22/09/2019

Malachite Kingfisher, uMkhuze Game Reserve

20/09/2019

Brown Hooded Kingfisher, uMkhuze Game Reserve

Bath time! We were so excited to watch this little guy enjoy his bath. This behavior is very important for feather maintenance and ultimately, flying!

19/09/2019

The magnificent trunk of an elephant... considered to be the most versatile appendage in the animal kingdom. With 40,000 muscles (only 642 in ENTIRE human body, for prospective), the trunk of an elephant can rip a tree from the ground, flip over a truck, carefully pluck plants, suck up and store up to 6 liters of water, or gently caress and comfort a baby. A truly impressive wonder among Mother Nature's designs.

And the green coloration is from the plants while foraging 🌱

Photograph by Hancke Benade, instagram: budahed

18/09/2019

Squacco Heron, Nsumo Pan, uMkhuze Game Reserve

I relate to this kind of intensity in searching for breakfast😂

17/09/2019

Little Bee-eater, uMkhuze Game Reserve

Fierce and feisty!

15/09/2019

Adventure awaits!

15/09/2019

African Darter, uMkhuze Game Reserve

No oils no problems! Unlike most birds, African Darters don't have any oil in their feathers. This is because they dive deep in the water to fish and need feathers to be able to submerge. But what about flying with wet feathers.. can't happen! So they're bask in the sun with wings out to dry off. Makes for a beautiful display of the wings!

15/09/2019

Mutations are always fascinating. This “spotted” zebra was captured by Frank Liu Photography at Masai Mara National Reserve.

14/09/2019

Been uMkhuze Game Reserve obsessed these days! Particularly my favorite hide, the KuMasinga hide. Not just an abundance of birds, but so many difference species. It always gives me that 'disney fairytale' feeling being here :)

13/09/2019

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, uMkhuze Game Reserve

Even wildlife has its friends with benefits!... Southern Yellow and Red Billed Hornbills share a mutualistic relationship with dwarf mongooses. While the mongooses forage, flipping rocks to get to scorpions and other invertebrates, the hornbills will follow them closely, snatching up the ones they miss. In return, hornbills will act as security, alarm calling if predators arrive. They will even alarm call for raptors overhead, only a predator to the mongooses. The relationship is so successful, hornbills will wait outside the dens of the mongooses and even give them a wake up call in the morning to get up and enjoy breakfast together!