Post by Runic on Jun 3, 2013 10:21:03 GMT 5
Material Eagle versus Warthog
or
Feathers fighting Bristles
from Uwe Walz
"What
a murderous heat!!" We are sitting in the Toyota Landcruiser
in the middle of the Massai Mara Savannah in Kenya, and the sun burns
down relentlessly on us through the open folding roof. We have been
enduring this in the terrain vehicle almost the whole morning, full
of expectation. The leopard lazing in the tree in font of us shows
no sign of awaking from his slumbers to go hunting. He shows no inclination
at all to leave the only shady spot around.
Just at this moment, the driver urges us to close
the truck windows and the roof hatch. Nearing the truck is a swarm
of tsetse flies. These bloodsucking infection-carying insects are
highly dangerous. Even our African driver is most wary of them,
and doesn`t hasitate to spay each insect penetrating into our truck
with an abnoxious insecticide. Gradually, the wellkown greenhouse
effect is developing inside the truck, with the temperature climbing
to over sixty degrees. A short while later, we can`t stand it anymore,
and give the order to move on. We will make a new try later towards
evening to capture the leopard on film as he sets off to hunt prey.
Now there is time to take another
look at the lions. A family of lions,which we have got to now in
the meantime,has settled down near to us and includes three small
lion cubs. The cubs spend the best part of the day romping together.
Now and again, we have a chance of capturing the playful lion cub
on film.
Then, suddenly, I spot a magnificent
bird-of prey-perched on a acacia tree. Quickly, I signal to stop
the truck. It`s a tawny eagle; next to the material eagle and the
crowned-hawk eagle the tawny eagle is the third largest bird-of-prey
to be encountered in Africa.
Then, suddenly, I spot a magnificent
bird-of prey-perched on a acacia tree. Quickly, I signal to stop
the truck. It`s a tawny eagle; next to the material eagle and the
crowned-hawk eagle the tawny eagle is the third largest bird-of-prey
to be encountered in Africa. Strangely enough, it stays at the comparatively
shortdistance from our truck as we pull to a halt, without flying
off. Through the roof hatch, which has been opened again as we were
still moving,I am able to take a couple of quick shots with the
teleobjective. Just as I has loaded a fresh film into the camera
,I discover a second eagle just a few meters distant and perched
on a small mound of earth. The distane to this second eagle from
our truck is even less than to the tawny eagle. Somenow it`s more
natural to see a bird-of-prey in a tree rather then on a mound of
earth. I recognize it immediately as being a material eagle. This
is really photographer s luck! It means that I`ll be able to take
some large-size close-up shots here as well. Whilst I am filming,
I notice that the eagle directs its gaze in only one direction,
and pays no attention to us at all. We decide to wait a short while
in the hope of filming the eagle as it flies off. At this moment,
the situation changes completely!
A warthog with two small babies is approaching
the eagle. Slowly it gets closer and closer. Coming from behind,
it circles around our truck and continues a few meters more,heading
straight for the eagle. The eagle ruffles its feathers and spreads
its imposings wings in a menacing gesture.
I don`t waste this opportunity for
a few shots. Suddenly, just a few meters short of the eagle, the
warthog changes direction and passes by our truck with it two babies.
Just as was again renewing the film, I saw how the warthog started
to attack the eagle. Now it was approaching this huge magnifient
bird directly.
The big wings spread again,even the
eagle hissing can be heard distectly. But the warthog isn`t being
frightened off, it comes closer to the eagle. I realized that a
battle was going to start any moment. I prayed that my film would
last. Perspiration ran down my forohead dripping onto the camera.
My pulse raced. What was going to happen now? And now they confronted
each other.
The warthog made an attemple to
strike the eagle with its powerful tusks. In a lightning move, the
eagle raised its claws and struck the warthog on its vulnerable
nose with its razor sharp talons. These attacks were repeated in
quick succession. Finally, with its vulnerable nose wounded, the
warthog was forced to retreat. And at this moment, I had just made
the last picture on that film. The film was completely full. My
heard was beating madly, and perspiration ran freely down my face.
What an experience! How could anything like this happen? A string
of questions. What had driven the warthog to launch this attack
on the stately eagle? And wy hadn`t the eagle flown of as we approached?
At my request, the driver took the
truck up closer to the mound of earth.It had occured to me, perhaps
the eagle had prey some kind under it claws, just hidden by the
tall grass. Yes, indeed, from behind I can see that the eagle is
cluthing a baby warthog that it had caught. Now the warthogs unusually
strange behavior became clear to me. In all probability, the eagle
had seized one of the warthogs three babies, carrying it off to
the earth mound, just before we had arrived on the scene. The tawny
eagle sitting in the tree had probably witnessed this, and probably
was awaiting a chance to steal the prey from the material eagle.
Thats why neighter of the two birds had paid any attention to our
approaching Landcruiser.
This was an unforgettable experience
for me. I had been fortunate enough to get some portrait close-up
of a material eagle and of a tawny eagle. And the absolute highlight
of my Kenya trip was this photographic documentary of this battle
between an eagle and a warthog.
www.walz-naturfoto.com/reiseberichte/reisebericht1.htm
or
Feathers fighting Bristles
from Uwe Walz
"What
a murderous heat!!" We are sitting in the Toyota Landcruiser
in the middle of the Massai Mara Savannah in Kenya, and the sun burns
down relentlessly on us through the open folding roof. We have been
enduring this in the terrain vehicle almost the whole morning, full
of expectation. The leopard lazing in the tree in font of us shows
no sign of awaking from his slumbers to go hunting. He shows no inclination
at all to leave the only shady spot around.
Just at this moment, the driver urges us to close
the truck windows and the roof hatch. Nearing the truck is a swarm
of tsetse flies. These bloodsucking infection-carying insects are
highly dangerous. Even our African driver is most wary of them,
and doesn`t hasitate to spay each insect penetrating into our truck
with an abnoxious insecticide. Gradually, the wellkown greenhouse
effect is developing inside the truck, with the temperature climbing
to over sixty degrees. A short while later, we can`t stand it anymore,
and give the order to move on. We will make a new try later towards
evening to capture the leopard on film as he sets off to hunt prey.
Now there is time to take another
look at the lions. A family of lions,which we have got to now in
the meantime,has settled down near to us and includes three small
lion cubs. The cubs spend the best part of the day romping together.
Now and again, we have a chance of capturing the playful lion cub
on film.
Then, suddenly, I spot a magnificent
bird-of prey-perched on a acacia tree. Quickly, I signal to stop
the truck. It`s a tawny eagle; next to the material eagle and the
crowned-hawk eagle the tawny eagle is the third largest bird-of-prey
to be encountered in Africa.
Then, suddenly, I spot a magnificent
bird-of prey-perched on a acacia tree. Quickly, I signal to stop
the truck. It`s a tawny eagle; next to the material eagle and the
crowned-hawk eagle the tawny eagle is the third largest bird-of-prey
to be encountered in Africa. Strangely enough, it stays at the comparatively
shortdistance from our truck as we pull to a halt, without flying
off. Through the roof hatch, which has been opened again as we were
still moving,I am able to take a couple of quick shots with the
teleobjective. Just as I has loaded a fresh film into the camera
,I discover a second eagle just a few meters distant and perched
on a small mound of earth. The distane to this second eagle from
our truck is even less than to the tawny eagle. Somenow it`s more
natural to see a bird-of-prey in a tree rather then on a mound of
earth. I recognize it immediately as being a material eagle. This
is really photographer s luck! It means that I`ll be able to take
some large-size close-up shots here as well. Whilst I am filming,
I notice that the eagle directs its gaze in only one direction,
and pays no attention to us at all. We decide to wait a short while
in the hope of filming the eagle as it flies off. At this moment,
the situation changes completely!
A warthog with two small babies is approaching
the eagle. Slowly it gets closer and closer. Coming from behind,
it circles around our truck and continues a few meters more,heading
straight for the eagle. The eagle ruffles its feathers and spreads
its imposings wings in a menacing gesture.
I don`t waste this opportunity for
a few shots. Suddenly, just a few meters short of the eagle, the
warthog changes direction and passes by our truck with it two babies.
Just as was again renewing the film, I saw how the warthog started
to attack the eagle. Now it was approaching this huge magnifient
bird directly.
The big wings spread again,even the
eagle hissing can be heard distectly. But the warthog isn`t being
frightened off, it comes closer to the eagle. I realized that a
battle was going to start any moment. I prayed that my film would
last. Perspiration ran down my forohead dripping onto the camera.
My pulse raced. What was going to happen now? And now they confronted
each other.
The warthog made an attemple to
strike the eagle with its powerful tusks. In a lightning move, the
eagle raised its claws and struck the warthog on its vulnerable
nose with its razor sharp talons. These attacks were repeated in
quick succession. Finally, with its vulnerable nose wounded, the
warthog was forced to retreat. And at this moment, I had just made
the last picture on that film. The film was completely full. My
heard was beating madly, and perspiration ran freely down my face.
What an experience! How could anything like this happen? A string
of questions. What had driven the warthog to launch this attack
on the stately eagle? And wy hadn`t the eagle flown of as we approached?
At my request, the driver took the
truck up closer to the mound of earth.It had occured to me, perhaps
the eagle had prey some kind under it claws, just hidden by the
tall grass. Yes, indeed, from behind I can see that the eagle is
cluthing a baby warthog that it had caught. Now the warthogs unusually
strange behavior became clear to me. In all probability, the eagle
had seized one of the warthogs three babies, carrying it off to
the earth mound, just before we had arrived on the scene. The tawny
eagle sitting in the tree had probably witnessed this, and probably
was awaiting a chance to steal the prey from the material eagle.
Thats why neighter of the two birds had paid any attention to our
approaching Landcruiser.
This was an unforgettable experience
for me. I had been fortunate enough to get some portrait close-up
of a material eagle and of a tawny eagle. And the absolute highlight
of my Kenya trip was this photographic documentary of this battle
between an eagle and a warthog.
www.walz-naturfoto.com/reiseberichte/reisebericht1.htm
