The mere mention of the word “spider”, and many people will have a shiver running down their spine, and most likely, the majority of guests coming on safari would not add seeing spiders on their wish list of top ten things to encounter and get close to when in the African wilderness. With that being said however, many people are actually pleasantly surprised and intrigued when they do see one of the most elegant of arachnids: the orb web spiders.

Bushveld rain frogs are a species of uniquely southern African frogs, and these little frogs are a firm favourite amongst many guides. Reason being is that when confronted by a potential predator, they inflate themselves, giving the appearance of being puffed-up marshmallows. They are cryptically coloured and slow moving frogs that spend most of their time underground, and when they emerge on the surface, they comically walk or run rather than hop as most other frogs do.

It was the usual morning routine of not knowing what we are going to see out there, but the moment you board those beautiful open vehicles your heart is full of joy in knowing that you are going to meet Mother Nature at close quarters. After an early morning cup of Zimbabwe’s finest coffee your eyes are wide open and looking through thick bushes for any movements, especially those of the illusive spotted cats. We went through Banyini open plains and there was lots of plains game, a crash of white rhinos and plentiful birdlife.

Autumn daylight tends to be on the short side, more so because our body clock is still on the long summer afternoons that just refuse to end. This gives plenty of time to decide where one would like to stop for a break. Autumn sunsets seem to catch you out unexpectedly and most days you scramble to find a nice spot for an enjoyable golden sunset in the African bush. Or you get reminded by cameras clicking whilst you’re driving, only to find that the day is almost done and cameras are working hard to capture a glimpse of the fast diving sun.

Guests will often ask about my favourite animal and without hesitation I can say that it is definitely a leopard. With the amount of quality leopard sightings at Singita Sabi Sand, this was definitely one of the drawing cards to work here. In my opinion Singita Sabi Sand is one of the best places to see these normally elusive and secretive cats on a regular basis.

The Cuculidae family consists of thirteen cuckoo species that can be observed in the southern African region. These birds are renowned for not taking any parental care rearing their chicks, after laying their eggs in a host specie’s nest! Evolutionary, this is exceptionally cunning behaviour that is known but not easily observed in the natural environment!

It was a beautiful morning as I drove the Raho drainage area with my guests when we noticed a large martial eagle that seemed to be showing considerable interest in a small group of white storks. The white storks were feeding on the edge of a pool on the drainage line.

It was the beginning of April when I was driving along the banks of the Grumeti River and happened across a breeding herd of elephants. There had been some reasonable rain in the last few days and the river was flowing steadily. I realised that the herd of elephants wanted to cross the river towards me and so I positioned the vehicle nicely to observe this with my guest.

It was early in the morning and the birds were singing their pleasant melodies. Guests and I were watching the stunning rays of the sun as it rose over the hills to the east. Whilst enjoying this powerful moment, out on the Sasakwa Plain, I glanced to the north to see a male cheetah lying down on the grasslands. I turned to the guests and told them what I had seen but they could not believe the distance at which I had identified it. We moved in for a closer look. It appeared that this lovely male cheetah was becoming active as it yawned, stood and began to stretch.

The mere mention of the word “spider”, and many people will have a shiver running down their spine, and most likely, the majority of guests coming on safari would not add seeing spiders on their wish list of top ten things to encounter and get close to when in the African wilderness. With that being said however, many people are actually pleasantly surprised and intrigued when they do see one of the most elegant of arachnids: the orb web spiders.

Bushveld rain frogs are a species of uniquely southern African frogs, and these little frogs are a firm favourite amongst many guides. Reason being is that when confronted by a potential predator, they inflate themselves, giving the appearance of being puffed-up marshmallows. They are cryptically coloured and slow moving frogs that spend most of their time underground, and when they emerge on the surface, they comically walk or run rather than hop as most other frogs do.

Birdwatching is an addictive activity, so much so that many of our guests arrive here with a mild interest in birds, and leave as avid twitchers! Here’s a collections of photos of some of the special birds we saw this month

It is always a pleasure to visit Hwata hide, especially during the late afternoon as a number of wildlife species trickle in for a drink. On this very day we were fortunate enough to be rewarded as we had sat in the hide for close to an hour without any signs of wildlife coming in, due to the availability of water at the natural pans; but then we saw a dominant elephant bull arrive.

This was without a shadow of a doubt, one of my best wildlife experiences ever, and I’m going to share it with you from my own perspective, as I was all alone. I’d headed out to my favourite refuge on the reserve, Lojaan Dam. It’s a dam at the foot of a sandstone outcrop, and it holds an enchantment all its own. There’s a dam wall and the water in front of it had receded leaving a patchwork of dry cracked mud. I parked the vehicle behind a rocky area, took my heavy fixed 400 mm lens and camera, and a weighty sandbag, and climbed over the rocks and on to the dam wall.

It was the usual morning routine of not knowing what we are going to see out there, but the moment you board those beautiful open vehicles your heart is full of joy in knowing that you are going to meet Mother Nature at close quarters. After an early morning cup of Zimbabwe’s finest coffee your eyes are wide open and looking through thick bushes for any movements, especially those of the illusive spotted cats. We went through Banyini open plains and there was lots of plains game, a crash of white rhinos and plentiful birdlife.