Wild

Night hunters

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On my way home tonight I was lucky enough to pass three spotted eagle owls sitting on poles with their outlines recognisable from the dumpy stance and upright ears. They are a joy to me. It feels as though all is well with the world when there are still a multitude of owls in it. I suspect mice may feel different, but in spite of being born in the year of the rat, I think owls are cool. Being able to catch them in full flash and show the true colour and ferocity of the creature is an even bigger joy – one granted to me by a patient game warden on a night drive in Hluhluwe. This picture helps me close a beautiful and colourful gestalt in my mind from the shadowy creatures I pass at sunset.

Spotted Eagle Owl landing on a branch at night

Spotted Eagle Owl landing on a branch at night

 

 

Brown shy shark rescued from perpetual swimming in a rock pool

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sandshark_DEK5162 Two brown shy harks were trapped in a rock pool during the summer of 2012. The pools were getting uncomfortably hot during mid-day and no fresh water was washing in during high tide. Having watched this situation develop over a few days I decided to attempt a rescue. My first attempt failed as my equipment was hopelessly inadequate to the task, but the next day I was back with some cloth bags, the largest oblong bucket I could find and a sturdy pair of garden gloves, This time I got them both caught and released into the open water. What I still fail to understand is what they were doing so high up on the rocks that cool sea water could not reach them. Was this someone’s idea of a fish tank? Or was it simply a freak high tide that washed them in there and left them stranded? Getting the shots taken through the water’s surface, and yet still giving the impression in the photograph of how frantically they were swimming around in the hot water, became a tricky balancing act of the polarising filter. I like the shot shown above because the golden eye is eerily visible and the ripples on the water convey the movement of the trapped creature continually swimming in search of escape.
Shyshark_length_DEK5149 This photograph gives a sense of the sheer length of the shark
moreshysahrk_DEK5194 I still wonder about them and their story.

Brown_shyshark_DEK5155