For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Vacation Time - Day 10 Part 1

Dawn in the African bush is amongst the most spectacular sights in the world.
The moon has disappeared and the rosy glow of the sun spreads across the horizon. The once unseen road I am traveling on becomes a long ribbon to the horizon and the dark shapes of the trees start to reflect warmer colors in their leaves. The quiet of nighttime is broken by the sounds of the birds awakening and the jackal yelping in the distance as it makes its way home after a night of looking for food to take back to its little ones in their den.
The leopard growls softly as it finds a cozy branch to rest up on during the daylight hours. His stomach is empty as it was not a successful night for hunting.
As the sun lifts its head, the last of the evenings mist can be seen across it. Soon the rays will be warm enough to dissipate their moisture and the day will be so hot it takes your breath away.
The sun rises further and brings a promise of a beautiful day full of fun and adventure for those of us lucky enough to be in the bush.
A Kudu bull is still but a lonely silhouette against the brightening skyline as it slowly makes its graceful way from one bush to another while foraging. One wonders what the night has been like for him? Did the leopard in the tree see him? Was his night fraught with the dangers of predators or was he lucky enough to have an uneventful few hours of darkness?
We will never know. The only thing we are sure of is that he survived to see another day.
The bird’s cacophony of sound rises with the sun. After finding a safe roost for the night, it is another day of finding food for them and it is better done in the cooler hours of morning before it gets too hot.
The day in my beloved African bush has began……. Please join me on my journey……..

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