Hotazel, 15 Sep 2006

Finally!

When I came back to camp this week I brought a second spotlight from home. Knowing where the resident African Scops-Owl perches in the camelthorn every night – well within 3 ft of the same spot – I set up the two spotlights last night trained on that branch, one from the left, one from the right, with about a 60° angle between them. I then pulled up a camp chair midway between the spotlights, sat down and waited, Canon at the ready. About 90 minutes after sunset the owl started calling. I switched on the spotlights and amazingly it just sat and watched me, giving me plenty of time to get a great photo.

Earlier in the day I had managed my first flight shots of both Lilac-breasted Roller and Kori Bustard. Perhaps they are migrating, but unusually I have had 7 bustards on the farm for the past few days. Also managed a good shot of the large-billed sub-species of the Sabota Lark, known as Bradfield’s Lark. I had company in the trailer too, but nothing too worrying. Just a Marginal Drab moth (Ctenusa varians).

This morning, an Ashy Tit, one of those birds that tends to dart around and never stay still long enough for a photo finally did just that.