CMT'09

It is hard to believe that it has been almost two years already, since we hosted CMT'07 here in Auckland. CMT'09 was held in Port Elizabeth in South Africa (23-26 June). Thanks to Peter, Tony, and their team for another excellent CMT - the spirit lives on! Following are just a few photos I took when I happened to sit in the front...

Tony Albers

Peter Myles (Chair and Host)

Donald McGillivray

Jeff Wilks

Mark Orams

Jeff Wilks & Marc Miller

Marc Miller

Dance Group

Addo Elephant National Park

After the CMT'09, Peter took us on a two-day trip to Addo Elephant National Park and the Hitgeheim private game reserve. Following are some photos in chronological order. We did three tours through AENP: The first one in an open Land Rover vehicle (see photo below), and after that one in our own minivan, and the last one early next day (the rain was back...) again in our minivan... Sadly, I don't know the names of all those beautiful birds in the park (despite Jeff saying I am a birder, haha!). If you know them, please let me know! (update: Paul Martin let me know what these birds are, so I added the names to the photos. Thanks heaps, Paul!)

African Elephant

Our guide said this is a Yellow Mongoose (and he should know). But I think it looks more like a Meerkat - you decide (see below). Paul confirmed: Yellow Mongoose!

Cape Glossy Starling

Kudu

Vervet Monkey

Southern Black Korhaan

Kudu

Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk

Buffalo - the guide said they spotted lions around this carcass two days earlier...

Warthogs

Eland

Ostrich (male)


Ostrich (female)

Our open Land Rover

Tour two:

Already zoomed in with a 300mm lens: Black Rhino

and further cropped...

Red Hartebeest

And here is a great little video, that Richard shot at the watering hole (thanks a lot Richard, for letting me post it here!):

Baby Warthog

Kudu (note the tongue!)

Buffalo

The evening sun bathed the park in amazing light:

Tour Three (next morning)

Black-backed Jackal

And finally a lion!!! Very far away, poor light, and rain.
But we saw him walking along the ridge, which was beautiful.
I was stunned by the size of this male lion!

zoomed in

Hitgeheim game reserve:

Burchells Zebra

Wildebeest

Leopard Tortoise

Hadeda Ibis