2022 in Photos

With recent history having been a bit bumpy, looking back on 2022 is not too bad in out little part of the world. More than a few good memories.

  • Kailua Bay
  • PBR's with Asparagopsis taxiformis
  • Harvesting Atax
  • Raceway pond
  • Waimea Canyon
  • Kīlauea lighthouse
  • Kōloa sugar mill
  • An air compressor rusts in the abandoned Kōloa sugar mill
  • Sunset over Lawaʻi Beach
  • Charter Boat
  • Ben halibut fishing in Yakutat Bay
  • King Salmon
  • Icebergs on Harlequin Lake
  • A six inch gun emplacement
  • Total Lunar Eclipse
  • Equator
  • Masaka Road
  • Line for the ferry at Nakiwogo, Uganda
  • Kids at Kazinga
  • An older male lion (Panthera leo) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
  • Tour vans arrive to see the lion
  • Pied Kingfisher
  • Rüppells starling
  • Marabou Stork
  • Elephant
  • The Elephant's Eye
  • Toyota Land Cruiser
  • Mauna Loa eruption at dawn
  • The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa on the second day
  • The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa on the second day
  • Sunset over Lawaʻi Beach

The Elephant’s Eye

Two days of safari had resulted in no good images of elephants. There were plenty of elephants around, it is simply that I had experienced no close encounters, those I had seen had remained distant, across the fields or on distant hillsides.

Elephant
An elephant visits the Kazinga Wilderness Safari Camp at Katunguru, Uganda

Well? There was one moment with elephants right on the road in front of us… But photos of an elephant’s bum disappearing into the brush? Not what I was hoping for.

Thus as safari day two ended I returned to the lodge with good lion photos, lots of hippo and antelopes, some nice birds… But no good elephant shots.

As I walked to dinner I noted one of the other guests on the dirt road in front of the lodge. Curious as to what had their attention I wandered out as well camera and telephoto lens in hand. I had taken the telephoto rig to dinner because you just did.

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Finding the Lions

Lions are a big deal around Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the reliable places to see them. A couple well known prides maintian territories that are quite accessible to the safari tours, making the park a must for the usual package safari tours.

An older male lion (Panthera leo) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
An older male lion (Panthera leo)

These typical tours advertise a three or five day tour of Uganda’s wildlife, making a whirlwind tour of western Uganda and the various parks. They may stop at Bwindi NP to view the gorillas, Kibale NP for the chipanzees, and Queen Elizabeth NP for the lions.

Perusing the many online safari advertisements it becomes apparent that top billing in Uganda goes to the gorillas, nearly every tour package highlighting the primates. Gorillas may be the goal of foreign travelers, but for local tourists, most from Uganda or other East African countries, it is the lions they come to see. For those who grew up here it is the lions that hold the fascination and mystique.

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Even the Starlings are Pretty

While the big game such as elephants, lions, and hippos, get the attention on an African safari, the birds deserve top billing as well.

Pied Kingfisher
A Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) on the shoreline of Lake George, Uganda

The birds are amazing. From large, dramatic species like crowned cranes and hamerkops, to the small colorful sunbirds, there is an amazing richness to encounter in the African wilds.

There is only so many times you can take a photo of a lion or hippo. Between those big game encounters there are half a dozen birds to be viewed and photographed. From the delicate pin-tailed whydah to a wheeling flock of white-backed vultures, check out the birds.

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