One of the most striking antelopes I saw in Africa was the Topi. A deep suede looking coat with near black highlights, it was uniquely different to the common impala, puku and other light-coated antelopes running around.
They’re a bit similar to the hartebeest, but with bolder colouring, dark faces and ringed horns that only have a gradual turn to them.
They’re not endangered, but different subspecies are facing troubles across parts of central Africa. They’re plentiful in the well-protected parks of east Africa, this one what photographed in the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania.
Double Rainbow at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park
It may be the middle of winter in Canada right now, so why not share a little summer camping photo?
This double rainbow happened while camping in the summer at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park in Ontario. The lake beside our camp-site in the picture is Moore Lake, a great place for canoeing, fishing and enjoying this Ontario Park, which is located just north of the famous Algonquin Park.
One of the strange things I noticed after travelling through Africa was that I had hundreds of animal and landscape photos, but very few real-life images of what people do and where they live.
This was one photo I managed to take of a typical small village scene in Malawi. Simple wood and thatched roof construction for the buildings – no concrete, no sheet metal, no glass windows. While the shape of huts changes across Africa, the simplicity of rural village life remains the same.
It may seem strange to some people, but really, what more do you need than a roof over your head and some land to let the children play?
One of the first small birds that I learned the name of. Not being a birder, I first was attracted to the Green bee-eater because if it’s flashy colours, not something I’d ever seen at home in Canada.
After seeing plenty of these small birds around Africa and Asia, I quickly learned what bee-eaters generally looked like. This specific Little Green Bee-eater is the orientalis subspecies, found in India and Sri Lanka. It’s main unique feature is the yellow / rusty brown colour patch on it’s head.
The Common Impala is one of the most abundant animals in Africa. Found all across the grasslands of East Africa, it is fairly easy to distinguish from other antelopes.
It has a rusty-brown colour, with slightly lighter legs and lower markings. A white underbelly and black-tipped ears are also a feature of the Common Impala.
Perhaps their most ‘famous’ marking is on their rear, with black and white markings forming what looks like the letter “M”. They are a popular meal for predators like lions and leopards.
Because of their abundant numbers and their “M” marking, many people call them the fast-food, or McDonalds of Africa!
