It's the holidays

Photo by Richard Millar

Getting there slowly but the holidays have arrived.
Season's Greetings! 

You can view more of Richard Millar's photography on his website - Richard Millar Photography or join his group on Facebook 

Read more about wildlife, game reserves and game lodges on The Game Lodge Index

Lodge of the Week - Ivory Tree Game Lodge

Pilanesberg Prominence

Ivory Tree Game Lodge is a 60-roomed camp situated in the eastern corner of the renowned Pilanesberg National Park near Sun City (+- 30 minute drive). The camp can host large groups of up to 120 people and has modern conference facilities hosting up to 60 delegates in the largest hall and up to 20 in a smaller conference venue. There is an extensive spa which provides a variety of different treatments. For such a large private camp the rooms are well positioned to offer reasonable privacy and are located in a natural setting within the camp’s electrified perimeter. All meals are served buffet style and the food is of a high standard. Meals are served indoors, on the deck around the pool or in the boma around the campfire. The rooms are adequately furnished and guests can read a book or snooze away during the daylight hours on a couch bed found on each patio. Each room has an outdoor shower and is fairly compact. Unfortunately the lodge is situated within a National Park and as such some sightings may become crowded with public vehicles. However after the main gate closing times guests are treated to an exclusive game viewing experience – often at night searching for nocturnal creatures with a spotlight.

Ivory Tree Game Lodge is situated within a hilly section of the eastern edge of the Pilanesberg National Park. The park provides excellent general game and regular big cat viewings - lion, elephant and both black and white rhino sightings are common. Lucky visitors will have the opportunity to view leopard, a herd of buffalo, the African wild dog, or Cheetah. However these sightings are rare as these animals are usually found within the wilderness sector of the park where no visitors may traverse. There is a vast array of smaller creatures from aquatic reptiles to good birdlife. The Pilanesberg is an extinct volcanic crater where eruptions 1.3 billion years ago have set remarkable geological formations as a mountainous backdrop to open grassy plains, savannah woodland and the large Mankwe Dam. The terrain offers a varied game drive with all members of the Big 5 inhabiting the park. The road network is good and a large portion of these roads are tarred making for a very comfortable game drive. Pilanesberg is easily accessible with a tarred road network that’s an easy two and a half hour drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Ivory Tree Lodge is perfect for groups, both large and small. This is also ideal for conferences or team building events and is easily accessed from Johannesburg.

RATINGS BREAKDOWN
Core Ratings:	Sun Rays
Lodge and Camp	7.4
Safari Experience	6.9
Service	7.5
Facilities	6.0
Unique Rating	6.1
Conservation	5.8
Social involvement	3.6
OVERALL RATING:	7.9

For more information on this property or to find your ideal destination, please visit 

The Game Lodge Index

Getting to know.....Lions

Photo by PMdT Photography

Both male and female lions roar, and that roar can be heard over five miles away!


Lions are the only social cats, living in groups called prides.

Photo by Richard Millar 

Lions are the second largest living feline species, second only to the tiger.

Photo by PMdT Photography

Lion cubs have spots at birth that disappear with age.

Photo by Richard Millar 

While lions are inactive up to 21 hours a day, in the darkest, coolest hours of early morning the "queens of beasts" hunt as a team to catch a communal meal.


Young males, known as nomads, then wander around, forming coalitions and surviving on their own until they reach enough strength and maturity to take over a pride of their own.

Photo by Richard Millar 

Although only one out of five hunting events is successful, dominant malesalways eat first, lionesses next, and cubs scramble for scraps and leftovers.

Photo by Richard Millar 

There are only 2 populations of lions in the world that climb trees. Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda and Lake Manyara National Park inTanzania.

A Lions lifespan is 15 years in the wild

The lion has long been considered a symbol of power and this magnificent creature still symbolizes not only power but strength and beauty as well

Birds of Madikwe - by Grant Marcus

Lappet Faced Vulture (Grant Marcus)

This is a guest post by Grant Marcus. You can view the original post as well as photos by Grant Marcus on his website, www.grantmarcus.com 

BIRDS OF MADIKWE

One subject that we need to explore more is bird photography. Not the easiest of subject to photograph. If you have the right equipment it makes the world’s difference.  Till this far all my posts consisted of the mammals in Madikwe, well here we go. With bird photography you need to have patience and luck on your side. The best way to photograph birds is to go and sit in a bird hide at a body of water like a big dam. A very good place to do that is in Pilanesberg game reserve at Mankwe dam. An excellent birding spot!

The opening image is of  the Lappet Faced vulture the biggest of all the vultures and they are normally solitary. They are one of the vultures that nests on top of trees like umbrella thorns rather then on cliffs. The birding in Madikwe is fantastic especially in the summer when all the migrants are back. One of the most beautiful birds in the North west is the Lilac breasted roller also known as the National bird of Botswana.

Lilac-Breasted Roller - (Grant Marcus)

When these birds do their mating display they do a rolling action in mid flight hence the name Roller. His cousin is a bit bigger and have more purple on him and is called the Purple roller. These guys are insect eaters, but I have seen a roller with a mouse for breakfast before. With our birding photography everything is done from the vehicle so it is not always easy to get the right angle for the shot. Normally the birds don’t sit still for too long as we approach them as slow as possible.

Purple Roller - (Grant Marcus)

This Purple roller was busy catching grasshoppers that were busy fleeing from a bushfire. It is amazing to see all the bird activity when there are bush fires.What I am looking for in bird photography is the glint in the eye, it makes your image comes a live. Lighting is also very important to highlight the colors of the bird.

Red Billed Queleas (Grant Marcus)

These little ones are called Red Billed queleas and they flock in their thousands in the late afternoon around water when they come in for a drink. These are seed eaters and they nest in the rainy season in big colonies in certain areas and every year they nest in different spots because they build their nests from grass and after a year all the grass nests are rotten away. Best time to photograph falcons in action is at the waterholes this time of year as they try and hunt  the queleas down.

Yellow-Billed Hornbill - (Grant Marcus)

This is a Yellow Billed Horn bill probably the most seen bird in the park and one of the most interesting birds to sit and watch as they do their daily tasks.

Pearl-Spotted Owlet - (Grant Marcus)

A Pearl spotted owlet , one of the smaller owls around and also very shy. We were quite surprised to see this little guy out in the open on this winter’s afternoon. So next time you are in Madikwe bring your long lens with.

Read more about Madikwe Game Reserve on The Game Lodge Index

Photo of the Week - Daydreams by PMdT Photography

Day Dreams by PMdT Photography

Read more about wildlife and safaris on The Game Lodge Index