Posts in Category: giraffe

Uganda Edition: Three heads…

Nubian Giraffes: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — coming up fast on my very last shots from our August trip to Uganda. These three youngsters were not terribly concerned that we were among them. Such handsome creatures. Sony Rx10iv at 517mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: a journey of Giraffes

Nubian Giraffes: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — I mentioned the abundance of names for a group of Giraffes a few days ago…journey, kaleidoscope, tower, herd, troop, etc. — this is maybe half of the tower we encountered on our walking safari at Lake Mburo on our last morning in Africa, as they moved slowly away from us. Sony Rx10iv at 83mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f3.5 @ 1/200th.

Uganda Edition: Giraffe head shots

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Still with the small tower of Giraffes we encountered on our walking safari with an armed ranger at Lake Mburo. A few portraits. You can see how delicately they strip the new growth leaves from the tops of the acacia trees…pulling them off without catching the thorns. Their browsing is what gives the acacias of Africa their characteristic shape. Wonderful creatures! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: 2nd helping of Giraffes

Nubian Giraffes: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There were more young Giraffes with the kaleidoscope of Giraffes than adults…perhaps it was a nursery group…and perhaps it was just a really good year for young. They all seemed to be of and age. Sony Rx10iv at various focal lengths as needed for framing. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 and 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Nubian Giraffes

Nubian Giraffe: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There is nothing quite like encountering Giraffes on foot…when you are on foot, walking, as you do during the Walking Safari’s with an armed Ranger at Lake Mburo National Park. These huge, gentle, surprisingly graceful creatures are doing well at Lake Mburo…the herd is healthy…but in the larger context of the whole of Africa the subspecies is in decline, listed as endangered. This used to be the Rothschild’s Giraffe, and is a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, only found in Uganda (where most of the population resides) and in one park in Kenya. Over the next few days I will be sharing a number of images from our two close encounters with this particular journey of Giraffes. (There are many names for a group of Giraffes in use: tower, herd, corps, journey, totter, and kaleidoscope are just a few of them. Venery (group naming) is an art, not a science. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 277mm (we were close!) equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Wildlife edition: Rothschild’s or Nubian Giraffe (or Northern?)

Rothschild’s (or Nubian) Giraffe, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Or Northern Giraffe, or just plain Giraffe. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature only currently recognizes one species of Giraffe, though there have been numerous (and conflicting) genetic studies over the past 10 years that indicate that there are at least 3, possibly 4 (just maybe up to 9) different species of Giraffe. The Nubian and Rothschild’s were considered sub-species of Northern Giraffe under the 3 species scheme, but are now suspected to be the regional variations of the same species. At any rate, all the Giraffes in Uganda are (or were) Rothschild’s (if they are not really Nubian) and definitely Northern Giraffes. Confused much? Wherever the ball comes down in the Giraffe species roulette, the Ugandan Giraffe is a beautiful animal…with a boldly marked hide, pale legs, massive shoulders and a long neck. They browse the tops of Acacia trees, giving the trees their characteristic flat tops, and taking only the tender new leaves…stripping them off the thorny branches with nimble lips and an agile tongue. They are big animals…not only tall, but massive, with powerful legs. They do indeed stand tall in the savannahs of Uganda. Sony Rx10iv at 412mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ 4 @ 1/500th.

Bonus: Giraffe in the late sun

On our way to Murchinson Falls National Park, on our third full day in Uganda, we drove to the top of Murchinson Falls on the Nile for the view, and then crossed the new bridge over the river on our way to our lodge for the night. That put us in the park in the soft light of late afternoon/early evening, as the wildlife was settling and taking care of last chores for the day. This was our first giraffe of the trip. Sony Rx10iv at 371mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.