Heartstring Moments - Springtime in the Kalahari 2018

[harrys]

Wow, yoy really know how to get our attention wonderful photos and story

[Richprins]

Spellbindingly clever, Ex!

Love the bird shots!

[Flutterby]

ExFmem, your pics are simply stunning!!

[Pumbaa]

Awesome shots and sightings, ExFmem

Really do love the bee eaters and for sure the lions

[ExFmem]

Such troopers you guys and gals are Sis, RP, Flutts, and Pumbaa

harrys, WELCOME ABOARD

[ExFmem]

Even some of the insects were all aflutter with only one thing on their minds (using that term loosely) -

INSEXCAPADES (Don't try this at home, folks…)
















Other Lacewings still looking for some loving' that night:



























Take a CLOSE look at this one - isn't that one of the WEIRDEST bugs you've ever seen?







It's an Owlfly. (It belongs in the same Order (Neuroptera) as the Lacewings, which also includes Mantidflies, Antlions, and Owlflies)

Info. from our AW Invertebrate Book: The Family Ascalaphidae contains adults with very long antennae with clubbed ends. They generally hold their abdomens at almost right angles to the surface, are often active fliers and predatory with well-developed jaws. They fly rapidly and hawk prey at dusk.
Larvae have strong curved mandibles with teeth. The larvae, which can open their pincer-like jaws to 180 degrees, do not construct pits but live under stones, bark or leaves from where they prey on other insects. They are all ambush predators, and highly cryptic.
There are about 50 species known from the region.

[This is a new entry (Neomelambrotus sp.), so will add it later.]

[ExFmem]

Two days after our visit with Corinne and cubs we met up with another group of old friends - The Muskateers. They were first sighted in October, 2014, so they have quite a long history together - oh, the stories they could tell!







They were in the area of Sitzas and Craig Lockhart, and we also saw them the following two days.


















(Warning: the next entry is of jackals who have killed an AWC, so please skip as desired.)

[Richprins]

What err...interesting bugs, Ex!

And remarkable all 4 cheetah staying alive like that for so long!

Astounding stuff!

[Flutterby]

Amazing close-ups of the lacewings!

And I just love the Musketeers!!

[Lisbeth]

Your lacewings are astounding and definitely weird, but the photos are great and their gymnastic abilities surprising

The Musketeers have had a good meal and it is incredible that they have stayed together for so long