Wildlife Photography Blog - for news, views and articles on wildlife, conservation, photography, and safari destinations. © Scotch Macaskill


Scotch Macaskill's Wildlife Blog

IMPORTANT: Please note that from April 2009 this Blog's Web address changed as a result of a switch in the blogging platform we use. It's still an integral part of the Wildlife Pictures Online website and, we hope, will continue providing entertaining and enjoyable content in the form of wildlife images, news, views and information.

For the most recent posts, links, and other resources, please visit the new Wldlife Photography Blog.

Today's Picture: African Wild Dog
November 1, 2006
 
Wild Dog close-up portrait Photo Details: Portrait of a wild dog (Lycaon pictus) taken at the Endangered Species Centre, Kapama Game Reserve, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel; Lens: Canon EOS 300mm F4; Shutter Speed: 1/800; Aperture: f4; ISO: 200.

Additional Info: The African wild dog (sometimes known as painted dog or hunting dog) is classified as endangered. It's not certain how many there are left in the world, but numbers are decreasing and in 2004 the population was estimated between 3 000 and 5 500.

As is the case with many endangered species, it's the ever-growing human population and resultant habitat destruction that is the main threat to wild dogs. Their numbers have also declined because of direct persecution as they are often perceived as "problem animals".

Because wild dogs range across vast distances, often outside conservation areas, they inevitably come into conflict with people. The dogs are shot and poisoned by farmers and rural peasants, while road kills and snares also take a heavy toll.

In South Africa, the Kruger National Park supports a fluctuating population of between 200 and 400. The only other area in the country that can sustain a viable population is northern Zululand with the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park as the hub.
 

2007 Wildlife & Nature Calendars
November 5, 2006
 
We've updated our Calendars page with a special selection of outstanding Calendars for 2007 featuring riveting images from some of the world's top photographers. Below is just one example from our selection of 30 calendars.

If you're battling to think of a suitable Christmas gift for a friend or colleague, don't forget that calendars make ideal gifts as they're inexpensive, visually appealing and will bring pleasure to the recipient for a full 12 months.
 

Take a guided tour of the Nikon D80
November 13, 2006
 
If you own a Nikon D80 digital SLR - or are contemplating buying one - you'll want to have a look at a new "Guided Tour" published by Adorama. The tour, part of the Adorama Imaging Resource Center (AIRC), takes users through all those confusing buttons and menu features and is designed to help owners unlock the full potential of their new cameras.

The guides are amply illustrated, and designed to be read while actually holding and using the camera. "This way," says AIRC editor Mason Resnick, "the information will be retained better so the user will remember to use it in appropriate situations while taking pictures."

In addition to describing the camera's features in detail, the Guided Tour offers useful tips to help users get the most benefit out of those features. "The Guided Tours go far beyond what's in the instruction manual," says Resnick.

The Nikon D80 is the ninth in the ongoing Guided Tour series. Other tours include the Canon EOS 30D and Rebel XTi, Olympus Evolt E-330, Sony A100 Alpha, and Pentax K100D. Find out more from the Adorama Imaging Resource Center
 

Today's Picture: Blue Wildebeest
November 13, 2006
 
Wildebeest approaching waterhole

Photo Details: Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) cautiously approaches water's edge before bending to drink, Mkuzi Game Reserve, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS 350D; Lens: Canon 100-400 IS Zoom; Focal Length: 170mm; Shutter speed: 1/250; Aperture: f7.1; ISO: 400

Additional Info:The blue wildebeest, with its characteristic dark grey coat and stripe-like marks running down its body, is a typical grazer that prefers short grass where possible. When water and grazing are available year round, wildebeest are sedentary but in seasonally variable habitats they migrate in their thousands. The mass migrations that occur across the grass plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara are the ultimate example of this movement.
 

 
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Contact Details: Scotch Macaskill, Dirt Road Traders, Currys Post Road, Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tel: +27 (0)82 578 2329. Privacy: Your privacy is guaranteed. See our Privacy Policy for more. This site accepts advertising and other forms of compensation - see Disclosure and Advertising for details. Site updated: 2019. Copyright © 2002 - 2019 Scotch Macaskill