Nsefu Stork Colony at dusk

 

Never underestimate the work of wildlife film crews

The temperature in Luangwa is normally really comfortable for people and for cats in June, but when we were lucky enough to see Olimba's cub hunting stork hatchlings it was a scorching day.

We first saw the Steenkamps early in the morning, sat in direct sun filming the perilously perched leopard's every move. 

They were still there at 4pm when the Leopard finally came down full from (if not sick of) her day gorging on stork hatchlings. 

The couple stay at Nsefu camp run by Robin Pope safaris and without a doubt their day in the furnace of the stork colony would have justified more than a couple of cold beers on their return later that evening.

The Stork Buffet

 

In the Nsefu sector to the North of the Luangwa Valley lies the Stork Colony. This group of trees, seasonally submerged by flood water provides Yellow Billed Storks with a perfect nursery.

Not only is the stork colony one of the largest stork in Southern Africa it can a great place for predator action too. 

Sadly, many young storks fall from the nest before they can fly properly. Many break legs as they crash land and this leaves them prey to a resident Marshall eagle. We watched as it swooped down to finish of one chick and could see it had a regular perch overlooking the site.

But this is also the territory of Olimba, the Leopard made famous by Will and Lianne Steenkamp in their documentary Leopard Legacy, and we were lucky enough to watch her daughter demonstrating some amazing behaviour that is sure to feature in a future wildlife documentary. 

We watched her ,way up high in the trees casually picking off nestlings as though she were bar snacks, moving effortlessly through the giddy hights of the canopy with consummate ease.

Yellow Billed Stork

 

Stork formation

This year was certainly the year of the Yellow Billed stork