Recent trip to Botswana provided the best photo ops. I have had at a fully equipped African White Rhino. Primarily because his horns are intact. Botswana has a different program that most other African countries regarding the preservation of Rhinos. Other countries will saw off the horns, so that the poachers won't bother to kill them for these items greatly valued by China and a few others for making powders with special powers (actually much like chopped up fingernails).

At least that was the way it was supposed to work. But this is big business and poachers are way more sophisticated in their approach than ever before. They will spend days tracking a Rhino that is yet to be seen (apparently they are not hard to track at all, with footprints and mangled vegetation in a wide swath), to wait until it is in an area where it can be safely harvested before they do their dirty work. So it turns out that after expending all that time and energy tracking a Rhino, and it turns out to be one with horns cut off, they kill the animal so that they never have to worry about wasting valuable time with that particular Rhino again.

So Botswana went another way. The government hires and trains Rangers to stay with each individual animal 24/7 (yes sleeping in the bush, wherever he goes, they go). They are heavily armed and will shoot any poachers that make an attempt on their particular ward. This helps out a photographer in a couple of ways: first, what photographer isn't disppointed about their great shot of a Rhino without horns. Almost as bad as an elephant without a trunk.

Secondly, the animal becomes very used to being followed by people that do not harm him, so as long as we are quiet and careful we can get pretty darned close. This guy was probably about 50 ft. at most, and far more interested in getting a good scratch on his rump using the small tree.

Not only was it entertaining to watch, but I felt greatly humbled to have this opportunity. I hope some other countries figure it out.

Rhino shots: Nikon D850/200-500 zoom
Ranger shot: Apple iPhone

fwt

The staircase located on the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean is one of the longest straight staircases in the world. This impressive architectural feat provides a challenging and picturesque ascent, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding scenery. The straight design of the staircase sets it apart from traditional winding staircases and adds to its uniqueness. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or simply looking for a new adventure, this staircase is a must-see for anyone visiting the island of Saint Helena.

I shared some photos of "my new temporary stomping grounds" a week or so back and explained that I've been having the veins in my legs treated and must travel to Las Cruces for a few days at a time. On the second of the three trips I visited Aguirre Spring Campground and vowed to stay there on this last visit rather than another hotel. I camped for two nights in my car, which I've actually never done before, and had a great time, even though on the morning after the second night the temperature inside was 30 degrees (about one degree warmer than it was outside). Two spectacular trails take off from the campground. I was only supposed to be walking for fifteen minutes (they did say a minimum of fifteen) every hour, but of course that was a hard rule not to break. I did try to limit myself but it took a lot of discipline.

The weather was either bright and sunny and mild with gale-force winds, or cold and cloudy, threatening snow, with slightly lesser winds. On a few occasions there was no wind at all, and I wondered if I had gone deaf. Obviously these views look all different directions. I hope you enjoy these.

February is considered as the peak season at the Everglades National Park for birds photography. Once again I decided to try my luck at Shark Valley which incidentally, has been a disappointment for the past 4 years.
The place was packed with tourists but not with birds like it used to be in the past. I had few opportunities, slightly better than my previous visit but still lacking action. I did not see a Snowy egret anywhere and in the past it was a very popular bird here. I found a Great Blue heron but a juvenile one without the colors those birds are known for. Louisiana heron and night heron, also popular in the past were absent also. I did not see birds flying.

Here are some of the shots I made, all of them handheld.
Camera: Nikon D7000 set to center weighted and ISO 400.
Lens: 80-400 f4.5-5.6 set to f5.6

They didn't have bridge cameras when I started.