Watching wildlife and informing our clients about what they may see, where to look and how to identify the creature that has just popped, tantalisingly into view and then disappeared never to be seen again, is an integral part of an Impala Adventure.

Over the years this information has evolved from me telling everyone what they probably saw as it flashed by, based on the description they gave me, into a small booklet with pictures and descriptions of the likely candidates. This allows everyone to positively identify the glimpse and with great confidence talk knowledgeably about the many birds and animals that they have seen.

Occasionally some of the wildlife is just there, right under your nose, completely unconcerned about the human face peering closely at them. This picture of Double-banded Sandgrouse was taken on the walk up to the Bushman paintings deep within the Brandberg Mountain in Namibia. The day was hot, very hot, over 40 degrees I seem to remember and without a breath of wind to give a semblance of cooling to our group. As we climbed slowly to conserve our energy and not to lose too much water I noticed these Sandgrouse enjoying the shade of a low bush, not a yard from the track that we were on. Camera in hand I crept closer and closer and was surprised to find myself only a couple of feet away from these beautiful birds. I slowly took the picture and then gently crept away so as not to disturb their shade.

An hour or two later we came back down the mountain and they were still there under the bush relaxing, keeping cool and totally unconcerned as we passed them by. I always feel very privileged when I experience encounters of this sort which happens more often than you would necessarily imagine.