Hannah invites Carmen Carrion to share her experience of Lockdown stuck in South Africa whilst also showing her wonderous wildlife images throughout this time.

Carmen Carrion, Cape Batis with African Elephant in background — Carmen Carrion, *Cape Batis with African Elephant in background*

Carmen is originally from Florida and photographing birds in particular has always been an interest for her. Even before she owned a camera, watching and pointing out different birds was a hobby in itself. There are many types of birds to capture and watch, having varied personalities, calls and ways of life. These things were apparent in the change of scenery from Florida to South Africa, “Back home, the great egrets and the cormorant are my favourites, the dark capped bulbul here in South Africa wake me up every morning and feed on the flies in my front yard, so that’s fun to photograph.”

When you have a camera in your hand, you instantly notice the little things you may normally overlook and Carmen has definitely noticed this too, “since I began photographing birds in my backyard, I have started to appreciate the small things in life such as bees on a flower or small mammals foraging in the bush”.

In February, Carmen and her partner travelled to South Africa for a holiday, starting in the beautiful city of Cape Town and then up the garden route. She had many amazing experiences, including seeing Elephants, Zebras and many more animals at the Addo Elephant National Park, which is the third largest national park in South Africa. Carmen discovered that there aren’t wild animals anymore within South Africa because they are all being protected within the national parks, allowing them to roam the large grounds without getting poached.

However, Carmen’s adventures had to be cut short due to the coronavirus but rather than flying home, she was able to quarantine in the lodge she was already staying in, “we were staying in a beautiful hostel called Buccaneers Lodge and backpackers. They were kind enough to let us stay here until the virus calms down. It has now been over a month and we still love it.” So, the lockdown hasn’t been all bad for Carmen as she has been able to stay in a wonderful place, feeling protected and still able to take her daily walks, “I go out every morning on a walk where I noticed a lot of bird activity and I submerse myself in the sounds and views of nature. It takes patience to capture the perfect photograph but that is the fun of photography. It never gets old because nature is constantly changing and in motion.”

So even though she is confined to one place, she can still walk around the empty hostel and sight her favourite type of wildlife; birds. She now also has the time to plan her continued adventures through South Africa once we are all allowed to travel again.

A little note from Carmen, “I am so grateful for the hospitality the owners of Buccaneers have showed us because I could not have asked for a better place to quarantine. If you ever visit South Africa, keep your eyes in the sky for beautiful birds and don’t forget to visit the Wild Coast and maybe stop by Buccaneers lodge and backpackers for an incredible wildlife experience. Stay safe and keep on taking photos!”

Check out more of Carmen’s beautiful images on her Instagram

Lockdown in South Africa

Hannah invites Carmen Carrion to share her experience of Lockdown stuck in South Africa whilst also showing her wonderous wildlife images throughout this time.