10 March 2015
Today it was very hot very early, and we could see the difference between the early morning and late morning animal activity. But our best sighting of today carried on over both. This morning we heard about a lion sighting, but by the time we were getting close we were also informed that all the cars at the sighting had created too much of a hassle and the lions had moved off. So we decided to go and have a coffee first and maybe get lucky on the way back. Well, lucky we did get. The cars passing us in opposite direction told us the lions had come into view a little bit again, but you couldn't see much. But by the time we arrived at the sighting we can honestly say, right place, right time:
Upon arrival a couple of female lions were lying down but had their head up, therefor with binoculars they were easily visible. But over the course of half an hour, lions kept on standing up and lying down somewhere else. We even saw a lioness with three young cubs at her heels. She stood up twice and her cubs followed both times. At the second time she sat down to let them drink, which was a wonderful sight. In the end, all 8 adult lionesses and 3 cubs stood up one by one, had a little drink and crossed the last bit of stream that was left to lie down in the shade on the opposite side. The moment they lied down under that bush they were completely out of sight. When the last one had crossed is when 5 other cars left so we had it all to ourselves (and a small grey vehicle) so no issues with other to block your sighting either! It was wonderful and we only left when all lions were out of sight.
Other interesting sightings: elephants, giraffes, kudus, waterbucks, hippo trying to impress these waterbucks, a family of warthogs, vervet monkeys, baboons, crocodile, dung beetle rolling a miniscule dung ball, wildebeest, dwarf mongooses, a tree squirrel and of course impalas.
Birds on this tour: carmine bee-eater, juvenile hawk eagle, bateleurs, one of the last migratory Wahlberg's eagles, black stork, grey louries, pin-tailed whydah, lilac-breasted rollers, orange-chested bunting, blue waxbills, forktailed drongos, Cape glossy starlings, blacksmith lapwings, hamerkops, grey headed kingfisher, brown hooded parrots, white-fronted bee-eater, dark-capped bulbul, sabota lark, Egytpian geese, red-billed oxpecker, yellow-billed and red-billed hornbill and Burchell's coucal (yes we like our birds this tour). Not to mention the calls we heard of birds we didn't even see!
Sundowner drive: zebras, white rhinos, impalas, fish eagle, fiery-necked nightjar, African jacanas and hippos.
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