29 July 2014
After a good night sleep at Berg en Dal, we left this
morning in the dark once again. On the road out of camp we noticed a hyena pup
in the middle of the road. When a car too many arrived at the sighting he got a
fright and bolted through a drainage pipe and into the grass. We let the other
cars pass and sat quietly to see if he would return. He did come back onto the
road a little in front of us but his actions of running away further little by
little showed that he was afraid of the big green monster. We decided to not
torture him any longer and left his den, so he could run home.
We turned onto the H3 where there was no shortage of impalas (like everywhere else in the Kruger National Park), but we were lucky to see many elephants as well as giraffe close to the road this morning. Standing on Mlambane bridge we spotted a hyena lying on a rock in the middle of the riverbed. The hyena seemed to be sleeping, but then a large group of kudu bulls showed up. It was about 10 fully grown male kudus, which was an awesome sight. So much so that the hyena watched from behind a rock, but he probably wasn't watching in awe like us. There were also two wooly necked storks on the opposite side and three hamerkop, blacksmith lapwing and barn swallows.
We made a little detour to RenosterPan where us bird-lovers could add a malachite kingfisher and a red crested korhaan to our list. But we weren't the only ones making the detour, so as to escape the crowdedness we left to go have breakfast at Afsaal.
At Afsaal we were dive-bombed by some yellow billed hornbills and almost had our breakfast stolen while two bushbucks were browsing nearby. Then we continued north on the H3. We hit a quiet period on the rest of the H3 till S113 and S23. A nice gentleman had told us that a leopard was on the rocks on the S23. However in passing we hadn't heard where exactly those rocks were as our crossing with the S23 we could have gone both ways. We took a left and saw no rocks for quite some time. But suddenly a pile of boulders on our right and on top: a leopard cub!! We were very happy with the sight. He was lying there nice in the open, for about 5 min, then he got up and moved two meters to the left and behind a branch. Not giving up we moved the car backwards so he came back into view. He lay there, watching us watching him when he suddenly got up and stared into the opposite direction. Hoping for a glimpse of mum, we got excited, but then he went to lie down again. We decided to take a drive to the other side of the rock to see if we could see mum. While standing there scouting around, the cub climbed up a nearby tree. Found a high spot, laid down, but apparently it wasn't comfortable so got up again, climbed up higher and then lay down there. This was the perfect spot for him (and a little less visual for us) so while he settled in we looked around for mum. And there she was. The moment we saw her, she jumped from another tree on the other side of the road. While walking alongside it we saw her, lost her, found her and then lost her again. By this time we were the only car at the sighting again and we waited quietly hoping mum would cross the road to join her cub. But apparently mum needed some more "me"- time as we had no such luck. After sitting with those leopards for more than an hour we felt our bladders and decided another pee stop was in order. We left both leopards very well hidden, if you didn't know he was there you would pass him.
The return journey included a quick stop with mostly sightings of more elephants, lots of zebras, a brilliant white rhino sleeping on his side (which first had scared us as he looked dead, but then luckily started moving), a crested francolin with chicks, more giraffes, a natal francolin, guineafowls panicking, more kudus and a steenbok. And lets not forget the chameleon which got the fright of his life when a car drove over it (not with a wheel, he was in the middle of all 4), reversed and then parked next to it. Then a little sunray came through the clouds, warmed him up and he continued to cross the road (while we frantically stopped another car that was about to drive over it as well and might not have missed it).
Back at camp the guests enjoyed themselves by doing the rhino walk around the camp just before an early dinner. They have seen pretty impala lillies that are in full bloom, possible swazi lillies too, a crocodile and (after identifying pictures during dinner) black headed oriole, blackbacked puffback, egyptian geese and white browed robin chats.
After the early dinner the guests went on a sundowner drive.
The Sundowner Drive was a fast one, so I was told.
Nonetheless they have seen plenty of hyena, a wildebeest, white rhinos,
including a mother and baby, a spotted eagle owl and a blackbacked jackal.
While walking back to our bungalows we stopped to look at the brilliant sky,
found south with help from the southerncross (and its pointers) and laughed at
scorpio (visible in the night's sky) running after orion (not visible). Then it
was time for bed as tomorrow was another day of travel to the next camp:
Pretoriuskop.
30 July 2014
A couple of kilometres from the gate of Berg en Dal we were surprised
by two wild dogs standing in the middle of the road. It was as if they were
waiting for us, because as soon as we arrived a third one came from the bushes
of our left and they all started doing their business around our car. Then they
bolted off back into the bushes on our right. Wild dogs as our first sighting
of the day, what a great start!
Continuing on we stopped to look at a lilac breasted roller. He was sitting in a tree close by the road, all puffed up. It was a very cold morning so we completely understood why he wanted to keep some warm air in between his feathers! Just when we were about to drive away, some movement caught our eyes in the background. Looking through binoculars we found a leopard behind a bush. We sat around for a bit and then the leopard decided to walk into the open area. He was limping a little so he walked nice and slow. Time enough for us to enjoy his beauty before he was swallowed into the bushes again.
Then a little further on we saw a herd of elephants feeding on both sides of the road. Apparently both sides were breaking branches as we saw trees move further in as well but it wasn't windy. However, neither side crossed the road. But what a great start of the day. We hadn't even seen an impala yet!
We did come across some impalas, finally, further up the road. We also stopped at a white rhino grazing close to the road. What we didn't know was that it was a mother rhino with a young baby. The baby suddenly came bouncing out from behind the mother chasing a cape glossy starling. She was so cute! She tried to copy her mum and eat some grass, but it was so obvious she had no clue what she was doing we had a bit of a giggle. In the end they crossed the road and while the baby tried to suckle, the mum kept walking to the next patch of grass. The warthogs that crossed the road in front while we were at the sighting didn't get nearly as much attention.
On the way for breakfast at a open area we saw zebras, wildebeest and impalas hanging out in one big group.
After having breakfast surrounded by yellow billed hornbills and a bushwalk walking by, we continued north as we were hoping yesterday's leopards would still be around. Apparently you can't have all the luck in one day as when arriving on the scene, we found fresh tracks of two leopards (one big, one little) but no leopards in sight.
We then got a call about hyenas on the S114. So we drove off and discovered mother nature can be cruel. We found a mourning mother hyena with a dead pup. She was still protecting it and offering it her teats to drink, but the puncture wound in the lower jaw of the pup showed it was truly dead. It was such a sad sight, we continued with a heavy heart. To find some live hyenas just a couple of 100m on. One of the two adults snoozing in the shade was suckling a very young one, but she cradled it protectively and shielded it from view. We got to see a tail once in a while. At this sighting we realised that mother nature is sometimes cruel but mostly beautiful.
On the way up to Skukuza we encountered more impalas until we arrived at Skukuza. And on this birding trip we could add two more birds to our already long list: southern white crowned shrike and a crowned lapwing.
After breakfast we decided to have a quick check around low level bridge as we hadn't seen a crocodile up close. There were vervet monkeys showing off their tricks of how to beg for food from passers-by. A car had stopped engaging the monkey and in disgust we didn't even stop to look at the vervets, missing out on the bushbuck nearby as well. Arriving at lower level bridge the resident crocodile was posing nicely on a sandbank waiting to be photographed. Then we took a quick look around alpha loop where both a herd of elephants and hippos were grazing in the riverbed.
Then it was the last road of the day: Napi. A slender mongoose crossed the road just in front and disappeared into the grass. At Delaporte waterhole three giraffes were drinking and scaring half of the massive herd of impalas every time they flicked their heads back up.
Just past the turn off to the H3 we spotted a few cars standing still and upon arrival at the scene we saw another leopard lounging in a tree. He didn't take much notice of the cars behind him, snoozing the heat of the day away.
We didn't linger long at the leopard but continued to Transport Dam. Here we sat for quite some time. Not just because we were watching the birds (african jacana, egyptian geese and goslings, a fish eagle hunting those goslings and a bateleur landing right behind the vehicle) but there were also waterbucks, hippos and two bulls elephants. Those elephants were first drinking their fill and then testing the waters. Bit by bit one walked in while the other watched. He finally submerged completely, splashing the other elephant convincing him to join him. It ended in a combination of water ballet and a water wrestling match. It was so much fun watching them play! Too bad we didn't bring our bathing suites, because they enjoyed it so much it was inviting!
On the last stretch home we saw elephants and kudus in passing. We did stop for a family of ground hornbills. One had caught a snake, probably a small puff added, but wasn't eating it. While holding it up though he had bit by bit stolen from him by the youngster. Then a fully frown beautiful sable bull was standing on the side of the road, perfect for a picture. However as soon as we stopped he turned around and hid in the bushes before we had even taken a picture. It signalled the end of a long but awesome day!
Continuing on we stopped to look at a lilac breasted roller. He was sitting in a tree close by the road, all puffed up. It was a very cold morning so we completely understood why he wanted to keep some warm air in between his feathers! Just when we were about to drive away, some movement caught our eyes in the background. Looking through binoculars we found a leopard behind a bush. We sat around for a bit and then the leopard decided to walk into the open area. He was limping a little so he walked nice and slow. Time enough for us to enjoy his beauty before he was swallowed into the bushes again.
Then a little further on we saw a herd of elephants feeding on both sides of the road. Apparently both sides were breaking branches as we saw trees move further in as well but it wasn't windy. However, neither side crossed the road. But what a great start of the day. We hadn't even seen an impala yet!
We did come across some impalas, finally, further up the road. We also stopped at a white rhino grazing close to the road. What we didn't know was that it was a mother rhino with a young baby. The baby suddenly came bouncing out from behind the mother chasing a cape glossy starling. She was so cute! She tried to copy her mum and eat some grass, but it was so obvious she had no clue what she was doing we had a bit of a giggle. In the end they crossed the road and while the baby tried to suckle, the mum kept walking to the next patch of grass. The warthogs that crossed the road in front while we were at the sighting didn't get nearly as much attention.
On the way for breakfast at a open area we saw zebras, wildebeest and impalas hanging out in one big group.
After having breakfast surrounded by yellow billed hornbills and a bushwalk walking by, we continued north as we were hoping yesterday's leopards would still be around. Apparently you can't have all the luck in one day as when arriving on the scene, we found fresh tracks of two leopards (one big, one little) but no leopards in sight.
We then got a call about hyenas on the S114. So we drove off and discovered mother nature can be cruel. We found a mourning mother hyena with a dead pup. She was still protecting it and offering it her teats to drink, but the puncture wound in the lower jaw of the pup showed it was truly dead. It was such a sad sight, we continued with a heavy heart. To find some live hyenas just a couple of 100m on. One of the two adults snoozing in the shade was suckling a very young one, but she cradled it protectively and shielded it from view. We got to see a tail once in a while. At this sighting we realised that mother nature is sometimes cruel but mostly beautiful.
On the way up to Skukuza we encountered more impalas until we arrived at Skukuza. And on this birding trip we could add two more birds to our already long list: southern white crowned shrike and a crowned lapwing.
After breakfast we decided to have a quick check around low level bridge as we hadn't seen a crocodile up close. There were vervet monkeys showing off their tricks of how to beg for food from passers-by. A car had stopped engaging the monkey and in disgust we didn't even stop to look at the vervets, missing out on the bushbuck nearby as well. Arriving at lower level bridge the resident crocodile was posing nicely on a sandbank waiting to be photographed. Then we took a quick look around alpha loop where both a herd of elephants and hippos were grazing in the riverbed.
Then it was the last road of the day: Napi. A slender mongoose crossed the road just in front and disappeared into the grass. At Delaporte waterhole three giraffes were drinking and scaring half of the massive herd of impalas every time they flicked their heads back up.
Just past the turn off to the H3 we spotted a few cars standing still and upon arrival at the scene we saw another leopard lounging in a tree. He didn't take much notice of the cars behind him, snoozing the heat of the day away.
We didn't linger long at the leopard but continued to Transport Dam. Here we sat for quite some time. Not just because we were watching the birds (african jacana, egyptian geese and goslings, a fish eagle hunting those goslings and a bateleur landing right behind the vehicle) but there were also waterbucks, hippos and two bulls elephants. Those elephants were first drinking their fill and then testing the waters. Bit by bit one walked in while the other watched. He finally submerged completely, splashing the other elephant convincing him to join him. It ended in a combination of water ballet and a water wrestling match. It was so much fun watching them play! Too bad we didn't bring our bathing suites, because they enjoyed it so much it was inviting!
On the last stretch home we saw elephants and kudus in passing. We did stop for a family of ground hornbills. One had caught a snake, probably a small puff added, but wasn't eating it. While holding it up though he had bit by bit stolen from him by the youngster. Then a fully frown beautiful sable bull was standing on the side of the road, perfect for a picture. However as soon as we stopped he turned around and hid in the bushes before we had even taken a picture. It signalled the end of a long but awesome day!
More coming soon
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