SANParks Blog

Once again thank you for all the comments…I apologize as I believe the pics were a bit big and some struggled to view the blog.  In todays episode I will make them small and lets see how it goes!

So the alarm clock was set for 5am to give us time to at least have a cup of tea before we left.  I was sitting outside and was amazed by the silence in the camp…it seemed like everyone was sleeping late?  At 6:03 we were out the gate.  At the 4 way crossing we saw a few cars parked on the side of the road and can you believe our first lions for the trip!  A male and female were lying in the bush and although we could not get a clear view we saw them.  We could hear a male “calling” and after about 15 minutes these two got up and started running into the bush!  We tried to follow them, but could not, they were gone!

This is a pic to “proof” that we did see lions!

We then continued on towards Mopani as I wanted to visit Mantabeni Hide…on the way we came across a big herd of buffalo.  While watching them a construction vehicle came down the road and one heck of a speed!  SO told him to slow down, but he just waved!  The oxpeckers were all over some of the buffs and I took this pic showing the oxpecker almost irritating the buff.

At the hide there were a lot of birds, Yellow Billed Egret, White Faced Ducks, Egyptian Geese, Ibis etc..then a herd of Elephant came down to drink.

We left the hide to come back to camp as SO had to check and sort out a few things in the caravan, and we were also waiting for the license and awning and side to arrive by courier as I was promised by Loftus!  A little while later we stopped for this Francolin who was calling his lungs out, we thought he was being murdered the way he was carrying on!

While watching the Francolin this bird…I think it is a “lark” came to sit on thorny bush!

Nothing much after that until we got to about 4 or 5 km from Letaba and SO saw 3 elephants next to the road….I asked him to stop as I log all animals seen on my Cybertracker….and can you believe it was Hlanganini!  I saw him about 2 years ago, but as he recently broke a piece of his tusk it was great to see him…it stood under a tree without a clear view and we waited about an hour…then we decided that I will bring SO back to camp to do all the thing he has to do and I went back.  Just after I arrived he started moving!  He was coming closer to the road and I was thrilled..  This pic of him coming..

He crossed the road in front of me and a few other cars….

and continued down a steep hill to the water to go and drink..

I came back to camp a very happy “chappy”….then heard all the “problems” as the awning and license is not being delivered to Letaba we apparently have to go to Phalaborwa to fetch it and no-one can at this stage tell us what time!  SO is livid as promises made by you know who…is not met again and Im glad I do not have to deal with them ever again….SO fixed the fridge to work on gas…another thing that was not checked before pre-delivery of the caravan…makes me think….next time I buy something I will not pay in full until all is sorted out….So, no drive in the morning as we have to wait for a phone call to tell us what time to be in Phalaborwa!!!

Tomorrow is SO last full day with me and I truly hope we get to see the Rhino that he likes so much!!

Hope you all have a good day…until tomorrow night!

Martie

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at 6:57 pm by Mgoddard and is filed under A year in Kruger NP, Birdhide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.