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What a start to a fantastic day and awesome photos. Thank you for sharing

Hi Kaapsedraai

Lovely sightings you have had, great way to start the day after a Kruger sunrise with a hyena, BBJ and then that beautifull leopard.

Great pictures as always and I agree with Meandering Mouse about them buf shots, they are pretty cool.

Great TR, can't wait for more..

Lekker TR, great sightings, magnificent pictures! Love the storks with the buffalo background!

As I always say - rather late than never!

john n poppy, roaneric, Meandering Mouse, Trrp-trrrrrrrr, Sheenaugh-Lee, Philip1, t-bal and Bushbuddies - thank you to all of you for your comments. It is much appreciated.

Lets get to the next sighting...

As mentioned before, we were on the S39 – just left the Timbivati picnic spot and driving towards the H7 enjoying the scenery with only a few kms on the road, we saw the quite a number of vultures circling the air and then descending in a circle formation down to the ground. Then we arrived at the spot, close to the road where an elephant carcass with the skin still attached was lying. It was covered with vultures. I have read something about the dead elephant and that the tusks were removed by the rangers leaving the carcass as food for the predators and vultures – maybe someone knows something more about this .

Well, here car alone and sitting at ’Airport D’vulture’ as I like to call it. We were car alone and had the sighting all to ourselves late morning whilst the sun baking down on us, thankfully we had air-con in the car that we switched on from time to time. We had spent quite a bit of time at ‘Airport D’vulture’, where we observed how vultures, both Lappet-faced and White-backed, continuously coming down to land and others taking off in our direction. It was a wonderful sight to see. But let the photos tell the story ….

White-back vultures sitting on the carcass and some were eating.




Lappet-faced vulture taking off...


Landing strip: These ones were coming down to land and all of them came from the one direction as if they were landing against the wind as airplanes do. This happened continuously…




Taking off – the runway: all of the vultures taking off went the opposite direction – as could be seen i.e. in our direction…




After quite some time enjoying this interesting sighting we were on our way back to camp and passed the mega lion pride once again, but visability still poor. It is about lunch time and we did a nice healthy cucumber-lettace-tomato-cheese-and-ham sandwich and rested a bit. SO and the little one went for a swim and I did a short solo drive on the S100. The afternoon, we again had some good sightings and that will be shared tomorrow…

That is some vulture in the air fantastic

Fantastic vulture pictures

Kaapsedraai, i love your Pictorial "Story". Awesome pics

Love the kruger airport you got some beautiful photos of those vultures, those birds have massive wingspans

Meandering Mouse, yes there were some large ones. Whilst they were eating, they were quite intollerant with one another which had led to some fighting. It was difficult to capture the action, though.


Thank you, roaneric. I guess we were lucky to have had this sighting.



Yes, Philip1, it was quite unique the way they all came and land from one side and taking off in another direction and the amount of activity was awesome - I guess it can be compared to Heathrow airport...




Sheenaugh-Lee, these guys are also not the most attractive sort either...

TR will continue tomorrow, hence no update today due to circumstances... , but in case you want to 'brom' (or moan), then this southern ground hornbill will hopefully keep you company

Kaapsedraai,

Absolutely stunning :clap: ...Super description of your airport.

Really enjoying your TR

Hi Kaapsedraai

Awesome sighting seeing all those vultures in a feeding frenzy, and great pics to tell the story .

Lekker airport there - just a bit smelly...

Thank you, Trrp-trrrrrrrr.


t-bal, it was really a unique one and a memorable one as well.


Bushbuddies, fortunately, no smell as far as we could determine. Guess the vultures might be all smelly...

Simply stunning Vultureport

No landing strip required for all the incoming and outgoing vultures

Gorgeous sunrise as well and the buff scene