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Kruger National Park 15 – 19 september

On this Friday we started at Hazyview and entered the KNP at 8.30 am at Phabeni gate.
It was quiet at the reservation office and we checked in very quickly.It is really easy with the wildcard.
Taking the S1 we of course started with impala but we saw them on every road so I don’t mention them again although I think they look beautiful.We also saw warthog, a breeding heard of elephant, at Nyamundwa dam some hippo in the water and a saddlebilled stork, on the road slender mongoose , giraf, kudu and a white rhino grazing in the bush next to the road.



Taking the S4 we met zebra and there was a baby hyena next to the road at a little waterpool.



We also saw warthog..The S3 brought us kudu and at the bridge over the N’waswitshaka we saw 2 pied kingfishers .



H1-2 brought us waterbuck and next to the bridge over the Sabie hippo and a beaut of a chameleon.



The marula loop gave us kudu and giraf.
Along the H1-2 we saw klipspringer on the rocks near the Kruger monument and baboons along the road.
We took our lunch at Tshokwane and after that i took over from my SO so I haven’t such a detailed report of the sightings.
We went to the Southernmost Boabab where we saw grey lourie and some quail or francolin.
We took the s125 and later the S 36 indeed a very bumpy road. Unfortunately because of these bumpy roads the car used more fuel than we thought and at the end I could only drive through to get to Satara the quickest way because we ran out of fuel.
On our way we saw a magnificent agitated rhino at Shimangwenidam but I couldn’t stop to make pictures.
At H7 Nsemani dam gave us hippo and along the road zebra.
On the H1-4 to Satara our first buffalo´s (alive and in KNP) and elephant and at last the fuelstation at Satara. Because there was still an hour left before closing time we went back to make pictures of the buffalo´s.

Back to reception to check us in we got the key of bung.nr. G 172.
I must say this is a very nice camp with very friendly people. At the restaurant it is easy to get your wildcard discount, because they ask for your card. The buffet is very nice and the food tasted very good, even better then at the hotel we stayed in Hazyview. And the service was excellent.
To be continued
Agnes

Saturday 16 september

We had arranged a morningwalk this saterday, so at 5.15 am we were at the reception and after all the persons had arrived we went by jeep to our point to start the walk. Maurice and another guy were our guides and before we started they gave us our safety instructions.The guides were a bit nervous because of recent signs of black rhino on the ground and warned us that black rhino can be very agressif as they had experienced once.


This giraffe allowed us to come very close.

During our walk we saw impala, wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, bushbuck, zebra, giraffe,baboons, giant eagle owl, pearl spotted owl and parrots.
A lilacbreasted roller did his flight show for us in the air showing us his magnificant lilac breast. During our walk we learned to see the difference between white and black rhino dung. The guide also played as a partner for a pearl spotted owl who came after us every time Maurice called him.
It was very interesting and we learned a lot about the behaviour of several animals.



In the tree a giant eagle owl.

Driving in the jeep we saw zebra,buffalo and ground hornbill.

Saterday 16 september after morningwalk
After returning to Satara and heaving breakfast we went in the direction of Olifants along the H1-4 because we wanted to see the olifantsriver bridge again.( 3 years ago there was nearly any water in the river).

On the H1-4 we saw buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, elephant, warthog, ground hornbill and ostrich. In the river we saw a crocodile.




At N’wamanzi viewsite we saw hippo and vervetmonkey.


The pin board of Olifants gave nothing interesting so we took our planned route S92 and S90 and S89 were we found zebra, wildebeest ,giraffe and warthog.
On the S39 we saw zebra,giraffe , waterbuck and kudu.

We wanted to take a lunch at Timbavati, but experienced that we couldn’t get something to eat over there, so we decided to take the quickest way to Satara to get our lunch over there.

Saturday 16 september afternoon

After lunch we looked at the pinboard and saw there were lionsightings not far on the S100 so decided to take this. Halfway we turned because the road was very quiet and took the H7 to Bobbejaanskrans.
At Nsemanidam we saw hippo, crocodile and elephant. At Bobbejaanskrans it was very quiet too but very nice. We decided to return to Satara and take a rest, beacause that evening we had still a nightdrive to come. But Kruger decided that they would take over. On the H7 when we just passed the Nsemanidam there was a little trafficjam. About 150 meters from the road in a tree we saw a hanging impala, but no sign of a leopard. The first time we passed about an hour earlier it wasn’t there.



When we waited there a car stopped next to us asking where we were looking for. We told him of the impala. They asked us if we wanted to see lion and told us at S12 not far away there were 6 lions next to the road. Because we hadn’t seen lion yet we turned and took a little bit further the S12 and found indeed the 6 lionesses. It was a very warm day( 40 plus) that day and you could see that even they had problems with it.



After thes beautiful lions we went back to the impala spot at H7 just in time to see some minutes later the leopard climbing the tree starting his dinner.



It was at that time 5.45 pm and because the gates close at 6 we decided to return to Satara and with us may others so it was a long row of cars heading for camp and entering just before 6 pm.
I must day all what we saw this was at the end very impressing and in two days we saw the big five already, with still a nightdrive to come.

Saturday 16 september nightdrive

The nightdrive started at 8.30 pm and we saw african wildcat, civet, hyena, impala, black backed jackal, side striped jackal, buffalo, steenbok, larg-spotted genet, night jar and scrubhare. It is great to see these animals you don’t easily see by daylight.


african wildcat

nightjar

Later when we sat in front of our bungalow we spotted another genet in camp.

Sunday 17 september part one

Leaving Satara and heading for Skukuza we started with H1-4 and saw there giraffe and a group of zebra with some young ones.

First we went on the H7 to see if there was still something left of impala or if leopard was there but nothing.
We turned and took the road which isn’t WTM favorite I think the S100.
At the beginning of the there was a car just next to an elephant.This car had some starting problems. The guy asked us to wait a while ,meanwhile is wife asked us if we had a tow rope.
I think she was completely forgotten that the elephant was just some 10 meters away.
Well the guy tried starting again and the engine did his task and the people could go further.
The S100 gave us waterbuck, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu and just after my SO said it was a really quiet road there we saw some cars parked to look at something. Well the S100 is a good lion road again. There were some lioness laying in the grass.

A little bit further we saw some other cars where the road makes a little loop to the right and indeed we could see a big group of lions, male, female and cubs playing. It was a bit far from the road , so I couldn’t get a clear picture, but it was beautiful to see them through binoculars.

After continuing we took the S41 where we saw waterbuck,grey lourie and passing N’wanetsi we saw this burchal coucal trying to impress his partner with his call.

Sunday 17 september part 2
At Swenihide hippo, buffalo, great white egret, crocodile, malachite -, pied- and woodland kingfisher, baboon, green backed heron, grey heron, moorhen,water monitor and some whitefaced ducks.

hippo with special hat

front
back

outside sweni hide

Sunday 17 september part 3
Continuing the S37 we had an encounter with some rhino. When we drove there suddenly there were 2 rhino satnding next to the road on the right side under a little tree. We stopped at I think some 5 to 10 metres and I took a picture through the front screen when suddenly from the left came another rhino who was looking very agitated.

Standing on the road in front of us, walking to the right, then to the left and then standing in front of us again. My SO decided to reverse a little, which was possible because we were alone at that moment. The male rhino calmed down a little and just wanted to go and graze a little when another car arrived behind us. Happily enough they stayed behind us and after a while the male decided to join the others and while we passed they ran away from the road and disappeared.
The S37 brought us sharpe’s grijsbok and warthog.
On the S35 we saw elephant, warthog,kudu,baboon and giraffe.
We stopped at Orpen dam having the second special event of the day.

When we were there we saw hippo in the dam and lots of hippo laying next to the dam. Then suddenly as is somebody gave a whistle or a sign the sunbathing hippo’s all sarted to jump and throw themselves in the water with a lot of noise and great splashes.

It was magnificent to see end hear those hippo having so much fun. Just like a group of young kids who got the sign that they were allowed to jump into the swimmingpool.
Afterwards everything went calm again except for the usual snoring of the hippo. It was such a pity our camcorder was still in the car. I only got the pictures but they don’t give the sounds of that event.

Sunday 17 september part 4.
After that we enjoyed a good lunch at Tshokwane with the starlings, tree squirrels, vervet monkeys and the local bushbuck.
The H10 was in the beginning very quiet, but I think that was because of it beeing in the middle of the day (2pm)
At Nkumbe we saw klipspringer.

He had a strange white spot on his neck and ears.

Later we saw zebra, wildebeest , warthog, giraffe,kudu, elephant, nyala, a heard of buffalo in the Mlondozi and 2 lioness just near when you pass the Mlondozi

S29 nothing
S30 zebra,giraffe and elephant in the Sabieriver.
H12 baboon
H4-1 a lioness sleeping on the dry bedding of the river, ground hornbills

When we arrived at Skukuza and brought our luggage to the bungalow( called lion) we heared the thunder coming near and later when we enjoyed a nice meal in the Selati restaurant it was very bad weather outside with lots of rain, thunder and lightning.
baboons crossing the trainbridge in the evening

This rain brought some cooler weather, because after two days of 40 plus degrees the next day was close to the 30.

Monday 18 september.
This day we travelled from Skukuza to Bergendal.

After breakfast accompagnied by these bats we first went to Lake Panic hide.
On the S1 we saw 3 hyena’s, but with the big traffic next to them we decided not to spent much time with them.
On the raod to LP we saw a bushbuck.
It was very quiet with visitors at the hide, so we could enjoy it all in silence. Hippos,a Goliath heron, weavers building their nests, grey heron feeding its youngsters, crocodiles, black crakes, swallows,kingfisherm greenbacked heron, african jacanas, blacksmith plover.

grey heron leaving nest

Leaving LP we took the H4-1 along the Sabie where at a certain point were a lot of cars looking at a male lion laying next to the river int the grass nearly visible. While we waited to get a better spot, suddenly at the other border of the river another young male lion arrived, went into the river and swam to the other side and joined the other male. We couldn’t get a better spot to watch them so after a while when we could go through the traffic jam we left .

Along the H4-1 we saw vervet, buffalo near the road and later a breeding heard of elephant.


S21 snake crossing road very quickly, leopard tortoise, wooly necked stork.

S114 2 leopard tortoise
S22 ground hornbills, giraffe, kudu.
S114 nothing
S23 Biyamiti loop elephant, waterbuck, kudu and giraffe.
At biyamitiweir: hamerkop, black stork and a beautiful malachite kingfisher.





At Afsaal we enjoyed our lunch taking the boereworstroll and saw some hornbills chasing our chips.

The rest of our trip brought us nothing special except a lot of rhinodung ,but no rhino.
We arrived at Berg en Dal a little early so after unpacking we took the matjululoop and waterhole, but we saw only impala, wildebeest and elephant.

Tuesday 19 september
We only had half a day in Kruger, because we wanted to be in our hotel at Joburg airport before dark.
We decided to do the Matjululoop again via Steilberg where we only saw impala.
S 121 kudu
S114 nothing
S25 was at start quiet, but finally we saw Elephant, Mongoose, Kudu, Giraffe, Vervet monkey and Warthog.
At the hippopool the first thing we saw was a bike parked against some rocks and next to it on a rock was laying a new sasol and in a distance on a rock we saw a guide with some people who came down after a while.
The guide was Daniel Mabasa who showed us the hippo’s sleeping on the riverbed, crocodile, waterbuck, buffalo, kudu.

Leaving the hippopool and taking S25 to Croc bridge we again had an encounter with a rhino, who at a certain moment decided to cross the road from left to right and disappear in the thick bush. If you should come 5 minutes later, there is nothing to be seen so we were lucky again.


It was a bit early for lunch, so after using the toilets at Croc. bridge we decided to take the H4-2 . We saw giraffe, zebra, kudu and vervet. At Gezandfontein waterbuck, kudu, fisheagle, grey heron.

Going further on the H4-2 a south african guy told us there was a ‘’ groot renoster’’ 3 km up north. We drove some 6 km, but didn’t see him. Because we ran out of time we returned to Croc.bridge for a quick lunch.

After leaving the gate we stopped for a while on the Crocodile Bridge where we saw a Goliath Heron and some Egrets.

We waved them all goodbye and coninued our trip to Johannesburg and the whales in Hermanus the next day.
We know for sure we will return to this beautiful park and till then use this forum to bridge the time in between.
Agnes