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Just spoke to Bert. After figuring out who on earth was speaking to me (Gee whizz, if anyone from the Netherlands phone me - PLEASE TALK SLOWLY! ) I can report they've arrived safely. Got lost in Jo'burg but managed to find their way. Sleeping at Pretoriuskop. Saw elephants for starters.
They're driving in a bright red Nissan Micra with the YR tied to the mirror. You can't miss them.

Report from Bert. They are at Lower Sabie tonight. Having a braai, listening to the hippos down at the river. Haven't seen any big cats yet. Just the normal stuff. Two special sightings though - they had to wait 20min for a herd of buffalo to cross the road, one bull passed so close to the car he could almost touch it. The other one was a car - with a YR - Jock's parents! They forgot to take a picture - can you believe it. Very impressed with Lower Sabie and of course with the Park in general. Weather is warm - about 30deg today.

OK....reports from Bert.

They've seen no big cats so far - that's disappointing for them I'm sure. At Lower Sabie - Chased by an elephant and seen rhino. At Satara - Massive herd of buff again and a Pearl Spotted owl. Today at Letaba - Saw giraffe drinking from the restaurant.

Just spoke to Bert again. They are at Punda Maria for 2 nights. You won't believe it - NO CATS!!! I'm almost as disappointed as they are. Going on a nightdrive tomorrow - hopeful. Nyalas and hyena and the usual stuff. Very impressed with the Park - as should be. No further YR's but had lots of enquiries about it. Overall - they are having a great time.

Just had another call from him. Remember the red car I told you about? Well, they are impossible to miss in it. Drawing lots of attention. At the birdhide at Bateleur they had a very nice sighting of an elephant which decided that the Waterhole was not for him - he was digging his own. Watched that for quite some time.

I AM BACK.
I HAVE SEEN A CAT
A YOUNG MALE LION NEAR THE PUNDA MARIA CAMP 25 METERS
FROM THE ROAD.
That was on tuesdaymorning after being tipped by a fellow
dutchie. We were driving the Mahonie loop (A very beautifull
drive.) in the wrong direction and would have missed our one and only lion.
But there he was. Looking very content and pleased with himself. ( Afterwards we heard from the guide he had been maiting for two days).

Left on wednesday at 6.00. Did a quick drive to a waterhole and left the north at 8.00. Arrived at the airport at 16.30. Boarded the plane at 20.00 and arrived in Dordrecht at 11.00
today.
At the moment my head feels like it is stuffed with cottonwool and i am still deaf in the leftear. (Has to do with the flying. Before some clever angels starts hitting on me )

Ill come with a long report. Not only on the animals but also on
the burning, drought and how colourfull the mopani looks at this time of the year.

THe bloody cheetah and LITS everybody sees
I have drunken Carling Black Label, Castle, even tried Windhoek but nothing has helped. (Even forced my Angel to drink a can a day.She doesnt even like beer )
Now it is time to try to figure out what has happened during my two weeks of absence. A lot is already saw

(GP, txs for trying to make some usefull reports)

As you all know by now we had a very red Nissan Micra .
That on ifself was a sighting. I sometimes believe there were
more people interested in the car that in the animals

Two YR sightings. Jock's parents and Oumie.
Numbi-Pretoriuskop
S3 Ellies and Kudu
H1-1 Young bull ellie breaking the branches 5 mtrs from the road and lots of Kudu

Pret-Skuk
Shitlhave Dam
In early light family of Waterbuck with the very big croc taking
a tan next to them
Transport Dam
12-15 Waterbuck frolicing in the water. Our red was parked next to where they had their fun. Green-backed heron and two fisheagles welcoming me with their very african sound
Skuk-LS
H4-1 near LS we were in traffic jam of 20 min. caused by Dagga Boys who wanted to cross the road. Then one decided to inspect the red car (new to him i recon )
He passed me and if i wanted i could touch him.
LS and surroundings
The river full of croc and hippo.
Near the tent white-fronted bee-eater, enjoying his meal within camerareach.
During our morning walk the angry Ellie and the guides took uswithin 25 mtr of a white rhino family. Was very exciting. 3 Hyaena.

On the S28 was a leopard kill and we were tipped by the guides. Went there late afternoon and found the dead impala in
the tree but no leopard. But a Wahlberg Eagle was plucking at the meat

Other roads produced the usual. We hardly ever saw giraffe

Sunset dam
We did this in the early morning.
One advantage is that it isnt swarming with cars.
Hippo in the water and real close. Croc also glided by
A pied kingfisher landed on a dead branch, within camerareach and took 5 min to kill the just caught fish
One of ours fav. sightings in Kruger

LS-Satara
H10
First groups of Wildebeest and zebras near Mlondozi Dam and a group of 300-400 dagga boys with oxpeckers and cattle egret enjoying a free ride.
Near Nkumbe Klipspringers and a pair white rhinos.
After Tshokwane we started to see more and more giraffe.

Part two follows later.
It is a bit to hot to sweat over the computer.
Time for a beer

Part two
(Still hot but a promise is a promise. (Musketeer mode))
Satara to Letaba
H1-4
To tell the truth
Few Kudu, ellie and the usual
Did the S91 via Balule
Zip
At Olifants enjoyed the fantastic view.
Olifants to Letaba 3 southern ground hornbills

At Letaba in front of the restaurant Ellie and 17 giraffe had a
drink. Was very special. And waterbuck. Eveningdrive produced a Bateleur nearby in a tree and ellies standing in the river

Letaba to Mopani
A dead giraffe next to the road as gourmet buffet to the vultures of Kruger. Lots of them. Some were allready on their backs, unable to stand up with all the food consumed
Lots of whitebacked, a few Cape and then the big one entered.
Lappetfaced. Everybody made room. Watching this for 30 min i felt like being sucked into a nature movie. Was a very special meeting with these birds.
And our first 3 foxes

Mopani to Bateleur
Kudu and ellie.
At Bateleur we visited the hide. If you stay over there take some time for the hide. Our visitor was a old Elliebull. Sunken scull and thin, but large. Did not take his drink from the waterhole but dug his own in the sand. First tested the quality and then took his time to drink. U could hear the water going down to his belly. Was like the toilet being flushed. After 20 min he finished and walked passed within 10 meters and was gone.

The drives to the dams nearby produced lots of hippo, Fisheagle, croc and our first hamerkops. Again kudu and two more southern ground hornbill.

Bateleur to Shingwedzi
A Hyeana who stayed out late.
Two woollynecked storks .
Nyala
Kanniedood dam
African spoonbill and collection of Kruger egrets.
Great white, Little, Yellowbilled and Goliath.

Letaba to Punda Maria
Nyala, ellie etc

Ellie etc.
As allready posted under the Pafuri thread our 1 LION, Ellie,
Dagga Boys etc.
The Klopperfontein dam route was good for Bateleur and lots
of steenbokkies.
The route to Pafuri produced ellie and the route at the picnic site was good for Nyala
In one pool on the Luvuvhu i counted 30 crocs. big and small.
Dont believe anything would pass there unnotiched.

Next report in two years

A few first pics

Crowned Plover in last sunlight

sorting and scanning takes a long time

Two birds from the tentveranda at Lower Sabie

a starling


white-fronted bee-eater

Hi,
I felt very lucky when this pied kingfisher decided to eat his/er meal close to me. (would have been nice if it was a little bit closer )

I pomised to be nice to the Angel this weekend.
A few pics from Diane.

Sunset dam Guin fowl


Near Tsokowane


Near Lower Sabie

Last few from my trip. somewhere in the future the rest on the Kruger Group pool

Near sunset


Brown hooded near Kanniedood Dam

Cant resist. The scanning takes a long time.
3 close-ups all done with 420 mm and no close-ups with the aid of photo-shop. All in the first hours of the morning.
Ellie stond 10 meters away. A gentle giant

Hi

Figured out how to post on the Kruger Group Pool.
Some old and some new
http://www.flickr.com/groups/knp/