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Hi every one,

I'm off to Kruger tomorrow!!

I will be in Kruger untill 2nd January 2008. I'll visit Punda and Lower Sabie.
I will try to let you know about my sightings.... but wont promise...

Enjoy a peaceful christmas and happy new year!!

Blessings!

Hi every one!!

first of all I hope you had a blessed christmas and a wonderful new year!! I know I had!!

Thanks for all the wonderful wishes, we had a great time!!

I cannot believe that 3 weeks in Kruger has passed so quickly!!!

Well... hot sightings of all different kinds we had!! Well no red hot sightings of cars this time!! I had hot sightings of forumites, reptiles, birds, mammals, plants...etc

When I first entered at Punda it was as dry and burnt as in September...only 20mm of rain they had for the season...
The temperature and humidity at Lower Sabie was definately hot!!! The swimming pool felt like bath water!!

...Then christmas night it started raining for 4 days!!! I estimate they must have had about 150mm now.... maybe 200mm. New water holes appeared.... Most of the gravel roads were closed... the animals disappeared but the birds appeared!! We had all kinds of sightings. The plants started growing over night and the flowering. The grass turned green!!! The frogs and insects were also allover!! WoW!! How amazing was that!!

I am down loading 1400 photos now and will try and post as soon as I can!! I will be away with work for the next 3 weeks... but maybe I can start tomorrow if time allows it!

Thanks Su and Martie for a wonderful time, friendship and sightings!!

Su is very busy the past month and I know she tried to post last week and then the electricity went off.... She asked me to thank you for all the greetings!!

You will hear from me SOON!!

Hi forumites!!

Where shall I start??

I met a few forumites while I was in KNP. Saraf, Wild about cats, RoberT, DaveandJan and Gamespotter. It was good to meet you all!!

This trip definately had hot sightings!! Sometimes not in the big 5!!! ...But some of them was better than big 5. My birdlist for the trip is 213 species!! A List to die for!!

I also spend more time in camp this time, for I got flu in summer and really did not feel well and at times there were 10 of us together... and so quality time with friends was also part of the deal!

Day 1 - 15 December
We arrived as late as we could and settled in.

Day 2:
We had to attend a wedding at Hoedspruit. So we left early and slept over.

Day 3:
We left Hoedspruit at about 10:00 and arrived back at Punda about 13:00. As we arrived back in the park, it just stopped raining. (Punda needed alot of rain then... it was VERY dry!)
We found this leopard tortoise in the road drinking water.


I went on a sunset drive with Su that afternoon. We saw the following:
Dwarf mongoose


Note the tree squirrel on the termite mount where the home of the mongoose was.


Buffalo (Plenty)

Elephants.
African Wild Cat.
Springhare.
Duiker
Nyala.


Steenbok
Sharp's Grysbok.
Impala
Large spotted Genet.
Kudu (Note how little gras there is!!


Day 4:

This morning it was overcast! I drove the Mahonie loop and saw nothing!! Not even impala or interesting birds... They must have had a meeting! At the end of the loop I found these 2 Grey Hornbills sitting in the road eating termites. Photo not very good.. light very bad.


I drove to Klopperfontein via the dirt road. And found all these birds at the dam.
Dabchick
Moorhen
Jacana
Comb duck


Egyptian Geese


Spurwing Goose


I drove tar road back, ...and found this ellie!


...and buff...


...and Nyala...


and found this male lion close 2 the second T- Junction. What a beauty!!




These Impi's I saw on the way back to camp.




To be continued... Sunset drive (day 3)
Sorry! I have to go!! Will post next weekend again. (I am away for work)

Well went that afternoon on the subset drive with Su! Thanks Su, you are a wonderful guide!

We went to look for Scarface and found him still lying on the termite mount, but not a good sighting. Su decided to drive via Klopperfontein for the Sunset drive. We saw:

Sharpe's Grysbok,


Impis
Ellies (Breeding Herd)


Bulls




Buffalo Lone bulls and big herds

Steenbok,
Duiker,
A very nice sunset




Large Spotted Genet,
African Wild Cat.


Unfortunately scarface was gone by the time we returned with the sunset drive.

Now we had to go and pack, seeing that we were leaving Punda (for a while) to visit Lower Sabie. If we only knew what a busy day lay ahead...

Hi there!!

Thanks to p@m; Johan N; lulu82; billyf; lorrainepring and Annalie for all the comments.

Day 4:

We decided that today we will only stop for very interesting sightings, seeing that we had a looooooong trek..... and interesting sightings we had!!

We left camp just after the gates opened and found Scarface where we saw him the previous day.

It rained the previous night. This time he gave an performance: He walked for 2+ km in the road, marking his terroritory, lying in the road, next to the road, rolling like a cat … and roaring (see video clip) WOW! What a start for the morning!! We spent probably an hour with him!! … and only 4 cars…








Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdKYKGltgog

Now… we had to leave!! Lower Sabie was still VERY FAR and it was already HOT!!

On the way to Lower Sabie we encounter twice lions. They did what lions did the best... sleep!!! One group at Mopani and 1 group between Olifants and Satara.



Close to Tshokwane we encountered an OSV. The guide ignored me, instead he was watching something through his binocs. I decided if he was watching it through binocs it must be worthwile… I stopped looked through my binocs… moved to a different spot, looked again, … and then I saw the spots! It was a leopard. I really only got a glimpse.. but the big 5 for today was on the cards!! I encountered White rhinos close to Lower Sabie, sorry to far for photos…

We encountered Buffs, all over. Dagga Boys and Big Herds




Birds were in abundance:
Tawny Eagle


Little Banded Goshawk


A Streaky Tawny Eagle in the road on a road kill. Actually a Bateleur was sitting in the road as we approached… Before my camera was on, this Tawny Eagle chased him away. We watched him for quite a while.






A “Puffed up” Ground Hornbill with a juvenile.


Carmine bee-eater,


White headed Vulture and White-backed vulture.


I encountered these animals all at Middelvlei.
Tsessbes with babies


This hyaena taking a bath and the wildebeest as his “spectator”




Mopani worms every where around Mopani. Strangely I never saw these worms again. Though I came back through all these Mopanis and also nothing around Punda!


Tortoises (about 20 for the day!)
Hinge back - and Leopard tortoises. This Leopard Tortoises with his “road kill” – grass!! (One of the small 5!. I saw all of them on this trip!!)


Ellies were all over.
We encountered these ellies at Nshawu.
And they treated us to a show. First these 2 had a bath. Then decided that they are actually circus ellies.
This one crossed his back legs


And the other one decided to stand on 3 legs,


They scratched their feet against the piece of concrete.


Then the BIG bulls came in…


Does anybody know this ellie’s name? He is fitted with a radio transmitting collar.


I can see no ear notches??


Another big bull..




Drinking water from the cement dam…




A breeding herd close to Satara.


Other animals we saw were:
This pregnant steenbok


Zebra with a baby.


Wildebeest with Babies


Warthog female with a baby.


Bushbuck in Letaba camp.


I have decided although it is a looooong move, it is worthwile. You can see the whole park in 1 day. Especially which areas had rain… where is the concentration of animals, etc. I have done it 3 times now, and every time it differed.

TO BE CONTINUED... Sunset drive at Lower Sabie (Day 4)

Now the night drive:

I am Proudly South African... but I also must be able to understand why MJ write this...:


Bush Baptist wrote under the Honey Badger theme:


I must say that not all South Africans are like that… but you do get them!

Well, we were just South Africans on this drive... and I thought I hit jackpot!!! But other fellow South Africans only wanted to see lions.

We went over the bridge towards Mlondozi, MJ's favourite road at the moment.

We found a Verreaux's Eagle Owl in the tree. People stopped us and told us there were a cheetah in the road!! Martie rushed there.. and there she was!! WOW!!


Most people on the vehicle was not too excited… for they have seen cheetah, they want to see lions!!...After the cheetah,we found a blackbellied Korhaan displaying on a termite mount!

Then we saw a big herd of Buffalo!! … But 2 of them particularly interested us… It was a mother and calf. The afterbirth was still hanging from the mom and baby could barely walk. See hoe pink he is around his eyes!! Wow!! What a sighting!!






A car from the front told MJ they have seen 2 cheetahs walking in the direction of the tar road. She drove up and down, but could not find them!! Some you win and some you loose!!

We stopped for a magic sunset.


We went to sit with a big herd of ellies and were at one stage surrounded by them!! An amazing experience!

We stopped for another elephant ... and a white rhino appeared!!

On the way back we had this VERY nice sighting of a honey badger!! (See video clip) I think it was probably the nicest sighting I ever had of one!! I was so excited!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEbBZ2n_kv4

Again the question was asked: Will we see lions tonight??....

On the way home we saw Genet, Hippo, White tailed Mongoose, Black Backed Jackal, African Wild Cat and Hyena.

Wow!! For me: What an exciting night drive!!

Hallo to you ALL!

Johan N: I did see all of the small 5 but only photographed 2 of them... the other one I fould dead in the road!

Thanks for the comments Elsa, Pumbaa, Bornfree, Lorrainepring, Dotty, Spotted Cat, Anne Catherine, Vlekkie, Annalie, Theuns H, Anne-marie and Toddelelfe

Meandering Mouse I also miss Kruger!!

Nightjar will let you know when I book a drive again!

MJ all my visits to you have many memories!! Pics just enhance those memories!! Enjoy the next installment!

Well… eventually the next episode is ready!!
There was something I forgot to mention…. While driving down, my throat was getting sore. I ignored it… who wants to be sick (with fever) in Kruger in summer when the temperature is above 35°C and nearly a 100% humidity??

Day 5:
So the next morning when I woke up I really felt sick!! So we decided to sleep in. We had to go and meet friends at Skukuza at about 10:00 and decided to ask them to bring me meds… I did not want to be sick!!!

On the way to Skukuza we found this beauty in the road.
A Python!!






This troop of baboons…. Well did what baboons do!!








These flowers Roadside Pimpernel Tricliceras longipedunculatum were next to the road.


And a Cicada (Sonbesie) flew into the car...


On the way back we found the Bateleur with its road kill.

We also found this nearly adult Bateleur in a tree closeby.


Baby Impala,


And this Ellie that could not find the right position to sleep…


















In Lower Sabie Camp I photographed this Lesser Masked Weaver Nest with Babies




Well I took my medicine and climb in bed!! (and that is not normal to me , when I am in Kruger!)) Late afternoon we decided to take a drive towards Mlondozi.

We found all general game and this European Roller giving us a show.




The Blackbellied Bustard (korhaan) called right next to the vehicle.


Sunset at Sunset dam is always special. You also find the Yellowbilled Storks always at the dam.









The end... of another day in Paradise!

Thanks to Billyf, Lorrainepring and Anne-marie for the comments, I also loved my pic of the weaver nest!

Day 6:

Well I decided to take Salitje road this morning and it was a slow start game wise! … Many people will tell you that Salitje is jack pot country. All or Nothing… but Salitje did not disappoint me…

Half way we found 1 car and…. 9 lions. No other cars came in the time we were at the sighting (even though it was December holidays) What a sighting!! They were watching Impala.. but wasnot really interested. We spend more than an hour with them.



















At this small natural waterhole I found Impis all over




And a foam nest frog


And then the first white storks for this trip.



Then some interesting behaviour from a steenbok (I know the pic is not the best … but look at the heap between his legs). A Steenbok covers his dung like a cat.


A male and female (the female facing me) Pied Kingfisher on the bridge. While I waited for the male to turn a car decided to drive through between us… so they flew away!!


These ground hornbills were in a playful mood.








Other inhabitants on the way back…
Like father like son...




As the previous day I went for a swim (it was SOOOOOO HOT!!) and afternoon nap!! I still did not feel better!!

Late afternoon I encountered these animals on our drive:
Common Reedbuck


And Kudu eating grass… doesn’t it look strange??


Untill tomorrow….

Hi everybody!

Sorry for not posting yesterday … but Telkom decided that the whole neighbourhood may not have internet for 2 days!!

So I will try and add another day so that I will be on schedule…

Just to let you know that illness only left me as soon as I hit Gauteng!


Thanks for everybody’s (Nightjar, Emily 86, Johan N, Micetta, p@m, Pumbaa, Lorrainepring, Bornfree, Lulu82, Meandering Mouse and Donny) contribution.

Donny keep reading it getseven better!! Even though it was raining so much and I focused on the small things, it was worth it!!


Day 7:
Not much to report on as I was feeling really sick… by now I was coughing my lungs out!! So little driving… lots of swimming and trying to compete with the heat by lying in the shade underneath the big trees with a river view. (the heat was unbearable!!).

The morning I slept in a little bit and only went out by 06:00. These were some of the sightings:

I found this elephant calf drinking.


A dung beetle in the road!


3 Lilac Breasted Rollers together. What a sight! 2 looked like juveniles.




Lesser Masked Weaver building his nest close to the low water bridge over the Sabie


Baboons (as usual) at sunsetdam.
Watch out for the baby hanging down between the 2 adults.




A Juvenile Yellowbilled stork at Sunsetdam


The afternoon late I decided to go and sit at the Ntandanyathi hide.

On the way the fish eagle was at its usual spot!


The last time I was here in September, there was a hippo dying in front of the hide and no water…Now it looked different...


... and the hippos wanted to give a show!








On the way back I did not have much sightings but this White Rhino posed for me.


And I found this Monitor Lizard or Lequaan in the road. By now the light was very bad.


Another day in Kruger… and although I did not feel well, it is always nice to be in the bush!

Hi there!!

Thanks for reading my TR, Micetta, Pumbaa, Johan N, Lorrainepring and p@m! I really appreciate it!!

Day 8:

Today was my last full day at Lower Sabie. And a full day it was… seeing that I went on the sunset drive with MJ.

I was on my way to my favourite road (for this trip) – Salitje!

The morning started of with 2 black backed jackals but it was still too early for pics.

Then I nearly drove over them seeing that the light was still not too good and they camouflaged so good in the road.!! It was mother Small (Kurrichane) Quail with her 2 babies!! I wish I could take a picture of them… they were SOOOOOO small!! They were a few centimeters high!!

Just after them I found this creature in the road.. Puffadder.


And then I was the first car to arrive at these Magnificent 2 males. They were both lying in th road when I arrived… but they were doing what lions do best! Note the string of stars (flowers) in front of them!!











While I was watching them on the left hand side of the road, something caught my I right.. it was a Side striped Jackal – Sorry no pic!

I also saw some of these smaller animals on the way back.
Monitor Lizard.


Hinge back Tortoise


Egyptian Geese


Water Monitor Lizard.


In camp close to reception I found this reptile.. a chameleon!


The afternoon drive was again to the Ntandanyathi hide.

I found this yellow flowers all over (in the vicinity of the hide) on the S28. I am not sure about the Genus name… Hypoxis?? Hypericum?? Cleome?? Can some one please help??


I found a hippo on its side ..and thought it was dead!! But it was not!! Does any know that hippo’s lie on their sides for an hour?? This one did and it was perfectly fine!!


This wildebeest between Zebra and wattled starlings were close to the hide.




We saw the usual on the way back… and 17:30 we left with Martie (MJ) on the sunset drive.
Sunset….




On the drive the big Cats eluded us (MJ tried her best, somebody told her of a cheetah sighting and we tried to find it... but no luck!! ) but we had very interesting sightings:
This Giant Eagle Owl entertained us for a while!


2 white tailed mongoose with (what I think is) mating behaviour. 2 interesting observations does any one know more about the male that is much bigger than the female and have a different colour? Watch the video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc8lgOCYGgU

We saw genet, African Wild Cat, hyena, hippo, ellies, white rhino and then
we found a croc outside the water at Sunsetdam.. and Black Crowned Night Heron. The first time I saw one of them at Sunset dam!


Martie found about 7 Cameleons that evening. This one was the smallest I have seen for a while! Note that it is as big as her thumb!!


My highlight was the white tailed mongoose and the small chameleon!

Well... the end to a wonderful stay (though I was sick!) at Lower Sabie. Thanks Martie!!

Good evening!

Thanks to MM, Vlekkie, John n Poppy, p@m and Micetta for all the kind words.

MM: Thanks for all the research. I knew they differ in colour, but was wandering... because it is an animal so little known, if it could not be gender related. They stay amazing creatures!

Day 9:

We waved Lower Sabie goodbye with this stunning Sunrise from the low water bridge.


Then it was the usual impis, giraffe, wildebeest, white rhino etc. … then there were these 2 beautiful males(I not sure if it are not the same 2 from the previous day! However the 2 spots were probably 15 - 20 km apart) They did again what lions do best! … and opposite from them a big herd of buffalo and an ellie herd.


Nkumbe…. It speaks for itself!!


On the way to Tshokwane we found this mother hyena and youngster next to the road.






A Land Snail!!


And then these 4 males and 1 male gave us an adrenalin thrill. As I came around the corner and saw them I stopped and switched the engin off.. they passed right in front of my vehicle… one came to smell the wheel of the car.






One came and lay down in front of the car.




I drive a conquest so you look this magnificent animal in the eye…


One female followed later... They were on a mission, and did not stay long.

What amazing, tough handsome beasts!!

On the way to Satara I found this giraffe, lying down …


And in a knot??


At Satara the Scops Owl was in a Euphorbia tree in front of reception.


… and the Thick tailed bush baby was in front of the bathrooms in a tree.


On the way to Olifants we found this Tawny Eagle (Pale form) on the ground. I could not quite gather what it was doing?




Close to Letaba we found this ellie scratching himself after he had a mud bath.




Now it was getting hot!! And the road was getting long…. But not for long… Frozen fruit juices at Mopani..

10 kms before Shingwedzi we found this leopard female in the tree… with her prey!! A Sharpe’s Grysbok!! She was hot and could not find a cool enough place or nice branch to lie on!!






Then she was feeding




...and then somebody got out of his car ...it would not start!! Well needless to say.. she did not stick around and left with her prey!!




On the way to Punda we found this Dagga boy! It seems something was bothering him…


That evening I went for Christmas eve on a night drive.

We saw Spotted eagle owl(x3), Meller’s Mongoose (WOW! This is the only camp in the park where I have seen them!), Large Spotted Genet, spring hares and then impala, ellies, buff, and the again Impala on the left and as the spotlight on the right moved, we saw yellow spots jumping!! A leopard jumping at an Impala!! We could not believe our eyes! We took the light immediately away! When we put the spot light on after a while.. the leopard and impala were gone… What an adrenalin sighting!!

Another full and wonderful day to treasure in our hearts forever!! What a Christmas eve!! If elt so close to our Creator!

Anne-marie here it is!

Day 10:
We woke up at 03:30, it was raining. A wonderful Christmas present for Punda! This weather was to stay for about 4 days!! … but we did not mind, Punda needed it. The plan was to go to Pafuri for the day.. Well, rain or not: We are GOING!!

On the way to Pafuri, game was scarce, but still worthwhile to see how thankful the bush is for the rain. Oh yes! A wonderful raptor sighting we had on the Nyala drive was a Eurasian Hobby. That made the day worth while!

The first pic I took, was at the picnic site (See how wet). Apparently this was the first day where the water went around the island in the Levuvhu river this season.





A view of the river in the rain…


Something negative I experienced on the dirt road (part of the S63) was that 2 taxis on the way to the border post came at high speed and hooted at us because we could not quick enough for them out of the road. This is not a broad road and you have to pull over for a car to pass. This was always such a peaceful road, just to watch the scenery…

We also found these “water logged” animals.

A terrapin in a puddle.


Water Dikkop ( Now Thicknee) in the road.




A African Hawk Eagle in the rain:




Some Nyala:
Note how close this bull’s horns are.


Females:


Note the hump on the side of this female.


Crooks Corner in the rain:
The Limpopo river:


The Levuvhu river:


We getting wet and having a cup of coffee while birding Oh yes! we saw Rock Pratincole!


The next pic I took as we drove out of Crooks Corner. See the Lala Palm (Hyphaene coriacea) in the fore ground.


We stopped at the bridge to do some bird watching… but no luck with the spinetails… I heard a Gorgeous Bush Shrike in this fig tree… but never got to see it!


We drove back to camp… and we took S61, it was slip and sliding as we exited the road close to Punda, they closed the road behind us. (Most of the dirt roads stayed closed for at least 2 days. Apparently there was an accident on the S60 and that is why the road was closed.

A big problem at the moment is that many cars (locals in Mozambique, that have no other town close by) use the H1-8 and S60. They drove to fast and also recklessly. The vehicles are not road worthy. So you find (as you will see later) a lot of animals driven over and vehicle breakdown… and they spoil sightings for you… I am not sure what the solution is, this is a delicate problem.

That afternoon we drove the Mahonie Loop and found everything still wet!


My only photo of a Crested Guineafowl that is in focus (out of 10 sightings!!)


We also saw this wet mother and baby.




And this tree squirrel decided to curl its tail around it, for some warmth.


Back in camp… the end of another wonderful day!

Thanks to Nightjar, Zaza, Pumbaa, Anne-Marie, John n Poppy,Naomi C and Lorrainepring for your remarks!

Day 11:
Well it was still raining and most of the dirt roads were closed! So a short report for today!

So the morning did not deliver much predator wise…. But birdwise was another story!

The first animal was:
Painted Snipe Female in the road!! Wow! What a sighting!






I found these wet animals on route to Klopperfontein on the main road.








It is amazing how green the grass got after it started raining.


This blackbellied korhaan decided to pose for a photo.




These dassies (hyrax) were underneath a overhang.




A wet tar road.


The rest of the day we stayed indoors and had a good kuier (a wonderful time with friends).

Dear forumites,

I'm back ....and this weekend was again one to remember! The main aim of the weekend was to see all the big rivers flowing! ...and accept for the Crocodile river we saw all of them !!! What a wonderful sight!

Limpopo river (Crooks corner)


Olifants river at Balule


On a sad note we also saw Alexander (tusker) dead close to Mopani.



But I will tell you about this weekend under a new topic. Look out for it! I will try to post again today some time

Have a nice day.

Thanks for the effort John n Poppy, Micetta, Johan N, p@m, Lorrainepring, Vlekkie, Anne-Marie,Mikerid and Meandering Mouse made to comment.

Next installment:
Day 12:

We took the morning at a slowish pace … remember that I was still sick, and definitely not feeling well.

We went on an afternoon drive… the rain stopped for a few hours.
The termites came out… and we watched all kinds of animals eating termites. It was so exciting!!

We watched these Tawny Eagle eating termites. Watch out for the quelea (female) flying away under its tail, and the male quelea flying away.








We also saw lots of other animals eating termites, such as francolins, hornbills, scorpions and beetles.

We found this ground beetle eating termites and a dead fly.


These Wahlberg’s eagles were also catching termites very late in the afternoon.


That evening I went on a night drive with Su. We drove to Tula Mila waterhole, and then towards Shingwedzi on the tar road. It was very quiet… 1 or 2 springhares, grysbok, impala, mellers mongoose, AWC, genet and this land snail…


As we turned at the T junction on our way back, there was a Barn Owl in the road. We watched him and when he flew we continued. Right where the owl was in the road we found this creature right next to the road!!



Now every body was awake!! Eventually we found 3 barn owls on the road back! What a wonderful day in Kruger!