SANParks.org Forums

Hi everyone

Yes it is that time of year again where we make our annual tour of KTP. 11 days till we hit the road so this weekend will be spent shopping.

Below is the trip in detail:

2011/09/07 Red Sands
2011/09/08 twee rivieren
2011/09/09 twee rivieren
2011/09/10 twee rivieren
2011/09/11 Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
2011/09/12 Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
2011/09/13 KTC
2011/09/14 KTC
2011/09/15 Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
2011/09/16 Gharagab Wilderness Camp
2011/09/17 Gharagab Wilderness Camp
2011/09/18 Nossop
2011/09/19 Grootkolk
2011/09/20 Nossop
2011/09/21 KTC
2011/09/22 KTC
2011/09/23 KTC
2011/09/24 twee rivieren
2011/09/25 Home

Regarding the shopping does anyone have any ideas around what meals would be possible after say the first 7 days as i suspect all fresh fruit, veg's etc will not be suitable to eat. Therefore what is practical for the last 10 days. We will be taking a fridge / freezer in the van so keeping meat not a problem but not sure what to accompany this with - what about tinned / frozen veg?

Looking forward to testing out our new 70-200 F2.8 which arrived from the USA yesterday afternoon!

Once again it will be myself and So.

Thank you for the best wishes.

Managed to get most of the stuff over the weekend including baby potatos in a tin which could be interesting.

We will start to pack at the weekend. Can someone give me an update on the status of the N14?

We want to travel the Leeuwdril 4x4 trail and do not want to travel back to camp after leaving when the gate opens - is it possible to book this the day before?

Hello

Not long to go now

Going to start packing the van today as work commitments for Monday and Tuesday are quite hectic.

SO is going to get the balance of the veg's etc on Tuesday.

We plan to leave on Wednesday morning around 5am to miss traffic and take a slow drive on the first day. Will arrive in KTP thursday morning and drop of cloths with Jannie mid morning Thursday if everything goes as planned.

WillemK - did you do the Leeudril 4x4 early in the morning? Regarding the 70-200 it is a lense i have always wanted. Wish i had 600mm!

Made one small change to the trip as i managed to get an extra night at 2011/09/20 Grootkolk.

Does anyone know of the location of any Cape Fox dens as this is something i want to target?

Hi Everyone

Got back safely late last night after a fantastic 18 day stay in KTP. We meet and saw a few yellow ribbons during the trip and also had some very nice sightings.

Mornings were colder than we expected for this time of year but the days were very nice even thou some days the wind really picked up.

Now to start processing ther photos!

Day 1- September 7 - 2011

We got up at 4am to complete the packing early in the morning with the plan to leave home at 6am to avoid the worst of the Gauteng traffic.

We completed the packing without incident with the last task to fill the 70l water tank. We hit the road and got out of Gauteng without too much hassle and it did not take long for us to hit the stop and goes. The delays were not too bad but do break the rhythm of the drive. We got to Ventersdorp at 8H15am for breakfast at Wimpy and refuelling and were back on the road just after 9am.

The drive was pleasant and we reached Kuruman at 1pm refuelled and travelled the last 10km to Red Sands for our overnight stop. We decided to eat at the restaurant as we did not want to unpack too much stuff for a one night stop over. We had a pleasant meal and were in bed around 10pm.

Distance from Pretoria = 578km

Day 2 – September 8 – 2011

We awoke bright and early filled with excitement packed the van and went for breakfast. We were on the road by 7h45am. We had a driving distance of 502km today with a planned stop in Upington to refuel.

Everything went smoothly and we reached Kgalagadi entrance 1pm. Check in went very smoothly and the reception staff called Jannie to come and collect the clothing. It was nice to chat to Jannie even thou the conversation was short as he was very busy. We checked into the chalet which was to be home for the next 3 nights. As well as unpacking and sorting out the camera equipment we had more space to make things easier to get to after offloading the 5 cloths bags. Regarding the clothing drive everyone that is involved is doing a fantastic job as when we were driving in we passed Welkom and even from a distance we could see that whatever help we on the forum can provide will be gladly received.

We visited the park last year for 10 days but now our extended 18 day stay begins. We started with a strategy to go out when the gate opened each day and be back in camp for lunch and a rest each day from around 11h30am till around 3pm and then go out for an afternoon drive. During the trip we realised under normal game park conditions this works but was not the optimum strategy for KTP as we will explain in more detail as we go through the report.

Last year we had a fantastic trip but like everyone else we missed certain sightings so were hopeful we would see:
• Leopard
• Cape Fox
• Caracal
• Suricates
• Honey Badger

We managed to achieve some of these sightings on this trip but you will have to wait and see which ones.

Day 2 – September 8 – 2011 - Continued

After unpacking and getting everything sorted we were ready to take our first drive of the trip into the park. We collected our permit and passed through the gate at 3h45pm. Weather wise it was a beautiful afternoon and as per normal in any park our focus was to evaluate general conditions and just enjoy the drive rather than focusing on taking to many photos.

We had sorted the van with the camera equipment positioned on pillows in the middle of the back seat with the other camera equipment in 2 camera bags one on either side. Next to the seat we had positioned a small cooler box and picnic basket which was to remain the same for the balance of the trip. In the front we had some key books, bino’s and the 2 bean bags.

The first thing we noticed was that the grass was taller than last year which we expected due to the late rains which would make things a little more challenging but at the same time offering different photographic options.

From an information point of view the camera setup was as follows:
• Sony A700 with 50-500mm Sigma
• Sony A900 with 70-400G Sony
• The following fitted when required:
o Sony 70-200G F2.8
o Sigma 10-20mm
o 1.4 and 2x converters

We opened the information booklet we bought while checking in which was very useful and a surprise as they were not available last year when we were here.

We stopped a few KM into the drive to have a look at an active weaver nest and this little guy popped his head out from one of the dead branches on the ground. We do not get close to this animal often so decided that if we spent so time he may come out to play. We had to be very patient as it to about 40min for him to make a proper appearance and then he seemed to be just as curious as us. We both realised that this is the reason we come to KTP as no vehicle passed us during this time allowing us the opportunity to observe each other in peace. This was on the road towards Leeuwdril. We have included quite a number of photos as we do not get the opportunity to get photos of this animal so close that often.

Slender Mongoose

They are active during the day but if there is sufficient moonlight they will also hunt at night. They readily climb trees, unlike other mongoose species. They live alone or in pairs and they are non-territorial, although they will maintain a home range that is overlapped by those of others. They have a den that is in a sheltered area such as a hollow log or a crevice between rocks and they may share their dens with other species. The Slender Mongoose feeds upon insects, snakes, lizards, birds, rodents, amphibians, carrion, eggs and occasionally fruit.

Slender Mongoose can breed several times per year and after a gestation period of 60 - 70 days, 1 - 3 young are born in a den. Males do not take part in caring for their young; it is the sole responsibility of the female. By the time the young reach 3 weeks old they have their eyes open and at 4 weeks old, they leave the nest. At this point they begin to eat solid food and by the time they are 50 days old they are approximately two thirds of their adult weight. They are weaned at 7 - 9 weeks old and they are independent at 10 weeks. They reach sexual maturity at 1 - 2 years of age.















We did not have much time after this so we turned around and headed back to camp. We got back at 6h15pm and I light the fire. We both had some wine and chilled outside absorbing the fantastic late afternoon light. After the braai we both sleep very well after a long day.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011

We awoke to a chilly first morning with a stiff breeze at 5am to prepare everything for the picnic basket and the flask. We were organised by 5h25am and could then sit outside and enjoy the awakening of bush as the sun started to rise and the birds awoke with hot coffee / rusks. We packed everything in the van at 6h20 and proceeded to the gate to get our permit. We entered the park for our first morning drive just after 6h30am.

We had decided that on this trip from a photographic point of view we would focus more than normal on the environment to try and improve the background of our photos. In some cases during the trip we managed this but without doubt it is one aspect that needs a fair amount of practice.

We had decided that we would drive up to Kij Kij then across the lower dune road and back to camp a drive of about 105km. Regarding the road conditions we found the new section a pleasure and the rest of the drive as per normal. I selected a tyre pressure of 1.3b front and 1.5b rear due to the extra weight at the back. This tyre pressure worked well until we reached the Nossop area where we reduced them all to 1.2b.

We drove slowly up and around Samevloeing in the hope of spotting the exclusive leopard – once again this was not to be so we continued. Not that far down the road we heard a lion roar but could see nothing even thou we knew it was close. We decided to turn of the car and see if we could identify the direction. We did this and within 5 min he appeared walking parallel to the road in the distance. As he got closer he changed direction and made a line directly for us with the intention to cross the road. It was a pleasure once again to have the opportunity to watch him approaching without someone spoiling the situation. When he got to the road he crossed in front of us and by that time we were joined by another 2 vehicles.

It was very early so the light had not quite crested the dune but it was magnificent to watch this beautiful big male go about his routine.

First Sunrise



Male Lion

A male lion's roar can be heard up to 9km away. A lion's eyesight is five times better than a human's, and it can hear prey that is more than a mile away. Only male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. Males defend the pride's territory, which may include some 259 square kilometers of grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands. These intimidating animals mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn intruders, and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.Within the pride, the territorial males are the fathers of all the cubs. When a lioness is in heat, a male will join her, staying with her constantly. The pair usually mates for less than a minute, but it does so about every 15 to 30 minutes over a period of four to five days.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued

The male continued to walk parallel to the road. We noticed a dune about 300m away so we decided to turn around and make our way back to the dune in the hope we could get him coming down the other side. It was a nervous wait as we obviously could no longer see him and were not sure whether he would in fact come over the dune. Just as we thought we had made a mistake he appeared and we were so happy when he decided to use the dune as a lookout point. The light was difficult so we took the best shoots we could.









It was now 7h20am and we had only be on our first morning drive for 50 min and 25 min of that had been spent with this magnificent male lion – off to a good start!

It was a tuff decision but we decide to leave him and continue with the drive. We then came across 2 Bat Eared foxes but as per normal they saw / heard us coming and bolted at some speed. Next on the sightings list was BBJ also a fair distance away. We then came across:

Springbok

Rams are slightly larger than ewes and have thick horns; the ewes tend to have skinnier legs and longer, frailer horns. Average horn length for both genders is 35 centimetres with the record being a female with horns measuring 49.21 centimetres. Springbok footprints are narrow and sharp and are 5.5 centimetres long.

Springbok are mixed feeders, switching between grazing and browsing seasonally. They graze as long as grasses are young and tender and browse on shrubs and succulents. Springbok can meet their water needs from the food they eat, and survive without drinking water through dry season, or even over years. Reportedly, in extreme cases, they do not drink any water over the course of their life. Springbok may accomplish this by selecting flowers, seeds, and leaves of shrubs before dawn, when these foods are most succulent Unlike most other African antelopes, springbok tend to be concentrated in the wet seasons and spread out during the dry season.

Springbok usually mate during the dry season and after a gestation period of 5 - 6 months, 1 young Springbok is born. For the first couple of days the youngster remains hidden in a bush or long grass before they join a nursery herd with their mother. When they reach 6 months old they are weaned and females will remain with the herd where as young males will join a bachelor herd. Females reach sexually maturity at a year old and they will reproduce every second year. Males reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age.

Sorry this post took a while as i was sorting out the photos from the trip yesterday.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued

We continued along the road as the sun had now crested the dunes the light had improved and then we ran into our second male lion of the drive.

Male Lion

Lions may hunt at any hour, but they typically go after large prey at night. They hunt together to increase their success rate; since prey can be difficult to catch and can outrun a single lion. The lions fan out along a broad front or semicircle to creep up on prey. Once with within striking distance, they bound in among the startled animals, knock one down and kill it with a bite to the neck or throat. Hunts are successful about half the time.













We meet a nice couple who had been following this male for well over an hour. He must have walked a fair distance and he did not look like stopped. Once again we spent some time following him and then decided to move on.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued

We had not even gone down the road when we ran into this female lion on a mission to maybe catch up with the male.

Female Lion

The female lions rarely fight each other. All of them are related and they are tasked to hunt for the food of the pride. A lactating female lion can give milk to any cub, even the ones which were not born to her. Lions will reproduce any time of the year, and all females of reproductive maturity will breed at the same time. This allows them to give birth in synchrony with each other, thereby sharing the suckling responsibilities. Any lactating female in a pride will suckle any cub that belongs to the pride. Lions give birth to 1-6 cubs after a gestation of 110 days.











We had now been on the road for 2 hours and had not reached the detour yet which is only 24km from camp. The water holes along the road have been fairly quiet up to this point.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued

It was now after 9am and the sun was well and truly shining brightly as we turned onto the detour road for the first time. The road was much better than expected but difficult to pass when any vehicle approached from the opposite direction.

We saw this hornbill on the ground and by chance we glanced over.

Southern Yellow hornbill

They feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. Termites and ants are a preferred food source in the dry season. It may catch snakes, which kills beating them strongly on hard surface. It swallows the whole prey, and rejects indigestible parts. Yellow-billed Hornbill is seen solitary, in pairs or small groups. When calling, bill is pointed downwards and wings are raised. It is active during the day, but mostly at dawn and dusk. It roosts high in trees during the night.

Yellow-billed Hornbill nests in a hole in tree. This cavity is lined with dry grasses and leaves. Female lays 3 to 4 white eggs in closed cavity. Incubation lasts about 25 days, by female alone, fed by male. Chicks are fed by female in the hole during three weeks with regurgitated food. Then, female leaves the nest, and young reseal the hole themselves. They stay 40 to 45 days more in the nest, fed by both parents. When they fledge, they perch a few days in the tree on the nest site, moving their wings before to take off. They reach their sexual maturity at one year. This species produces only one brood per year.







Ground Squirrel

They don't climb trees, but live on the ground and in their widespread underground caves. They feed on grass seeds, leaves and roots. The Ground Squirrel, also known as the Cape Ground Squirrel, uses its tail as a sunshade, holding it in a bent position over its back while feeding. When the squirrel moves its tail up and down, this is an alarm signal to other members of the pack, and is accompanied by a long, drawn out whine, which functions as an alarm call. Colonies numbering up to 30 live in a complicated network of interconnecting burrows: they are poor climbers, and so remain mostly either on or under the ground.

The warren may be shared with Suricates or yellow mongooses, although the mongooses sometimes kill older ground squirrels. They live in the drier parts of southern Africa, and are predominantly vegetarians; their diet, however, does include insects. They sunbathe with their bellies to the ground and all four legs stretched out. They dust bathe in the same way and every now and then scratch the sand all over their bodies before shaking it off. Small colonies consist of females and their offspring, with the female defending the territory against intruders. Males are accepted into this society only when a female is in heat. One or two young are born.



We reached the end of the detour at Kij Kij and had a quick stop for coffee and breakfast as the drive so far had been quite hectic and we had not managed to have breakfast. We had packet many different serials for this trip with long life milk which was a nice change.

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued

It was now mid-morning so we proceeded across the lower dune road and then headed back to TR. By now it was hot and sightings were limited.

Striped Mouse

Striped mouse are active during the day, but are seldom active at night as they cannot maintain their body temperature if the environment is below 5 degrees C. They excavate a burrow system with the entrances well concealed in clumps of grass and create a radiating system of runways with their regular excursions to the feeding grounds. They are common around houses.

The striped grass mouse is an omnivore, eating seeds, other plant material, and insects. Its diet varies seasonally. It builds up fat stores that assist it to survive in times of limited food supply. Green plant material forms the largest portion of the diet with seed consumption higher in the summer months. The insect component of the diet seems to be fairly consistent.







Bird ID (help needed)



Bird ID Bird ID (help needed)



Landscape

Day 3 – September 9 – 2011 – Continued – Afternoon drive

We arrived back in camp after 1pm and before going to the unit we quickly stopped at the shop to buy wood, ice and water. At the unit we had a light lunch of cheese and biscuits and hand a rest till 4pm.

After getting organised we departed for our afternoon drive at 4h15 after collecting our permit. It was still warm but the cooling process had begun. We decided to take drive on the Mata Mata road.

Landscape – Wildebeest



Landscape – Springbok



We saw a fair number on the dune roads but every time we stopped to get photos they would go walk into the thick grass or fly away – quite frustrating!

Northern Black Korhaan

This bird forages for food on the ground. This bird hunts for small reptiles such as lizards, geckos and bush snakes. The Northern Black Korhaan strikes poisonous snakes on the head with one fatal blow which kills the snake instantly. There have been cases were this bird has been killed by a snake while hunting. Some birds have been blinded by Cobra venom. This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants.

These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten. The Afrotis afraoides forages mainly on the ground or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds. The bird builds its nest on the ground with figs, straw and leaves. The nest is placed under a bush to protect the young from predators.



I cannot explain to you why but this is one of my favourite birds. We only seem to see them on the dune roads and they are difficult to get photos of so I was happy to get this one.

Ant Eating Chat

The Ant-eating Chat is Endemic to the Southern African Region which means that this bird is only found in this region and nowhere else in the world. The Ant-eating Chat has a height of 18 cms and weighs around 50 Gms. This bird forages for food on the ground. This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten. The Myrmecocichla formicivora forages mainly on the ground or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds.



We arrived back in camp after dropping of the permit a 6h20pm. I started the braai while SO organised the drinks. We just sat outside for about an hour just relaxing and watching the campers go about their business as we were in unit 17 which is just above the camp site. We were having chicken and salad for diner and while we were cooking we powered up the camera batteries and downloaded the photos to the external HD while we had power.

After eating we both had nice hot showers and were asleep by 11h15pm (yes late after downloaded photos) so we would not be getting much sleep after a long day.

Day 4 – September 10 – 2011 – Morning drive

We were up early at 5am but still a little tired from yesterday. Even this early on in the trip the morning route was fairly well established as it was coffee and rusks sitting outside waiting for the sunrise and the birds.

After packing the car we looked at the map and decided to take the same route as we did yesterday morning up towards Kij Kij.

It was cold with a strong breeze so we were not sure what we would see. We collected our permit and hit the road into the park just after 6h30am. It was a very quiet drive from a predator point of view but with nice sightings of general game and some BBJ’s. We stopped to check and see if the ME had flown yet but it was not to be.

We reached Rooiputs around 7h30am and had a quick stop for coffee. There is a large amount of birds flying from the trees to water and back but just too far away to take any kind of photos. We then continued on the detour and reached Melkvlei for breakfast at around 8H30am. While there we wandered around and got some nice bird photos.

Marico Flycatcher (can someone confirm ID?)

Monogamous, sometimes facultative cooperative breeder, meaning that the breeding pair can be assisted by other adults. The nest (see image below) is a small, flimsy cup built of dry grass and weed stems and lined with rootlets and feathers. The floor of the nest is often so thin that that the eggs can be seen from below. It is typically placed between forked twigs in the outermost branches of a thorny tree, usually very difficult to spot, even if the tree doesn't have any leaves




Chestnut-Vented Tit-Babbler (can anyone confirm the ID)

The Chestnut-vented Warbler builds a cup nest flow in vegetation. This species is monogamous, pairing for life. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, moving through vegetation as it forages for insects and other small invertebrates. It mainly eats insects gleaned from branches, supplemented with fruit. It is an agile foraging, rapidly moving through foliage in search prey and occasionally hawking termite alates.



African Red-Eyed Bulbul

Its cheerful call is heard throughout the day as the birds are conspicuous and vocal in pairs or small groups, often calling from the tops of trees. They forage mostly in trees, seldom on the ground and they often hawk insects in flight. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, nectar, and insects; they drink frequently and in consequence are seldom found too far from water. Bulbuls are monogamous and the males are territorial, aggressively seeing-off other males during the breeding season.



Familiar chat

Familiar Chats live on insects and fruit. The Afrikaans name comes from them eating the bacon fat lubricant used in wagon wheel hubs. They nest from July to April building a neat cup of soft material such as hair, wool, feathers or plant material. The nest is hidden in rocks, a hole in the ground or in a tree and other such suitable places.

Day 4 – September 10 – 2011 – Morning drive - Continued

Melkvlei





We decided not to go over the lower dune road but instead to carry on up the Nossop road. We reached Kramsbrak and then turned around and travelled the road all the way back to camp. It was hot now but still had a fair breeze.

This is one of those nearly shots. We tried to get birds in taking off many times during the trip and realised that this is difficult to achieve and you must leave a lot of room for the wings and shutter speed must be high.

Swallow Tailed Bee Eaters

It breeds in savannah woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is partially migratory, moving in response to rainfall patterns. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. Its colours and readily visible forked tail make this species unmistakable. It is mainly green with a yellow throat, blue gorget and black eye stripe and beak. It can reach a length of 20–22 cm, including the long forked green or blue feathers. Sexes are alike. This is a species which prefers somewhat more wooded country than most bee-eaters. This attractive bird is readily approached. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Swallowtail has a preference for honeybees. These bee-eaters are nesting as pairs or in very small colonies in sandy banks, or similar flat ground. They make a relatively long tunnel in which the 2 to 4 spherical, white eggs are laid. These birds also feed and roost communally.



Can someone help with ID – my guess Karasburg Tree Skink – I am confused by the spots.



Pririt Batis (can someone confirm ID?)

It is a small stout insect-eating bird, found in dry broadleaf woodland and thorn scrub. The nest is a small neat cup low in a tree or bush. The Pririt Batis hunts by fly catching, or by taking prey from the ground like a shrike. The song is typically a slow descending series of whistled notes, teuu, teuu, teuu, teuu.



Chestnut-Vented Tit-Babbler

The nest is a thin-walled cup built of dry grass, rootlets and strips of silk bark, secured with spider web. It is typically placed in the branches of a bush or small tree, occasionally in mistletoe. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 13-16 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents, leaving the nest after about 14-15 days



Marico Flycatcher

The Marico Flycatcher has a height of 18 cms and weighs around 24 Gms. The head is coloured brown while the bill is coloured black. The Bradornis mariquensis has a white coloured throat, black legs and a brown coloured back. The eyes are brown. The Marico Flycatcher is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild. The bird lays between 2 to 3 eggs and they are coloured green.