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Sorry for the delay, but here goes

18 September Day 11

We woke up this morning, knowing it will be our final drive in “Heaven” before we have to head home and only return to Kruger in thirteen months’ time. With everything packed and the last lucky packet ready to be opened, we were out the gate at opening time by opening and closing the gate ourselves.
We had to split the day’s sightings in two for everybody to be able to open the TR without to many photos, so bear with us till we leave the park.

I stopped along the road to capture our last sunrise that looked like this:






When the first few items were pulled from the packet, it seemed as if today will be the day for birdie charms again.

The first to come and greeted us was this lonly hornbill.



Then an Orange-breasted waxbill jumping out of shot all the time (we think)




Two Egyptian geese in a tree that were busy to warm up for the day.



Also this Swainson’s spurfowl came by to say bye.



Just before the weir itself I took a photo to capture the early morning dew on the grass (maybe it is all the tears that gathered and poured onto the grass of ‘mites that had to leave the park before us ‘till next time).



At the weir itself we found the following sweeties:

A lonely hippo on the river bank



Helmeted Guineafowl



A croc lazing in the water



Another beautiful Fish Eagle



Lastly an Egyptian goose, still busy with its defrosting process in the morning sun.



A bit further along the Biyamiti loop we came across these slender mongooses. It was quite funny to see them standing like salt pillars to get warmed up before they could move.





Then we were greeted by this (why do you disturb me) attitude of a little klipspringer charm.



Does this little face not tell to move on and mind your own business.



Then he turned around and ignored us as if we did not exist anymore





Hilda pulled a second charm from the bag and this time around she picked a lion charm.

When we got to the sighting of the little golden kitties yesterday, we found these two Nomads right next to the road. These two guys traced the mom with her babies and she had to move them for safety reasons.

At first the guy at the left was still fast asleep and totally wet from last night’s dew.



He later raised his head and he looked like most of us when we woke up in the morning.



The guy on the other side turned its head and did not look much better either.





We had to move and found these two little croc’s at the low water bridge on the S113





With these two terrapins in the water.





We stopped at Afsaal for a quick body break before we head down the road to exit the park at Malelane Gate.

Here we go for the last 23 Km of our eleven lucky packet trip.

After we left Afsaal, Hilda pulled the next two birdie charms from the bag.

First birdie was this Black-headed Oriole.





The second was this Saddle-billed Stork.



The impi’s also came to say goodbye



With the boss



If this was not enough, Hilda pulled this beautiful charm from the lucky packet. Another cheetah for the trip came to remind us to come back soon.





The little blurred steenbuck at the bottom of the photo was all ears to avoid a confrontation with the cheetah (blurry at the top)



Then we came across this charm (at first we thought it was one of those Kalahari lions), but it was actually a monster of a Wartie





Our last sweetie sightings were all birdies again.

The first birdies were this Black heron and Little Egret on the rocks



And a Reed Cormorant down near the water



And our final sighting of the trip was this proud African Harrier Hawk



Then we arrived at the place we all dread . Passing through the gate that has to be overcome before we can head home, only to return and do it all over again .