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On the way to Urikaruus, a Rock Monitor





Secretay Birds arrive at Urikaruus the same time as us









That afternoon we decide to drive south and it is quiet.

A Tawny takes off while another one looks on









Nothing at Gemsbokplein. We turn around to head back to Urikaruus, wait a minute, you were not there a few minutes ago
Surely we could not have missed you barely 5 minutes ago.

Beautiful Miera must have been sleeping in the tree and came down while we were turning



There was no spoor on the road so she did not come that way and we would have seen her in the riverbed, just shows.

And she posed for us, unlike Tsamma

















Got up and had a scratch



and went into the riverbed and away





We started the day with an AWC and a leopard and ended the day with a leopard

Tomorrow morning we start the day with a spotted cat again

'tis the season of spotted cats

28 December 2012

Nothing at Urikaruus waterhole but still wonderful just to be up at 5.00am and enjoy my tea sitting on the deck in anticipation of something special turning up.

We out at 5.30am and head south and 2.7km later I say leopard



at the same time as Duke says leopard



There is a leopard in the riverbed and a leopard in the road but it is dark and both are on the move.

Duke says, girls get Tshidi (we think the one in the riverbed is Thisdi) and we will get Barolong (the leopard on the road) but both are moving fast and Barolong is making for the dunes at speed. Besides we all want to see both of them so taking photos is difficult

Rockhound says, "Wow. Barolong is beautiful and a huge female leopard"





Well beautiful she is, and huge, but no female - we later identified "her" as Dakotah What a handsome fella



and Thsidi stops for a minute, giving us an opportunity to get some photos, but she is too big for Tshidi, it is Amur (thanks AstroMatt and wanderw for the ID)









But she is following Dakotah



who is already on the ridge



and she is fast making her way to the dune too



What a special sighting and good to know Amur will be having cubs soon.

They were bang in the middle of the territory of Barolong and Handsome Dakotah is definitely worth a second look

So many spotted cats. I did say Year of the Spotted Cat and Springbok. There were many little bokkies all over the place





and we missed the birth of one by a few minutes (we were blessed to see a springbok birth a year ago)





and scenes like this











The Aoub river bed was green and spring was in the air, the little Springboks testing their springly little legs - just magic

And who will one day be pronking like the adults







and testing their skills for the rights of mating and dominance



for the cycle to be repeated.

Moving on south after seeing Dakotah and Amur we found two lions and two lionesses. They were half way up the dunes











and meerkats









Back at Urikaruues, we were entertained by some wildebeest

29 December 2012

Today we move on to Kieliekrankie. We were up the usual 5.00am but did not go for a drive. After breakfast and packing up we headed north first and found Gertie and the three cubs although they were about 70 meters away











and a pygmy falcon





and swallow tailed bee-eaters





sprinboks and wildebeest enjoying the new green shoots at Kamqua

Near Batulama there is a lioness feeding on a baby bokkie. We meet a German tourist here and he was really ecstatic having seeing the kill









across the road another lioness and two lions just sat and looked at the lioness feeding.









On the afternoon drive we saw the lions again at Batulama, now sprawled out











Namaqua Sangrouse at Gemsbokplein





Tomorow is our last full day in the KTP and it was a special day

30 December 2012

We out at 5.30am and today decide to go south. It was 26 Degrees already so it was going to be a scorcher. The sightings for today were also hot.

Just past Auchterlonie Waterhole Duke stops and says Shhhh

He did not want to chase the cheetah away cheetah was feeding on a steenbok



We keep or distance and enjoy the sight











he gets up



and changes position











the sun breaks from behind the mountains



and you can see the difference in the colour of the photos. We now in the golden light.





TBC......

There is a jackal howling away and the cheetah is very alert but is not going to give up his meal to the jackal



















Jackal still at it

The cheetah gets up



and makes his way to the dune. The jackal wastes no time claiming his share







Here is a comparison of a photo taken with my canon 7D camera with a 100-400 lens and same picture taken by Val with the Canon Powershot SX50. We are both at maximum focal length, which is 400 for me and 215 for Val. Both photos are uncropped.

215 on her camera is equivalent to a focal length of 1200mm on a 35mm camera

These photos tells it all. Cheetah on dune after his meal

We continued south after the cheetah sighting and at Kamfersboom we saw two lions and 3 hyenas. We noticed a hyena cub too and seems like the hyenas were telling the lions, you not welcome here.







The hyenas were happy the lions were not coming closer and came to the waterhole











We waited for a while but there was not going to be any action between the lions and hyenas. We turn around and head north.

Juvenile Gabar Goshawk







It is early and we decide we will not return to Kieliekrankie yet but go till Montrose and then return. That was the right decision

We find our lions at Batulama again. The lioness is walking in the riverbed



trying to remove a thorn from her paw



and the brothers are bonding



Phew bro, what did you eat this morning



Oh no, not again



can get a whiff right till here





Ok, I'll just have a quick drink, that might help







We moved on to Montrose

Thanks hilda

We find some very nervous springbok at Montrose. They snorting and staring towards the middle of the riverbed where there are some large trees. We drive towards the trees but cannot see anything. We go further, still noting. We turn around and go towards Montrose again and from the new angle see a leopard under the tree, feeding on a springbok. It is Miera









A few cars arrive, including Fotomaljohan and we tell them about the leopard. We also meet Caracal at this sighting

Miera eventually gets up and ventures into the open





and then comes to sit in front of the tree, posing for us

The other cars had left but we had an inkling that Miera is going to go to the waterhole for a drink. She did



She walked the 200 or so meters to the waterhole











After her drink, Miera does some marking



a final pose for us



before she returns to the tree where her kill is

on the way back to Kieliekrankie, we see the lions, also in the shade of a tree.



and also a white face scops owl



and a fork tailed drongo



greater kestrel

I told you the day started at 26 Degrees and it was burning hot but we still had to go for an afternoon drive. After all It was our last afternoon in the Park.

Only wild cats and the Ellietons would venture out in these temperatures



Lanner Falcon



The Crimson Breasted Shrike has frustrated me over the years as it never sits still for long enough. Got it today









Also got a Pygmy Falcon



A cape cobra



who slid away and then peeped at us



Swallow tail bee-eater and doves





African Wild cat





and a martial Eagle



What a wonderful day

Feeding chetah, lion and hyena interaction, lions bonding, Miera, Falcons and cobras , Eagle and doves, Bee-eaters and shrikes, and the best sunset the KTP has to offer is at Kieliekrankie in my opinion.



Tomorrow morning we leave the KTP

31 December 2012

We left Kieliekrankie at 5.30am. We had a long way to go today, first to Twee Riviren and then to Mokala. We were sad to be leaving the Kgalagadi. Best place on the planet for raptors and cats and a whole lot more.

It was a quiet day

but there was a bat eared fox family sighting



A wildebeest that was rolling in the sand but got up before I could get that photo



and at Kamfersboom the hyenas sniffing around where the lions were yesterday



Thank you for following my trip report

See you soon