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Everytime I wake up to the sound of an African mourning dove, I think of waking up in Lower Sabie. I know there are doves elsewhere, but nothing personifies Lower Sabie like the morning call of the doves.

I was camping recently and heard the Scops Owls, and it took me straight to Satara camp. When I heard the hornbills during the day, I was immediatly reminded of Talamati.

Any similar experiences?

With you on the Scops one.

First time I was ever aware of the sound of the scops was at Satara, so I make that connection easily.

Thick tailed bush baby gets me back to Skukuza every time. The whoop of hyenas, almost any camp in the reserve, but the sound of a lions roaring at night takes me back to my very first night camping in Lower Sabie. Sadly, the "revamp" of LS has ruined any affection I ever had for this once "upon-a-time" gem.

Lower Sabie is incorrect, that's the camping at Letaba.... At least for me.

My quiet campsite where one can often hear the morning mumbles of ground hornbills and giant (Verreaux) eagle owls . (mostly inaudible above the din in even the smaller tourist camps)

For me francolins = Tamboti.

Quiet, Punda, just peace. And the Spookvoel....

Hippos = Olifants

Lions = Satara

Roaring lions remind me of Tambotie, while whooping hyena's remind me of Satara.

The stunning grunts of hippo's take me back to Nkulu, while the call of the fiercy-necked nightjars reminds me of the Olifants Backpack trail and makes me wanna go straight back

The morning doves resembles Berg-en-Dal for me

Lovely thread

Woodpeckers...P'kop. I was once woken up by a Woodpecker at my hut door I shouted, "come in".. thinking it was a domestic worker.

Bushbabies.. Skukuza, I remember my confusion at this screaming baby.

Croc Bridge..Olive Wooddove.. arrived one year at the gate as the dove was calling.

Lower Sabie.. African Fish Eagle. I remember sitting on the deck of the tented camp listening to the call of the Eagle. Thought that I had just died and arrived in heaven.

Olifants.. hippo.. once went with Freda and heard the most frightful din of hippo. Freda quiped at that point.. "move over and keep quiet M..."

Punda.. the Woodland Kingfisher. They can be heard everwhere.

Satara.. Francolin. Had one outside my tent every morning as my alarm call.

Tambotie... Guinea Fowl.. have often had them on my roof screaming in the early morning.

How can I forget The woodland kingfishers = Shingwedzi

Malelane = bushbabies. The first time we stayed here we were enthralled by these cuties going from tree to tree

Berg en Dal = dwarf mongoose. The first time we ever stayed here we had been so desperate to spend as much time in the Park as possible but were somewhat short of money. We packed a tiny tent into our suitcase (we are grandparents not teenagers so you will understand how desperate we were) and camped. We were close to the fence but alongside a lovely Saffie couple from Nelspruit who took us under their wing as they could not believe our minimal 'camping equipment'. Every day a group of dwarf mongoose came under the fence looking for scraps. It was the first time we had seen these delightful animals and we were entranced.

Balule = hyena. They are always walking around the fence each evening.

Olifants = ellies. I will never forget watching a small herd crossing the river as we sat outside our river view hut. They had a very small baby who obviously did not want to cross this huge daunting river and he/she kept running back to the bank. Time after time the mother returned to encourage her baby and eventually they all made it across and the scene never fails to bring a smile to our faces.

Yes G@amespotter! I agree... I cannot think about Satara without getting the sound of hyena's in mind!

Skukuza - Porcupines.
Satara - Hyenas.
Shingwedzi - Wood Peckers.
Lower Sabie - Fish Eagles.
Letaba - Bush Buck.
Pretoriuskop - Impala.

Crocodile Bridge: the pump on the other side of the river!

Pretoriuskop: impala.

Lower Sabie: hippo (sounds at night).

Berg-en-dal: Hoopoe (finally got to see one there after hearing them in other places).

Skukuza: bush babies.

Tamboti: baboon night sounds. There are lots of other sights/sounds that I remember at Tamboti, too (lion roars, francolins, hyena whooping), but I'm trying to keep this list to just one particular sight/sound for each camp.

Satara: scops-owl (close runner-up is emerald-spotted wood doves which were calling just outside my bungalow one morning--what a way to wake up!).

Napi Trail: lions roaring. They woke us up every morning we were there.

Wolhuter Trail: barn owl screeching at night. That sound can be terrifying!

I wonder when the woodland kingfishers will be back at Olifants, Shing and Punda?
Have you seen or heard them yet this spring?
They are spectacular and because of their calls are easy to spot.