SANParks.org Forums

Well the wait is almost over.

Tomorrow we fly to JHB. Then Sunday we take our son's car and trailer with all the camping kit. Different experience - we normally have our caravan. Just hope we don't have too much rain.

The Abe, our son joins us on 18th March at Satara.

Hope we have some of the sightings that We read about.

Will post trip report and pics on our return. Can't do live unfortunately!

Thank you Munchkin - yes we have a yellow ribbon. My SO is feeling abit strange about that - wants to know what to do when he sees another YR.

I hope we get your spot at Shingwedzi ecojunkie - thank you.
Look forward to seeing you at Letaba. We have never been to these two camps - hoping to see some birds - lifers!
Also keen to see Crooks Corner - my SO used to buy supplies at a little store at Pafuri many years ago - crossing the Limpopo from the Zim side. It is a long way but I am sure we will make it.

I hope we see you at Letaba Dotdan. Good sightings to you too.

Thank you for all your good wishes.

We are now back - what a wonderful trip we had. Some unusual sightings and a couple that could be once in a lifetime sightings.

Have been trying to catch up at work before posting anything.
Also sorting out the nearly 2000 photos taken by us all.

Was so nice to meet up with ecojunkie at Pafuri and then parking near to each other at Letaba.

Also had drinks and supper with Skille and aboon and SO's at Satara. How welcome to the forum we were made to feel. The friendship was very much appreciated.

Briefly meet Freda and SO as they were leaving Satara.

KNP is such a special place.
We have made bookings for a short trip later in the year and another longer one this time next year.

Will get something posted with pics. in the next few days!

Hi ecojunkie

The monkeys took the bread to the top of the tree and left the packet there! Our neighbour rescued the sugar. Fortunately no other damaged. Everything was locked in the trailer after that and the gas bottle stood on top of the freezer!

At Satara the fly sheet took off in the wind when we were setting up camp and ended up in a wag 'n biekie (hook thorn) tree. Not a pretty sight. Am busy writing my trip report now so hopefully will post it soon

We flew from Cape Town to Jhb. It was a very good flight – of course it was a good flight – we were on our way to Kruger! As it got dark the lightening around in the distance was very pretty. Strange to be looking down on it.
Saturday we shopped for all the groceries we would need then spent the rest of the day with our son and family. Packed the trailer with all their camping kit, filled up the car and were ready to leave early on Sunday morning. Excitement was high!!
We left Centurion at 2AM and with the help of the GPS got ourselves on to the N1. Surprising how much traffic there was on the road at that time of the morning. Lots of buses and bakkies loaded to twice their normal height! We turned off at Makhado (LouisTrichardt) and headed towards Punda Maria. The road was good but with very look periods of 60kph speed limit. It was early so not too much activity around. We got to Punda Maria at 7.30AM.
Wow – we were in KNP! This part was all new to us – we had never been north of Olifants before. The mopani bush was thick with lots of pools of water still around. The first animal we saw was a little Sharpe’s grysbok. There were a lot of birds around. Further on towards Shingwedzi we can across a small herd of buffalo and a couple of elephant. Some of the buffalo were lying in some water. I was keeping an eye out for ecojunkie who was traveling up to PM but I had packed my YR in such a safe place I hadn’t yet found it!! We did pass but couldn’t do much about it without YR and no cell reception . In the Shingwedzi river bed there were hundreds of white storks and a lot of marabou storks as well. Ecojunkie had advised us of some nice shady trees next to the fence where we set up our tent. In the shop we were told about the dead elephant next to a reservoir near Mopani. We needed fuel and the card machine wasn’t working at Sh. so decided to go for a ride to Mopani.


There were hundreds of vultures around the elephant, all those found in KNP plus a lone secretary bird. We were surprised that there were no predators around. Stayed for awhile then went to get fuel. On returning we saw all the vultures were in the air – thought maybe a hyaena or something had arrived on the scene – but no – it was a taxi and all the occupants were walking back from the reservoir. They had chased the vultures away.
Back at camp the woodlands kingfishers were in competition with each other – very confusing for us as their call is both of our cell phone rings – resulting in a couple of missed calls!! We enjoyed the late afternoon and early evening sounds while having a quiet drink and braai. The camp wasn’t very full. Our first night in the Park – what heaven – sigh. Early to bed for an early start.

Day 2 Shingwedzi River
Up early and ready to leave when the gates opened. We went along the river towards Kanniedood hide. The sun was in the wrong place for good early morning viewing so continued on down the river. Very little game, just a few water buck. After a while we turned back to the hide. Sat for a while but nothing much happening so found a nice shady spot with big fig trees to have coffee and rusks. Only when we stopped did we realize quite how many birds there were. We saw crested and black collared barbets, female violet backed starling – unfortunately no male – arrowmarked babblers, coucals – my favourite, and all manner of other birds The babblers were feeding a juv. jacobin cuckoo. We then did this quite often when we found nice big trees and it was certainly very rewarding. We went down to the low level bridge which still had some water flowing over it. The crocs were lined up waiting for any fish that came passed. On the bridge was a grey heron and a green backed heron. There were two buffalo feeding on the banks of the river and several hippo in the river. We took the S135 loop back to camp. From the high level bridge we watched some baboons chasing each other – there was a lady they were after, but she was hiding behind some reeds.

Along the river there were two elephant digging for water although the river was flowing right next to them. May be the water is cleaner out of the sand! We saw a beautiful lesser spotted eagle very close to the road in a big tree – he was panting – the temp. had climbed to 36 degrees.
Back at camp the squirrels had raided the tent. Everything was zipped up but they had found the little opening left for the electric cable to go through. The sadistic little devils didn’t only eat the bread but messed all over it as well! They even chewed the lid of the coffee tin. I missed my caravan!!

In the afternoon we did the Red Rocks loop. Lovely drive and we did manage to see a few zebra, giraffe and of course more buffalo and elephant. At the Red Rocks there were two fish eagle calling and flying around. Lovely to see.
Back at camp we walk around and saw longbilled crombec, batis and puff backs.
Most enjoyable day and very different to the south of the park.


This is a red billed hornbill sunbathing!

Jackal couple

Nyala

Crooks Corner




Waiting for lunch

11th March Day 3 Pafuri & Crooks Corner

We left the camp at 5.30am with all the food stuff securely closed in the plastic food box.
I still hadn’t found my well hidden YR so we ‘stole’ a piece of the dayglo yellow guy-rope from the tent to tie on the mirror. We had a rendezvous with ecojunkie at the Pafuri
picnic area.
At one of the water holes next to the road there were three hyaena lying in the water trough. A large herd of wildebeest were being kept from their morning drink.
There were also three pairs of jackal running around the reservoir. As the sun rose we came across small flocks of amur falcon sitting on the tops of the bushes. This was a first sighting for us!

A big ele came walking down a path towards the tar. He was most unhappy with us being in his way and flapped his ears and shock his head until we moved on.
The scenery near Pafuri is lovely – we got to the picnic site at 8.30 where we met ecojunkie. A pity about all the road works that day at the Luvuvhu bridge – plenty of noise and dust. We chatted and watched the Luvuvhu river and bird life. Saw a pair of black collared wattle eye in the trees – another first. After a while we moved along to Crooks Corner. There were a lot of nyala and impala under the big trees and a troop of baboons in the fever trees. Also a broadbilled roller, (first) and some lesser spotted eagles. Crooks Corner had special interest for us as, Mike my SO, used to work for Veterinary Services in Zim when we met. One of his outposts was beacon zero on the border between Mozambique and Zim. In the dry season he used to come across the Limpopo river in his Landy to buy supplies for his staff at a shop at Pafuri. That was in the 1960s. Both rivers had a lot of strong flowing water. It was 38 degrees.
On the way back we stopped at the Klopperfontein dam. Two eles were having their lunch time drink and shower. Very pretty dam. We took the S60. A green snake crossed the road at one point – presumably a boomslang. We did the Mahonie loop around Punda Maria camp but as it was midday didn’t see too much other than several kudu and a family of ele’s in the Matukwale dam.
We stopped at the Babalala picnic spot for tea but before we could get out the car we noticed two big eles feeding on the trees next to the little fence. Gave the tea a miss and we carried on our way back to camp! Saw a beautiful bateleur sitting majestically in a dead tree close to the road.
It was a long hot day for us but thoroughly enjoyable and we were glad to get back to camp late that afternoon. It was super meeting ecojunkie – our first contact with a fellow forumite!
Guess what – the squirrels have been playing softball with the tins and mugs on the kitchen table. The middle of the tent is open at the bottom so we can’t keep them out!

Thicktailed bush baby

Bush baby having a drink from our bucket

Engelhard dam wall

Big ele!

12th March Day 4 Letaba

We got up early to pack up before it got too hot. Tried to get a glimpse of the collared palm thrush. We had asked for Phaanie to show us where it was but he was off duty for a few days. Some people had set up camp right next to the palm trees where the birds normally roost so maybe they had moved to some other palm trees in the camp.

Got on our way to Letaba. Saw some nice big elephant again and a herd of buffalo grazing just off the road in the mopani scrub. There must have been more than a hundred as they were never ending. The dead elephant still had a lot of vultures feeding from it. Near Letaba we came around a bend only to see two cars with reverse lights on coming back towards us. Mike stopped a good distance away to see what was coming. A very big ele was walking towards us in the middle of the road. We watched for a few minutes as the two cars got closer to us. Mike decided that discretion was the better part of valour and did a U-turn. Not easy to reverse with a trailer on! The other cars also turned around. The ele kept us going for a bit longer before turning off the road.

We got to Letaba and set up camp under some very nice trees that ecojunkie had told us about. She was also on her way to Letaba from Punda Maria. What a lovely camp Letaba is, lots of beautiful big trees and of course the bush buck. Ecojunkie arrived and set up camp near us.

We went out to the Matambeni hide. Saw some impala on the way. In the Engelhard dam were several hippo and after a while a small herd of elephant crossed the river. Beautifully peaceful with quite a lot of bird life, brown hooded kingfisher, goliath heron, fish eagle and more.

We went on down to the dam wall. What a lovely sight with the water flowing over the entire length of the wall. Was a bit of a mission to get close as graders were working on the road. Below the wall were some big crocs, green backed heron, more goliath heron, malachite and pied kingfisher, three banded plover and water thick knee.

On the way back to camp we saw water buck, more elephant and buffalo and some impala. Stopped on the high level bridge for awhile, then took the loop along the river. There was a pair of saddle billed storks some Egyptian geese, more water buck and impala and giant, pied and malachite kingfishers.

Back in camp it was still very hot and didn’t seem to cool down very much as evening approached. A buffalo was feeding outside the fence and eventually while we were braaiing the hyaena came walking passed. During the night we were woken by a wailing sound in the trees above us. Shone the torch to see a beautiful thick tailed bush baby.
No sooner asleep when down came the rain so up again to close windows. Only then did it cool down abit.

What a lovely day again.

A most enjoyable report.
Ditto about the Bateleur

I wonder if the Bush Buck is pregnant? It seems to have a bit of a belly.

Thank you all for your kind works.

anne-marie. We had many flops with that bush baby. Hard to focus in the dark and then he's gone!

aboon. It keeps the memories alive for us too especially some of the detail that one is inclined to forget.

MM. Thank you - we were very lucky with bateleurs this time.
The bush buck had a big baby in tow - just not as brave as mum. Maybe it is too many titbits that they find!

annalie. I am glad it makes you feel as if you are there.
Makes it worth writing. We will be in your neck of the woods for the long w/end!

Dwarf mongoose

13TH March Letaba day 5

Up early again - this was to be the day – positive thought!!

We took the S46 road along the Engelhard dam. The rain during the night had cool things down abit. The road was very quiet. Saw a few impala and some water buck.
The odd loop towards the dam didn’t produce much except a few grey herons, a jacana and some Egyptian geese.

We joined the S93 along the Letaba river. Some hippo in the far distance and close by a Jacobin cuckoo. We took the S44 to the Olifants look out. Lovely view of the river. There were hippo and crocs visible and more geese and water thick knee. Then on to Olifants camp. The river was flowing strongly and only some hippo were visible.

The bird life in the camp was surprisingly quiet. We then made our way back to Letaba up the tar. Came across a lovely herd of elephant with lots of babies. We watched them cross the road but the teenagers got abit inquisitive and boisterous so we moved on.

elephant family

Some of the mopani scrub was already getting autumn colours which made the drive very pretty.

Back at camp – this time it was the monkeys who had visited our tent.. They opened a Tupperware box and another big plastic box with a clip on lid. The bread packet was at the top of the tree, a packet of peanut snacks was gone and the neighbour had rescued the sugar from half way up the tree. Now everything stays in the trailer!

We visited the elephant hall of fame which is most interesting. Some of those old tuskers must have been fantastic to see. We walked around the came looking at the birds and all the bush buck. We counted more than 25. At the tent there was a family of dwarf mongoose which kept us entertained.

green pigeon

bush buck
The hyaena came again at braai time and this time the thick tailed bush baby came down in the early evening to raid the dustbin which had no lid. He found some mango skins to munch on.

The positive thought didn’t produce any cats but still a most enjoyable day just being in the park.

Fish eagle

impala

carmine bee eater

lilac breasted roller
14TH March 6th day
Again a 5.30 start. This time we went to Sable dam bird hide. Saw some buffalo and elephant on the way there. At the dam there were some egyptian geese, white faced ducks who were very close to a croc lying on the bank. Also grey heron, some small waders and a majestic fish eagle on a tree stump quite close by.14TH March 6th day
Again a 5.30 start. This time we went to Sable dam bird hide. Saw some buffalo and elephant on the way there. At the dam there were some egyptian geese, white faced ducks who were very close to a croc lying on the bank. Also grey heron, some small waders and a majestic fish eagle on a tree stump quite close by.
While we were having our coffee and rusks a herd of buffalo came down to drink. There must have been at least 250 of them. Some of them walked straight into the water and lay down while the others drank. The various stumps around were worn smooth from being used as scratching posts. They weren’t in any hurry and stayed for a long while. Another smaller group arrived with one very lame bull bringing up the rare. Four impala rams came to drink very close to us. They didn’t stay long before moving off. Then a big herd of impala arrived for their morning drink. The buffalo then started moving off.

We had decided to go across to Phalaborwa to do some shopping at the Spar but a big Mr Ele decided he didn’t want us to pass by. He just stood in the middle of the road in no hurry to move. We decided that we didn’t really need anything that urgently anyway so left him to it!

Stopped at the Masorini archaeological site to look around. Very interesting. Saw a flappet lark which was a first for us. Back towards Letaba we took the S96 road. where we saw a lovely family of kudu. The little males horns were about 6 inches long. Also some more buffalo and a lovely flock of white helmeted shrikes. Also a first. Their wing pattern is so distinctive in flight. Also saw a giraffe in the distance. The bush was quite thick in places. This road joined the S131 back towards the tar.

Had some lunch at the camp then took a short drive to the Matambeni bird hide again.
Very quiet, with just some hippo and crocs in the water. Even the birds were quiet.

Back at camp the mongoose family were running backwards and forwards through the fence looking for anything lying around to eat I guess. There was a nightjar sleeping the day away in a tree near us. Not sure which one! And of course the bush buck paid us a visit as did the hyaena in the evening and the bush baby.

While we were having our coffee and rusks a herd of buffalo came down to drink. There must have been at least 250 of them. Some of them walked straight into the water and lay down while the others drank. The various stumps around were worn smooth from being used as scratching posts. They weren’t in any hurry and stayed for a long while. Another smaller group arrived with one very lame bull bringing up the rare. Four impala rams came to drink very close to us. They didn’t stay long before moving off. Then a big herd of impala arrived for their morning drink. The buffalo then started moving off.

We had decided to go across to Phalaborwa to do some shopping at the Spar but a big Mr Ele decided he didn’t want us to pass by. He just stood in the middle of the road in no hurry to move. We decided that we didn’t really need anything that urgently anyway so left him to it!

Stopped at the Masorini archaeological site to look around. Very interesting. Saw a flappet lark which was a first for us. Back towards Letaba we took the S96 road. where we saw a lovely family of kudu. The little males horns were about 6 inches long. Also some more buffalo and a lovely flock of white helmeted shrikes. Also a first. Their wing pattern is so distinctive in flight. Also saw a giraffe in the distance. The bush was quite thick in places. This road joined the S131 back towards the tar.

Had some lunch at the camp then took a short drive to the Matambeni bird hide again.
Very quiet, with just some hippo and crocs in the water. Even the birds were quiet.

Back at camp the mongoose family were running backwards and forwards through the fence looking for anything lying around to eat I guess. There was a nightjar sleeping the day away in a tree near us. Not sure which one! And of course the bush buck paid us a visit as did the hyaena in the evening and the bush baby.

15TH March day 7
Early start again, this time back up towards Shingwedzi. Just outside the gate was a small family of water buck coming up from the river. Then a bit further on some impala. There was nothing visible from the bridge over the Letaba river. A little way up the road we came across a big elephant walking towards the road down a firebreak. He was on a mission and nothing must get in his way! We watched for as long as possible then let him continue on his way. Further on we came across a big herd of buffalo along the side of the road. Then some wildebeest with a few zebra near them and later a hyaena running along in the grass.


hyaena
There were a lot of birds out and as the sun rose we found a beautiful purple roller. The orange glow from the rising sun changed his colouring abit! Then two new birds for us, a dusky lark and a chestnut backed sparrowlark. There were a lot of european bee eaters around, and again small flocks of amur falcons. Also a dark chanting goshawk.


purple roller


european bee eater
There were still a few vultures around the dead elephant and a pair of jackal at the water trough. Then more buffalo next to the road.

We got to Shingwedzi at about 9.30am. We found Phaanie and asked him to show us the collared palm thrush. He whistled and called but they were not around - too late in the day already! Very pleasant young man and so apologetic that he wasn’t able to locate the birds for us. Good reason to return to Shingwedzi next year!

We went across the low level bridge, but there was very little water flowing across the bridge. The crocs were not as actively searching for food below the bridge. There was a hammerkop strutting his stuff for his lady friends, with his crest and tail raised. There was also a grey heron and green backed heron on the bridge. We sat under the big fig trees along the river and watched the various birds feeding off the few figs that were left.

hammerkop


grey heron


green backed heron

On the way back we stopped at Mopani camp. Lovely look out over the Pioneer dam.
We then went to the Shipandani overnight hide. There was one big croc sunning himself and a giant kingfisher catching early lunch. After a while we moved to the Pioneer hide where we saw goliath heron, black heron (first) and a hippo with a very small baby. There was also an elephant across the dam from us.

We made our way slowly back to Letaba. Saw impala, two giraffe and of course more buffalo. Also a small group of ground hornbill.


ground hornbill

Started putting away and tidying up as tomorrow we would be moving to Satara.

That evening five hyaena paid us a visit. That caused great excitement with the weekend visitors who had arrived in the camp the evening before.

Altogether a good day with some nice sightings. But after being in the park for a week we were really looking forward to seeing a few cats - Satara had always been very productive in the past - hopefully our luck holds out there!

Lovely report and pics! Thank you Pooky! Love the pic of the bee-eater. And so glad you got to meet Phaanie!