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WoW Mel,

your birdies are fantastic and here I like especially the colourful waxbills - Both I never seen before

Also great capture of the cobra

Just caught up with your TR and WOW love the detail and images. Wish we were there with all the raptors at the waterholes ......superb sightings!!
Hope the Eland are still there when we arrive on Friday
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Lionspoon, your bird pictures are absolutely fantastic!

What a great shot of the Cobra!

Hope the repairs to the camera are not too costly!

Caught up and have been amazed at all your stunning sightings and beautiful pics.

Great pics of all the birds, scenery, raptors, snake and sunset.

Pic of Lion ....not matter how far off it was ...Lion stays a Lion. ...pity she would not show her cubs too

Thanks for sharing

Love all the lovely birdie pics! The Violet-eared Waxbills are just some of the most beautiful birds out there! Absolutely love them! Also nice lion sighting!

Looking forward to that highlight...

Those bateleur's are really awesome!! I think in all my year's of going to parks, I've only managed 1 that close! They always sit perched right on the other side of the riverbed at the top of the tallest tree Your other are amazing! LOVE those waxbills!

Can't wait for the next installment

My highlight was a kill happening right on our patio! A plated lizard caught a western sandveld lizard at our front door. This happened all too fast so I didn’t really get what was going on and thought the plated lizard had caught a big insect. Alas, it disappeared with its catch underneath the kitchen where all the water and wood was parked. Taking photos was pretty difficult but eventually predator and prey moved into the open again:





The resident familiar chat had gotten note of the kill as well and was trying to participate, but the plated lizard was faster and hid underneath the fence:



The lizard then moved off into the bush and I lost sight…

Other sightings of the day

Juvenile PCG


Jackal at UE


Agama basking in the sun


Sundown at GK


Tree mouse at night

Thanks, Scouter!


I was pretty devasted to hear you were in the park already and know that we wouldn't have a chance to meet anymore because you were going up to GK by the time I learned that you are there as well. Won't happen to soon again as my holidays usually are much earlier than this time (and I think you and Frankoling normally go a bit later than this time?)


Glad to hear that I'm not the only chicken here!


True, the cobra looked rather annoyed - that's why we got out so quickly.


Spots has different kind of cat shirts by now. We determined one as being an AWC shirt, but it quite
clearly worked for the lions as well. Seems, Spots can wear anything he wants as long as it is brightly coloured.


Camera again!!! Thanks, Philip1!

Do you reckon those batties moved around all over Nossob riverbed? Because we mainly saw shy ones on this trip.


Funnily enough, there are people out there who see the waxbills elsewhere - I only get them at GK (and with their bright colours they can't be that hard to spot in the bush?!)

Jan, thanks for joining and your lovely comment. Really appreciate coming from a talented photographer like you.


I'm starting to feel embarrassed that I didn't appreciate the cobra enough as you and many others seem to think it's a wonderful sighting. But I'm not into snakes yet. Well, maybe I'll learn that as well. I definitely learned to appreciate the birds.


I like your thinking!

The latter is about to come soon, I think.


I think, I know what you mean about the far off bateleur... Usually the same for us. But very lucky this time.
Although I would have loved to have one real adult so close. (A bit greedy, I know )

There is at least enough space for an appetizer:

Day 5
25/10/2012 Grootkolk

The brownie was back at 6.15 am and the lions started roaring at 6.30 am. Something I wouldn’t mind starting my day with much more often… Now the omnipresent question when staying at GK arose: To stay or not to stay? We compromised and left the camp only at 8.15 am… Only to find the lions from the previous day in the very same spot again. This time however it was one of the two males we discovered first. He was dragging a wildebeest kill along the riverbed underneath a tree.

Lionspoon, what an appetizer!!!!!

Great photo. You can actually see the awesome strength in his body

Getting better every page....
Ditto the Male strength.......looks so easy but is dead weight
Will catch up again when we get back from KTP........

Jan - enjoy!!!

(And I will catch up with your TR then. )