SANParks.org Forums

Just lovely LS,

that looked like one pregnant squirrel, or there had been a very active well fed hibernation.

Great start Lionspoon!

Amazing that you guys saw so many lions! We were in KTP in Aug... And we didn't see a single lion!!! Jacques at Urik said its because the lions move into the dunes in winter and then come back to the river valleys in summer...and I suppose now the eland were an added insentive to come back to the waterholes!!

Looking foreward to more...!!

Great start to your TR - and seeing the eland that relaxd is very special - generally we have always seen them on the run Lovely lion pics,

Cannot imagine a sundowner without any sundowners, glad that a good samaritan came to the rescue

Love the little lamb and I can bet you that that "little" squirrel of yours will not be going to sleep on an empty stomach .
Also love the birdies .
Thanks for sharing

My goodness Lionspoon, that little Squirrel is going to burst any time soon!

What a beautiful little lamb, and awesome bird pictures!

That Jackal really looks thin and unhealthy!

Thanks for sharing!

LS,

What stunning sightings and awesome

My word that little squirrel is as round as a ball. ..... but so cute.

Poor wildebeest look hot .... no shade.

Hi Lionspoon

Fabulous fotos

Absolutely LOVE that squirrel
What a portly little fellow he is!

Enjoying every minute!! Thanks for sharing your travel tale & wonderful pics....keeping us all Can't wait to hear more

Lionspoon Magic pics

Great little Squirrel, still eating

oups... just saw this TR
magnificent introduction
and great start

Timbits, manicwalker, MM, Jo, billyf, barryels, hilda, Trrp, Mel, Aristocat, Philip1, a-m - thank you for reading here and for your wonderful comments!

I reckon that fat squirrels was indeed very much pregnant. Seen many of them that were well-fed,
but this one certainly topped all others in girth.

Jo, I'm sure you got to see some other cats instead that were hiding now because of the lions.

billyf, the elands would have been well-advised to run every time anyone or anything came near them.
Maybe the mortality rate wouldn't have been as high then.

Day 2
22/10/2012 Kieliekrankie

The morning offers got my adrenalin up just around the corner: At Auchterlonie waterhole where the jackals and a lonesome vulture were attending to the rest of the eland carcass the lions from yesterday had left. Especially the vulture was special to me as I had never seen such a close one in KTP before. Usually they would hang out in their nests on far off tree-tops.





The next encounter that touched my heart was a familiar chat who had built its nest into the wall of the ablutions at Auchterlonie.



After we had finished our business at Auchterlonie we decided to take the southern dune road towards Kij Kij. We had to get to TR to finally buy that stuff for the sundowners. Just before Tierkop we found another vehicle parked at the side of the road. It was bosticbudgie and her SO who were volunteering with the Kids in the Park for two weeks They were parked next to a jackal den with the cute pups playing in the early morning sun.



Just a shame they wouldn’t cooperate and move out from behind the little twigs and branches…

We met them again at TR along with Kgalagadi Guru, so we had a mini-meet in the car park there.

And the most exciting critter of the day certainly was my first AWC that finally didn’t run away from me and my camera. I was one happy gal!



But the excitement for the day was done and dusted by 9.30 am in the morning…

Other sightings of the day:

Kori on the access road to KK:


A took that would have made me really happy as well if I hadn’t spoilt the opportunity:


Steenbok looking for brekkie in the sparse vegetation of the southern dune road:


A juvenile BSE that would have got me excited as well if it hadn’t been so far off that the pic came out the way it did:


Gemsbok on top of the dunes – by now already in not so favourable light anymore:


Grey-headed sparrow at Kij Kij picnic site:


For the rest I'll have to wait until the page turns, otherwise there'll be too many photos.

Great bird pictures and a gorgeous Wild cat - Very well captured, Lionspoon

The squirrel looks extraordinary tough and the jack pup as well as the nest of the familiar chat are soooooo cute

Lovely AWC sighting! And love all the other pics - especially all the birdies and the cute baby jackaltjie!