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The park looked beautiful! Hope to get to see something similar
next March. Stunning sequence of the oryx fight!

Awesome Morkel, love the greens! Show us all!

Awesome pictures as always Morkel777.

Please treat us to some more.
We are drooling already

Thanks for following along everyone.
I hope you had a GREAT Christmas and New Year's celebration...

I'm ready to jump back in if you are...


Day 2: Twee Rivieren

It had rained lightly during the night and was overcast this morning. We headed out to Rooiputs - with a view of going to Kij Kij and over the dune road to come back to camp via Auchterlonie.

It was quiet going up to about 2km before Leeuwdril when I spotted movement under a roadside camelthorn tree...

Kittens! African Wild Cat kittens! The one was very shy and stayed hidden, but this one was curious. The light was awful - overcast before sunrise...and this first photo was taken at ISO-51200...that's right 51200. After that I made some adjustments and had to make due with ISO-5000







I was furious that the Rooiputs waterhole was now closed again after it was open during our November trip. I would be even more furious later on in our trip (on our last morning )

We found fresh lion tracks on the Botswana road just past Rooiputs. Soon we found him - a younger male patrolling the territory. The bigger one was just behind this ridge and out of sight .



Taking in the scent of another lion...



...followed by the customary Flehmen response...





Soon afterwards he also disappeared over the ridge to the Botswana side.

We pressed on, but it was a very quiet drive from there on. Here are some highlights:

Immature Gymnogene



Abdim's Stork



Lanner Falcon and Yellow-Billed Kites




Hartebeest



And a Gemsbok...



We got back to camp...had brunch...and then I had to leave for Upington with my SO and LO. SO was just past her first trimester with our second LO and had been struggling with toothache since we left home. Eventually she got an emergency root canal and we had to drive all the way back to the park again. At least I came back in time for a quick afternoon drive...

Stay tuned...

Morkel..it is really green there and looking lovely.

AWC pics are super.

Wow!!! stunning pics of the Lion

Wonderful bird sightings and pics.

Some awesome Black and white pics Morkel. Your poor SO... I've always said there's nothing that can mess up a quiet game drive like emergency root canal treatment!

you found the Gymnogene
what a chance
lovely kittens

Best wishes to you and your family for 2013, Morkel!

What a great installment once again and I'm particularly about
the gymnogene. So would love to see one in KTP myself.

The AWC shots are excellent!

Much appreciated, folks...luckily SO was 100% after the root canal and she could enjoy the trip.


Day 2: Twee Rivieren

My solo afternoon drive was to Leeuwdril and back. Our friends had stayed behind while we detoured to Upington, and they went up the Auob and found a cheetah (as I later found out when we returned to camp).

Some sightings from my short drive:

Mini Hartebeests:



Kori Bustard:



Steenbok:



Running Hartebeest:



And this Secretary Bird which was kind enough to take off and fly straight at me!








I went back to camp and we started packing after our braai - headed to Nossob early the next morning!

Wow Morkel777! Stunning pictures, all of them! Difficult to choose a favourite, but the one of the Steenbok, and the Secretary Bird taking off, is fantastic! Then, of course, the AWC! Gorgeous pictures of that lovely kitty!

So glad that your SO felt better after the root canal! She must have been in agony before that was done!

The pictures of the Lion are absolutely superb! See? I can't really choose a favourite! Or maybe I can .... that Gemsbok! Awesome! And it was really so nice and green!

Love you AWC shots - They are fantastic

Great sighting of the juvenile gymnogene and once again brilliant shots of the lions

Thanks Morkel

love the running Hartebeest and of course the Secretary

Hey Morkel, all awesome shots of a green green Kalahari, LOVE the Steenbok with the green backdrop.

All your photos are beautiful, as per usual! The green background does colour the pics beautifully!

Love the little AWC and the king on the hill!