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Day 17 / Part 2- 15.11.

Suddenly we discovered Reedbucks.

At first two and then later on 3 of them. We are quite surprised that we saw them so far down south.
This young Kudu bull couldn’t believe that we were more interested in the Reedbucks then in him.

He stared at us the whole time while we took the photos of the Reedbucks.

At the Nkumbe Lookout rush hour. But no problem at all. We waited for about 20 minutes and suddenly everyone was gone and we were all on our own.
A wonderful place to experience the vastness of Kruger.

We so much love that place, it was one of our first experinces in Kruger during our first trip.So it will always be very special to us.
From Nkumbe lookout we are once again driving to Mlondozi Dam.
Finally a chance to take a portrait pic of a Wilderbeest, before that most of the time they turned around as soon as we stopped the car.

A beautiful spot for another cup of coffee.


Not too many people are around and so there is enough time to have a closer look at all the birds and lizards that are around.
( Francolin enjoying the view and the birdlife at Mlondozi)
(Not only we observe the birds, they as well observed us)

On the way back we saw even more Rhinos. But this time quite far from the road.

Day 17 / Part 3- 15.11.

The bridge near Lower Sabie is lovely, there is always such a lot to see.
We saw again Water Monitors.
The Pied Kingfishers are very frequent visitors

We were able to see this Heron waiting for food

And discovered this Terrapin lazing in the sun

And even birds we saw this morning are still (or again ) here

Back at camp we a having a good rest , once more it is a very hot day.
But as usual we are not staying too long and are back on the road at around 4 pm.

The first sighting was still in the camp

I was very much impressed by the very blue thoat

Stopping at Sunset Dam we saw this Heron

And some more Waterbirds, apart from all the Hippos and Crocs in the water . Again it was very crowded so we moved on quickly.
Today there are quite a lot of Ellis around we could observe this lovely herd right in the river bed and later on we met them right on the main road.

The Kingfisher were always very reliable.
;
This little guy was sitting right on the road and while we had a look at him and took some pics a woman in a sedan came from the other side of the bridge and nearly drove over him . But fortunately he was able to fly away.
Even the Giant Kingfisher was back again.

And as always the day said farewell with a beautiful sunset.

(I really love the mood of the light at these last minutes of daylight)

Tonight we had a booking for the restaurant.The dinner was buffet style and very good.
So we had a very pleasant ending to another wonderful day in Kruger.

Thank you all !
We experienced that the best sightings come to when you expect them at least.
Most of the times we were looking for the ' small things ' when a fantastic sighting just came walking by.
And I really love the small things as it is so much fun to look for every little detail and discover Kruger ( and more) bit by bit with all it's beauty.
And to this beauty belongs everything. The landscape,insects,birds,flowers, a certain light and, and, and.
And not just the 'Big Five'.

Day 18/ Part 1-16.11.

The day again started with some excitement.
Still in bed at around 6 am we are suddenly wide awake, as a hurly burly started in the outside kitchen. In an instant we knew what happened.
Usually we secured the fridge with some chairs, yesterday we had been too tired for that. Having in mind that we will surely awake before any Baboon is on the go.
I rushed outside only you see a Baboon bum disappearing around the corner of our bungalow.
They opened the fridge. Can were lying on the ground the bread we bought yesterday was gone and one of the Baboons did bite in the ( still in foil wrapped ) cheese .
You could use it as a perfect mould for a dental prothesis.
We felt so stupid.

Anyhow, today was another day to move again.
We are heading further south to Croc Bridge.
Croc Bridge was our very first Camp ever in Kruger. And for some sentimental reason, whenever possible we are trying to stay there at least one night.
As it is just a short distance , we are heading at first once again to the H10 . This road has always been very kind to us.
And we are not disappointed.
The first sightings as usual already on the bridge near Lower Sabie.
At first we discovered the rest of a fish meal.

(I was very impressed by the size of that fish)
And this still very tired ( and yawning ) Goliath Heron.

The Cormorant was back , as well as the Pied Kingfisher (as I mentioned before they were very reliable)
;
Further on the H10 again Rhinos, two very relaxed and massive animals.


This beautiful African Wattled Lapwing.

And later on the way back south a whole Rhino family.

Close to the bridge a Egyptian Goose conference was taking place ( can you see the huge Croc in the background ?I just discovered it , back at home on this photo)

Day 18/ Part 2-16.11.

How wonderful to be back at Croc Bridge .
We really like this small and very friendly camp. Bungalow #1 the very same one as during our last stay.
After we checked in at reception we did not loose any time to move into ‘our’ bungalow.
Unpacking the car , stowing everything into the fridge.
As it was already very hot again we are looking forward to a cold drink.
Checking the glasses in the cupboard Francolin was surprised to find a Frog sitting under one of the Gin and Tonic glasses.
We could not imagine how he possibly got up there.

Isn’t he cute and looking soooo innocent ?!

So how should I get him out of the cupboard. I put him in one of the glasses and carried him out of the kitchen onto the grass.
But somehow he did not really want to leave. He liked the glass very much.
So I had enough time to take some photos.
;
Then suddenly he jumped out of the glass , and…..
Landed right on my foot, which he even liked more than the glass.

But after nearly 10 minutes he left my foot and hopefully he found a better home than a cupboard full of glasses, cups and plates.

After a short rest we are leaving the camp once again , driving the S 28 to the direction of Lower Sabie. We want to visit Nhlanganzwani Dam and Ntandanyathi bird hide. We saw quite a lot.
A Rhino shortly after leaving the camp.

This cute baby Giraffe, it seemed the legs where too long for her/him to handle.

These lovely and so fragile looking waterbirds at Nhlanganzwani Dam.

Unfortunately we took too much time to drive up here, so there was no time left for the hide. Otherwise we would never make it back to camp in time.
So we passed Dukes Waterhole and took the main road back to Croc Bridge.
And we were very lucky once again.
After passing Zambhala Waterhole we saw some cars standing at the side of the road and having a closer look we discovered a LIT.


And even better with his prey.
You can see the legs of an Impala hanging down.
We were delighted.
Unfortunately we did not have more time to stay, it was close to gate closing time and the light got too bad to take more photos.
The day ended with a braai some lovely wine and the sounds of the Hippos in the background. .

Day 19/ Part 1-17.11.

We had just one night at Croc Bridge, so it was time to move again.
Today we are heading towards Biyamiti and we are a bit excited.
Everyone so far was delighted about that particular camp.

But at first (it is such a short drive from Croc Bridge to Biyamiti) we are driving north on the main road, turning onto the S28 , we wanted to visit Ntandanyathi Bird Hide.
Right after leaving the camp we stopped to observe Warthogs with a lot of piglets around.
;
And again we are lucky with seeing Rhinos, as well close to Croc Bridge.
;
They obviously had already taking their morning mud bath.
We could observe Vervet Monkey relaxing in the trees, or looking for food.
;
It was the first time that we saw on of these beautiful Thick Billed Weaver.

Moreover this wonderful Raptor ( thank you Imberbe and Arks for confirming my guess, that this is an immature/juvenile Bateleur)

We disturbed two Warthog having a bath in the mud in one of the waterholes along the S25.

Finally on the turnoff to Biyamiti we were greeted by this little Squirrel .

The main roads all had been very busy, but the S28 and S25 were not crowded at all and very pleasant to drive. We had quite a lot of sightings.Which makes us even more looking forward to our stay at Biyamiti.

Day 19/ Part 2-17.11.

So finally we arrived at Biyamiti. It simply is wonderful. Even the drive to the camp is a pleasure.
We got bungalow #3 .It’s beautifully located with a very good view onto the river bed. Very nice that you got 2 bird baths on the way to the fence , a lot of birds enjoyed a bath there.
There is a bench right down at the fence, a perfect place to enjoy your sundowner back at the camp.
We loved that camp right from the beginning.

We had a lovely surprise as well. After we settled down with all our stuff. I checked my mobile. And found an SMS from Jumbo, she discovered in the Yellow Ribbon thread that we were staying in Biyamiti and invited us over to Marloth Park on Sunday for a breakfast.And of course we would love to come .It's always a pleasure to have a forum meeting . (Thank you DB once again for arranging the contact)

It was not too early when we arrived so after all that needs to be done ,we just left the camp again around 4 pm for a short drive.
There was a lot to see.
Of course the at the moment ever present baby impalas.

This small snake tried to cross the road right in front of our car.

Hundreds of Swallows near the bridge.

And again Water Monitors (we already saw such a lot of them, I stopped counting, but I really like them and never missed an opportunity to take a photo)
;
On the way back to camp we came across a bunch of Dwarf Mongoose. They were playing around, chasing each other through the grass. A Lizard tried to ignore them , but without success.
;
It was such a pleasure to watch, that we nearly forgot that we had still some km’s to go till we reach the camp.

And you never know what will cross your path so we are on our way back.
The evening sky on the way to Biyamiti was lovely.

After we enjoyed our sundowner and dinner it started to get very windy. And as soon as we went to bed we could hear the rain falling on the thatched roof again.

Salva with pleasure


Day 20 / Part1-18.11.

It heavily rained all through the night.
So we got up not too early. Our plan for today was driving to the direction of Afsaal.
We had our first sighting inside the camp.
One member of the staff caught a huge Puffadder near the Bird Hide and carried it, passing the reception building, further away.

The way to the S25 was no problem, we saw a lot of animals who seemed to enjoy more or less the weather.



The S25 was very muddy and slippery. We got two times trouble getting up steeper slopes , but trying it the third time the car slided sideways and we nearly ended up in the ditch on the side of the road. So we gave up and made our way into the opposite direction to Croc Bridge.
We saw this juvenile Bateleur

A Knob Billed (Comb) Duck

And this Southern White-Crowned Shrike.

As soon as we arrived at Croc Bridge the rain had stopped.
We enjoyed a very windy and quite cold outside breakfast at Croc Bridge and soon were on our way back to Biyamiti.
Right outside the camp a quite unusual sight 4-5 Giraffes lying in the grass.

Further along a bunch of Vervet Monkeys entertained the crowd on the road.

Day 20/Part 2 -18.11.

And a few km’s more the first traffic jam of the day. A pride of Lions far from the main road in the bushes.
;
We struggled our way through , only to find ourselves caught in the next traffic jam close to the turnoff to the H5.
A huge herd of Ellis ( with a lot of youngsters)very relaxed made their way along the road .

On the S108 we caused a traffic jam ourselves .
We stopped on one of these small Low Water bridges. I, on my side observed a Hammerkop and Francolin a Terrapin on her side.
Suddenly the Terrapin disappeared under our car. So we are unable to move , we just did not want to squasch that poor little fellow.
So we stayed there. A Safari vehicle was approaching from behind and soon after that a BMW from the front. We asked the driver of the Safari vehicle if he could possibly see the Terrapin. But he couldn’t .
Fortunately the driver of the BMW has a far better position and was able to tell us where the Terrapin was .He gave us instructions to which direction we could turn the car. And we were able to drive on without doing any harm to the Terrapin.

On one of the Low Water Bridges along the S25 we saw lots of Beeaters.

They were nesting in a mud wall.
It was so interesting to observe how they flew away and returned every now and then.

We made our way back to the camp and enjoyed a walk along the fence of the camp which was very interesting. We were able to see a lot of birds like this Woodpecker.

It was already late , and as it started to rain again in the meantime we stayed in the bungalow.
It stopped for a while around dinner time .But later in the night we could hear the rain once again on the roof.
We were a bit worried about the conditions of the roads in the morning but hoping that we will be able to make it to Marloth nevertheless.

Day 21 /Part 1- 19.11.

It rained all through the night and we are a bit worried if we will make it to Marloth. So we got up early and took our time to Croc Bridge.
The roads weren’t as bad as we thought and so we got still enough time to enjoy some sightings.
Again the Dwarf Mongooses waited for us right after the turnoff onto the S25 .

Later on this lovely Raptor.

In no time we checked out for the day. The water at the bridge was already quite high and we thought that it might be not too long till they have to close it.
We had some nice sightings here as well.

;
I just love the Low Water Bridges.

We had a most enjoyable breakfast with Jumbo and So. Great company and the whole meeting was a pleasure, full of laughs and stories and lovely food .
Jumbo thank you once again for inviting us over.
Isn’t it just awesome to have Zebras, Warthogs and more right in your garden.

Day 21/Part 2 19.11.

Early afternoon and we are back on our way into Kruger.
Near Croc Bridge we could again have a look at the Vervet Monkeys

This poor little fellow just had a quarrel with other members of the group.
And on the pond we saw again the Knob Billed (Comb) Duck.

We stopped at the camp for a coffee in the afternoon and after that enjoyed another drive along the S25 later on.
We saw some Lions again a bit further away from the road
;
A Korhaan gave us an impressive example concerning the power of it’s voice.

;
On the way back the Lions were still there , just slightly changed their position.

Tomorrow we will have to leave Biyamiti to drive to our last camp of this years Kruger trip.
The only good thing is though, that we will have a forum mini meeting once again.
Soon after dinner it started to rain again.

Day 22 / Part 1- 20.11.

Today we are leaving Biyamiti.
The next and last Camp of this years trip is Berg-en-Dal . And yet another Camp where we haven’t stayed before.
It was again a quite wet and a bit unpleasant start into the new day (but that did not impair our mood or the quality of our sightings ).
We are heading towards Biyamiti Weir.
The road is very special. Winding up and down in narrow bends. And again we had to stop for these Dwarf Mongooses .
I really love them, it is always so funny to observe them for a while. They are away within seconds, but as soon as you stop the engine they come back overwhelmed by their curiosity.

;
We discovered two Giant Eagle Owls in the trees along the river.
;
Suddenly we had a close encounter with an Elli ( much too close for our taste) , he/she shook the head and we backed up a few metres up the hill ( to gave him space to cross the road ) . From there we realised that we were standing in a huge herd that made it’s way to the river.
After a few minutes we felt safe again and commenced our way to the weir.
What a special place !
It always surprises me , that although you are in the busy southern part of Kruger you are still able to find these kind of places with hardly any other car around.
And moreover it always brings to my mind how privileged we are , that we are able to drive whichever road we like and stop wherever we want and not have to rely on any of the tour operators to drive you around.

We stayed at the weir for quite a while, as there was plenty to see. Weaver Birds, a Three-banded Plover, a Dikkop or Thick-knee ( I like much more the old name)

;

And some beautiful Kudu bulls observed us from the side of the weir.

Day 22 / Part 2- 20.11.

On the Biyamiti Loop we saw once again Rhinos, one with a very impressive horn.


I always try to take a photo of a flying LBR , when he shows the awesome blue colour of it wings. This is the closest I get so far, but not really what I wanted.

A Turtoise and this beautiful landscape.


We passed the weir one more time on our way to Afsaal.

The Weaver birds are still busy building their nests.

Two Ibis joined them at the weir.

And we could observe a Croc relaxing by the waters edge.


And as closer we got there the roads got busy again.
We had lunch at the trading post and looked for the Scoops Owls, but without success and left after that for the direction of Berg-en-Dal.

Day 22 / Part 3-20.11.

On the way we stopped at Renosterpan. And there was yet another of these massive animals.

Back on the main road we find some Brown- headed Parrots.

And a little further on we had a very special sighting.
A YR !
Simon and Jose passed our way.
Jose waved and we stopped right in the middle of the road.
Isn’t it a strange thing that 4 people that know each other from a forum on the internet , meet a few thousand miles away from home and chat away like they met the last time a few weeks ago ?!
We had already wondered if they finally made it to Berg-en-Dal.
The meeting was arranged while still being back at home.
So while we stopped we decided at what time we will meet and soon went off into the opposite direction, as Simon wanted to have a closer look at the Rhino.
They told us about a a huge herd of Ellis on Steilberg and so we decided to take that way to Berg-en-Dal instead of the main road.
It is always amazing how fast and how complete a whole herd of Ellis can disappear.

Instead we found dozens of Bee-Eaters taking a dust bath in the middle of the road.

The check in at Berg–en-Dal was a bit chaotic but, finally everything was done and we moved into one of the recently refurbished bungalows on the perimeter.

Soon after we brought everything inside our neighbour told us that there is an Elli at the fence.
So we went down to have a closer look. The Elli just appeared over the rocks right in front of us, it reminded us of one of those Tarzan movies of the 1940’s .


Then a second Elli appeared as well and they both made their way closer to the fence.

What a fantastic sight.
We watched them for quite a while , but they decided that they had enough and moved on.

We still had some time and left camp again into the direction of Steilberg.
A very pleasing stretch of road to drive.
The landscape is lovely .
Our first sighting out of camp were Francolins with chicks (nearly impossible to take any decent pics, they were frantically running around )

These Squirrels enjoyed the sight from up above.

And finally I managed to take a photo of a Violet-Backed
( Plumcoloured ) Starling.


Back at camp we just grabbed our things and went over to meet Jose and Simon.
The start of a wonderful evening ,we very much enjoyed the company of Jose and Simon. A lot of laughter and a lot of stories, accompanied by some wine and the evening was over in no time.
Time to got to bed as we wanted to get up not too late in the morning to make the best of our last day in the park.

They were definitely there - honestly