30 November 2019

We left Shingwedzi at quarter to six this morning.   The Earl set the speed control to 50km per hour which is the limit on tar roads in Kruger.   We would not be stopping for anything less exciting than a lion! So it was speed spotting for the next 146 kilometres!  And we did see a fair amount of the usual suspects but no photographs of them today.  We almost stopped for a honey badger that crossed the road but he was in no mood to feature in my blog today.  For those of my readers who are not familiar with this creature, I have posted a screenshot from my “Mammal Guide of South Africa’ app.

The Honey Badger is a tenacious creature and is not afraid of anything!  He is also very crafty and likes to raid bins in campsites.  He has also been known to open cupboards and fridges of outdoor camp kitchens!  We have had no problems with badgers this year so perhaps management has done something about keeping him out.

I also saw a hyaena who had just been rolling in a mud puddle but by the time I’d shouted, stop, it was too late to reverse the caravan.

We stopped for breakfast at Mopani Camp.   It was here that I managed to get some photographs of a few birds.

A Blue Waxbill enjoyed a bath in a puddle

This Kurrichane Thrush sang merrily from his perch

The Mocking Cliff Chat posed beautifully for a change

This Lilac-breasted Roller is having a bad hair day.

What a clever Little Egret to follow the Yellow-billed Stork as he fishes in the shallows of the river.

After our little break at Mopani, we continued and arrived at Letaba at 9:15.  We found a lovely shady campsite and decided not to set up the canopy.  The heat was really getting to the Earl and he would not be sitting outdoors for any length of time.  Thank heaven for the air conditioner in the caravan!

After unhitching, we went straight out for a drive.  The sightings were not very exciting but it was really hot!  The high today was 40 degrees C.

Little Bee-eater

We watched these two clever birds catch a bee or two.

My favourites

I am sure this lamb is only a day or two old!

I love watching wildebeest in the wild and feel just a tad guilty when I eat his brothers.  But that is the law of the jungle, isn’t it?   The Earl used our Smart Space Pot and the Snappy Chef to make a delicious Wildebeest curry for dinner tonight.  My feelings of guilt disappeared with each mouthful.

Wildebeest Curry!

29 November 2019

We planned to stay three nights in Shingwedzi but decided that because of the heat we would change some bookings and head south.  We have always seen lots of wildlife in the north although its reputation for seeing ‘everything’ is not as good as for the rest of the park.  We love the north because it is quieter and also very pretty and the birding is usually good.   There has been some rain but not as much as in the south and it is still quite dry.  This is affecting the sightings of both birds and animals.  So today was our last in beautiful Shingwedzi.  And what a wonderful farewell she gave us.

We were up very early and when we left for our morning drive at 5:45 it was already 26 degrees centigrade.  It rose to a high of 43 degrees!

All our usual friends were about but there were one or two special sightings too.

Lovely to see a grysbok

Always good to see a mixture of game together.   Impala and buffalo

A Brown Snake-eagle posed for his portrait

At last, I captured a shot of a Black-crowned Tchagra

Bottoms up!

Eland are not very common in the park so seeing these too was a real thrill

Mr Grumpy scowled at us

Waterbuck found a shady resting spot

As we drove next to the river a lot of hippos were seen

During the heat of mid-day, we stayed in camp, napped, did some computer stuff and then went to the pool.   We also went to the reception to change our bookings.  While we were there we met a group of young German tourists and got chatting.  It was their last day and they booked a sunset drive.  They really wanted to see a leopard.

At the pool, we met a young couple with a very small baby.   We exchanged greetings but did not chat much.  We weren’t planning on going for an afternoon drive but once we’d cooled off in the pool, the Earl suggested a quick drive to Red Rocks and back.   It was 16:15 when we left which meant we only had just over two hours before gate closing time.   It is not like the Earl to cut things so fine!

I rather like the Earl’s photo of a Fish Eagle and a female waterbuck

Elephant mums and elephant bums

Mum and Baby Elephants

Pass the dental floss, please

The light for photography was not good for Red Rocks so I am not posting the ones I took.  They do not do the rocks justice at all.   If ever you’re in the area, go there.  It’s quite fascinating to see the colour of this rocky outcrop.

On our way back we saw a single stationary car parked up ahead.  “He’s got something,” I said.  “He hasn’t moved a centimetre”

“Probably elephants,” said the Earl

But he was wrong!  It was the couple with the baby.

“What have you seen?” asked the Earl.

Can you see it?

“‘n Luiperd!  Hy slaap by die watergat!  Ons is nou al ‘n half-uur saam met hom.”

(A leopard!  He’s asleep next to the waterhole.  We’ve been with him for half an hour.)

I spotted him immediately and jumped over to the back seat so I could be next to the window.  “I’m not moving till he wakes up!” I declared.

For ten long minutes, he did not move a muscle, twitch an ear or flick a tail.

And then he opened his eyes

And wiped his face

Oh, those kitty paws!

Please leave me in peace!

I know I’m gorgeous

Both the Earl and I took photographs and I just love the ones he took in the golden light.

I’m comfortable here

Why is everyone staring at me

I need more sleep!

Can you all leave now, please!

I really wanted him to get up and walk but he was set to spend the night there.  Only two other cars came after us.  They took photographs and then moved on.  Eventually, we left as the Earl was getting anxious about gate closing time.  We made it back with five minutes to spare.  I really hope the German tourists got to see the leopard on their sunset drive.  We will never know!

28 November 2019

It was a cool 21 degrees centigrade when we left Tsendze at 05:30 this morning, but it sure warmed up quickly!   By the time we arrived at Shingwedzi, it was 42 degrees!

We made good progress on the tar road and spotted the usual suspects but nothing very exciting.  It was, however, good to get the tawny eagle and juvenile Ground Hornbill.  His parents were there too but not photographable.

Tawny Eagle

Juvenile Ground Hornbill

It was really hot when we arrived at our campsite and setting up was exhausting.   After it was done, the Earl made us delicious omelettes for breakfast.

The Earl preparing breakfast

No restaurant can beat this!

It was really great to have our airconditioning back.   We decided not to go out till much later in the afternoon.  There were caravan and computer chores to be done and it was great to be able to do the latter in the cool of the caravan.   Our little home is now clean and the laundry is done.   The laundromat functioned perfectly and one advantage of a clear, hot day is that it dries in no time at all!

Walking from the caravan to the laundry I spotted a few birds but managed to get a few lovely photographs of the colourful crested barbet.  My friend Heather says he’s made out of leftover scraps of fabric!  He is a rather odd-looking bird.

First, he dropped down for a drink from a neighbouring caravan’s birdbath

Then he flew into the tree and posed for me

We also had a visitor to our caravan.  This little chap decided that our Everest provided perfect shade for him to relax in.

Dwarf Mongoose chilling – not at all shy!

We took a long afternoon drive and there was not a lot to see.  It was lovely to see a mix of animals together and the scenery is very pretty around here.  The river, however, is still very dry.

Marabou Stork in the river bed

As we approached a causeway we saw a big troop of baboons foraging and among them were a few impalas.

A lovely picnic going on here

This cutie was having a fun time in this hole

96% of human and baboon DNA is the same!

Later we came across another branch of our relatives.

Those berries look good to me too

The Vervet Monkey is having a feast of them

Here are other highlights of today’s sightings

Pied Kingfisher

Yellow-billed Stork and Blacksmith Lapwings

Lots of zebra from time to time

This elephant blocked our way and we thought we might have to wait a long time for him to move.  But he was an elephant and a gentleman and when he spotted us he gallantly moved away.

There were also a lot of small groups of buffalo, now and then a single giraffe or two or groups of three to six, plenty of impalas and some Tsebbes. We returned to camp at quarter to six and I cooked chicken in the Remoska pot for dinner.

27 November 2019

When we left camp at 07:40 it was 24 degrees C and climbing.  By 6:50 we were on the Mooiplaas Loop where we saw Kitlitz plover.  I was surprised that he was quite far away from water but on consulting my field guide I found out that he is sometimes seen in open fields.

Kittlitz’s Plover

On the S50 we had some good birding.

Levaillant’s Cuckoo

Suddenly the Earl said, “What’s that in the dead tree?”   I nearly fell out of the car in excitement. “It’s an owl”   We just haven’t seen all that many during this year’s visit to the park.

Pearl-spotted Owlet

A little later the Earl screeched breaks and said, ‘Oh, sorry – it’s just a branch on the ground.  I thought it was a Kori Bustard.  The words were not cold on his lips when a real one appeared!

The magnificent Kori Bustard – the heaviest flying bird in Africa.

A rather scruffy Red-billed Buffalo-weaver

Always great to see – Red-crested Korhaan

We had to stop for this guy who just didn’t have any road sense.

Lilac-breasted roller catching insects on the gravel road.

I like to stop at every puddle just in case something decides to come for a drink.  The Earl says there is so much water lying in the bush that no self-respecting creature is going to need a roadside puddle.  But today I yelled – STOP!  The Earl was irritated but then saw that I had indeed seen something more than a common Cape Turtle Dove in this puddle!

Female Namaqua Dove

Male Namaqua Dove

We also saw some hogs

The warthogs simply ignored us

Before leaving camp we packed a picnic breakfast and flask to have when we got hungry as we were not going to be near any facilities than offered food.   By the time we got to the Nyawutsi Hide we felt peckish so had our snacks there.  We spent about an hour in the hide and saw some interesting things but photography was not easy.  There was a fish eagle, a water monitor that disappeared before I could snap him, some distant hippos and terrapins, a monkey and a crocodile.  We also saw a Woodland’s Kingfisher and heard the Brown-hooded Kingfisher. A Black-crowned Tchagra made a brief appearance but disappeared before I could snap him. Lots of swallows were flying around too.

View from the hide

Scary Crocodile

On our way back to camp we had some more interesting sightings.   There were big herds of impala and wildebeest and also of buffalo

No, these are not cows on their way to milking but buffalo heading to the waterhole

When you have an itch, it’s important to find a scratching post!

The compulsory giraffe photograph

We also went back to the causeway to see if there was anything happening

Hippos were wallowing

Green-backed herons were fishing – this one on my side of the car

And this on the Earl’s

A Little Egret and a Yellow-billed Stork were also on the scene.

As we continued, I saw some little birds fly into the trees, drop to the grass and then disappear from sight.  I had to see what they were so insisted we stop.   For a while, we saw nothing.  Then more arrived and we realised they were foraging in the long grass.  They were not still for a minute but I managed to get one reasonable photograph.

Jameson’s Firefinches are usually seen in pairs or small groups of up to ten as we saw them today.  They feed on fallen grass seed.

We went to Mopani and shared a chicken mayonnaise wrap for lunch. Then we worked on our computers for an hour or two before returning to camp.  It was 16:30 when we got back.  We braaied before dark and also packed up the canopy and groundsheet for tomorrow’s departure.  We sat outdoors in the dark for a while, then both of us took cold showers hoping that would cool us down.  It didn’t help!   But we eventually managed to get to sleep in spite of the heat. Sleeping on a towel, wrapped in a wet sarong is the answer when there’s no airconditioning.   I’ve done that in Kgalagadi but didn’t think of it this time!

26 November 2019

We were in bed very early last night and so this morning I awoke at before 05:00!   It gets light at 04:30 and that is when you are allowed out the gate at this time of the year.  However, we seldom make such an early start as the light is still not very conducive to photography.   This morning we left at 06:30.  The temperature was already 24 degrees C and it reached a high of 35 degrees C.

There is a hyaena den not far from Tzendze and it was here that we stopped to see some activity.  Unfortunately, the babies were hidden but we’re sure to see them another day.

First, we saw this one

They were on the Earl’s side of the car

I heard whimpering next to my window and turned around to find this!

This morning we made our way to Shipandani Hide.  To get there you need to cross over a causeway. Well, when we got to the causeway we didn’t bother to go to the hide as all the activity could be seen from our car.  We watched for almost an hour and must have counted at least 10 different bird species coming and going.

The first scene to meet us – Green-backed heron, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Water Thick-knee, African Jacana and Yellow-billed Stork

Close-up of Green-backed Heron

Grey Heron with Jacana emerging and two Water Thick-knees in the background

Yellow-billed Stork and Grey-Heron – Caught anything today?

The Squacco Heron was not going to be left out

Nor was the hamerkop

Sharing is caring – you’re welcome to fish at my secret spot

Do I have to get my feet wet?

After we’d had our fill of watching these lovely birds we continued our drive and had more pleasant sightings

Green Wood-hoopoe.  I prefer the old name – Red-billed Wood-hoopoe.

Brown Snake-eagle with a starling looking up at him admiringly

Zebra posing on an anthill

At 10 am we returned and stopped at Mopani for breakfast then back to camp for a few hours.  By 13h50 it was 30 degrees centigrade.  It was just too hot to stay in camp without aircon so we set off for a long drive toward where there is a bridge that crosses the Letaba River.  There was quite a lot of storm damage there.

On our trip there and back we had some good sightings.

A Red-crested Korhaan calling for a mate

Black-shouldered Kite – not too many of these this year

Saddle-billed Storks – Male standing, female sitting

My favourite – giraffe

Finally, we reached the river.

This sign was washed down the hill to this position

The Earl got a good shot of a Hamerkop

And a Pied Kingfisher

There was not much to see so we turned around and made our way back to camp.

Elephant emerging from the river

She seems amused

While walking around our lovely Tsensze, I looked into the trees to see if I could find the Scops Owl and/or Barred Owlet.   I nearly freaked out when I saw this instead.

Boomslang (Tree Snake) looking for birds’ eggs.

The Earl wanted to chase him away but I said, “You can’t interfere with nature!”

This Kurrichane Thrush obligingly posed for me

Later in the evening, two teenagers who were camping with their parents came to call us to see the Scops Owl.  What lovely young gentlemen they were.

When our camp caretaker, Elena came around to greet us in the evening, we told her about the snake.  She was quite upset because she said that would be the place where the owls had laid eggs.

The next morning, she told us that she’s seen the owls at the nest.  They seemed distressed and then flew away and haven’t returned to that tree!  I told her that the Earl had wanted to chase the snake.  She said she was very upset and would have wanted to chase it too but you can’t interfere with nature!

25 November

There is a surprisingly good internet connection at Tsendze so I can catch up with my blog posts.

We left Letaba this morning and got to Mopani Camp at around 8:30.  We had to check in there as Tsendze is a rustic camp with no reception, no shop, no restaurant and no electricity.  However, it is beautifully kept by its caretakers, Elena and Rodgerh. The latter is currently on leave so Elena is holding the fort on her own.

Our last photograph from the Letaba bridge – Marabou Stork, Yellow-billed Stork and  Egret

You have to open and close the gate ourselves at Tsendze – Check for wild animals first!

Do I get a tip?

We were allocated campsite #5

After setting up and having a rest we went out again in the afternoon and had a very pleasant and productive drive.

Baobab Tree

Elephant trying to hide in the Mopane trees

This one was too big to hide

A zebra crossed our path

The thing we enjoy most in Kruger is the birdlife.   After travelling a stretch that had little to offer, I called – Stop!”   “What?” asked the Earl.  I’d seen some little birds but they kept disappearing into the trees or the long grass.   Eventually, he too could see the movement and then I spotted some well-camouflaged but sitting still.

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks Male left female right

Yellow-billed hornbills are common in the park but sometimes they just beg to be photographed

Two in a tree

What a handsome fellow

An antelope that is not so commonly seen is the Tsesbe.   One is more likely to see them in the northern part of the park and today we had a good sighting.

Tsebe

An African Scene

We got back to camp at about 17:30.  We started the braai a bit too late this evening. It gets dark at 18:30 and if you put on any lights the bugs will bug you!   So we kept them off and when the food was ready we went inside the caravan to eat!  Otherwise, we would have been eaten.  Tomorrow we will be sure to eat before dark!

24 November 2019

It did not storm last night.  We woke to partly cloudy weather and a temperature of about 24 degrees C.  Because of the road closures, we decided to drive to Olifants Camp this morning.  We left at 6:40 and planned to take the S46 that would follow the river to Olifants but guess what – it was closed. Honestly!   We are sure that this is not necessary.  All the interesting routes in this area are closed!   Surely the roads have dried out by now.  We believe they have just not bothered to check or not bothered to take down the ‘closed’ signs.

So we took the H-5 and were not too disappointed.

Small herd of buffalo

Curious buffalo

Zebras are always special

Crested francolin

When we got to Olifants at around 8:30 Earl went to reception and asked about the road closures.  They told him we could go down the one we wanted to, but to be careful.  So we did the loop and it was awesome.  There was very little road damage and no reason why it should have been closed. We only saw two other cars while we were on this route.

These are the highlights.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Female and young nyala

What are you looking at?

Male Nyala

On a causeway, we saw these guys swimming furiously towards us.

Howdy Earthlings

Take me to your leader

He looked hungry but we don’t feed aliens.

So he found his own tasty snack

Next, we found a treeful of birds

Violet-backed Starlings male and females

Male top, female bottom

He is a handsome chap

A Lappet-faced Vulture posed for his portrait

And finally a giraffe before breakfast

We returned to Olifants for breakfast and on our return to Letaba we found the S92 open.  The first excitement were the ellies.

Approaching us on the road

Here seh comes

It’s quite nerve-wracking when a giant approaches you on a narrow road.

A fish eagle is less threatening

And watching spoonbills calms the soul

Watching a buffalo having a spa treatment is really amusing.

Welcome to my parlour

Oh Mr Buff, your ears!

This won’t hurt

Now doesn’t that feel better

Now for those wounds!

And finally a giraffe

And a Red-crested Korhaan

It was really hot by the time we returned at midday, so we had a rest and then went for a swim.

We had an early supper and then took down the canopy and folded away the groundsheet in preparation for tomorrow’s departure.

23 November 2019

There was another thunderstorm last night!   We got very little sleep as it was loud!  Eventually, it stopped and we went back to sleep and only woke up at 8 am.

We decided to stay in camp for the morning as I needed to wash the towels and bed linen as well as some of our clothes.  This meant I would have to do two loads.  The Earl went off the get the required coins for the laundromat and I got the clothes done and hung them on the line. I then put the next load into the machine and we went to have breakfast at the restaurant.

The lovely view that we missed last night

Mom and baby hippo came into view

When we returned I took the washing out, put it into the dryer as I felt that would be better than hanging bed linen on the line.   I put in the required coins, pushed the start button – nothing!   Another camper came in and I told her what had happened.  She said she was going to iron but there was no electricity!  So what to do.  I called The Earl and he came to check and when he tried to reset the board it exploded into sparks!   Uh oh.  He went to report it to reception and I just took the washing out and hung it on the line.   I had a feeling this was going to be a BIG repair job.  After our drive, I went to reception and they refunded me the R10,00 ($0,50).  The problem had not yet been fixed!   Well, it was Saturday!

Our drive this afternoon was very disappointing.  All the loop roads were closed!

Closed due to flood damage?

This meant we had to stick to the tar roads which don’t give you as much opportunity to get close to the river and the dams.  Also, we’re now in Mopane tree world and it is difficult to find the animals among the trees.

We have never had such long periods of driving between sightings.  We weren’t bothered that there were no lions or leopards.  We would just have liked to have had the opportunity to search the more interesting routes, where we were sure we would have found interesting birdlife.   Something interesting usually happens on our drives but today, I’m afraid, was the least exciting day we have ever had in Kruger.

However, as I’ve said before, a bad day in Kruger is better than a good day at home!  And here are the highlights of what we did manage to find!

Buffalo and Zebra Bums

A few visible zebra

Goliath Heron

Red-crested korhaan

A crested barbet taking a sandbath

He seemed to enjoy it

Aren’t I a handsome chap

Diederick’s Cuckoo showed himself

The noisy arrow-marked babbler sat still long enough for The Earl to take a shot

The highlight of the day – A painted snipe taking a bath in a puddle on the side of the road

22 November 2019

It was moving day today.  We awoke to overcast weather and temperature of 25 degrees.  We packed up camp and left at 07:00

It was lovely to see lots of impala, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest as we travelled the H1-4.  One or two elephants also put in an appearance.

We stopped on the bridge where you are allowed to get out and when we looked back up the road, a very big elephant crossed over.  We also observed marabou and yellow-billed stork in the river bed and a yellow-billed kite was skimming right down low looking for a morsel or two to eat.

Elephant crossing the road just before the bridge

It was my birthday so we took a detour to Olifant’s Camp where there is a fabulous view across the river of the same name and had breakfast there.   It was a perfect setting.  We watched elephants cross over and the food was excellent.

We arrived at Letaba at 11:00 and the temperature had risen to 29 degrees C.  This Bennet’s Woodpecker made an appearance

We set up camp, had a rest and then went our again at 15:00 and returned at 17:30 – It must have been the most unproductive drive of any I have ever had in Kruger.  Yet a bad day in Kruger is better than a good day at home!  These are the highlights of our drive.

Hippo out of water

Donkeys in striped pyjamas

Curious Buffalo

The Wild Bunch 

Lazy cisticola singing at the top of his voice

In the evening, my darling husband took me out to dinner at the restaurant.   It was too dark to see the view but the ambience was lovely on the deck where we sat. We both ordered pies.  I don’t eat pastry but the delicious part was served in individual boat-shaped black pots and topped with the crust, which I just left to the side.

Being my birthday, I had a few phone calls and felt very special with all the birthday messages on WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook.   Thanks to all my friends and family for all your good wishes.   The Earl had a superb Melba pudding and ice cream for dessert and had a crustless melktert (milk tart) which was almost as good as the one my grandmother used to make!

The Earl had the venison pie and I had the chicken, butternut and mushroom – both delicious!