Have mentioned the noticeable lack of raptors in the park so had a real field day recently when I found eight of them and at least six different species during a drive. Started with a cuckoo hawk, which is a mega any day of the week, followed by African hawk, brown snake and fish eagle, then two which I couldn't identify as they were soaring a long way off and finally white-backed vulture. It is disturbing when you spend an entire morning in the park and don't even see a vulture which has happened on a number of occasions, even bateleur are no longer guaranteed. Most drives are rounded off with a stop at Sable dam as you are always sure to come across scenes such as this.
Would appear that the architects of this anthill took their inspiration from a certain tower in Pisa, or perhaps they were using the hill in the background as a reference.
Found this beautiful fellow parked off on the banks of the Letaba river, the very epitome of chilled.
Was absolutely convinced that there were ring-necked parrots on the loose around Phalaborwa but every time I leapt up to check there was not a sausage and eventually twigged that white-crowned shrikes were responsible for the unusual squawks. Lovely birds always in groups and spend a lot of time quietly chatting among themselves.
News again surfaced of a juvenile Egyptian vulture on a kill near Satara, probably the same individual that I have chased several times before so I set off on what should have been a 3 hour drive. Sod's law of course, first a scrum down for some lions barely visible in the bushes and much tutting and snorting as I shoved my way through then............
...............freaking hundreds of them, but they really do behave like cows when in a herd so managed to get through unscathed. Spent an hour or so on site and watched well over 50 vultures squabbling over the remains a fair way off the road and concealed behind some bushes. Mostly white-backs, a couple of lappet-faced and hooded but a distinct absence of Egyptian. Not too surprising considering they have been locally extinct for 30 odd years and this is in all likelihood the only individual in southern Africa. However a stop back at Sable dam turned up these two, fellow on the left thought the water a little too chilly for full immersion.
Had to take the bakkie in to Tzaneen for a service as there is no local agent and on the way there noticed a sign for the Giant Baobab - which I'd heard had collapsed. Must have been another tree as this one, though teetering was still alive and well.
It is hollow but you need to be a lot more lithe than me to get inside............
..........and no I didn't risk it. With a base diameter of 22 m it's nevertheless quite a specimen, no age given but I would imaging around 400 years - makes me feel quite sprightly.
Some loon in charge of maintenance of the road to Tzaneen has decided that anthills are a danger to motorists and ordered their destruction. In some cases the feisty ants have started to rebuild but the majority have closed down, difficult to understand the mentality.
Bumped into another massive herd of buffalo in the reserve and decided to just sit and watch. Some were clearly fascinated by the intruder but most just went about their business and though completely surrounded there was no sense of fear.
Thought these two water buck made a pretty picture, both sat on the wet toilet seat.
Have always admired warthogs for their chutzpah, this one had decided he wasn't going to schlepp all the way to the water hole when all that was needed was a wee dig in the river bed.
Visited one of the best sited camps in the Kruger, Mopane which is parked on a hill overlooking Pioneer dam. Unfortunately it is surrounded a truly massive area of surprise, surprise mopane scrub, which not only means reduced numbers of animals but makes seeing them far more difficult.
To alleviate this problem there are a number of river loops which get the visitor close to water and this was where I found this Madonna and her very new infant - all together now, ag shame
The red-crested korhaans are calling everywhere at the moment and I had the good fortune to see the display of this one. Occasionally after shouting about how good he is, the male leaps into the air and flies straight upwards to around 30 m then flips his legs up and spirals down like a over-sized feather duster, only opening his wings just before impact. This guy had just landed and looked mighty pleased with himself.
Who needs to try and elbow your way to the bar when you can go straight to the source?
I'd been into the park on 13 previous occasions (I counted them) and on the fourteenth...........well worth the wait though. Have never noticed the collar before.
He (just an assumption) was very casual until he spotted some impala and instantly became the predator......
........but acted all nonchalant when they spotted him - no pun intended. This was no more than eight metres from the window and if you didn't know.............how many other leopards have I driven past
Was parked at a small river crossing listening for birds to add to the atlas card when in flew a tawny eagle, who was very interested in something on the ground but then departed as suddenly as it arrived.
The Egyptian vulture was spotted again from the high water bridge over the Oliphant's river and I was at the gate at opening time and arrived on site at 7h45. There were a number of birds sitting around in the trees but no oddity. At about 8h30, Dawie Snyman and his wife arrived and introduced themselves and we settled in for the long haul. Around 9h30 I announced my intention to tootle at about 10 and 20 minutes later the bird put in a very brief appearance as it flew down from a tree to the carcass, which was out of sight. That's that then no-one is going anywhere.
There are yellow lines painted across the road and the animals know they aren't allowed to cross them so visitors can get out of their cars. Well the leopard who emerged from the bush no more than a 100 m from where I was perched on the tail gate of my bakkie, took a long hard look at that line which made me doubt that it had been told. Fortunately the hullabaloo created by all the animal watchers sharing the bridge made it think twice and it sauntered off.
Finally at 11h45 a shout went up, I cannoned out of the car where I'd been seeking shade and watched in disbelief as the bird, along with about 30 other vultures took off and headed for a thermal directly overhead. I was shaking too much to get a shot so you'll have to make do with the one that someone else who was there managed to get.
Took the Sunday paper to Sable dam and drove in on the narrow track to the top end of the dam. My usual spot was open and I backed in to watch three huge males enjoying the mud about 20 m away across a small stretch of water. Had no sooner settled than the largest of the three took a disliking and started towards me - well he may have had other intentions but I didn't like the look in his eye, so you win I'll move. Drove a few hundred metres further down the road and noticed a large female wandering behind me in the same direction so turned and stopped close to the water to keep a bead. This lot were on the other side of the dam but close to where I was parked was a narrow channel and they decided it was much nicer on my side...........ooohhh sheet, trapped. Could make myself very small and inconspicuous but the bakkie? I now know the anatomy of elephants a far more intimately than I would ever have wished.
When I'd stopped shaking I headed for the safety of the hide car park and came across this little guy who was obviously having a bad hair day.
Driving back to camp this strange creature flew up off the roadside and landed nearby. Completely stumped I actually had to put it onto the net to find out that it's a long-tailed paradise whydah in non-breeding plumage - don't recall ever noticing one before.
Unsure if this was by accident but if it was done by design top marks to the ants.
To escape the monotony (actually the school holidays) I headed for Durban for a week or so and on my arrival, Durban said welcome back have a dose of flu. Managed to spend time at what is still one of my favourite birding sites, Shongweni dam.
Driving back through Mooi river came across something that I've not seen for a long time - heavy ground frost. Spent a night in Ermelo and discovered that the Merino Hotel in which I'd stayed as a child is now the Dept. of Labour. Jo always delighted in the winter colours and I must admit that even though it is harsh the highveld does exhibit a stark beauty occasionally, such as this view of a nascent Vaal river near Carolina
