In search of rain: Kgalagadi, December 2013

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @@Big_Dog and @@TonyQ your comments are appreciated!

[Peter Connan]

Our last two nights would be spent at Twee Rivieren, and as we had not been in the dune-fields yet, we decided to take the upper dune road and visit the Auchterlonie museam. But before we left, we once again spent some time in the camps hide. We were awarded with a beautiful sunrise, a prowling Jackal and some golden Springbuck.

 

 

A couple of fork-tailed Drongos also put in an appearance.

At Marie se gat, we found some Spotted Sandgrouse and a pair of Secretary birds, and a little bit further along a couple of very well fed Cheetah taking it slow in the rising heat.

 

 

Shortly after turning onto the upper dune road, seven vultures climbed past in single file, having obviously just taken off.

 

 

However, the place they had taken off from was too far away for us to spot a carcass. While there is undeniably less game in the dunes than in the riverbeds, you see totally different animals. We saw a beautiful Steenbok ram,

 

 

and quite a number of Korhaan (which up to then we had only heard). At Moravet we saw some stints and other small wading birds.

 

 

We were also entertained by a Suricate colony in a drainage ditch under the road.

 

 

Reaching the Aub river there were large herds of Springbuck lazing in every available patch of shade. Not much further along, a Hyena was relaxing under a bush right next to the road (keep in mind it was 11h30).

 

 

Yup, we were definitely back in the zoo. Next up was a marshal eagle, and shortly another one, this one busy eating half a Suricate.

 

 

An hour later, after visiting the Auchterlonie museam, we found a small colony of swallow-tailed Bee eaters.

 

 

Just before Samevloeing, we came across Johan and Bridgena Barnard (www.images-at-bridgena.com/‎) (who had camped next to us at Two Rivers), who told us that there was a lion in the dunes above the waterhole. However, we couldnt find him, but there were a couple of Gemsbok paying attention to something further up the riverbed, and came to the conclusion that he had headed up the riverbed. An hours wait saw the Gemsbok eventually relax and then leave, so we headed up the Nossob.

Shortly we came across two cars standing along the road. They were watching three Cheetah, presumably a mother and two cubs, relaxing in the shade a few hundred meters away. While we watched, a tortoise crossed the road. A little while later one of the junior Cheetah became animated, and jogged over for a look see at the tortoise, followed by his sibling. Mom took a few paces closer and kept guard. The two cubs where visibly flummoxed by this thing that moved and then didnt.

 

 

Eventually the whole family headed up and over the dune. We drove further north until we could see up the dune road to where they were keeping watch from the top of the dune, but by then they were very far away, such that they were only visible through binoculars. We watched for a long time, but they remained there and eventually we had to head back to camp.

[Tdgraves]

@ Peter Connan beautiful shots, especially of the birds. It made me get my sasol book off of the shelf, but I still can't tell what the last raptors is in #22 though....

 

we were going to go to KTP next week, but we are off to the Kruger instead, hope it was the right decision.....

[Peter Connan]

Now just how did that double post happen?

 

Mods, please help?

[Peter Connan]

@@Tdgraves, thanks.

 

My dad reckons that is an immature Tawny, but to be honest the wing shape looks battaleurish to me...

 

I am sure you will have a great trip (well, I really hope so anyway). Listening to everybody else, it seems we were really lucky, and I must be honest I have never seen so many predators anywhere else.

 

Last episode tomorrow...

Edited January 9, 2014 by Peter Connan

[Tdgraves]

@@Tdgraves, thanks.

 

My dad reckons that is an immature Tawny, but to be honest the wing shape looks battaleurish to me...

 

I am sure you will have a great trip (well, I really hope so anyway). Listening to everybody else, it seems we were really lucky, and I must be honest I have never seen so many predators anywhere else.

 

Last episode tomorrow...

 

thanks @@Peter Connan

 

I'm not convinced, the picture in my book is very different. It seems to have a barred tail and bare legs...

[Panthera Pardus]

@@Peter Connan@ - super report and beautiful shots

 

You have captured the magic of the KTP. I make the last raptor in #22 to be a Tawny Eagle - the streaky form. The bateleur has a very short tail.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Panthera Pardus

[Gregor]

HI Peter

 

Really magic trip-report and pictures. Those lion pics are amazing. This really is a inspiration. My mind is fast think up a trip to KTP.

 

You are a good photographer. I enjoy those pictures.

 

Thanks for sharing, Gregor

[egilio]

Definitely not an eagle or bateleur, I vote for steppe buzzard.

 

I want to go to Kgalakgadi now, badly!

[pault]

Well, your trip report is turning into excellent marketing for Kgalakgadi. :-) Great sightings - and pictures of them.

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @@Tdgraves, @@Panthera Pardus, @@Gregor, @@egilio and @@pault, much appreciated!

[Kitsafari]

Great pictures of the predators, and a delightful picture of the meerkat with that bit of sand on his nose. reminds me of my dog digging up the garden and leaving soil on her nose too....

 

didnt realise that KTP could be so green and dense with wildlife.

[PCNW]

Oh so many great shots Peter. The red landscape sillouetts, the lion's paw walking away and the back lit meerkat...that's the shot I want to get in May. I'm enjoying this report emensly.

[Big_Dog]

More great photos. The scenery is on par with the wildlife! Very cool pic of the eagle eating the suricate though, predation on them seems rarely seen!

[Tdgraves]

@@egilio that's what I thought after looking in my book, but wasn't sure as I have never seen one....

[Peter Connan]

Thanks Kitsafari, Patsy and Big dog

 

Tdgraves, I have never put myself forward as a raptor expert. Wing shape looked wrong for a Tawny to me, and tail is wrong for a Bataluer, so I will accept your and Egilio's ID.

 

I do find it amazing how much more I have learnt about birds and insects (and weather) since taking up photography...

Edited January 10, 2014 by Peter Connan

[Peter Connan]

Of all the camps we stayed at, Twee Rivieren was the only one that was nearly full, and we ended up with a very hard and rather sloping campsite. Thank goodness for a rooftop tent. We had a few drops of rain that night, with what looked like better rain passing by to the north.

This was our last day, and we were determined to make the best of it. Somewhere north of Samevloeing, we found a cheetah sitting on the top of the dune,

 

 

but after an hour he moved over the top of the dune and we carried on north. The weather remained overcast and gray. We followed another pair of hunting secretary birds, this time witnessing our one and only kill: a lizard.

 

 

Near Leeuwdril we saw the only Cape Foxes of the trip. Just past Rooiputs, a huge treat waited for us: water. It had obviously rained quite heavily in this area, and water pooled 200-300mm deep in the graded-out roadbed for nearly 3.5km.

 

 

At Kij Kij, we found another pride of lions.

 

 

We decided to take the lower dune road from here and cross over to the Aub, but the same stretch that had been so productive the day before yielded absolutely nothing of interest.

 

 

We had a late lunch at Twee Rivierens picnic site, then headed back up the Nossob for one last time.

At Rooiputs, we ran into Johan and Bridgena again, and decided to tag along behind them. The Kij Kij lions were still there, they had merely moved half-way up the dune. Not much further, we came across probably the largest herd of Springbuck we saw the whole trip, and about a km further, four Cheetah lying on the dune. They were showing signs of movement though, and shortly they came trotting down the dune to drink in a puddle on the road. They then crossed the road, climbed the calcrete ridge and started strolling in the direction the Springbuck had been, while we, the Barnards and a safari vehicle from Rooiputs lodge with a young couple aboard jockeyed for position with mounting excitement. Perhaps we would at last see that elusive kill?

 

 

Unfortunately the afternoon caught up with us long before the Cheetah caught up with the Springbuck and we had to head back to camp at top speed, and so ended a magnificent trip.

[Tdgraves]

@@Peter Connan I would have never thought I was into birds either, but they do look good in photos

 

Your cheetahs are beautiful

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @@Tdgraves

[TonyQ]

@@Peter Connan

Great trip report and wonderful cheetah pictures.

[Game Warden]

Awesome images there mate. I'm sure @@madaboutcheetah will be all over that post soon

[Sangeeta]

Wonderful report! But that brown hyena is especially wonderful - talk about shaggy coats

 

What a nice spur of the moment trip to take - you are lucky to live where you do.

[twaffle]

Fabulous, loved the photos with all the variety. You saw some natural history moments for sure.

[graceland]

A Visual Feast...stunning at best.

 

Thank you!

[Treepol]

Thank you for such a detailed TR and wonderful photos. Great sighting of a brown hyena and your bird shots are amazing. I especially liked the photo of the 'fluffed up' bee eater. The last cheetah shots are memorable.

 

I was surprised to see how green KTP was and so much water, if I hadn't seen your photos I wouldn't have even imagined so much rain ever fell at once in this area.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Treepol