South Africa A Road Trip - February/March 2015

[penolva]

@@Treepol KTP is full of unexpected sightings. Thanks for the comments

[Marks]

Truly a TR where the spectacular views rival the game, through no fault of the animals!

The secretary birds make a nice pair. And a great cheetah sighting. Which reminds me, I have been meaning to mention that I love the cheetah in your avatar.

[penolva]

@@Marks you are right it isn't always about the animals. My cheetah avitar is from last years trip to the Kgalagadi TP. The four cubs have survived to young adults which is a great achievement for their mother a first time mum.

[penolva]

Next stop Bitterpan. Each of the wilderness camps is an easy days drive from the other. The only problem is when you hit a traffic jam as we did just after the turning to Nossob. Very confident young lions, one came beside our car and made eye contact with John, with his good eye! It looked like he was blind in one eye but he was very healthy looking never the less. Quite an experience.

 

We also saw huge herds of oryx, beautiful animals and to see so many together was fantastic. We also saw cheetah on the journey and two huge black maned lions at the waterhole just before Nossob. Too hot for them to bother with the oryx nearby.

 

Once at Nossob we restocked with ice and some cold beers. It was very very hot that day 48+. The road to Bitterpan is through a gate and then its 50km or so to camp. The sand that day was very soft because of the heat. We managed the 'big dune' after 5 attempts . Later that day the last group staying at the camp arrived. They had got stuck on the dune and had decided to walk back to Nossob for help. Lion country!! They knew they were the last people through the gate that day and didn't want to spend the night in the car. We would have stayed with the car

 

 

[graceland]

Penolva,

 

This is gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

And I loved the roadblock! I would have pulled a cold one out of the box, sat back and enjoyed.....

[penolva]

@@graceland we did, water! Very cold.

 

Those lions were so confident I thought they were the tyre biters, but luckily they weren't that day.

[xelas]

@penolva: I am willing to trade +50 for only one such "road block"! Uppps, maybe I should not wish for +50 ?!

[Tom Kellie]

~ @penolva:

 

Your photography is so pleasing, stirring up interest in the places you visited.

I have no idea what is in the tree in the upper image. Is that a nest?

The lovely shot of resting oryx in shade expresses the heat endured day after day by wildlife.

Thank you for both the entertaining writing and the excellent images.

Tom K.

[penolva]

@@Tom Kellie it's a sociable weavers nest. Very common in Kgalagadi, Namibia. Lovely birds very entertaining

Edited May 8, 2015 by penolva

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie it's a sociable weavers nest. Very common in Kgalagadi, Namibia. Lovely birds very entertaining

 

~ @penolva:

 

Thank you for explaining that to me.

First that I've ever heard of it.

It's great to begin the day by learning something about African birds!

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

[penolva]

Bitterpan is the most rustic of the camps but is in a fantastic location. It has a communal kitchen and braai area and there were two lovely South African families there with us and we all planned a braai together. Our first time experiencing their preferred braai food, sheeps neck stew, braai cooked bread and plenty of Windhoek beer.

 

Before we could eat the sky turned an amazing array of colours and lightening flashed all around. A strong wind blew through camp and we all had to retire to the kitchen to eat. Some lions walked through camp roaring as we turned in for the night. Luckily the rain did not hit camp as the velcro on the tent windows is a bit hit and miss so we always take duck tape to fix them if need be.

 

The morning alarm call was a large male at the waterhole. After he completed his 'ablutions' he walked off roaring in the direction we were going when leaving camp. We didn't see him again, he simply melted into the bush!!

 

 

Edited May 9, 2015 by penolva

[penolva]

A video of the roaring lion at Bitterpan

 

https://youtu.be/qplnLWe9tA8

 

One of the lions in the road near Nossob

 

https://youtu.be/aZKvzLwZ-0E

Edited May 9, 2015 by penolva

[Tom Kellie]

~ @penolva:

 

Although YouTube isn't available where I live, very fortunately your fine photos are unimpeded.

The photo above is TERRIFIC for so many reasons!

The broad color palette, the framing of the lightning bolt, the stunning light on the horizon under darkening cloud cover — all of it's enthralling to me.

Having returned from Kenya three days ago, your image above vividly recalls the dawn I saw in Nairobi National Park on 5 May.

Many thanks for this!

Tom K.

[xelas]

These colours are so truly unimaginable in place I live, but they are so very real in Africa. One cannot believe its eyes, glad that camera sensor is able to capture them.

 

Until now, the howler monkeys were the loudest morning alarm call ... but I hope next time lion like yours will wake me up also!!

[penolva]

We were heading for Gharagab, our favourite camp in the park. It is far from anywhere so no one drives by to have a look as they do at Urikaruus, its high up so you can see forever , the units are very nice with a lovely deck and braai area and are not too close to each other and Eric the camp manager is great. Unfortunatly we could only get one night here this trip but what a night it turned out to be!

 

We set off down the Moravet escape route from Bitterpan which takes you to the upper dune road and the turning to Nossob. As soon as we turned left we saw a brown hyena very close to the road and followed it for quite some time and took our second 'ablution' photo of the day. It was very relaxed.

 

Next another 'road block' curled up in the road and then just around the corner we found a cheetah mum and her one cub. The cub was very interested in us and was the most exquisite little thing with beautiful markings. He/she allowed us to get some close up photographs. Mum waited behind a tree out of sight.

 

Driving on another vehicle stopped us to say there was a pride of around 17 lions just before Nossob so we set off to find them.

 

 

 

[penolva]

We found the pride of lions but they were doing what lions do best except for two females who were lying right beside the road. They were so close and relaxed we pulled up as close as we dared and one decided to do a 'lion yawn'. I loved @@madaboutcheetah yawn photographs of his cheetah in Tanzania so here is my lion yawn and the lion 'puddle', we couldn't count them.

 

 

 

We got more ice, fuel and some wine at Nossob and then turned north towards Union's End and Gharagab. The sky was blue with white fluffy clouds and the scenery was beautiful.

 

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Lovely!!! Yet to catch up with this report - will do so next couple of days.

[Atravelynn]

Page 1--

 

Your elephant interaction shots are just precious. Those relaxed eles and close proximity you mentioned must have helped. That 4th night may have made some of these photos possible but sorry canceled flights messed up your original plans.

From 11 elephant to how many now?

 

The landscapes with sand seem improbable--is it sand, is it snow? Startling effect.

 

Tell us about the caracal. It posed & you got to see it hunt. Highly fortunate!

 

 

Page 2:

How did you come up with that wine glass shot? That's really clever. And how did you take the nightscape shot?

 

Nightly visits from a porcupine? Sign me up!

 

 

Page 3-4

I thought that squirrel was a very nice catch and then I saw your meerkats. The baby meerkats are a triumph of the whole trip! How did that happen.

Wow, brown hyena and a relaxed one at that. Do you know if that was rare or fairly common?

 

You had some elusive and prizedspecies so far!

Edited May 10, 2015 by Atravelynn

[penolva]

Page 1--

 

Your elephant interaction shots are just precious. Those relaxed eles and close proximity you mentioned must have helped. That 4th night may have made some of these photos possible but sorry canceled flights messed up your original plans.

From 11 elephant to how many now?

 

The landscapes with sand seem improbable--is it sand, is it snow? Startling effect.

 

Tell us about the caracal. It posed & you got to see it hunt. Highly fortunate!

 

 

Page 2:

How did you come up with that wine glass shot? That's really clever. And how did you take the nightscape shot?

 

Nightly visits from a porcupine? Sign me up!

 

 

Page 3-4

I thought that squirrel was a very nice catch and then I saw your meerkats. The baby meerkats are a triumph of the whole trip! How did that happen.

Wow, brown hyena and a relaxed one at that. Do you know if that was rare or fairly common?

 

You had some elusive and prizedspecies so far!

HI @@Atravelynn love that you took the time to read the TR and ask me questions, so here goes.

 

Elephant estimates are now between 600 - 700 with a 5% increase each year. By the number of babies we saw they are working hard to beat that!

 

Sand or snow? too true and it must be amazing when the whales are just off the coast.

 

The caracal, after leaving camp there are several small loops you can drive so we took the first one and there it was. Couldn't believe our luck. I think it was still out hunting as it was very overcast and had been raining hard in the night. It focused on the bushes and ignored us. After a bit there was a pounce and a squeak from the mouse it had caught. Swallowed in one mouthfull. Here are a couple more photographs. The last one is of another caracal we saw later. A total of three that day.

 

 

Wine glass I saw once on another forum and thought it was cool. Night time shots, more to come at the end of the TR. We got a new wide angle lens last year and have practiced a lot as we love to get the stars etc.

 

Porky the porcupine was a highlight of the whole trip.

 

The meetkats were on a man made 'island' as they are redoing the road from Nossob to Twee Rivieren so all the traffic had to use the Rooiputs lodge private road. The meerkats were moving their den to a safer place. We were worried they would have problems but when we drove past the same spot later they had completly dissapeared. They seem to have several dens. We were lucky to catch them moving house.

 

We have seen a total of 5 brown hyenas during our two trips to KTP so they do not seem to be that rare to us or so nervous as they are supposed to be. But then some people tell us they dream of seeing one and never have. Pen

[madaboutcheetah]

@@penolva - Pen, just caught up with your report - WOW!!! What a wonderful trip you had! SA has so much diversity and you took it all in ...... Fabulous stuff - Caracal, everything KTP, Wine Country and lots more..... Thanks for the report!!!

[Atravelynn]

 

Page 1--

 

Your elephant interaction shots are just precious. Those relaxed eles and close proximity you mentioned must have helped. That 4th night may have made some of these photos possible but sorry canceled flights messed up your original plans.

From 11 elephant to how many now?

 

The landscapes with sand seem improbable--is it sand, is it snow? Startling effect.

 

Tell us about the caracal. It posed & you got to see it hunt. Highly fortunate!

 

 

Page 2:

How did you come up with that wine glass shot? That's really clever. And how did you take the nightscape shot?

 

Nightly visits from a porcupine? Sign me up!

 

 

Page 3-4

I thought that squirrel was a very nice catch and then I saw your meerkats. The baby meerkats are a triumph of the whole trip! How did that happen.

Wow, brown hyena and a relaxed one at that. Do you know if that was rare or fairly common?

 

You had some elusive and prizedspecies so far!

HI @@Atravelynn love that you took the time to read the TR and ask me questions, so here goes.

 

Elephant estimates are now between 600 - 700 with a 5% increase each year. By the number of babies we saw they are working hard to beat that!

 

Sand or snow? too true and it must be amazing when the whales are just off the coast.

 

The caracal, after leaving camp there are several small loops you can drive so we took the first one and there it was. Couldn't believe our luck. I think it was still out hunting as it was very overcast and had been raining hard in the night. It focused on the bushes and ignored us. After a bit there was a pounce and a squeak from the mouse it had caught. Swallowed in one mouthfull. Here are a couple more photographs. The last one is of another caracal we saw later. A total of three that day.

 

_DSC2650_edited-1.jpg_DSC2654_edited-1.jpg_DSC2655_edited-1.jpgIMG_5289_edited-1.jpg

 

Wine glass I saw once on another forum and thought it was cool. Night time shots, more to come at the end of the TR. We got a new wide angle lens last year and have practiced a lot as we love to get the stars etc.

 

Porky the porcupine was a highlight of the whole trip.

 

The meetkats were on a man made 'island' as they are redoing the road from Nossob to Twee Rivieren so all the traffic had to use the Rooiputs lodge private road. The meerkats were moving their den to a safer place. We were worried they would have problems but when we drove past the same spot later they had completly dissapeared. They seem to have several dens. We were lucky to catch them moving house.

 

We have seen a total of 5 brown hyenas during our two trips to KTP so they do not seem to be that rare to us or so nervous as they are supposed to be. But then some people tell us they dream of seeing one and never have. Pen

 

You got the multi-sensory caracal experience with mouse squeak. Cool! How nice you were able to get additional caracal shots of the cat in action.

Worrying about the meerkats, all part of the safari. But they seem to manage just fine. I do believe they have several dens and that they move around. That you caught them in the act is really lucky!

I thought brown hyena were somewhat common. The one you saw must be used to human activity if it remained relaxed.

Looking forward to more of your adventures!

[Tom Kellie]

~ @penolva:

 

DAZZLING!

Your photos, experiences and feelings about your experience are splendid.

Many, many thanks!

Tom K.

[Earthian]

@@penolva

just finished reading your TR so far. At times i have wanted to stop and comment on one of your stunning photographs, only to find that the next one was even better!

 

My take is that all the photographs were excellent. i particularly like the sky images, both the daytime and that of the night. Is that the milky way that you captured? pardon my ignorance.

 

keep more coming

[Treepol]

@@penolva Gharaghab was certainly very kind to you - brown hyena, caracal and a large lion pride. What a fabulous day!

[penolva]

@@penolva

just finished reading your TR so far. At times i have wanted to stop and comment on one of your stunning photographs, only to find that the next one was even better!

 

My take is that all the photographs were excellent. i particularly like the sky images, both the daytime and that of the night. Is that the milky way that you captured? pardon my ignorance.

 

keep more coming

Hi @@Earthian yes it is the milky way in some of our night time photographs. I will be posting some more at the end. Thank you for the kind comments.