Kruger South to North September 2019: Rooineks and rare antelope

[michael-ibk]

Excellent sightings and photos!

[Tdgraves]

thanks @michael-ibk

[Tdgraves]

Day 7, Evening drive Satara, 6/9/19

 

The weather was miserable and the only reason we went on a short game drive was to try and warm up. The trouble with rondavels is that they are very good at staying cool. Theoretically, the air conditioning units can also heat, but ours did not and this was not something we had ever tried before. So fresh coffees in hand, we went out for half an hour with the heating from the car to warm us up! We went north from camp and encountered few other vehicles.

 

A hyaena was being harassed by a black-backed jackal for some scraps, which gave us good entertainment, although for a lot of it, they were far from the road

 

 

A couple from the OH on the 5D, which copes better with high ISO...

 

 

 

 

Back to camp and we light the braai immediately to get in out of the cold! I had hoped for a long shower to warm up, but unfortunately we had no hot water. This was the first time that we had needed to report a problem to SANParks and I must say, we were really impressed with the service they gave. An engineer and his mate arrived within 10 mins, worked out what part needed replacing and sorted it out! Another 30 mins later and we had piping hot water. An early night and hopes for better weather the following day....

[Tdgraves]

Day 8, Morning drive Satara, 7/9/19

 

Hopes for better weather were dashed and it soon became apparent that a cold front was coming through. As it was our first day in Satara, we took the S100, which was unusually quiet and then back via the H6. As we had not stopped much, only really for birds, we also then did the S126 and back to camp via the H7 tar road. It was 14 degrees when we left and only made it up to 19. I had the 5D today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to camp for lunch...

[Tdgraves]

Day 8, Evening drive Satara, 7/9/19

 

As the weather had not improved, it was another quiet drive. There were intermittent clouds and we went on a short trip south down the tar road and back. We had seen no elephants at all.

 

 

There was a parked vehicle who excitedly told us what they had seen - a honey badger!

 

 

Our only sighting of sandgrouse during the trip

 

 

 

 

One from the OH

 

 

And back to camp for another early braai

 

 

 

Where we were not the only cold creatures....

 

 

He sat under the braai for a good 10 minutes warming up (they are metal ones in Satara)

Edited January 4, 2020 by Tdgraves
typo

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Morning drive Satara, 8/9/19

 

It was cold again today 12 degrees when we left, rising to 21. I had the 7D and we decided to go cross-country west of Satara up towards Timbavati on the S40 and S39. Again, it was a day of mainly birds.

 

 

 

 

We found a pair of brown-hooded kingfishers bathing, which was a good distraction, as there was a large elephant blocking the road ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for breakfast

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Birding around camp, Satara, 8/9/19

 

Given the weather, I was not hopeful about this, but I couldn't sleep, so what did I have to lose?

 

A brown-headed parrot was so intent on eating, that it was very obligin

 

 

 

 

 

I then found a tree teeming with birds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even found a new bird, a white-throated robin-chat

 

 

 

 

And then a tree right next to our room was also very productive...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a game drive....

[TonyQ]

The early birding certainly paid off!

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Evening game drive Satara, 8/9/19

 

The skies had cleared and it had got up to 24 degrees. We decided to go along the H6 and soon found a couple of stationary vehicles. There were a couple of lions asleep in the grass...

 

 

Can you spot them? We thought that we would wait. And wait. And wait. Several other vehicles came and went and I'm not convinced that they all knew why we were there. Everyone was hoping that as the sun dropped, something would happen, but all we got were a couple of rolls...

 

 

Not much strain on the memory cards tonight!!

 

Although it had warmed up considerably, we still had a visitor to our braai (and had worked out a better way of illuminating it!)

 

 

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Morning game drive Satara, 9/9/19

 

As it was a transfer day, we planned a short drive, to the end of the S100 and back. There were quite a lot of vehicles leaving camp and we worried that we would be stuck in their dust, but everyone seemed to go in a different directions at the crossroads. I had the 5D today and it was only 8 degrees when we left camp (brrrr) but rapidly warmed to 20 degrees.

 

Sunrise from our room

 

 

And the nice sunrise light continued..

 

 

 

We soon caught up with a couple of vehicles that were stopped at some sleeping lions (only feet were visible). But patience paid off, as they did actually get up this time, albeit behind the tall grass...

 

 

 

Before moving off quickly into the bush

 

 

 

 

 

As we went around a bend on the river, I noticed movement on the opposite bank - a male lion. The car in front of us literally just missed it and drove on.

 

 

Ans then there was a female - a mating pair! Subsequent vehicles came and went, apparently not appreciating mating behaviour, in that they would definitely get up in the next 15-20 mins and all moved off, leaving us alone with them for the next round.

 

A bit further down the road was a larger traffic jam, for more lions!

 

 

This was the closest one to us, but it was a coalition of 4 males, including one white lion

 

 

 

 

It was difficult due to our position to get them moving off...

 

 

 

We were getting a bit anxious about time as we had to check out at 10 am. Luckily, we were very near to the end of the S100 and after quickly checking out the dam, we turned around and made for camp. We found another stationary vehicle, with a very large lens pointing out to the right, across the road. I was on the passenger side and could not see anything, when all of a sudden, a leopard crossed the road! These are the only proof shots that I managed to fire off..

 

 

 

Not bad for a short drive! Our first S100 leopard and 3 separate lion sightings! Back to camp to checkout and have breakfast at the restaurant.

[xelas]

African sunrise is almost as good as African sunset. And animals in golden light are just golden!

[shazdwn]

Fantastic sights and fabulous shots - I really like the ele in the rain.  

[Tdgraves]

thanks @xelas and @shazdwn plenty more to come...

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Transfer Satara to Shingwedzi, 9/9/19

 

Another long drive and it meant that we would not be staying in Letaba, our usual next destination from Satara. This time, it would be for a quick lunch stop only, but it was still nice to see the place. Spring had returned and the 25 degrees rapidly climbed to 30. As we were leaving camp, I spotted a hoopoe with a kill..

 

 

 

Then it was time to go...

 

 

 

We caught a glimpse of a pair of secretary birds - a Kruger first, but the heat haze put paid to even proof shots!

 

 

 

 

 

The further north you travel, the more elephants you see..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More rare buck - tsessebe. I don''t think we have seen these before in the Kruger...

 

 

 

Somewhere near Mopani, the car in front pointed out our next rare buck - eland, our first ever KNP sighting, as far as I can recall

 

 

Another comfort break at Mopani and it was back on the road again. There was very little to see and we were getting tired. The spur road into camp had lots of vehicles parked in laybys next to the river. We couldn't see what they were looking at and so stopped to ask someone. "Apparently there are four lions here" she said "but we can't see them". By reversing a couple of metres, we were able to see a mating pair through the bushes...

 

 

We took a couple of proof shots, but were keen to check into camp (and get out of the car) so we didn't stay long. We did however drive forwards again and explain to the lady in the car how she would be able to see them, she was incredibly grateful! I wonder how long they had been sat there desperately searching for phantom lions? 

 

As we drove into camp, we realised that we had stopped here before, for a comfort break when we drove from the Outpost to Satara, it's amazing what you forget!

[Tdgraves]

Day 9, Evening drive, Shingwedzi, 9/9/19

 

As we had already had a long day, we decided just to drive a short loop from camp to the waterhole and back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to light the braai...

 

[Tdgraves]

Day 10, Morning drive, Shingwedzi, 10/9/19

 

It had been clear overnight and so the temperature was only 8 degrees when we left, but with beautiful clear skies came sunshine and it rapidly climbed to 24 when we got back. I had the 7D today and we decided to go north and do the Mphongolo loop, which is mainly along the riverside and we could then stop at the Babala picnic site and then turn back south on the main road. Once we got to the river, it was teeming with birds...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the best white-fronted bee-eater sighting that we had in the trip and he gave us a good show, during which, the few cars that had caught up to us all passed.

 

 

 

I was trying to catch weaver birds when I heard munching...

 

 

and on the other side of the car, a slender mongoose had just caught a snake for breakfast!

 

 

 

We had another close white-headed vulture sighting

 

 

 

 

A few from the OH and the 5D (on the river side of the car, as I was driving)

 

 

 

 

 

As I drove around yet another bend in the road, I was commanded to "Stop! Don't move!" which is very unusual. A small amount of movement had caught his eye on the opposite side of the river bed. A leopard!!

 

 

A few seconds earlier or later and I'm sure that he would not have seen it. Afterwards, we remembered that a few minutes earlier we had heard a strange noise coming from the same place, which was obviously a leopard growl in retrospect, but not a noise one hears every safari, let alone every day!

 

 

It was clearly a bit spooked, as it sat on the opposite back, looking left and right for a while before deciding to cross, directly towards us!!

 

 

 

 

We were going to struggle with the bush and bank of this side of river, so we crept forwards past the bushes apparent on the above shot

 

 

And got rewarded with a closer glimpse. The river here was very bendy with a steep bank (you can see we were looking down onto it) and when we lost it, I was then slowly going backwards and forwards, trying to see if it would come up, or if had stopped somewhere in the river bed. The OH had just declared that we had lost it, when around the next bend, there it was, right next to the road! "Here it is!" I said, as I selflessly positioned the car at an angle to give him the best chance of crossing the road shots, and look what he managed...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And after it crossed, I finally had a chance!

 

 

What a sighting, all to ourselves and at 8.30am! I don't think we stopped grinning for the rest of the drive. We were not expecting leopards up north and to have nice light and the ability to get into the correct position was a complete surprise.

 

 

A quick pit stop at the picnic site, where these waxbills were drinking and it was back to camp

 

 

tbc....

[TonyQ]

Excellent Leopard sighting and photos.

Good to have clear orders to stop!

[xelas]

2 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

I don't think we stopped grinning for the rest of the drive.

And rightly so! 

[Towlersonsafari]

What a splendid spot @Tdgraves lovely  photos and the snake eating mongoose as well!

[Zim Girl]

Wonderful leopard sighting and pictures to go with it.

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @TonyQ @xelas @Towlersonsafari and @Zim Girl

[Peter Connan]

Lovely sightings!

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @Peter Connan more to come...

[Tdgraves]

Day 10, Evening drive, Shingwedzi, 10/9/19

 

Due to the excitement about the leopard, I missed the last few photos out from the morning...

 

 

 

 

 

I had a rather hot and fruitless bird walk around camp at lunchtime. Our room was really close to the east gate, so the OH's last words to me before I set off were "don't go near the gate". This is why...

 

 

taken from our stoop, a rather large ele, just on the other side of the fence!!

 

 

 

For the drive, we went south, to where the remains of a dam are, damaged by flooding and due to be demolished. As there was no loop, it was difficult to judge how far to go. There was a bird hide on the map, but this was of course now defunct, due to the lack of the dam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

one from the OH

 

 

As we had predicted, we had turned around too soon. We decided to go back to camp and out to the waterhole, to see if there was anything there. As soon as we turned onto the main road, we caught up with someone driving extremely slowly. I was just starting to get annoyed, when the reason for their behaviour became apparent - a lioness....

 

 

She was cunningly positioned next to a side road, so was visible from both. Despite there being a few vehicles present, we were able to get the best spot, as no one really seemed to want to get any closer...

 

 

 

 

We were hopeful that the male was somewhere, especially as a SANParks OSV went that way, but we did not spot him on the continuation of the side road, which leads into the back of camp.

[Tdgraves]

Day 11, Morning drive, Shingwedzi, 11/9/19

 

It was a little warmer today when we left at 11 degrees, getting up to 22. I had the 5D. It was another transfer day, so we couldn't go too far and decided upon the red rocks loop, after first checking out the waterhole, where we had a better tssesebe sighting...

 

 

 

The rest of the drive was pretty quiet though

 

 

 

We also got slightly lost, as the signs are slightly confusing, but we also had a bonus toilet break! There was a view point close by, so we thought we might as well have a look and when we got there, there were facilities not on the map!

 

Towards the main road, we came across a stationary car and no sooner had we stopped, then we realised why - a leopard had been sitting under a bush, waiting to go back to its' kill...unfortunately, we had scared it off. The occupants of the vehicle were not annoyed with us, as it had been very skittish since they had arrived

 

 

 

 

We were told of another leopard sighting on the main road en route back to camp, but by the time we got there, nothing. Time to pack up and then breakfast in the restaurant.