Seven unforgettable nights in wild Gonarezhou NP with Bush Bound Safaris

[BRACQUENE]

VI . Chilojo Cliffs Bush Camp on the second day : 

 

Some early morning activity the morning of the 19th  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male display 

Preserving the future !!

 

 

On our way to the Chilojo Cliffs we saw some African Openbill and Woolly-necked Stork and further going up some European Bee-eaters 

On top of the Cliffs 

 

 

 

 

Elephants seen from the top 

 

Returning home a Ground Hornbill and a bull but then at dusk ... 

 

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The local pack ( Five adults and five puppies ) ; the evening of the 18th we saw them running past the car but after dark so this was the first real view and it was

clear a kill had been made ! 

[michael-ibk]

Standing on those cliffs is just magnificent, such a beautiful place. Beautiful photos. Great you saw the Dogs!

[Galago]

Wow! It looks amazing. Worth going just for that bird-bath! But the scenery is stunning - and then you saw dogs. How perfect. 

[BRACQUENE]

VII A lonely male lion in the garden of Eden  :

 

 

Early morning drive starting with ants attacking a termite colony 

Natal Spurfowl 

 

Giraffe almost invisible in the bush 

A Steenbok 

 

 

Life and death at the Runde River 

Morning was again cloudy and windy but sightings not bad at all 

A well hidden Brown-headed Parrot 

Never had enough of those magnificent Nyala 

 

And then the dogs again resting where we found them the night before ; we decided to come back later and suddenly the sun came out and it promised to be a lovely afternoon 

 

Back in camp a Blue Waxbill taking a bath 

A Kurrichane Thrush 

And a Black-crowned Tchagra 

The start of the afternoon drive with a splendid Brown-hooded Kingfisher 

 

 

 

And then Doug received a message by radio that a lion was close to camp and we returned instantly to witness a scene I will never forget !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And even approaching him as close as possible on foot before heading for our dogs whilst there was still enough light 

 

 

 

Just in time to see a few of them chasing an impala but as going offroad is not permitted in  the NP we decided to wait as did the puppies and their guards 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

But at last the meal arrived and the feast could start ...

[michael-ibk]

Great stuff! What a beautiful day.

[Galago]

Wow! Just love the photos of the dogs play fighting. But the scenery is magnificent. 

[BRACQUENE]

VIII. The return to civilization : 

 

Generally the last day of a safari , the 21th of October ,  is not always the most rewarding one but this time together with that extra night and day in Harare were in terms of sightings simply stunning and the light on our way to the airstrip was perfect 

It started with some Knob-billed Duck early morning at 5.28 which I never managed to capture in July in the Bangweulu Wetlands. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kudu and Giraffe in early sunshine

 

My first Senegal Coucal .

 

This one remains something of a mystery ; I posted it in another topic as being a European Roller but a Purple Roller is more likely even if there is still some doubt

amongst the specialists ... 

For once a warthog that didn't start to run away but posed nicely ...

 

The beautiful landscape of Northern Gonarezhou .

 

Last views of the Nyala 

And the Amethyst Sunbird 

 Leaving the NP seven days later 

 

The Airstrip special : a Common Myna 

 

 

Goodbye to @Doug Macdonald who was a fantastic guide and a special dance from @Tony Busanga

The Runde River from above 

 

The garden of Malcom Lodge in Borrowdale , Harare where we stayed the last night , a birders paradise .

Red-billed Firefinch 

Holub's Golden Weaver 

Dark-capped Bulbul 

 

Variable sunbird 

White-browed Robin Chat 

Olive Sunbird 

And finally a bird with un unmistakable sound but so difficult to get a decent picture : a Purple-crested Turaco ! 

[Kitsafari]

that was an awesome shot - the lion against the mighty cliffs. 

[Zubbie15]

Thanks for sharing @BRACQUENE, sounds like a really enjoyable, and very wild, trip. I'm jealous of the wild dogs, we just dipped on them once more on our latest safari that just wrapped up yesterday (I'm catching up on St while waiting for our connecting flight). 

[Athene]

@BRACQUENE  Great informative trip report and pictures. The lonely lion in front of the cliffs is stunning and I love your bird photography. 

Doug thinks Gonarezhou is the right kind of trip for my husband. I will show him your report, thanks for sharing it. 

 

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks @michael-ibk@Galago@Kitsafari@Zubbie15 and @Athenefor your enthusiastic reactions ! 
I had never done a little group safari before and simply loved it even it is a bit wilder than a traditional individual safari .

Until last year in Mana Pools we had also never seen dogs and now again in Gonarezhou ; even if you have to be lucky I would say Zimbabwe is not a bad place to find them

[John M.]

Gonarezhou, another one of those places I ran out of time to see!  I first saw those cliff landscapes in a documentary on TV a few weeks ago, and have been looking forward to your TR ever since.

[Atravelynn]

Thank you for such a great report on the splendors of Gonarezhou.  You had some really great stuff show up in all those beautiful settings throughout the park.  What a scare at the start when you thought you might be too ill to go.  Nice wild dog action and so many kudu.  I see you took a dip in the river too.  Very refreshing.  Following in your footsteps, we got home about 2 weeks ago, so this report was such a welcome return to the park.  I swear I recognize that warthog that did not flee along with at least one elephant. The RX10 produced great results for you from landscapes to action shots to distant birds.  It was a workhorse for me too. Thanks for sharing your varied experiences and lovely photos from this magnificent park.

[AfricIan]

Now we're back from Costa Rica I've got a bit of ST catch-up time before I start sorting photos and starting my TR.  Belated thanks for writing this up @BRACQUENE, it looks to have been a great trip.

[Atravelynn]

Thanks for the map at the start for perspective.  It's a huge park.

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks @John M.@AfricIan@Atravelynnfor your appreciation and comments ; this was by far the most adventurous safari I have done until now but at the end perhaps the most rewarding and it is a place I would certainly consider to go back too : it is indeed a huge area @Atravelynnbut with Doug’s Bush Bound Safaris you can also visit the southern part of Gonarezhou and close to where we went there is the Save Valley Conservancy which is taming with wildlife ! 
Those cliffs I also saw first on television @John M. but looking at the lion and the elephants in front of them is something I will never forget 

Looking forward to your Costa Rica report Ian @AfricIananother of my dream destinations as you can imagine 😉

[AfricIan]

1 hour ago, BRACQUENE said:

Looking forward to your Costa Rica report Ian @AfricIananother of my dream destinations as you can imagine 😉

Don’t hold your breath waiting Peter 😏