A cat or a lifer a day keep the doctor away

[Klipspringer]

Social life of kudu bulls!

And a day without rain

[Flutterby]

All the animals were taking it easy!

[Pumbaa]

Looong kudu horns

Lake panic looks like a copy of the day that I was there. If I am not mistaken it must have been or the same day or one of the other two Darters in all sizes

A great heap of hyenas

I still remember your report and it was as if we were there as well

[Pumbaa]

What a huge kudu, Pumbaa!

And lucky to see a rhino!

Lovely shots at Lake Panic...ahhhh...

And great hyena cuddle.

I would have loved to take a shot of the Rhino but it was so full there

[Pumbaa]

A pile of hyenas... and sort of a pile of kudus, kingfishers and terrapins

That pile of hyenas was extreme cute

[Pumbaa]

Social life of kudu bulls!

And a day without rain

Yes finally and it got brighter and brighter from that day on

[Pumbaa]

All the animals were taking it easy!

Yes I guess they were also happy that the rain was over and took a sunbath

[Pumbaa]

As always the longer you look around the more you can discover such as another squacco heron in a bush



or this juvenile green backed heron.



I found it impressive how the darters managed to balancing on the small branches with their huge webbed feet





and we also were fascinated by the hunting skills of the pied kingfishers.





We never got bored by watching and photographing all the birds who were around either with wide spread wings



or simply willing to pose



and especially the great number of white breasted cormorants and darters



not to forget the pied kingfishers fascinated us extreme during this stay.





To our delight a malachite kingfisher was also present



but for sure we did not miss to watch the darters



only to return back to the malachite now with a fresh catch



or to capture a huge crocodile who swam by

[Pumbaa]

and now even the African jacana was willing to pose after same stayed in the beginning always a bit hidden or simply too far away.



Finally we also noticed a grey heron,



the pied kingfisher successfully hunted,



photographed again one of the white breasted cormorants



and also noted a darker darter in a bush.



For sure also the colourful malachite had to be photographed again



as well as a tawny flanked prinia who finally also landed in the thick reed



and back to the African jacana.





In the end also the African fish eagle dared to come closer after we admired same earlier already but far away



and shortly before we finally left the hide also a paradise whydah paid a visit.



After a more than magnificent time in the hide it meanwhile turned into afternoon and it was time to check in and so we drove to Skukuza and got the key to unit No. 87 which I requested for as normally the Lion Cottage is our favourite there but after last year’s flooding of the unit we changed our mind…..As we wanted to give our magical square another try that day we stayed not long in camp and headed forward along the tar and first via the high water bridge across the Sabie and Sand. In many loops leading closer to the river along the tar road large and deep puddles had to be crossed so we omitted there a couple of loops at least for today, however, still discovered a sparrow,



for sure elephants



and even a nicely posing brown hooded kingfisher.



to be continued……

[harrys]

More beautiful birds