the solifugid, the snails and the storm clouds *

[leachy]

so.......

due to the fact that my residential environment was being commandeered by a delegation of academics,

it became necessary or me to source alternative accommodation for a period of at least 10 days at the start of december.....

fortunately for me, i had the foresight to expect this event

and had transferred some money into the sanparks' account in exchange for 9 nights' accommodation in my "time share complex" in lower sabie

i was being accompanied, on this outing by my surrogate daughter jacqui

and her very able and super helpful husband rob, from the big city in gauteng, who were booked into a 2/3 bedder in the same complex.....

thanks to dorcus (she, of friendly smiles and co-operative nature) i found myself comfortably ensconced in the best one bedder in the complex...

and thanks to portia (she too, of friendly disposition) "the children" enjoyed uninterrupted accommodation despite a disjointed 2/3 bedder booking



with no great expectations, save for the desire to capture quality photographs we entered in 2 vehicles through the crocodile bridge gate........

[leachy]

so.......

a few frustrating tourist affected stops along the way..

one of which was at the mativuhlungu rock pool

adjacent to the s28 intersection

where we had glimpses of the resident mativuhlungu leopard.

he would have crossed the road after a group of kudu

if it were not for some dumb-ass in a bee-em who blocked his path forcing him to return into the chasm



it happens.....

we did however come across this bit of interaction while in swaziland on the way to timbuktu.....

the rhino and the kruger livestock were actually rubbing horns at one stage...


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the bovine seemed very cautious and nervous........


maybe he had also seen that video clip of the rhino bullying the buffalo........
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sunset dam was rather empty and disappointingly quiet with regard to bird life.....

not a single egret....

not a single heron

and not a single fish eagle

was seen during the 10 days that we were there

on the first day i was up before the sun............

in fact the sun must have had a hangover 'cause the skies were grey and gloomy



there were a number of waders at sunset dam

i found this (what i think, is a ) common sandpiper.....
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it was behaving in quite a proper manner so i am not sure if it is a common sandpiper..

and it seems to look different to this (what i think, is a ) wood sandpiper...
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and then this (witia ) ruff
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(is that not the name of dennis the menace's dog ?)

a three banded plover
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a very active little white fronted plover who almost ran out of frame before i could snap it up
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and.....

standing to one side was this dejected looking white crowned lapwing

i think he was standing to one side , not because he is so threatened but because he feels like an outcast.......

excluded from the company of plovers


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then, something that i think might be of interest..



a diderick cuckoo.........

the less common green form

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what caught my attention before i left the vicinity of the dam

was this (witia ) sourplum tree.....
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looks quite tasty..........

[leachy]

so..........

had a short idle along the mlondozi loop and in the vicinity of the "marshland" i passed this chap having breakfast
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and this chap..... ambling along pretending to be a mine sweeper



as he swept is trunk from side to side along the surface of the road..
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now i know who is responsible for those zigzag marks on many of the dirt roads..


later..........

i found myself on the h4-1 just north of lower sabie

and peering through the thickets towards the river

i observed these teenage elephants practising

what looked to me at the time to be a faith healing ceremony...



the one youngster was lying on the sand bank pretending to be dead

and the other was "laying his hands" on the "inflicted" one
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and rocking to and fro and nodding his head up and down
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and ushering in the healing breeze with his flapping ears....
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and at the end it seemed to work .............................



as loxodontalazarus.... raised his head in an effort to get up......
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there was a slight hint of sunlight in the evening



as might be seen by the glimmer around this sandpiper at sunset dam.....
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[leachy]

so.....

one morning all three of us woke up early and headed off along the s28 to the ntandanyathi bird hide.......

this was the only thing worthwhile photographing..
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we then witnessed the most astounding interaction on the s 137 between an adult zebra and an impala foal.........



the foal and its mother were busy enjoying the juicy grass all on their own-some

when out of the blue (or should that be green??)



an adult zebra started chasing the impala calf.......



the mother was as surprised as we were

and tried to place herself between the obnoxious equine and her baby, but to no avail..........

the zebra merely increased his resolve and with his quirky alarm yelps

the three of them sped off into the distance at quite a "rate of knots"



we tried to follow but they were exceeding the speed limit on dirt roads



we did, however hear the pursuant noise of the zebra for quite a time after that



so we stopped and soaked up the things around us.....



these two flutterbys on a cornflower vernonia
(fascinating plant)
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this beautiful flower (identity needed)
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and a blister beetle and the same flower.
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this scarab and company of "greenbottles" on this (witia) scat from one of the 3 large cats found in this area.....
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then.................

we stopped at that random pool on the southern side of the s130 close to the h4-2......

often, a spot with loads of activity.....

it seemed quiet at first ...



then i spotted this sandpiper speeding by..
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and what followed....

was a high speed pursuit of the girl that would be the mother of his chicks


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she eventually relented and landed in the water behind some reeds.....

where he proceeded to begin...... what looked to us as an attempt to drown her..



(not too different to when we were young boys and we used to go to the municipal swimming pool and chase the girls around the pool and into the water and attempt to "duck" them under the water)
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yes.....

that does look like a crocodile in the water next to them ????????

[leachy]

so..............................

after these 20 shades of grey



we moved on

and a while later found these impala
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and this impala doing her llama impersonation......
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so.....



if this is the expression an impala has when alarmed ...

so an alarmed impala looks like alarma or rather like a llama......

when alarmed.....



and then.......



the piggies amusing themselves

as they would run away whenever a vehicle stopped....
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then return to graze...


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and then run away again as the vehicle drove off......
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then......

off to my random waterhole on the s21 where i was entertained so much the previous december.........



i arrived just in time to see this dagga boy at the end of what must have been an epic struggle against

dick terrapin and the tail eating terrapins......

the stuff that TNA wrestling is all about........



( do your own one here.......
T ................................
N ............................
A ................................. )

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as you can see he has two of the terrors attacking his lower back

while the rest of the armada are attacking from below
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lurching up from the murky waters to get a grip on his nether regions


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eventually he succumbed



and was pulled back into the water

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with the victorious shell clad villain firmly in place


then the winged peckers arrived and they had a lot to say about this bout.. ..............
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[leachy]

so...........................

having been dragged down into the water

the bovine settled down

to watch the splash and dash display

presented by the woodland kingfisher...
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as though on cue..........................

this display was an encore of the 2011 show....
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[leachy]

so.............................

it is actually a very peaceful, yet busy little pond this one

and there is not a wide selection of parking for the discerning photographer

so my nose gets slightly out of joint when i arrive there and find

someone else parked in the prime photographic spot



someone else in my parking is easily overcome



as i suppose he was there before me....

but................................ when the occupant in question is sitting there

and reading a book and not even utilizing the strategic photographic benefits of the parking then i become somewhat peeved.....






the absence of sunlight had already excluded my shots from any awards

and then i remembered the predicament that the buffalo was in

and i realized how fortunate i really was

so i just sat quietly listening to the bovine blues and pecker accompaniment
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the noise of some other oxpeckers drew my attention to the newest visitor.......

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they both seemed to be enjoying the experience.......






a while later this tall horse came and stood right beside me and nibbled on the tree i was parked next to
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and a small nursery group made themselves comfortable on the grass nearby...
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it was getting late so i headed back for home

and managed to capture this kite

with what looked like an insect nest in his yellow bill
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[leachy]

so.........

some of you might be aware of the resident troop of baboons

that roost in those majestic ficus trees in the vicinity of the tented camp at lower sabie


every evening these critters make their way home at around the same time




and usually along the southern bank of sunset dam...



along this southern bank of the dam,,,

is an old leadwood surrounded by a small variety of

saplings......



one of these astoundingly flexible saplings became the jungle gym for a group of "bobbejanne" on their way back home from work one day......


there seemed to be a number of ways that the "janne" amused themselves on their "jungle gym"

one might start by jumping onto the end of this bendy growth and ride it as it got closer to the ground..
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sometimes someone would try and spoil it for you and tug on the tree until you fall off and then chase you away..
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sometimes you could jump onto the branch
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and sway up and down for quite a while
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dangling... and hanging upside down
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before some bully jumps on with you...



and dislodges you into the dust

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and then attacks you in fit of jealous rage....


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..

[leachy]

thanks amoli...........................

so............................

this "jungle gym" remained a platform of entertainment for the 'boons

and i for ages

as they kept on practising their agility and balancing skills

whilst learning the hierarchical structure of the troop
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at one stage it even became possible for one individual

to sneak his way down the branch without anyone noticing
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[leachy]

so...........................

out early the next day despite the overcast and dull sky

headed out on the h10 towards the general direction of the nkumbe view site

these bush chickens with their brood of chicks
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and then a close up study

of the eating habits of a giraffe
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seems to have a lot of branch material with those jaws full of leaves
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baby pops her head out from behind



to investigate the barrages from the canon
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seems that this jackal has been spending too much time with the browsers
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