Browns in Kruger - August 2013 (JHB Clan) *

[Supernova]

Thursday 22nd August

a long episode...

To find cell phone signal around Talamati is almost impossible, so the drive today was going to be a long one :

S145 Talamati / S36 / H7 - Satara / S100 / S41 / S90 / Satara and back on Sweni Road (S126) / S36 / S145 Talamati

The S145 and S36 only delivered the Marshal eagle below and a few Impala. I have never had any luck with this road.



After a quick pit stop to check the sighting board at Satara we went off towards the S100. Just outside Satara we found this male lion on a kill. Vultures were trying to get to the kill and he was trying to protect it from them. Unfortunately it was quite far in, so we moved on after about 10 minutes.





Our sighting of the day was when this Saddle Billed stork landed near us and walked towards some other grey smaller storks.



Cailin asked why they were attaching the Saddle Bill, that is when I realised that they were babies and asking the parent to be fed.



This was a first for us to see this type of interaction with Saddle Bills and it was awesome to watch.



The feeding was done



and the parent flew off back into the river.



Then the S100 delivered its lions as usual, again far off in the distance. We seriously need to see some lions up close.





And about 2 kilometres another 2 lions, also quite far off.



At Gudzani dam we parked and watched the Zebra drinking and fighting on the water's edge.



This Kori Bustard was on the S41.



Further down the S41 we came across this herd of Kudu walking slowly across and open patch, they suddenly started barking and running. When they stopped they stood in a circle with a guard staring behind them.



We were sure that they had been startled be a predator, we waited and watched for about 15 minutes but nothing appeared and they eventually wondered off.



Found these Ostrich on the S90.




Back at Satara Melly made her 11h00 phone call and we headed down to the Sweni Road. Just after the turn off we came across a few cars watching these Cheetah.



Again they a distance from the road and having their midday sleep, so we moved on back to Talamati after 10 minutes



The afternoon drive was a quick drive up the S145 towards Open and back. Talamati had been kind enough to allow Melly to use their phone to call her Mom at 15h00. Thanks Talamati.

We have seen Wild Dogs at the small bridge on the S145 before and hoped for the same again, but this time we could not get near the bridge, it was being repaired and there was a detour in place.

Our first sighting was of the broken horned Buffalo.



Then half way up the S145 we found this Sable family



with a youngster



and about 2 kilos further the big guy was waiting.






We went to hide again that night but the Anti-Poaching team had been there all day and all the animals had moved off. Tomorrow was back down to Skukuza, hopefully to find another leopard, so we got an early night

Friday 23rd August to follow...

[Bushcraft]

Wow, a long day boet, but you still got the sightings

Please post your S100 stuff under that road as many are ripping me off that nothing lives on that road, so I’m glad that you say “the usual lions on the S100”

Cheetah and Sable also

[Supernova]

Friday 23rd August

We slept in on this morning and had a big breakfast before leaving for Skukuza. It was just before 09h00 when I realised that we had better get a move on to Skukuza if Melly was going to make her phone call window of 11h00 to 12h00.

Our route would be as direct as possible:

Talamati / S36 / S125 / H1-3 – Skukuza

We found this Nyala at the end of the S125.



And this eagle just before the turn off to the H1-3





The eagle attempted to catch something to eat but the other birds escaped.



I just made it to signal zone outside Skukuza at 11h45, so was still in Mellys good books.

At Skukuza we booked in to Elsie Clarke cottage and were surprised to warthog in the camp, they seemed tame, but we still kept our distance just in case of an accident.



While we unpacked and relaxed i took this photo of an Nyala under the train bridge.




For the afternoon drive we went down to the s79 Causeway and back. On the way we met up with friends that we know were in the park, they were still looking for leopard and were parked on the side of the H4-1 looking with binoculars across the river.

They were looking for a leopard that had been there earlier. They gave up and decided to go back to the bridge and down the S30. We waited and watched, soon enough the leopard appeared..



I only realised when reviewing the photos at home that there was a kill in the big tree behind the leopard. It was a big open stretch of road and we were not blocking a sighting so we stayed and watched the leopard as it moved around the tree for 30 minutes. We tried flagging down a number of cars that came past but no one seemed interested, guess they thought we were just looking at the river ??



After this we went back to camp to relax and braai, found a hippo out early to graze



Saturday 24rd August to follow... (big day in 3 parts)

[Supernova]

Saturday 24rd August (Part 1 of 3)

We were still at Skukuza for the night of the 24th, in a different unit, so had to book in again. I was pleased to hear that when doing a “unit swop” in the same camp you can book in at 12h30, I always thought it was 14h00 !!

We would have to pack up house, so the morning drive was to leave at 06h00 and be back at 09h30 to pack up. The drive was planned to Lower Sabie and back, we always plan for this but usually don't make it to Lower Sabie. Today was one of those days...

We had a quiet drive down to Nkhulu, just before Nkhulu we pulled up next to a car that was reversing back, the driver told us that a lion was walking in the riverbed, we spent about 10 minutes driving slowly up and down, before he emerged from the reeds and was heading with a mission towards Skukuza direction.





We followed him along the river until the road turned and we lost him.

Back to Nkhulu for a smoke break then onwards to Lower Sabie, as we came over the rise we saw these 3 males coming down the road.
The dilemma now is what to do, do you wait for them to pass ? or reverse with the lions walking towards you ?, I reverse (rather look at them walking towards me than away from me) What is the correct protocol ?




As they crossed the bridge each individually stopped jumped off, had a drink and jumped back up on the bridge.









A few cars came past us, and were stuck on the bridge, now blocking the oncoming traffic following the lions







They all stopped and rubbed up against the trees on the road.





We had plenty of yawn’s, they must have had a busy night.





I'll take the liberty here to just post a few photos of the brothers.









After walking separate for about 3 kilometres, they joined up again





After joining up again they headed off into the bush, it had been the close up lion experience we had been looking for.



Saturday 24rd August (Part 2 to follow..)

[Supernova]

I see no problem in reversing so long as the guy behind you also reverses but he normally also wants to see what you are seeing so it all gets a bit .

Exactly The car behind us stopped and would not move, then he had a choice to make .... a discovery in the front seat or move -O he moved

There was much hand waving and shouting and I just kept reversing..... there was plenty of room to overtake if they had wanted to

[Supernova]

Saturday 24rd August (Part 2 of 3)


After this was gave up on Lower Sabie and did the S79 Causeway loop and headed for Skukuza. Just before the Causeway we found these Buffalo.



And further up back past Nkhulu we found our lion that we had seen first thing this morning. He had settled at a spot and was roaring at the 2 males on the other side of the river



It must have been some sort of territorial dispute, but no one was prepared to cross the river.







This must have been why he was on such a mission when we saw him earlier. When he had made his point, he stood up and headed in our direction.





We had chosen the correct spot to watch as he crossed the road right in front of us.




We had seen 6 male lions in three different sightings and no females, not the usual morning drive. They all seemed to be looking for dominance in this area.

Back at camp we packed up and had to find something to do between 10h00 and 12h30. The plan was for me to take the kids to the museum; unfortunately it was closed for renovations.

So plan B was to do a camp walk for one end to the other, Melly slept on the car, while we did the camp walk, on the west side of the restaurant we found the buffalo skeleton. It must have happened a few days earlier as you could still smell it, I would love to have been there to see this kill, it was about 2 metres from the fence. ( the ribcage was just over the ridge)



Skeleton just to the left of Cailin’s shoulder



After the camp walk we went to Lake Panic, it was 100% full with about 15 cars there, so with the rules already broken, we joined in. On entering every spot was taken and camera's with huge lenses everywhere, we left after 1 minute, to give them peace and quiet





Next it was to the nursery to walk through the newly repaired water system walk. Cailin took the photo, as she thought if we could get some of this it might help her Granny.



We had done enough for the time to move on to 12h30, so back to Skukuza to book in. After unpacking and I took Teagan for a swim and we packed the car for the afternoon drive.

It was our last evening drive, so we agreed to do the same as the morning, hoping for more of the same. First thing we came across was this Leopard sleeping on the water's edge.



There was a traffic jam of cars and the leopard was not going anywhere, so we took a few photos and moved on down towards Nkhulu.



Before Nkhulu we spotted this juvenile lion in the riverbed. As I was busy changing lenses ..



A lioness came flying around the bush chasing a small buck, I missed the action on camera by a second …





A few minutes later the rest of the family came past.



Saturday 24rd August (Part 3 of 3) to follow…

[Supernova]

Saturday 24rd August (Part 3 of 3)

At about the spot where we had left the last lion from this morning's drive, he walked out in front of us again.



Again we reversed back with him coming towards us.









This carried on for a few kilometres; my neck was getting sore by now with all the reversing. Then he looked back at the river and started roaring again.











Then lay down and continued the roaring. All the following cars parked neatly on the edges of the road, turned off our engines and listened.

It is a great sound to listen to in the quiet of the evening.










Below is the video from Mellys cell phone. (remember to turn sound on)

http://youtu.be/sYV0VzREUIQ


When it was time to go back to camp, we all left him there and formed a convoy back to camp.



Our last sunset, on our last day. It had been a fantastic last day



Early the next morning we left via Kruger Gate.

Thanks to all that have followed out trip, and given such great comments on our sightings.

It has been great to share our annual Kruger trip with all on the forum

Until next year, bye for now - JHB Browns