When small Streams turn into Rivers

[Pumbaa]

Finally catching up, Pumbaa!

What an adventure this is, unfolding every day!

Birdies galore and so different when they are wet.

It is weird having so few road options, one must say, and I can imagine how busy Afsaal was.

Yes, it was more than a disappointment with so many road closures but we had not alternative then to try to find something along the tar roads

At least from Satara onwards we had more options with more gravel roads open

[Pumbaa]

After the masses of different birds we already found that morning it was nice to observe now also the general game





and so we stopped there and simply enjoyed their presence





as they were so relaxed and were not disturbed by our presence.



These two ladies had obviously an extensive chat



and also lots of little ones were around as well.



A bit further along the road now a larger group of wildebeests



were lying close to the roadside with lots of little ones as well

[Pumbaa]

one of them even was still wearing the umbilical cord so must have been born only shortly and it is always nice when so young animals can be discovered.





After we got enough shots we headed forward but soon stopped again for a nicely posing fork tailed drongo as these birds often could only be seen shadowy in the dense vegetation of a tree,



more yellow billed hornbills



and now also a couple of warthogs even with little ones could be captured







We meanwhile reached again the bridge across the Matjulu



and soon turned into the S110 into the direction of Berg end Dal camp and along that 10 kilometer stretch we again noticed another buzzard



with extreme long claws.



to be continued…………………….

[Lisbeth]

Lots of "The Usual Suspects"

Couldn't your raptor be a tawny eagle

Lovely pic of the Matjulu

[Richprins]

Nice, Pumbaa!

So lovely and green

I like the baby wildebeest with the umbilical!

I think it is some sort of buzzard? You must say if our bird expert must look?

[Lisbeth]

Look at the beak and the legs are completely covered with down. Of course I cannot judge the size

[Pumbaa]

Lots of "The Usual Suspects"

Couldn't your raptor be a tawny eagle

Lovely pic of the Matjulu

Look at the beak and the legs are completely covered with down. Of course I cannot judge the size

It could be a tawny - Cannot remember the size but I think it was a middle sized raptor

[Pumbaa]

Nice, Pumbaa!

So lovely and green

I like the baby wildebeest with the umbilical!

I think it is some sort of buzzard? You must say if our bird expert must look?

Not often we saw such new borns in the park - It would be nice when one of the bird experts can have a look. Where can I post the shots? I think I need more help from them the longer this report will take

[Pumbaa]

We spotted two fish eagles close together on a dead tree



and for sure stopped there quite long for an extensive photo shooting



we loved the green mountains in the background



and the last sighting before we reached camp was another brown snake eagle in a tree



maybe it was also the same we already saw earlier that morning.



Meanwhile it was about time to check in and here we heard for the first time about the washed away road close to Lower Sabie and that this camp as well as Biyamiti and Crocodile Bridge are presently not reachable due to the fact that also the Lower Sabie causeway as well as the bridge to Crocodile Bridge gate are under water. In fact not the news we wanted to hear. For sure we were at the first stage a bit sad that we could not stay in the South Eastern part of the park but these are facts that could not be changed and so we had to live with it and in fact made the best out of it.

After a bit debating we then decided to spend the following 2 nights where we originally were booked in Biyamiti now in Pretoriuskop as Berg en Dal was booked out for the following night and we so far never stayed in that camp overnight as in total 6 nights in Skukuza including a weekend meant a bit too much traffic and commotion for us as also there most if not all sand roads were closed. At least the guy at the reception was very patient and helpful unfortunately I cannot remember the name anymore. Finally we got the key to No. 28 at the fence and decided to skip our afternoon drive as it meanwhile was already late and we instead wanted to stroll a bit along the Rhino trail but that was not that easy as we originally thought as there were still larger puddles or huge mud holes left as the river must have been overflowing the area here.

At least we managed to walk sideways a bit same worked and we were also not the only people who did so also this was a new experience for us but the bird sightings were fantastic as already the whole day and it started with a winner as after a long long time we noticed again a purple crested lourie in a tree.



I simply love that bird especially with all the different colours and due to the fact we do not see same often we for sure were more than happy



that same was so patient with us and allowed that many shots.



As always the vegetation along the fence definitely not only there but also in the entire park was dense, however, we discovered also another forktailed drongo,



a black-headed oriole,



a yellow breasted apalis,



black eyed bulbuls



as well as a puffback.

[Pumbaa]

Lots of swaison francolins were running around



whilst the puffback presented its jumping skills



and another fork tailed drongo was simply hanging around.



Meanwhile close to the restaurant and after a couple of raindrops which came down we came across a lone hippo who found in fact a small sand island to rest on





and whilst we reached the dam wall where we noticed how full the dam was as still masses of water was overflowing same. We already saw the dam brimful but same never brimmed over and as already said the river must have been far higher only a day or hours before.





After we stayed a while on one of the many benches we went back and admired a grey heron on a dead tree overlooking the dam,



could capture one of the many buffalo weavers



stopped again at the sleepy hippo



and finally noticed a single impala lily fully in bloom also a first for us.



to be continued…………………