When small Streams turn into Rivers

[Pumbaa]

What a great, awesome and varied bird show

At least when nothing else is around the birds never let us down

[Pumbaa]

to the resident Bird Whisperer That bat tree is too cool .

They are hanging regularly in these trees - This year we found them again there

[Pumbaa]

We only left camp extreme late for our final afternoon drive in that area and came across a Wahlberg eagle,



a tree full of vultures,



and again masses of Carmine bee eaters





who caught one bee after the other.



As also during the previous afternoon drives today Girivana was also our destination but as nothing was around we stayed not long but returned slowly back to camp but were again fascinated by the masses of impalas and waterbucks we met at the end of the S40.



The afternoon sun was still shining so everything could be captured in the best light





unfortunately the waterbucks were surrounded by masses of flies



and we stayed quite a while with them.





On our way back to camp we again stopped for Mr. zorro,



an elephant bull in the best evening light



as well as another European roller before we spent the rest on our evening on our verandah until it got too dark.



Tuesday, 21. February 2024 Satara – Olifants

Explored roads: H1-4 – S90 – S89 – H1-4 – S91 – S92 – H8 – S44 – S93 – H8 – S44 – S93

Normally we always drive from Satara to Olifants via the S39 but as same was still closed and we already drove on so many tar roads during that trip due to missing alternatives we decided to drive via the S90 to Olifants although the grass along that road was extreme high. So after we packed everything together and the obligatory first morning coffee on our verandah we left with gate opening time and stopped right on the tar road as today the sunrise was simply breathtaking



especially after all the rain and clouds we so far experienced.

[Pumbaa]

The rest of our drive until we turned into the S90 was uneventful and also the first kilometers on that road revealed nothing until we noticed a strange looking raptor on a tree stump



we so far detected that raptor only twice during our many visits to Kruger and were extreme happy to find another montagu’s harrier



although funny was our very first sighting of this raptor was exactly on the S90 a couple of year’s ago. A second car neared as well but luckily the driver was also in the mood for taking pictures of the montagu’s harrier instead of hurrying to the next sighting as meanwhile also a second one landed right in the middle of the road in front of our car.



We always tried to near cautiously but whenever we came too near the raptor took off only to land again farer away in the middle of the road and that procedure repeated a couple of times



before one disappeared but luckily the other one of the Montagu’s landed on a dead bush close to the road and with the brilliant morning sun we and the passenger in the other car who as well followed us cautiously once again had the possibility of taking a ton of pictures





as same simply posed so nicely





but after half an hour we spent together with the two Montagu’s same finally could no longer be seen after taking off and as already experienced the previous days and expected the grass along this road was far too high in discovering something on the ground away from the road. Luckily for us that birds normally can fly so we again discovered a couple of feathered friends on fallen trees.





The yellow billed hornbill in a bush was not easy to capture



and then we noticed a kori bustard also in the middle of the road but same was not willing to stay and decided to take off indeed a not that often happening sighting



but I suppose for the kori the grass was also too high and same decided to look out for another landing place with shorter grass.



We stopped for one of the numberless burchell’s we found this year



as well as for another “lighter” Mr. zorro



and finally also one of the many white winged widowbirds along that road



was more than willing to pose.



to be continued………………….

[Richprins]

Catching up, Pumbaa!

Indeed a festival of birds!

The one with the millipede and bee-eater together is quite unique!

Satara has a dreadful history of maintaining the grass in camp, it looks terrible in that flooded brai pic.

I love the dung-beetle shots!

The montagu's has quite a lunatic expression!

And how rare to see a kori flying, it is the biggest flying bird in Africa, I think?

[Lisbeth]

You saw lots of carmine bee-eaters

Nice waterbucks

The Montagu’s harriers were a nice surprise. I have never seen one...as far as I know Actually it is special, because you don't see it very often

The colours of the last European Roller are very fancy; it must be the early sun The rollers are such pretty birds

[Pumbaa]

Catching up, Pumbaa!

Indeed a festival of birds!

The one with the millipede and bee-eater together is quite unique!

Satara has a dreadful history of maintaining the grass in camp, it looks terrible in that flooded brai pic.

I love the dung-beetle shots!

The montagu's has quite a lunatic expression!

And how rare to see a kori flying, it is the biggest flying bird in Africa, I think?

Isn't it the biggest flying bird on earth? Totally right about Satara's camp maintenance when searching for birds or when walking to the fence to sit on a bench you always have to watch your steps not to fall

[Pumbaa]

You saw lots of carmine bee-eaters

Nice waterbucks

The Montagu’s harriers were a nice surprise. I have never seen one...as far as I know Actually it is special, because you don't see it very often

The colours of the last European Roller are very fancy; it must be the early sun The rollers are such pretty birds

It is indeed a very special sighting whenever Montagu's do come across and on top when they are willing to pose that way

[Pumbaa]

Although we only found birds on the S90 it was never boring and the time simply flew by and suddenly we already stood at Bangu waterhole where we soon discovered something red in the distance and that red thing revealed as a red bishop





and same was busy in impressing the non-existent female at least we did not see any whilst photographing our beloved “red one”.



Whilst standing there and scanning the area we heard lions roaring not far and after driving on a monotonous looking S90 this area looked completely different and I soon fell in love with Bangu and made already a mental note to visit that waterhole far often during future visits. We carried on but were held us by a large group of white storks who were spread all over that area and a couple even could be discovered high on trees but these were too far away so we focused on the ones close to the road.





Then it was again Carmine bee eater time and it simply was so brilliant that so many of them landed on smaller branches close to where we stood





it was indeed such a come and go and we enjoyed spending our time with them.





In the distance weavers were busy in refurbishing their nests and more white storks could be noticed in the high grass when we were suddenly were stopped by a couple who told us something about three male lions who were lying on the road but now went farer away under bushes. We parked our car and suddenly one of the lions stood up from under the bush and scanned the area





and although also here the grass was high and the bush was not close to the road the lion was relatively good visible



and after returning into sleeping mode they often sat up and looked around.

[Pumbaa]

After a while a third car arrived and everyone was happy about that lovely sighting. These must have been the lions we heard roaring whilst still standing at Bangu as the sighting of the lions was not that far away.



After a while whilst nothing happened one lion after the other stood up and walked straight farer away from the road at least they stopped from time to time to look after one of their buddies



meanwhile also we noted that it already got extreme hot in the sun and I guess they were looking for a cooler place somewhere in the shade to spent the rest of the day. At least we were more than happy about that lions as this was indeed a more than nice change to all the birds we saw earlier.



After the lions were completely out of sight we continued and stopped for a not that shy steenbok lady



and although we knew that we could not cross the Balule causeway we simply had to take a look and luckily the road was open at least until the bridge.



We turned around and were in fact not that unhappy to drive via the S89 as on that small stretch until the tar road there is always something to be seen and so it was today as masses of zebra



as well as wildebeest herds were grazing in the midday heat and a couple of giraffes were around as well.





At least it took a while until lots of them were photographed.



At the previous Ngotso weir we do always stop and today we found there a beautiful dragonfly and after the obligatory stop on the highwater bridge across the Olifants where unfortunately nothing could be seen as the river was still far too high



we carried on via the S91/S92 but meanwhile it simply got too hot and we did not see anything even no birds. After only a very small break at Olifants and as it was still far too early to check in we decided to drive the small loop on the S44/S93 as we noticed with joy that at least these roads were not closed and although we did not stop longer at the look out points there and not much was around we at least were happy to drive these gravel roads and at a smaller pond shortly behind the lookout point we noticed a smaller crocodile



and soon all the terrapins in that pond swam to our car and we had problems in not run over any of them so we hurried soon away.



to be continued…………………