The Heat is on and the Lions as well

[Richprins]

I really enjoyed this episode, Pumbaa...worried I wouldn't get my Sunday fix!

I like the dry grass, my favourite!

And the marabou tree is fascinating!

Nice low angle on the elephant.

Plus a relaxed afternoon with a cold one!

[nan]

yes I love too the Vultures et Storks tree...
and... and... thank you, nice pictures, nice sightings

[Lisbeth]

To me the animals surrounding the lions are far more interesting than the lions themselves. Especially marabou storks, including the tree, but also the various vultures

[ExFmem]

I echo all the above accolades ....your wonderful sightings are a real joy.

[Pumbaa]

I really enjoyed this episode, Pumbaa...worried I wouldn't get my Sunday fix!

I like the dry grass, my favourite!

And the marabou tree is fascinating!

Nice low angle on the elephant.

Plus a relaxed afternoon with a cold one!

Such relaxed afternoons with a cold one got more and more a must for us

[Pumbaa]

yes I love too the Vultures et Storks tree...
and... and... thank you, nice pictures, nice sightings

It was such an incredible sighting close to the kill

[Pumbaa]

To me the animals surrounding the lions are far more interesting than the lions themselves. Especially marabou storks, including the tree, but also the various vultures

Totally right - The surrounding sightings were much more interesting than the lions itself but it is always good to see them

[Pumbaa]

I echo all the above accolades ....your wonderful sightings are a real joy.

We had an increddible stay during that trip at Satara

[Pumbaa]

Soon more and more birds could be seen and we had difficulties or better to say Timon had difficulties in taking pictures from the different birds as he did not know where to look first. To capture the red collared barbet was much more easier as there were so many of them around,



Mrs. Plum colored starling was extremely interested in the ripe fruits



and even a group of speckled mousebirds showed up as well, at least one of them could be captured.



The glossy starlings are always plentiful in camps but nevertheless they are always photogenic, especially when peeping through the leaves as this one,





Meanwhile our stomach became noticeable and as it was our last day in Satara we decided to have another lunch at the Cattle Baron, as already during our last stay two days ago there food and service were great again and after we also stocked up with fresh meat from the butcher we strolled back to our bungalow and once again made ourselves comfortable on our verandah and let the birds come. Now the red collared barbets landed on the ground



and one even was successful in finding a bug and soon swallowed same,



but there were more bugs around and we had a great time in watching the whole procedure a couple of times.





Soon also a crested barbet was attracted by the behavior of the red-collared barbets,



a glossy starling had more interest in our bird bath



whilst we still had to laugh about the comical poses of the crested barbet





who posed like mad to please ourselves.

[Pumbaa]

A bit farer away this lizard on the ground was soon surrounded by a group of very excited people



but after a while same decided to climb up onto a tree but same was not in a hurry so Timon took a couple



of close ups.



As always the time passed by far too soon so we packed everything together for our final afternoon drive in that area. Along the H7 approximately halfway between camp and Nsemani dam we got stuck in a traffic jam and saw from time to time a paw or an ear from a lion extreme close to the road. As same was not willing to show up we carried on to Nsemani dam and maybe to get a better view onto the lion on our way back to camp. At Nsemani a lot of marabou storks could be seen, farer away also saddle billed storks were around



and after looking a bit more around we even spotted a glossy ibis foraging there



the light was not the best nevertheless Timon took a couple of shots and for sure we could not leave Nsemani without taking a picture of the many hippos there.



As it was already late we skipped our drive to Girivana and returned to the lion sighting where now only one car stood and so we tried our luck, at least same was willing to lift his head now from time to time.



Same was lying between a bush and a tree on the ground and we have been told that same was earlier feeding on an impala. After a while we even detected the kill but same was in fact very hard to see due to the dense vegetation there. Now he even was willing to stand up,



he checked up his kill although according to his belly he must have been extreme full already so we simply turned around.





For a short time we even could see a bit more from him



but he far too soon returned to the impala and later laid down on the ground and as now again only an ear could be seen we carried on



and stopped along the H7 as there always many marabou storks appear when it gets closer to sunset.



The sun even showed up during our afternoon drive after an extreme overcast day and we were so happy about our lion sightings around Satara as we never had that many there and according to our experiences the dry summers are far better in spotting them in that area than the wet ones as we already had none there during wet summers so with another cold one we stayed on our verandah until it got too dark and we had an early night.

to be continued........................