Enjoying The Kruger Without Staying In The Park

[Peter Betts]

Lovely Pics and cant believe how green it is ..

[Pumbaa]

We always can sit and watch baboons playing for hours, Lisbeth,

especially the youngsters

Fantastic nyala sighting as well andalso the different birds you spotted that were not that bad plus jackals

[ExFmem]

I like the palm shot, and the info. Boons are always a stitch, and that first Nyala shot is quite lovely I can only imagine how it was to see your first Whydah - GORGEOUS bird. I'm green....

[Lisbeth]

Thank you very much, Flutterby, Richprins, Klipspringer, Roger, Alf, Peter, Pumba ed ExF

[Lisbeth]

When I arrived at Tihongonyeni Waterhole my eyes went wide open with surprise and delight, never had I seen such a sight
The whole area was crowded with White storks, hundreds, elephants, zebras and wildebeest in the green grass flecked with flowers.

All of a sudden a storm of birds passed above. I have no idea what they were

I had been all by myself apart from one car which just passed slowly by

When I finally moved on, my only regret was the black sky

[Lisbeth]

Further on a busy-bee

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A beautiful Lesser-spotted Eagle

Lots of swallows

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A Cori Bustard and a Secretary bird both heading into the thick bush

The Moiplaas Waterhole was empty apart from a couple of Egyptian Geese with offspring

[Lisbeth]

By now I was on the H14 and arrived just in time for the Elephant show of the day. I was laughing loudly all by myself during the whole show. As the usual Dummkopf I did not think of taking a video until it was too late I think that the elephant was deeply in love with the termite mould

There is always something new to learn about the animals and plants that we meet in the bush

[Lisbeth]

A kind of cherry on the top a young Hyena not quite sure if staying out in the wet weather or in a presumably dry den

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All of a sudden he decided for the den and made such a quick move that the pic .......

[Lisbeth]

The Sandgrouses were out again

A group of buffalos were also daring the wet weather

Hungry Yellow-billed Oxpecker chicks

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Bateleur on the lookout

A Three-banded Plover

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Can you see the bird?

More Double-banded Sandgrouses; they obviously like the wet weather

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The Double-banded Sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus) occurs naturally in the arid parts of southern Africa. Specifically, records of them exist in the countries of Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They are often seen in tussocky grassland and recently burned areas of scrub with green shoots starting to develop, along road sides and tracks, on gravel patches; and in areas of scanty vegetation beneath scattered trees and in scrubby woodland.
They are usually seen in pairs or small family units of one to five birds (mostly two or four).

Yet another face-to-face with an elephant Not violent, just a stubborn master of the road, not letting me pass

He even took the time to

But was back very quickly

Then luckily a friend of his turned up and he got distracted. Maybe I had only been his pastime while he waited

And off they went together maybe to a party somewhere else in the bush

By now it had started to rain seriously, so I headed for home, but not without another couple of wet sandgrouses

It had been a long day, but a rather successful one from my point of view despite the bad weather.
The next two days it rained more or less continuously so after all I could not complain

[Richprins]

What exceptional photos and sightings, Lis! A lovely day's work!

The elephant/termite relationship is remarkable!

And all sorts of birdies as you say!