Sprocky's visits to Kruger Park

[Sprocky]

Southern Carmine Bee-eater



Hyaena



Zebbie and long neck.



And the last one, an Ellie bull

[Sprocky]

A few quick ones taken this morning on our way to Letaba for brunch...

[Sprocky]

This morning in the park all I photographed was birds.

Woodland Kingfisher



LBR



This Water Thick-Knee was standing dead still when suddenly went flat onto it's belly. The next thing a Blacksmith Lapwing walked around the corner, I thought it was going to walk straight into the Thick-Knee. It walked past as if it didn't even see the Thick-Knee. When it past the Thick-Knee was up in a flash and chased the Lapwing.



Ground Hornbill

[Sprocky]

Hi to all of you. I have just got back home from a great night at Tsendze! :D

Thanks for a good evening Penga Ndlovu and mMa Ramotswa.

Not many photos taken this weekend, but here are a few of them.

Secretary Bird



Hyaena



Martial in flight



Big boy

[Sprocky]

[Sprocky]

I didn't see much in the park this morning, but one special sighting made up for it.

I stopped at the Giraffe that was killed by Lion earlier in the week to see what was there. When I arrived it was only Vultures and one Hyaena. The Hyaena left before I could get a shot, but then along came this Side-Striped Jackal. What a bargain!!



He kept chasing away the Vultures as if the kill was his.



What a beaut of an animal...



And more Vulture chasing...



One of the Vultures on the kill



Another cool sighting was this African Harrier-Hawk.



And then it departed. :(

[Sprocky]

A very long, hot and quiet day in the park today.

[Sprocky]

I just had to get into the park again today, I was getting withdrawal symptoms after not being able to go in last week. It was a funny morning again, not one animal from the gate to Sable Dam. Even the water was as still as a corpse.



I decided to head to the Masorini LMR, one the way I saw one herd of Impala, at least it was something. :roll: Once on the LMR I spotted cat spoor on the dirt road, very very fresh cat spoor. Big ones and small ones, on and off the road the whole time. Next thing was an Impala ram, standing dead still and snorting. Just ahead of him in the road was two big female Lions and eight cubs, all on the move and not slowing for anything. This little cub stopped for a while, but never took his eyes off his mom.



He then followed mom and the rest away from the road and into the bush. Mom stopped and looked back giving me time for one quick shot.



The rest of the morning didn't produce much and it was starting to get hot. We should reach a predicted 31 today, not bad for the beginning of winter. :roll: Even this Ellie was feeling the heat and trying to cool off.

[Sprocky]

Yesterday I did a short late afternoon drive. While on my favourite LMR, I saw a snake up ahead wriggling around. I first thought that someone had driven over part of it. When I got closer I noticed that I was a few minutes too late to have witnessed a kill. This smallish snake had taken on quite a big frog and had already started swallowing it.





Now for a few close ups.





Most of the frog was now in and it didn't take too long. The legs were all that was left.



Could anyone please try and help me with an ID on this snake.

Excuse the quality of this next pic. It was taken hand held with my 500mm lens at 1/45th of a second.

[Sprocky]

I just did a crazy trip to the park. I only went in after the rugby at about 10h30, it was already getting hot. When I left the park at 13h00 it was 34 degrees, a nice temperature but not good for trying to spot animals. Believe it or not, this was my sighting of the day. :oops: