Chicks and a new SO on the catwalk (Oct 2013)*

[Mel]

Between Kwang and Bedinkt I finally found my BEFs!



But, alas, rather far off (photo is heavily cropped ), in bad light AND the only ones for the whole trip.

[Mel]

Bedinkt awaited us with some lappet-faced vultures.



The wildebeest didn't appear to be all too amused about the vultures presence:



But the oryx wouldn't take any nonsense and sent them flying - ALL of them, including the beesties.

[Mel]

10 minutes later, Spots informed me of a funny looking boring kustard... Well, obviously as this is a Ludwig's bustard.



The furthest south I have ever seen one. But I'm still waiting for that nice close-up photo opportunity.

[Mel]

Then things went quiet. Really quiet... Arriving at Lijers, there was no sign of life either. When on a second look,
I noticed this lanner in the waterhole:

[Mel]

Seeing that we would be too early to check in at GK, we decided to go up to Union's End and see how things were going there.
Just before we arrived, we saw a laaarge congregation of vultures far off:



There was also a windhose nearby and the vultures seem to use the thermal of it as they flew with it in masses. But my photo
doesn't tell half the spectacular sight this was in real.

[Mel]

Union's End waterhole offered some beautiful butterflies.

[Mel]

We arrived at Grootkolk at around 1.30 pm and were happy to see Franco there.
We had hardly exchanged the bare niceties, when Franco told us that there were 3 lions underneath a tree right of unit 4 where we would be spending the next 4 nights.
Lions again? Little did I know that this was basically all I would get to see during the next days...



Franco told us that there was a young male among them which we already knew. Must have been the Little Prince.
They stayed there until dark. And some longer as we could tell by their eye reflection in our spotlight (have a red filter!).

While sitting and enjoying the silence of the night, we noticed some movement towards the waterhole. Ah, the lions finally came for a drink.
Hang on, there are some cubs... Not the same bunch as this afternoon then... They moved off again and shortly after returned... But, wait,
there are only two cubs... And they are smaller then the three before. And only two females with them rather than the three before...
Uff, 10 lions at the waterhole - just like that?

I got one proof shot:



With that we had seen a total of 18 different lions. Nossob is lions' country...

[Mel]

13/10/2013 Grootkolk "The day without cats"

We got up with sunrise once again and had a coffee on the patio waiting for things to evolve. It took half an hour before a brownie arrived.



At some point the omnipresent and very burdening question when staying at GK arose: To stay or to drive?

We opted for a short trip up down south to Kannaguass. But it was quiet. Dead quite. Nothing but tons of tracks of antelopes and even more of the big cats. But no animal attached to the tracks.

At Kannaguass however I enjoyed watching the antics of the sandgrouses and trying my hand at getting them in flight.



One of them was actually trying to hitch a ride by flying into the car... and drop half of the water saved for its chicks on me.

A skittish gemsbok...



... and some equally insecure wildebeests arrived.



We gave them their space and peace and returned to the camp.

[Mel]

Back at the camp I tried to hunt down the local wildlife, but soon gave up as the flies were trying to eat me up
while I was moving through the sun. So I sat in the shade and waited for the critters to visit me.



Here a photo of the unique double-legged Francolk:



The red-headed finches were sitting in the tree:

[Mel]

But due to the fact that there weren't any birdbaths, it was a rather quiet afternoon and I just
lost it and decided to erect something for the birds.

The black-faced waxbill followed my invitation soon afterwards.



And the sociable weaver took great interest in the meat I had put out for thawing.
Hilarious to watch!



The skins were basking in the sun.