A Quiet November Trip *

[JustN@ture]

Been rather hectic here at work and have been meaning to get this TR done so sorry if it is not updated daily but will do my best . I will try to make it a quick TR of mostly the pictures that I took in November/December 2013. I had cancelled the May trip as I went to Barcelona so my sister and her husband accompanied my folks for that trip. When I got back I saw the sightings I had missed …these were sightings one does not see often and sightings I had hoped to see myself as they would have been lifers in the park for me! At least they were kind enough to let me see the photos





This I hear is a very rare sighting…Rhinos playing leap-frog!!




Day1:
Left Jo’burg as the sun was rising



The roads were quiet and we got to Numbi gate at around 11:00, I renewed the wild card, got the camera gear sorted and then took a slow drive up towards Skukuza area, first taking the loop to Pretoriuskop where we had a family of giraffe pose for the camera, then on the way in we stopped at Shithave dam where there were a few water buck, we had a pair of tortoises playing leap-frog in the road…can see by the look on the one doing the leaping he was enjoying it.











Then just some random photo’s on the rest of the drive to lake panic.


Jacobin Cuckoo




African Fish-Eagle


White-backed Vulture & Hooded Vulture


White-backed Vulture




Reed Cormorant

Day 2 to follow:

[JustN@ture]

Hey, JN!
Eccellent quality pics!
You don't know where the python and pangolin were, by any chance?
Notice the one waterbuck with deformed horn...never seen it in that species!

Hey RP,
Thanks for the complement
I know the pangolin was spotted on the H4-1 between the H1-2 and H12 (the road to Lower Sabie) about 5 km from Skukuza side...if this makes any sence
The Python was on the H1-2 if I am not mistaken, they where heading up towards Tamboti that day.
was the first time I saw a Waterbuck with a deformed horn too

[JustN@ture]

Day2:
First full day in the park...yippee !! I will not be saying where we saw the rhinos but will post some of the photos, this was a special trip regarding them as we say 54 different ones throughout the first 8 days and a number of them had young which was nice to see . So first was the sunrise over the bush, followed by this guy crossing .







So the sightings were general game with the odd bird and raptor for the day... this one was going no where


Bateleur



and this hippo would bob up every so often so my attention turned to the trees where the Blue Wax-bill's where busy hopping around









heading to Skukuza and doing the drive along the river we had these sightings






African Green Pigeon


African Fish-Eagle


Martial Eagle





and finishing off the day with this bunch in the river bed chewing on their cud.





Day 3 to follow:

[JustN@ture]

Day3:
Today we entered through Phabeni and decided to head down the S65 hoping to find one of the cat family as there was rumor of a mating pair of loins near the waterhole...but no such luck , we could hear loins roaring but could not pinpoint where in the bush it was coming from and neither could the other peeps around . We did however have these three birds and the grey duiker compensate for the cats


Lesser Grey Shrike


Hooded Vulture


European Bee-eater



At the end of the S65 we were informed there was a leopard sleeping under a bush near the Transport dam so we decided to try our luck and find or even spot this sleeping beauty. We approached the spot which was not difficult to find with the traffic jam , our first view was not great.



After a wait we got to move to a better spot but he remained behind the bushes, gave a yawn what big teeth you have and then he got up moved around the bush and then lay down











From here we decided to do the lower portion of the south. Our one sighting that was remarkable was of 9 rhino’s bathing . first was 2 separate sightings of rhino with young and then some ellies and then some bathers with an Egyptian Goose and here goslings.

















these little goslings doing as mom does



Three-banded Plover

and this chap heading back from the spa


Day 4 to follow:

[JustN@ture]

Day4:
As we passed Skukuza we had this guy running down the road towards us, it was as if he was late for curfew or on some mission as he passed straight by and then went off into the bush. These were the only 2 photo’s we could snap of him.





We carried on to the junction and could not decide which way round we should go to head towards Mlondozi for breakfast…either the H1-2 or the H4-1, we were very happy with our choice as we came upon this beaut in the open…was lying down but did decide to stand up an prove it was a rare sighting.





A Blackie at long last




I was now satisfied for the day everything else from here on was a bonus, so here are a couple of birdies along the drive to Mlondozi




Jacobin Cuckoo (not sure if the first one is a Jacobin)


Brown Snake-Eagle


Yellow-billed Kite







These were a good time watching these piglets as they followed their mother around.




Day4 will continue:

[JustN@ture]

A rare "back view" of the Verreaux's Rhino, JN!
Massive tusks for a female warthog, too!

Baboons are my favourite!

Thanks RP, must say it looked rather battered as it also had a sore under the neck and then those on the fore leg and side
never noticed the tusks on the warthog...thanks

[JustN@ture]

Day4 continued:
From Mlondozi after breakfast we headed down to Lower Sabie and back up towards Skukuza via Dukes water hole. Nhahdanyathi hide was quiet but Dukes had a good bit of activity. on the way to Dukes we had these sightings.


White-backed Vulture



Saw this unusual sight of a tree growing in a dead tree . At dukes waterhole there were warthogs, giraffe, wildebeest, ellies and zebra a nice variety of animals













From here as mentioned it was up to Lower Sabie, on the way we had what I thought could be a family of bateleurs, the Juvenile was on his own and the adults just up the way . Then from there we just stopped in at sunset dam where there was not much going on.


Bateleur


Juvenile Bateleur








African Jacana


Common Redshank



Just after sunset dam we found these three Tawny Eagle in a tree, one adult and two juveniles.













Day5 to follow:

[Toko]

Great sightings you had and you got some cool

I think, your Redshank is a Wood Sandpiper

[BluTuna]

Fantastic Blackie!!!!!

My favourite drive in the south, CB -> S28 -> S137 -> S130 -> CB.

We've seen so much on those roads (I think Flutts and Co. are catching up with their sleep when they drive that area ).

Duke waterhole can be outstanding during the wet season but I think they have shut down the windmill as I haven't seen anything drink from the trough for many years.

Did you check out "The Leopard Tree"? (50m s of the S137/S130 junction).

[Richprins]

Excellent!

That tree in a tree is a "wurgvy", or Peters Fig or something, I think!

A brilliant example of this parasitic plant, you can see its "root" going down the side of the dead tree....very advanced indeed!!