Flavour of the Month - June 2014: H10 & Nkumbe Lookout

[Duke]

Thanks for the link nan

In the evening I prefer parking off on the bridge rather than at Sunset Dam











The sunrise from the H10 is also

[Amoli]

My trips n the H10 normally start here :

[Richprins]

Nice pics again!

Hmmm...if you think about it, that is another bridge with a bit of a feeble barrier rail...at least it is wide and low!

[Bushcraft]

[Duke]

OK I have progressed to the northern end of the bridge. Keep a look out in the trees here for fish eagles -juv and adult, with and without a meal









With water monitor

[nan]

still on the 3.5.2011

Yellow-Throated Longclaw

Lappet-faced Vulture sleeping

Brown Snake-Eagle

[Duke]

nan

We now right on the intersection with the S29 and S128, not far from the bridge.





it got too busy too quickly

[Richprins]

I've told this story before, somewhere...

Dwarf and I were sitting relaxing at Hillside water trough in the 90's. There was quite a bit of activity...old dry season stuff, with a lion chasing visiting game from zebra to warthog away every now and again...

This carried on for almost an hour, with things eventually reaching a tense stalemate...one could cut the tension with a knife...the zebra stood off at a distance and the lion hid in some bushes...

lo and behold a solitary baboon male came strolling purposefully along, blissfully unaware of the drama, and intent on getting some rehydration! Yes, it was a Sunday morning, I think, and I felt similarly...

The baboon did sort of pause a bit at the trough, obviously briefly wondering why it was so quiet...but then thought, "Oh well, must be some other action somewhere", and proceeded to start taking long gulps of water...

Meanwhile the zebra approached again, presuming that the baboon should know that danger had passed. This is normally the case, as baboon are by far the most vigilant prey species in the park! But not this boy...

The lion burst out of the bushes at full tilt, racing toward the trough and leaping over both it and the baboon...determined to get a zebra...but failing and stopping some distance later...


The baboon had the shock of his life, left some huge droppings, and skedaddled up the nearest tree!

Dwarf and I were screaming with laughter, and got the giggles for another half hour or so as the baboon eventually started giving extra-loud alarm barks continuously for that period...perhaps trying to regain some dignity.

Not a good day for our species, but unforgettable!

[mposthumus]

Great pictures Flutts, Amoli, Duke, nan, BC RP

BC, great pics. Whose the ellie? It's got a lump on its elbow just like my dad!!

Duke, great sighting of the monitor...must be quite rare to seen that!

I've also noticed the lump on Makungwe's elbow in some of my pictures Flutts My guess would be tennis elbow

[Duke]

mpos

Everything is wrong with this next sighting beacuse it was the middle of the day, it was open grassland and the black rhino was grazing - just shows once again that the only predictability about animals is the unpredictability.

We spotted a rhino with a giraffe in the background.





We then could see it was a blackie and even stopped two cars coming from the opposite direction. They did not stop. Probably thought we nuts stopping them for a giraffe as it was difficult to see the rhino.