From Berg to bush in March 2015 part two – KZN*

[Tina]

Umlalazi 13.03.-15.03.2015

13.03.2015

we left Golden Gate NP around 11 am. From Berg to bush in March 2015 part one Golden Gate NP
On the way South we saw many amur falcons again and managed to take some pictures of these greater striped swallows





and of a field of white storks

[Tina]

we arrived in Mtuzini respectively at Umlalazi at 4:45 pm only to realise that the office had closed at 4:30 pm. What now - the forest lodge was fully booked? I saw some people at the gate and asked, if they had an idea what to do. We were lucky as the lady was working at the office. She handed us a key for one of the chalets, noted our name and in we were.

Our first sighting was a red duiker right at our chalet

[Tina]

the chalet was old but else very nice

[Tina]

we returned to Mtuzini to shop for supplies and as there was an oven in the chalet we had a yummy pizza that evening.

one of our night time visitors



at 3 am our car alarm started all of a sudden. My SO went out and checked but there was no obvious reason. No idea what happened

[Tina]

14.03.2015

I woke up at 6:30 am and heard plop plop. I knew right away that the vervets had arrived. When I looked out of the window I saw that one just tried to grab the firelighter which I had left outside (you can see it in the picture of the stoep from my previous post) But when it saw me, it disappeared and I hurried to take the firelighter inside.

While we were having breakfast, I saw another lifer in a tree right opposite our chalet, a purple-crested turaco, unfortunately hiding behind a branch



and another one a bit far away

[Tina]

after breakfast we went to the office, checked officially in and booked another night. Then we went towards the train station as we were looking for the palm-nut vulture. We saw trumpeter hornbills



flowers



and a citrus swallowtail (?)

[Tina]

when we returned to the chalet, the vervets paid another visit.

[Tina]

Among them was THIS (as he was named by Flutterby). He looked weird but seemed to be ok.

[Tina]

As I had a horrible tooth-ache, we went to Mtuzini to buy some medications and while we were there we saw zebras in the street

[Tina]

then we returned to the Raffia trail to do the walk







common leopard (?)



but not long after we had started, we had to return because the car alarm went off again. We still have no idea why.

we then returned to the chalet and had lunch