The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Lisbeth]

Lately there seem to be a lot of open-billed storks around Great pic

You were also very lucky with the squacco herons

[Flutterby]

Lovely pics of the Openbill and the Kingfisher. I saw my first Squacco in the same place as yours.

[Richprins]

Wonder why there are so many openbills...must be the drought? They specialise in freshwater mussels, so more available?

IMPOSSIBLE kingfisher shots from timon!

[Lisbeth]

In case, "shot BY Timon"

[nan]

maybe much easier to delivery.... babies

[Pumbaa]

it's so dry
love the Open-billed Stork
again a Squacco
Spoonbill play with fire

nice episode

I was shockingly dry, nan - In fact not nice

There's usually so many animals at sunset dam it can keep you busy for a while

I always can spend hours there - Maybe one day I will stay there for one whole day

Lately there seem to be a lot of open-billed storks around Great pic

You were also very lucky with the squacco herons

In fact I was so surprised to see again a squacco

Lovely pics of the Openbill and the Kingfisher. I saw my first Squacco in the same place as yours.

I was over the moon and Lake Panic is still to come

[Pumbaa]

Wonder why there are so many openbills...must be the drought? They specialise in freshwater mussels, so more available?

IMPOSSIBLE kingfisher shots from timon!

You must be right in the first years when we visited Kruger it was also hot and more dryer than those last wet summers and we then saw also many open billed Storks but in the last years none

In case, "shot BY Timon"

In fact Lisbeth - Timon is pressing the button permanently

maybe much easier to delivery.... babies

[Pumbaa]

Also the birding got a bit more successful and lots of mackpies came across – Love that shot with the butterfly in the foreground



and Timon heard the unmistakably noise of the brown headed parrots and after following their noise we found them in the shade in a treetop.



It was very windy that day so I was not astonished when I heard some strange whistling which I supposed was coming from the open windows but when I noticed that same was coming from a kori bustard I was in fact even more astonished as I never heard that sound ever before



but then I notice it was two of them and the male simply wanted to know where his wife was as she was searching for something to eat in the dry sand on the other side of the road. When he noticed her on the other side of the road he stopped that whistling and also carried on in foraging but the ground was so dry so it was in fact a hard job. It was another hot day but the strong wind was comfortable and from time to time even clouds cooled a bit down but I simply love that blown into the wind shot.



As it was still early and we did not drive the S30 for ages due to either road closures or because we had chosen other roads to drive we decided to give that road another try as on top I had read about some sable sightings on that road prior to our departure so when that close already, why not give it a try? The closer we then came to the Sabie the more animals appeared. We noticed a giraffe



and a smaller herd of buffaloes sharing already a tree with only sporadic foliage.



A waterbuck lady was about to cross the road to quench his thirst in the river



and also elephants could be seen in one of the many loops which could be driven. We also stopped under the large shady trees with an amazing view into the river and took a longer break from driving and after we already enjoyed the peacefulness we were visited by uncountable birds and soon Timon again armed his camera and fired away. He captured a southern black tit,



the chinspot batis were not that far as well and first she could be seen,



the noisy arrow-marked babblers were around as well as a crested barbet



and finally also the male of the just seen female chinspot batis came around but could not be captured so we got only shots from her.

[Pumbaa]

That lovely shady spot and the close-by Sabie attracted even more birds that Timon got difficulties in capturing them – A beautiful woodpecker allowed some closer shots





and after a couple of useless attempts he also could photograph a paradise flycatcher female, he kept unfortunately invisible.



Bird after bird appeared



and we were in birder’s paradise, as we originally thought that due to the drought the variety will be limited but when finding the right spot, they in fact were there as well.





Even the tawny-flanked prinia and another long-billed crombec were hanging around





and a bit in the distance a Wahlberg eagle was taking a bath. I guess we stayed there for nearly one hour and we were extreme happy with all the birds we saw and so we continued our drive but it took only a couple of minutes until I yield: “Sable!” Timon thought I was joking and only breaked after a time delay and I meanwhile already thought I was on the blink but when he drove backwards it was not a hallucination or wishful thinking – an impressive and beautiful black sable male was observing us from between a couple of nearly bare bushes.



He simply stood there and looked at us motionless and we did the same and gladly after Timon dared to drive a bit closer we were allowed to shoot more picture.



This was only our third sable sighting so far and the one which lasted the longest and so we could admire and observe that stunning antelope a bit more in detail especially those impressive and perfectly formed set of horns.



to be continued....

[nan]

what a serie of birds
love the Kori a bit "in the wind"

then Sable