The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Flutterby]

So many pussy cats!!

[Pumbaa]

wow this Leopard
minus one eye...seems to be well feed

He looked extreme well fed

[Pumbaa]

Brilliant, Pumbaa!

Ja, the lionesses have to work all night, so are tired!

Nice coat on that leopard!

He was a cutie and the ladies obviously had a hard night

[Pumbaa]

Nice road block

The leopard is gorgeous and seems to cope well with one eye only

One of the most powerful looking leopards we ever saw

[Pumbaa]

So many pussy cats!!

and more to come a bit later

[Pumbaa]

We changed our position and now we even could photograph the whole tree in which we found the leopard and on the left hand side of this picture under the bushes the lionesses were hiding – Just to give you an impression of how close they were located to each other.



He had in all no need to leave the tree and I guess a lot more people could have spotted him that day and as already said when you do not know where to look for the lionesses they blended totally with the background and you would have passed them without seeing them.



Although we meanwhile spent in total 1 ½ hours at both sightings not much traffic could be seen so we suppose that somewhere else other special sightings like those held all the cars up.



We were smiling from ear to ear when we finally left this amazing sighting and could already tick of lions and leopard from our list that day which was in fact a more than fantastic farewell gift to us. At least whenever passing from now on that tree I will remember that precious time we could spent there.



We then carried on and found along the N’wanedzi which was still carrying water a couple saddle bill storks and a green backed heron



and also the obligatory woodland kingfisher which occurs normally plentiful in that area came across



as well as a couple of curious zebras



and waterbucks who were about to have breakfast.



Suddenly Timon stopped for another highlight as in a bush extreme close to the road we spotted a pearl-spotted owlet – Obviously it was the day of the spotted ones today on the S100.....

[Pumbaa]

Great for us was that only after a short encounter with that owl very hidden in a bush when we were driving from Biyamiti to Skukuza this owl was sitting very patiently on a thin branch in that nearly bare bush



and looked from right to left and left to right and so allowed Timon to take shot after shot within seconds.



Same was also very sleepy and also here soon a couple of cars piled up who we also realized at the leopard sighting already



and unfortunately one car to much stopped and the little pearlie flew suddenly away. From many drives on the S100 we know that same can be dead tired but today same revealed its potential...and we are never getting tired in driving that road again and again.

We drove again all the many loops along that road to say extensively good bye that day and under a bush we noticed a movement which turned out to be a common duiker which was very shy and only allowed one single shot.



A group of woodhoopoes also came once again across



before we turned into the S41 into the direction of N’wanedzi picnic spot where we spotted more feeding waterbucks on the rare vegetation in that area



and cute impalas in the mud puddle which is normally full of water.



The rest of the drive was then quiet so that we reached the picnic spot relatively soon and that break was more than urgently needed. After we stretched our legs also extensively whilst enjoying the view from high above we also paid Sweni bird hide a short visit but before heading actually into the hide we checked the causeway and as there was neither no water nor any bird or animal to be seen we without further ado interrupted our visit there and turned around and turned back again via the S41.

At one of the causeways along that road we stopped for another cute nicely posing little bee eater whilst suddenly it started to rain heavily



which lasted only approximately 10 minutes and afterwards only the rocks in the dry riverbed of the N’wanedzi where slightly wet. At least there an elephant mom were busy in digging a hole in the sand



to quench her thirst. Her small calf originally could not be seen and only showed up later during that sighting from behind a bush



to be continued.....

[nan]

Leopard + Lioness
Pearl Spotted Owlet
Duiker, Bee Eater and Elephant digging with a little one hidden behind bushes
I'm always admirative to see Ellie searching for water... where it seems there is nothing

superbe episode

[Lisbeth]

Beautiful owlet I have never seen one

I love the waterbucks The poor little impalas look very thin

How I wish to have a leopard sighting like that one

[Flutterby]

Lazy leopard and cute owl.