Enjoying The Kruger Without Staying In The Park

[Alf]

Those clouds looks promising

Reception bad service is unacceptable

[Pumbaa]

Thank you, Lisbeth,

love all the birdies you got to see which were quite a variety especially the causeway at Shingwedzi was very rewarding When we were there the water was still flowing strongly over same and some cars turned around

The scenery around Shingwedzi is always very special and your shots just brought me back also with all the buffaloes and elephants you saw

[Flutterby]

Definitely lots of ellies up north!

You sure managed to find some very interesting trees!

[Lisbeth]

Alf, Klipspringer, Pumbaa, Richprins and Flutterby thank you for the loyalty

When I arrived at my room in the Shingwedzi camp it took me 10 minutes to get the lights on. The switches were hidden behind the fridge, which was next to the bed and obviously I had to move it (the fridge ) and if there had been another person the choice would have been to get out of the bed or make the passage to the bathroom half covered by the fridge . Of the 6 lamps/wall lights only three worked + the ones in the WC and over the wash basin. Moreover they were all very weak, which made the room look even more squalid. As usual nowhere to hang the towel. I still have to stay at an accommodation in Kruger, where everything is in order, but it will most likely never happen

When I woke up the next morning, the rain was pouring down, so no good going out. At about 10:30 it started to calm down. It was still raining, but better sitting in the car and driving about than staying in the room, so off I went.

I turned onto the H1-7 heading north in order to do the S56 (Mphongolo loop) from north to south, as I wanted the river on my right hand side

Wildebeests in the rain

Nkulumbeni Waterhole, I think

Another couple of grazers, striped this time

The bush-chickens were out en masse. They obviously like the rain

Natal Francolin

Ngala Palms

Swainson’s Guinea Fowl ....running (sorry for the quality, but I was afraid of getting the camera wet and did not pay enough attention to the subject )

Water everywhere

More chicks

When it rains, you cannot count on great sightings so I had to find something to fill in together with bush-chicks and water

It seems to me that the wahlberg’s eagles always look even more wet than the rest

[Lisbeth]

A kudo bull hiding, but curious

You can always count on the impalas, rain or sun

And of course the scenery

Where there is water.........

And of course

Are those marulas? I mean the fruit... (Jackalberry tree fruits)

What a long tail you have

What big horns you have

Don’t miss the monkeys

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They are such beautiful antelopes

Red-billed

and Yellow-billed hornbills are among my favourite birds

[Lisbeth]

0n the S56 there are an unusual amount of wonderful trees

Other water “thingies” turned up

Loads of them

Other water animals but at least it had stopped raining for now

Nice braai wood behind the flowers - Heliotropium nelsonii, Common String-of-star

Crowned lapwing

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Finally, I found out where the elephants had been hiding today! With a bit of imagination it looks like a vineyard, which is much nicer than Mopane

Nice flowers - Hibiscus calyphyllus, Lemon-yellow rosemallow

And bad pics of a Goliath Heron, taken from too far away

Like this one

The last piece of the road was closed due to....have a guess

[Lisbeth]

I went down the S50 towards Kanniedood and arrived at the hide, where a gang of baboons had lots of fun on the roof; only the bravest stayed on and I just managed to take a photo before they disappeared too

The perfect branch for going to and from the roof

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View from the hide

In this kind of weather one does not expect to see animals at the water, but Oops! surprisingly enough there was a small group of elephants.

A nice pair of female tusks

Just before the camp a “tiny” road block

And another Wahlberg’s eagle

[Lisbeth]

Back in camp, I went to look if there was something interesting to see from the deck of the restaurant and what I think is the day-visitors’ area

A Crested Barbet

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A squirrel also wanted to play

The barbet wanted to be the prima donna though

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A female violet-backed starling joined the party for a moment and so did a woodie

On the river side a mixed party was ongoing

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A car was considering whether to pass or not, at the end it did

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A UFO passed

A car stopped halfway across the river and stayed there for quite a while. “Backing back is not a good idea” . He took a deep breath and did the last peace at turtle speed

I was happy to have passed the day before. My little Golf would most likely not have made it

Rain, lots of water, no great sightings, closed roads but I had spent a nice day nonetheless

[Alf]

Wonderful roads you have driven and nice sightings too

[Richprins]

A very effective windmill!

Ja, Lis, difficult in the rain, but some unique pics!

That is a big waterbuck, and I like the UFO!

Lots of alien vegetation in the river...

Shingwedzi has gone down a bit after Christa left...