Sixty, and stuck in the sand. KTP summer 2018

[Lisbeth]

Two brownies, one after the other

Poor old lady

[GavinW]

Showers and sunsets

We spent a little time in Nossob, buying ice and wood and filling up with petrol.

A big notice at the new ablution blocks staying that they were for the use of Nossob residents only meant that our planned showers did not happen.
I asked at reception if we could pay for a shower, (which I had heard that you could), but the answer was NO

Not being quite ready to get back into the car yet, we decided to spend a bit of time at the hide

These wildebeest were the only visitors to the waterhole while we were there.



After a while, and having really nothing further to do in Nossob, we decided to return home to Polentswa.
The trip back was quite. The lioness had moved off and before we knew it we were back at our home base.

Polentswa waterhole

We find that this waterhole always produces sightings. Apparently the water at the waterhole is sweet as opposed to the brackish water at most other spots in the Kgalagadi

As a result it is a favourite for many raptors
This secretary bird being a perfect example





Bateleur’s are my favourite raptor, and they too enjoy Polentswa





Returning to camp,after having had our bush showers, I spotted a bird that I hadn't I didn’t shown in the last post

A Scaly Headed Finch
It too was seeking shelter in our campsite



After a quite chill at camp in the afternoon we wandered down to the waterhole for our evening drive
These wildies were having afternoon sundowners





Being watched by this springbok with threatening skies in the background



A Lanner came down to drink before we had to head off back to camp





The scenery on the road home was awesome. I apologise upfront for the overload of pictures, but I just love the light.

Sorry









Our neighbours in campsite no 1



And our home from home



And the obligatory sunset shot

[Alf]

Love the bateleur pictures

[Lisbeth]

Secretary birds are very photogenic

It's a lovely tree that you have singled out

[Mel]

I do adhere to the rules most of the times, but I would not ask if I could take a shower (or if I'm allowed to take one if I paid for it) -
I'd just do it. There are so many more much worse offences that have a much greater impact on the environment and they are done
anyway - even by park staff

The colours and the scenery ARE amazing

[GavinW]

Kousant continues to deliver

The next morning, we decided to avoid the badly corrugated road to the north and to go south once again.
The decision paid off.


It’s about 8 kilometres from Polentswa to Kousant, and we were about half way there when Debbie spotted a couple of heads peeping over the horizon on the left hand side

A cheetah mother with two sub adult cubs were walking parallel to the road heading south







It wasn’t too long before to our delight, they came closer to the road, and then crossed over to the right



They paused briefly before carrying on, out of view





The sighting in total lasted only a few minutes and we watched helplessly as the moved off in the direction of Kousant
Maybe we would pick them up again at the waterhole.
We hoped so

So we carried on to Kousant
We arrived at a quiet waterhole
The area in which we had seen the cheetah was quite a bit further north, but knowing how quickly cats can cover distance, we decided to be patient and wait a while.

It wasn’t too long before we spotted some movement to the north
Not the cheetah, but another brown hyena.






It came down to drink at the waterhole.







It soon moved off



Pasting as it went



We decided to take a short dive north to see if we could spot the cheetahs.
No luck

Returning to Kousant we suddenly spotted more movement to the north.

And another Brown hyena came into view

A bit more skittish than the previous whichthat had just left, this hyena kept to the edges of the waterhole area







It too eventually moved off

We decided to return to Polentswa to see if we had missed anything there
What we found were three spotted hyenas at, or rather in the waterhole.





Remind me never to think that water in the waterholes in the Kgalagadi is pristinely fresh
Not when you have these guys around

Unbeknown to us, the hyenas had killed a wildebeest on the pan during the night and one had brought a trophy along, and was storing it in the waterhole
We only realised this when it was time to show off the spoils



The head of the unfortunate gnu





Another vehicle had joined us from the north and enjoyed the sighting with us. After chatting to them for a bit, they told us about a lion kill at Kannegaus.
With the whole day still ahead of us, it was only 8 30 in the morning, we decided to brave the bad road and head up north for a look see.

[Lisbeth]

The spotted cubs are almost adult and very pretty

A hyena morning Using the waterholes the way they do, the water must be stinking

[Alf]

Lots of waterhole action

[Dindingwe]

Beautiful light indeed before the sunset And the Lanner Falcon, nice picture.
So many Hyenas, brownies or spotted !

[GavinW]

A worthwhile trip up north

It took us just over an hour to drive the 40 kilometres up to Kannagaus.
The trip up there was pretty uneventful besides us having to navigate around the corrugations as best we could

We arrived at the waterhole to find the eland carcass under the tree in the parking area at the waterhole, and three very flat cats sleeping off a good meal.

Two of them, a male and a female were lying just on the perimeter of the parking area, whilst the third was under a bush some 70 metres away





We decided to join in on the dozing

It wasn’t too long when the one lioness decided that a snack was the order of the day





We watched her at close quarters as she sheared the meat off the carcass. Lions have really sharp teeth on the side of their mouths for just that. They are like mega shearing tools.





She moved around to get to the best bits, and dragged the carcass closer to the tree



Eventually she decided that the spot right next to our car was the coolest place around and proceeded to park off right next to our fender.



I couldn’t see her, but we were sent this photo after the holiday.
After a while, with the trio truly passed out, we decided to head back to camp.


Back at Polentswa, nothing much had changed





Except that the road had been “sleeped” whilst we were up north

We returned to camp for afternoon and spotted this agama on the A Frame



And this striped mouse



Our evening sojourn to the waterhole produced a tawny eagle and some white backed vultures



That evening back at camp, I enjoyed my last sunset as a non pensioner