2020 - Summer At Hazyview

[Lisbeth]

On one Friday afternoon, Elzet came down from Pretoria and she had even shopped on her way, so we had a table full of delicious things to eat along with a long chat about almost everything. It is always great to see Elzet every time I come to SA

The next morning we continued chatting in Kruger driving towards Pretoriuskop where we had brunch. Of course I forgot to take photos of the food Of Elzet, not even to mention, she is more camera shy than RP

We did not have any out of the ordinary sightings, but spent a great time anyway

A juvenile dark chanting goshawk and a lizard buzzard (a first for me)

An elephant airing the normally hidden family jewel

Luckily a nice lady at the camp had told us about a hyena den close to the road and if she had not explained in details how to spot it, we would have gone past it; so close to the road and low down. It was even difficult to get a proper shot. I had not yet seen a hyena this year, so was quite happy about it

At Shitlhave some buffalos enjoying the SPA

A lilac-breasted roller having a bad hair day. It looks as if it is moulting

Another first, a striped kingfisher

A beautiful regal Kudo crossing the road

[Lisbeth]

At Transport Dam I got another first, as far as I remember

A knob-billed duck in good company

The next must be on the S65. A small dam that I had never noticed, but which Elzet knew. Very picturesque with water lilies and weaver nests.

The owner of the rondavels a southern masked weaver I think

The next one was for me the best. I have seen a chameleon before, but only because a guide had found it and put it on his arm, so we could watch it ( ) and it was many, many years ago. This one was moving

On the way back on the S1. Again very close to the road and difficult to get into the frame

Last but not least...a yellow-throated plated lizard (word of Klipspringer )

The day before Elzet and I had decided to go out for dinner, but when dinner time came closer, we decided to finish off what we had had the evening before. We were so comfortable in Elzet's bungalow (she had been updated to a two-bedroom one being a friend of their special guest )
and we could sit outside and watch the sunset, only it was cloudy so rather a dull sunset, but theoretically it would have been lovely and still was even without the sun

The next morning Elzet left as she had a long drive ahead and wanted to be home early and well before dark. It had been a far too short weekend, but a nice one

[Richprins]

Sounds lovely, Lis!

The hyenas look as though they are lying in a garden!

Lots of birds and scenery and close shots!

[Alf]

So great that she came to visit

Lovely places the 2 of you visited

[Flutterby]

Lovely that you got to spend time with Elzet.

The hyenas are still nice and fluffy.

[Pumbaa]

Fantastic bird shots, Lisbeth,

also love the shots of the water lilies and must have been at the hyena den as well - Looks familiar to me and even the chameleon Maybe we were there at the same time

[Lisbeth]

This was on the 8th, Pumbaa

[Lisbeth]

On the way the Pretoriuskop on the occasion of the meet of the year with RP and leachy there was absolutely nothing interesting to watch and the weather was grey and wetish, to say the least.

I remember that I was slightly late and that I got a message from RP saying that they had arrived, but I could not answer as there was no signal. At the gate there had been a queue because at reception someone had got the bright idea that today everybody should do the check-in directly at the gate. Ahead of me, there were two delivery vans and one had a load of “I don’t know what” and the staff seemed to need a lot of papers and a lot of controls and also telephone calls. Behind me, the queue got longer and longer. This is the kind of thing that I hate and cannot understand. It would be normal to start checking in again at reception and leave the delivery vans to do the queue, but no, why do it the easy way, when there is a difficult one

I had already seen RP at the airport, but it had been a very quick thing as I had had to quarrel with the car rental company and was very tired after a loooong day/night/day again and I still had to drive for an hour to Hazyview. I wonder what RP and Dwarf thought about me after that. Anyway, let’s return to the Kruger and the meet with RP and leachy.

It was after ten o’clock, so we cannot really call it breakfast but essentially that was what we had.....OK, RP had tea with his breakfast instead of coffee like leachy and I and he had even remembered the Marmite, which I, of course, shared with gusto.....not!

RP and I left to enjoy all the wonders of the sand roads around Pretoriuskop. The impalas were gorgeous, and the beer can was not one that we had picked up from the road I was holding RP’s tea while he changed gear

The gigantic scary buffalos were even better

and they were mountain climbers, not the usual annoying ones living on the plains

[Lisbeth]

Not to talk about the Elephant. WOW!! Without warning, a big boy appeared in the road doing some very strange exercises with his trunk

At this point RP got a bit upset and departed in reverse in a rather brusque way, you can see the signs of the tyres in the sand. he did not seem that scary to me

When we finally managed to squeeze past while he was not looking, you will not believe this, he turned up again right in front of us. RP was trying to convince me that it was another elephant because we had passed him so he could not be in front of us, but I stood my ground and explained to the dear boy that the ellie had made a shortcut through the bush. This time the bull was not at all joking.

RP was paralyzed and the elephant came gloser and gloser ...............................................................................................

https://youtu.be/enyPdouCIU4

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[Richprins]

Lis!

Yes, you have it about right!

Nice mountain buffalo pics indeed!