Paradise under stress: KTP October 2019

[Klipspringer]

Ai, a crowded hide.

Good to see a Lappet-faced vulture!

[Lisbeth]

A good enough excuse for not coming back to sleep

[GavinW]

Tuesday 8 October 2019

Lions were roaring to the south of Nossob as we woke in campsite no 5
Waiting for the gates to open, we took some photos of the sunrise and the campsite in the early morning light

We got our permit and were one of the first cars out of the gate, heading south.
We drove around Maries se Draai, and besides some general game, we saw a very far away lioness on the other side of the riverbed just after the waterhole.
We decided that rather than going down to Kaspers , which we find generally pretty unproductive, to go back to Nossob and then continue to Cubitjie Quap
As we were approaching Nossob we spotted this chap in the riverbed heading towards the waterhole at Nossob.

We rushed back to camp and made for the bird hide.
We were not disappointed.

[GavinW]

His Majesty and his queen blessed us with their presence

They spent a while at the waterhole before heading off east into Botswana

[GavinW]

We sat in the hide a while longer and watched this yellow mongoose go about it’s morning routine

We carried on north and just as we got to Cubitjie Quap, these kudu were strutting their stuff.

I especially love the sand grouses in this photo.

[GavinW]

A jackal was in attendance at the waterhole, and we, as well as a fair crowd of other photographers were out to watch the jackal attempt to catch the sand grouses as they came to the waterhole to drink.
He would hide in the shade of one of the vehicles at the waterhole, and when the birds settled to drink, he would charge in and try his luck.

While we were there he made three kills, but we only managed to get a few decent pictures.
(Luck of the draw I suppose.)

After a while we carried on as far as Kwang, where we saw this herd of wildebeest

We returned to camp, where we did some housekeeping (doing delightful jobs like washing clothes and dishes)and a fry up of eggs and bacon with Chris and Jono

An evening drive around Maries produced a far away brown hyena.
The hide that evening was quiet.

[Mel]

Were you the only people in the hide?

And do you produce enough energy with your solar panel that you don't need an electrified camp-site when staying at any of the camps?
Also, what makes campsite no. 5 in Nossob so special?

Nossob is a lion stronghold

[Lisbeth]

Obviously the jackal had at least one dip in the waterhole trying to catch a sand grouse It is always a great show watching jackals and birds at Cubitjie Quap

[Alf]

You mentioned getting a permit.... for doing what?

[Lisbeth]

They are keeping track of people in the KTP