Escape from the Rat Race. Another live TT from BT.

[BluTuna]

Love the impie reflection. Those weavers are true master builders! -O That breakfast looks yum!!

Only the male Weavers are master builders, the females are master destroyers. The breakfast was yum!

Fantastic installments BT, love the photos of the residents around sunset dam
the lions inn the previous installment were also awesome as well as the tall horses

Thanks JN, aren't they Camel Horses?

Great pics of the weavers very clever builders

Not so clever sometimes. I once watched a Weaver trying to start a nest and it succeeded in tying its leg to the branch several times

Sunset dam
and the Hairy... could do envy... for some

Sunset Dam, one of my (many) favourite spots It was a Steve martin moth

Imagine the extra time should one not have to pack up the tent! But I'll stop with that now! -O

Highly intrigueing stuff, BT!

Check the number of people crawling around camps on hands and knees after this!

Oh dear, back on the camper-bashing again

Maybe I should invest in a knee-pad company

Great stuff once again! I'm not particularly fond of hairy stuff,
but your unusual moth looks quite interesting.

Beautiful shot of the kingfisher.

Thanks Mel.

[BluTuna]

Day 13. Lower Sabie -> Skukuza. Continued......

Lake Panic, one of the most beautiful places in the park.

I got there early in order to get the best seat in the hide before the bazooka-boys arrived. I needent have worried as it clouded over and none of them bothered.

First up was a crimson Dragonfly



and plenty of noise from one of the Grey Heron chicks



A pied Kingfisher decided to have a bath and of course I didn't have the camera on quite the right settings so the pics are a bit blurred. I still like them though.




People were coming and going and after a short period of solitude I was joined by two ladies. I almost choked when one said "That bird's got webbed feet. I wonder what kind of duck that is".



A gyppo flyby - these are great, you can hear them coming long before you see them



The jewel of LP stopped by for a few seconds



and by sheer luck (it's impossible to anticipate when these are going to fly) I managed this shot. A bit blurred but I don't care



Then I spotted a Golly on approach......



landing gear coming down......



flaps and slats deployed.....



prepare for touch down......



reverse thrust and Brrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaakes. Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.



A Grey Heron flypast showing the top of its wings



and a Greenbacked Heron



a female Thickbilled Weaver



and a Grey Heron launch.



These two Goliath Herons were on their way to a punk-music revival



By 16:00 the light was fading fast and I decided to head back to camp, pick up the SO and go for a drive.

This beetle was on the wall of the hut




and a Flapnecked Chameleon was crossing the road near the busy crossroads.


We stopped at the day visitor's centre to take a look around and found it was very nicely done. As we left I spotted this Greenbacked Pytilia - but I still call it a Melba Finch.



We also saw our first Impala Lambs but they were too deep in thick bush to get any pictures.

[Richprins]

Beautiful, BT!!

I love the golly sequence!

Are you a flying buff, judging from your register?

[BluTuna]

Beautiful, BT!!

I love the golly sequence!

Are you a flying buff, judging from your register?

I used to be an aircraft spotter when I was kid but I became an aviation photographer as soon as I could afford a camera.

[Lisbeth]

Your bird collection from Lake Panic is absolutely gorgeous

[Flutterby]

Beautiful pics BT!!! Love the punk hairstyles!! -O

[nan]

Yes ! nice serie of birds, specialy Goliath argument, Thick-billed Weaver
and the "duck" Cormorant -O

[harrys]

I really love your photos of all the birds

[Dewi]

Just catching up again BT.

Great photos, all of them.

Love the Fig Tree Moth - reminds me of the Polar Bears I saw recently. And the Wavy Owl Moth is a belter.

[Mel]

The goliath sequence is superb... and gave me some giggles on top of it.