A Short, unexpected KNP visit

[BluTuna]

Sunday March 3rd. Morning drive.

This morning we decided to go to Nkuhlu for breakfast - more about that later.

We entered the park at Kruger Gate as we had seen very little on the S1/S3 on our previous drives.

After a beautiful sunrise
1/800 @ f/5, ISO 1000
1/1250 @ f/8, ISO 200

the first thing we stumbled across was Hyaena Mom with two cubs, both of whom were enjoying a hearty breakfast.
1/200 @ f/6.3, ISO 800
1/160 @ f/8, ISO 1200
1/160 @ f/8, ISO 1200

Then I managed another first, pictures of a Common Duiker.
1/100 @ f/8, ISO 400
1/100 @ f/8, ISO 400

An unusual sight, the Sand River in flood.
1/1000 @ f/8, ISO 1600

Further along were some Impies who didn't run away when we stopped although they did look a bit nervous. Time for some portraits in nice light.
1/1000 @f/8, ISO 400
1/1000 @f/8, ISO 400
1/1000 @f/8, ISO 400

Along some parts of the road there were many Golden Orb-Web Spider webs, all of them with resident female and their tiny consorts.
1/250 @ f/8, ISO 400
1/400 @ f/8, ISO 400

This was one of the biggest I saw, I would estimate her abdomen to be 3-4 cms long.
1/400 @ f/8, ISO 400

We finally got to NKuhlu only to find out that the kitchen has been closed for renovations. Pity, I was looking forward to eating some bacon & eggs about then. We turned around and headed for the Wimpy at Hazyview.

[Flutterby]

Nice hyena sighting and the duiker pics are great...not easy to photograph them!

Those spiders give me the creeps!!

Thanks for giving us your camera settings!

[Richprins]

Fascinating!

Your surname isn't Crawley, is it...

(Long way back to Hazyview with a rumbling tummy! )

[Flutterby]

Is there a resemblance RP?

[BluTuna]

Fascinating!

Yes Mr. Spock, or is it Sheldon Cooper?

Your surname isn't Crawley, is it...

Nah, you got the wrong bloke, mate!

(Long way back to Hazyview with a rumbling tummy! )

It was and the breakfast there wasn't quite up to scratch - Still better than an overpriced Skukuza breakfast!

[BluTuna]

Nice hyena sighting and the duiker pics are great...not easy to photograph them!

Those spiders give me the creeps!!

Thanks for giving us your camera settings!

Nooooo, spiders are interesting. We'd be up to our butts in insects if it weren't for them & bats.

[Flutterby]

True, but I'm quite happy for them to do their insect control out of sight! -O

[Hawkeyes]

Hello BluTuna

I love your Hyena pics

The sunrise is beautiful

The spiders don't look very friendly

[BluTuna]

Thanks Hawkeyes, welcome to the Green Side!

[BluTuna]

Sunday March 3rd. Afternoon Drive.

In at Phabeni Gate (the 50km drive to Kruger Gate was getting a bit tiresome) and then turn right at the crossroads onto the S3 south towards Pretoriuskop.

A juvenile raptor of some sort had us reaching for the bird books but we were unable to identify it.
1/100 @ f/8, ISO 400
1/400 @ f/8, ISO 1600

Kudus on the loops around Pretoruiskop camp.
1/500 @ f/8, ISO 400
1/500 @ f/8, ISO 400
1/500 @ f/8, ISO 400

And some spectacular views.
1/4000 @ f/8, ISO 1600
1/4000 @ f/8, ISO 1600
1/800 @ f/8, ISO 400

A groundscraper Thrush.
1/200 @ f/8, ISO 400

And I almost ran over these peculiar insects which turned out to be Gregarious Spotted Cockroaches (another name for Victor to moan about).
1/500 @ f/8, ISO 1600
1/320 @ f/8, ISO 1600