the solifugid, the snails and the storm clouds *

[leachy]

so.......................

i needed to get to komatipoort for supplies so left the two fundraisers on the s28 and moved on.

on my return to croc bridge

i was pleasantly surprised to see that wendy and heksie had met up with aat and ellie.........

this was remarkable 'cause the last time i saw aat and ellie was almost a year ago in the same camp......
.
.
.


having posed for a group photo and exchanged pleasantries it was back to lower sabie.

this striped cuckoo
.
.


.
.


and these two leopards
.
.

.


and these mud wrestlers at the place where the young women bathe
.
.


.
.

i popped around to sunset before camp and found this crocodile with his prize catch
.


he had caught it right next to where i was parked

but then decided to swim all the way across to the other side

where he proceeded to try and beat it into submission......
.
.

.

.
.


quite a large fish indeed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and what impressed me was how high the croc lifted himself out of the water in his efforts to stun his prey..
.
.

[leachy]

so................................................

while cruising around the mlondozi region

playing "hide and go seek" with the sun

i heard the unusual

ak-er-ak........

rak-kak........ (not to use an afrikaans accent here)

kacker

call of the european roller up above and there were a number of them flitting about ...
.
.

.

.
i enjoy the way they split their tail feathers when slowing down.....
.
.

.

.



they were high and low.
.

.

.


and these two magpie shrikes

having a nervous chatter in the gusting wind before flapping away
.
.






a while later .......................

a headless big bird..........


.



.
.


this little steenbokkie caught my attention as it was fairly close to the road..
.
.

.


only then did i see the kori bustard
.

.


and then for the first time ever in kruger

i witnessed this magnificent bird actually flying



after visiting the kalahari and seeing an abundance of flying bustards i was convinced that the kruger bustards were a walk only variety
.
.

.

.


just before the sabie river weir

this amazing python was demonstrating the art of rectilinear progression
.
.


i would imagine that there are a lot of unpleasant "smells" along this busy stretch of tar road
.
.




it was my friends.. the fund raisers.... last night in lower sabie

so i popped around to have some "ox blood" with them....

.
.



was fun.........



got quite legless .....

[leachy]

so......................................

i was up and about nice and early

and caught this sunrise shot of the resident fish eagle

at the bend in sabie river as it heads east from the h4-2
.
.

.
.


and i took a left turn on the s130 to the random pool on the right

where i was amazed by this family of gyppos

with their brood of fifteen fluffy chicks....
.
.


.
.


and.......... at first glance..............



what looked like an mfezi..... foaming at the mouth.....
.
.

.
.



more evidence of the sun struggling to make it's way through the clouds
.
.

.
.



nothing much else of any consequence.....



until the wetlands adjacent to the ntandanyathi hide junction...
.
.


in the far off distance i focussed on this fine looking feathered fellow foraging about on the floor of the dambo



at first i thought it to be a vulture... as it clumsily waddled about in the long grass,

but on closer inspection via swarovski i saw it not to be so
.
.




then after a long while it relocated onto the branch of a tree

after much deliberation and investigation i concluded that it should be a juvenile fish eagle
.
.


.
.


the excitement of this spectacle had me plumb tuckered out

so i headed back on the s28 towards home........

a short distance down the road this group of zebra
.
.

,
,

and this little chap with an awful amount of scars for a lad of this stature

i guess it is indicative of life in the south.......
.
.



two members of the group were cavorting about trying to bite each other on the fetlocks
.
.


.
.



and kicking
.

.
.


and rearing
.

.


and laughing
.
.

.
.


and necking.......
.
.

.

.
.


looked more playful than forceful .....................

[leachy]

so.....................................................................

just down the road from sunset dam a traffic jam.................

boring.........
.

.


so i turned around and headed for the weir and the h10

at the "waterfall" this green-backed heron....

posing
.
.



.
.


fishing
.
.



.
.


grooming
.
.

.
.


then moving off.....
.
.


.
.


this sneaky fellow

trying to lure the vultures down from the sky......
.
.

.
.


a lip smacking meal for this kudu bull
.
.


.
.


and then

................................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

................................................................

................................................................


.
.



the hairy nocturnal nuisances

that love to run over the toes of unsuspecting campers

seated around their campfires at night

the solifugid ..............aka........ the roman spider
.
.

.

[leachy]

so.......................................................

the dung ball with the single mushroom from pg 12 of this tt had

had sprung forth another 3 ...
.
.

.
.


soon there would be a forest.....

...........
?????????????????????

with all the available ambient light heading towards me

this brown snake eagle made for a fascinating silhouette sequence
.
.








on the way back home i stopped on the weir

there was this elephant crossing the sabie river in the vicinity of a resident pod of hippo..

did you ever, as a child have to walk somewhere when you were feeling quite scared ?

i have..... and i remember that...

to make it easier i would make a noise or sing out loud

this guy was doing the same..

while entering the flight or fight zone of the hippo

he splashed and trumpeted away as if to increase his confidence while near them...
.
.



.
.


back at sunset dam the "sunset tree" was a hive of activity.....
.
.

[leachy]

so.............................................

i popped around to the random water hole for the last time

as time was few !!!!!!!!!!

a drongo busy drinking on the wing
.
.







.
.

a quick splash and dash for old time's sake
.
.
.

.
.


and then a plover doing some hi speed jinks to impress the geese
.
.







.
.
.


who gave him a round of applause for his performance
.
.

.
.

.

[leachy]

there were some bee-eaters flying about above
.
.



.
.
.
and one or two decided to cool down a bit.
.
.



.
.
having taken an afternoon drive to mlondozi

with very little notable activity

besides this good looking chap
.
.

.
.
i was heading for home when i met this

family messing about in the road.
.
.


.
.
this youngster pushing his brother over.....
.
.




.
.
.
much to the amusement of his sibling.........
.
.
.

[leachy]

so.............................

it would be my last full day in the park before heading back to the spruit on the morrow.

on the h4-1a pair of nkuhlu marauders soaking up the morning sun
.
.



.
.



while a group of their cousins

en route from roost to work
.
.



.
.


this lady passed out on the side of the road..........

me thinks she is a consort who worked late the previous night.
.
.

.
.



while this chap tries to get the last drop...
.
.





.
.
and this fellow assumes the position
.
.

.
.


a short way down the s21

i witnessed a bit of ground hornbill interaction.....
.
.

[leachy]

so.........................

on an early morning outing along the s21

i assumed the role of "specialist" tracker....

the spoor of equidae .....

moving slowly in an easterly direction

weighing in at approximately 250 kg (probably a mare)

and wearing black stripes
.
.

.
.


a felidae spoor -

probably that of panthera leo -

moving in a westerly direction -

weighing in at approximately 180 kg

(probably a hungry female as a result of differing direction of equus quagga)

the broad front paw
.
.

.
.


and the narrow rear paw..
.
.

.
.


the spoor of a rhino with a severe case of worms...........

or perhaps a severe case of "crabs"......
.
.

.
.


a crab.....
.
.

.
.


continuing on the s21

resulted in an excursion to the picturesque destination of mpondo dam

where the only activity were these lepidopterae

flitting about on the cornflower vernonia
.
.

.
.


the african monarch (not the one from lobamba)
.
.


.
.



what could be

a white-cloaked skipper..
.
.

.
.

a brown-veined white
.
.

.
.

and....

what could be smoky orange tip
.
.

.
.
home for lunch....
.
.

.
.

last stop at the weir

to watch this little egret.....
.
.





.
.


my last outing along the h10

under the watchful eyes of this "mountain rooster" -

a name used by the "lower socio-economic bracket of the population"
.
.


.
.

then..

a lifer for me....

a small flock of amur falcons.......
.
.

[leachy]

so.........................

time to head back to the spruit

to change wardrobes for my road trip to the cape

i aimed the car towards croc bridge and proceeded

the ever present watchful gaze of a tawny eagle
.
.


.
.


this tusker seemed a bit skittish....
.
.


.
.

just around the corner

two chaps recovering from a bachelor party
.
.

.
.



and just after s25 intersection

a well fed brute with hairy elbows.....
.
.



.
.
.
.
.


then........................

i left from the same place that i had entered 9 days earlier......