Flutts, the Brat and Mommo in Natal (Part Two: iMfolozi) *

[Dewi]

Great bird sightings and photos yet again Flutt's.

I like the Kite's bandit mask.

I would have gone for Rufous-naped as well Flutt's.

According to SABAP2 and the Birds in Reserves projects, there are no records of Eastern Long-billed Larks in iMfolozi?

Do you have a checklist of birds recorded in the reserve - might be worth looking at and if it is an Eastern Long-billed Lark as the Birdlife SA peeps say, then send it in as a record.

(So far I have only found Sabota, Flappet & Rufous-naped as being present in the reserve, but have not found a definitive checklist yet).

[Spotted Cat]

I wanna go too!! We live about an hour's drive from the Park but haven't been there for quite some time.

Once found a rhino on the Sontuli loop with a snare around it's neck and immideately reported it at Mpila camp.

A few years ago a man was attacked by a leopard while sitting at the braai in Mpila camp... he was severly injured, but survived after spending some time in hospital. It was a nightmare drive to Richards Bay.

I'm living in Richards Bay, so I'll say "hi" if I see your tern

Thanks for sharing your trip with us

[Flutterby]

Better get this TT done as we off to Kruger next week!

2nd September

This morning we decided to try the Sontuli loop again. Someone had told us there were skottels available for hire at the picnic spot, so we packed all our breakfast goodies, only to find there was nothing for hire!!

Southern Boubou



We stopped at the lookout point just past point 17 and found some kingfishers - not sure if they are Brown-hooded or Striped.





Crested Francolin - our one and only francolin/spurfowl sighting in the park!



This Crested Barbet was trilling away.



We headed to Bhejane Hide where a few Nyala were having a drink.



A Purple-crested Turaco also graced us with its presence, but it was too far for a decent pic.



Dark-capped Bulbul



As we had been unable to cook our breakfast, by now we were all starving so we decided to head back to camp and cook it there. At Point 17, we found a herd of buffs...our first close-up ones.







We didn't see too much else on the way back, but we had seen quite a few rhino again on our drive.

[Flutterby]

2nd September & 3rd September

We got back to camp at about 10am and I started on breakfast to calm the starving "masses"! While I was cooking, the Brat and Mommo had a game of Battleships which kept them from nagging about the food! Vervets were running around the camp and a couple came into the lounge, lured by the smell of eggs and bacon, but the Brat shooed them out. After breakfast we decided to settle on the verandah to enjoy some birds. As I walked outside I spotted two Crowned Hornbills (another lifer) sitting in the tree in front of me, but they flew off as soon as I turned to get my camera, never to be seen again! There were, however, plenty more birds to entertain us.

White-browed Scrub-robin



White-throated Robin-chat



House Sparrow (male)



House Sparrow (female)



Black-capped Bulbul



Fiscal Flycatcher



Plenty of Yellow-billed Kites were circling above us.





We eventually moved off the verandah and headed out for our afternoon drive, and we decided on the Sontuli Loop again. It was a very quiet drive with nothing much to get excited about.



We got back to camp just before 6 only to find that monkeys had got into our chalet!! We couldn't understand how they got in and then saw an open window onto the verandah and remembered we had opened it the night before, closed it but not latched it!!





They opened and ate everything that wasn't in the fridge - potatoes, onions, avocados, sweets, chips, biscuits - and they had opened the sugar container on one of the couches and there was sugar everywhere!! They also wee'd and defecated everywhere, their footprints were even on the toilet!!

After cleaning up, we looked at what we had left for dinner...just some meat and a couple of tomatoes! The Brat and I decided to go to the shop to see if we could get something to add to our meagre fare, but it was already closed!! And it's small things like this that irritated me!! The shop had had no wood the whole time we were there, and then they close when most people are just getting back from their afternoon drives!!

Anyway, we made do with what we had and then enjoyed the hyenas for the last time. Sadly, the bushpigs never appeared!



The next morning we spotted another far-off Blackie on the way out and this bird - any ideas? Maybe an African Goshawk?



At Nyalazi Gate, the receptionist came to show us this Oriole which she'd found in her office.

.

So, the end of our KZN adventure!! We'd had some great sightings and some very quiet drives. I know you can't compare iMfolozi to Kruger, but I would compare it to Pilanesburg. There was very little general game around compared to Pilanesberg and disappointingly few ellies. The camps are much nicer than those at Pilanesberg, but then there is a very limited number of roads to choose from when trying to plan a route. I also missed having waterholes where you can just park and relax, and there are very few roads which are close to water - apart from the Wooly-necked storks, we did not see any other storks, herons, or any waterbirds for that matter. But all-in-all, we had a great time, and I'm glad we experienced it for ourselves!