The Heat is on and the Lions as well

[Dzombo]

Those dogs are either sleeping or hyperactive, Pumbaa!

The sleeping ones are easy to photograph.
Not so the active ones

[Pumbaa]

The wild dogs never stay still for long, so they are always nice to watch, especially if pups are among them.

More lions!

We had such a great time with the wild dogs and then the lions came

[Pumbaa]

Those dogs are either sleeping or hyperactive, Pumbaa!

Ja, the spot at Hippo Pools is very scenic!

Those shrikes are also not easy to photograph sometimes!

Totally right these shrike are also hyperactive at least we captured them

[Pumbaa]

Those dogs are either sleeping or hyperactive, Pumbaa!

The sleeping ones are easy to photograph.
Not so the active ones

Due to the many dogs around we always found one or more which were easy to photograph

[Pumbaa]

We soon found a spot to park the car and in the beginning both were more interested in taking a nap so we looked around and discovered far away in the distance another male and a female on honeymoon under a bush. Both were only visivble for a short time and sometimes during that sighting one of them lifted from time to time its head but they were far too far away for any shots.

Meanwhile two warthogs dared to near the lions and they also had noticed the couple under the bush but after they checked everything out they disappeared in the bush.



The two males were in fact not interested in the warthogs and looked more or less bored into the other direction





and from time to time into our direction.



After a while one of the male stood up and wakened also the other one



so we now were able to get also a couple of pictures not only from sleeping lions.



Luckily not that many cars stood at that sighting and the few who stood there all had a wonderful spot to look onto the lions



who found obviously something interesting in the sky.



Now also the second one got up and now it seemed that they found something interesting on the other side of the road



as they even took a closer look



both were in fact handsome males



whereas now one of them decided to disappear behing the green bush whilst the other one laid down again obviously the thing they found interesting only shortly was no longer interested enough at least for one of them.

[Pumbaa]

The one in front of the bush was now lying directly in the sun and it meanwhile heated up so for us it was only a question of time when he was in the mood for a shady spot at least from time to time he lifted his head



and looked a bit tired.



It took in fact not that long until he also decided to stand up and find another place to sleep for the rest of the day. Also at that sighting we stood meanwhile around one hour and as already said it got extreme hot already and as the lions meanwhile were nearly out of sight we carried on



and were happy about the break at Crocodile Bridge camp to stretch the legs a bit and also to buy coffees from the coffee shop there which we enjoyed unter the shady trees on a bench. After the pleasant rest there we headed forward and found on the tar road besides many zebras and wildebeests also a larger group warthogs who already looked for a shady place on that hot day



although this European bee eater was busy in finding breakfast in the sun.



For sure we stopped again at Gesamftombi and discovered a black winged stilt on the other side of the dam



after a while we then spent time on the bridge the open billed stork was closer



and also a group of impalas suddenly appeared.



Finally we then could turn into our beloved S28 and noted a couple of vultures in flight and were suddenly surrounded by a larger group of giraffes



who posed so nicely in front of the Lebombo mountains.





to be continued................................

[Lisbeth]

Nice lion sighting

That's a big family of piggies

I like the openbill

[Flutterby]

Fantastic wild dog and lion sightings!

[Richprins]

Nice, Pumbaa!

Ja, the males are not big hunters, as a rule, they occupy the pride kills, hence them looking up for vultures?

That Vurhami bridge is a lovely spot, Dwarf and I sat there for hours this year!

[Pumbaa]

Nice lion sighting

That's a big family of piggies

I like the openbill

That openbilled stork was so photogenic luckily we saw quite a lot of these birds during that trip