The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Richprins]

Interesting again, Pumbaa!

Ja, sometimes a windstorm breaks a whole area's trees!

Squaccos seen more and more lately, IMO!

[nan]

wow lot and lot of Ellies
and nice birds and an interesting Squacco Heron

[Flutterby]

Really lovely pics of the birds.

I wonder what the S28 produced?

[Pumbaa]

Lots of bee-eaters

The pic with the ellie, the yellow-billed stork and the impala is super

This is also my favourite from that sequence

That's very dry

Looks like a desert

That area was shockingly dry at that time

Interesting again, Pumbaa!

Ja, sometimes a windstorm breaks a whole area's trees!

Squaccos seen more and more lately, IMO!

Gladly the are as they are such beautiful herons and I was shocked besides the drought to see all that fallen trees

[Pumbaa]

wow lot and lot of Ellies
and nice birds and an interesting Squacco Heron

The ellies were plentiful where ever water was available

Really lovely pics of the birds.

I wonder what the S28 produced?

The S28 was good to us this year although that evening it was quiet

[Pumbaa]

We only stopped shortly on the bridge at Gesanftombi but had to capture one of the just arrived yellow billed storks



once again the saddle billed stork



and now even the marabous posed nicely.



We turned into the S28 and although we already expected to see a dry area we were extreme shocked due to the status of the vegetation although it might be nothing left to feed on for the animals there were in fact a lot of them to be seen. We spotted a family of warthogs eating roots or whatever might be left



with some piglets desperately trying to find something to eat and



we came across our first wildebeest during that trip



and one of the many kudus.



The lush and green area we normally do see here was already totally gone and everything dried out already besides some green in the treetops.

[Pumbaa]

We made it up to Mac but had to turn around as the clock was ticking and on our way back we saw impalas



and a troop of baboons



and had to stop for a nicely posing banana bird.



We still had a bit time left for a stop at Gesanftombi and now even an African fish eagle could be seen as well,



the goliath also moved closer and another fish eagle had just landed so we had a lot to photograph



and to my great joy also the squacco paid another visit there – Still not brilliant shots but it was already the second time I could admire those colours and feathers of the bird.



Lots of yellow billed storks were now also around



and for sure the elephants were still drinking from the boreholes.



After a quite adventurous and exciting day we drove back to camp and after another wonderful braai we felt in bed like logs.

to be continued.....

[Flutterby]

Lots of sightings even though it was so dry.

[Lisbeth]

You got the best from a dry area. Lots of storks

[nan]

again a Squacco
and Fish Eagles

is the Boon speaking at the microphone... for next raid