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Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 3:49 pm
by Richprins
Interesting again, Pumbaa!
Ja, sometimes a windstorm breaks a whole area's trees!
Squaccos seen more and more lately, IMO!

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 6:04 pm
by nan
Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 2:51 pm
by Flutterby
Really lovely pics of the birds.
I wonder what the S28 produced?

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:03 pm
by Pumbaa
Lisbeth wrote: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
Alf wrote:That's very dry
Looks like a desert

That area was shockingly dry at that time
Richprins wrote: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

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:05 pm
by Pumbaa
The ellies were plentiful where ever water was available
Flutterby wrote: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

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:06 pm
by 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.

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:06 pm
by 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.....
Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 8:29 am
by Flutterby
Lots of sightings even though it was so dry.

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 8:45 am
by Lisbeth
You got the best from a dry area. Lots of storks

Re: The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers
Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 10:51 am
by nan