The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Richprins]

Nice pic showing the feet of the squacco!

Must go to the bird book!

Pumbaa!

[Toko]

Good birding again, Pumbaa . This Marabou stork has a large throat sac

[Mel]

Ahhh, thanks for the great birdies again Squacco is high up on my wish list for when I return to Kruger next year.

Cute capture of the little boon. And I also like the scenery shot.

[Pumbaa]

Lots of sightings even though it was so dry.

Sometimes we were surprised to see that much although there was nothing to eat

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

In fact they occurred plentiful where water still was left

again a Squacco
and Fish Eagles

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

Totally right it Looks as if the boon is performing something

[Pumbaa]

Nice pic showing the feet of the squacco!

Must go to the bird book!

Pumbaa!

We were so happy to have spotted our very first squacco that day

Good birding again, Pumbaa . This Marabou stork has a large throat sac

Some of them to have huge ones

Ahhh, thanks for the great birdies again Squacco is high up on my wish list for when I return to Kruger next year.

Cute capture of the little boon. And I also like the scenery shot.

I will hold thumbs for a squacco sighting for you nest year

[Pumbaa]

Monday, 15. February, 2016 – Crocodile Bridge

Roads we travelled along: H4-2 – S28 – S137 – H4-2 – H10 – S29 – S30 - H4-1- S79 – H4-2 – S28

First mornings in camps are always full of expectations because of memorable sightings you already had on the roads you have in mind to drive today and so were ours when sitting with the first morning coffee in hand on our verandah. Whenever staying in Crocodile Bridge our first drive will always be on the S28 which is on one hand one of our favourites and secondly the tar road is even longer and we never had that many reasonable sightings on that road so we normally do always drive the S28 anyway.

Unfortunately the light on the bridge across the Gesanftombi was extreme bad so we did not stay long although we spotted the same water birds again we saw already yesterday there and finally we were back again on the S28 were we came across a hyaena on the move so not easy to capture same as it was still a bit too dark but not long and the sun came up and I forced Timon to stop the car as I saw something on my side of the road – a black-backed jackal on a fresh impala kill



busy in feeding but same could neither had killed the impala nor have eaten that much already.



Love that scary look on the face of the jackal!



The jackal also always looked around into each direction whilst feeding as the culprit/s still might be still close by and on top same started again to feed extreme hastily.





Another one of my favourite from this sequence is the one shacking its head like a dog!



The impala herd which this brave male must have been protected and with same he lost his life was still close by and they were extreme nervous and also our jackal friend started to get more nervous and turned from left to right and right to left whilst still feeding



as also a cheetah was calling from a bit farer away which must have killed the impala.



The light was brilliant and the sun from the right side illuminated everything in a nearly blood-red colour and even the tongue of the jackal.



The calling of the cheetah was getting louder and seems to be closer so the jackal lifted its head with some bites visible between its teeth.



Suddenly the jackal with a full belly walked off and although we still stayed quite a while at that sighting



the culprit did not show up whereas the close by impala herd nearly could not move away. So I cannot imagine of a better start into the day on our beloved S28. As already noticed yesterday the area was bone dry with no grass on the ground left and with very few leaves on the bushes left and I cannot remember having seen that area so dry as I also can remember that after one wet summer the grass on the road side was that high that same could hide giraffes and although nothing was hiding any animals we did not see that much but how could we without something to eat left at least for the grazers or browsers!

[Pumbaa]

The birding which is also normally quite successful on that road was also not easy but at least a couple of few red-backed shrikes were in the mood for posing – Same also do occur extreme plentiful in that area after normal wet summers so we were happy to at least saw a couple of them.



The vultures in return did not suffer under the drought as for them there was more than enough to feed on so they could be observed plentiful in the dry trees along that road and we nearly saw each species there.



Suddenly we had to stop abruptly as a man in a car in front of us waived us down whilst he was pointing his camera into one direction and it took not that long until I whispered: “Cheetah” to Timon.

Obviously our arrival made one of them nervous and so same already crossed the street and disappeared. The other one stood up but kept sitting on its side of the road and so we at least got a couple of shots too.



Same looked into each direction and also we got a look but for my liking far too soon also this one followed its companion



and just in that area the nearly non existing shrubs were existing and we could only adumbrate where both still might be. At least we saw again cheetahs in Kruger which is still a rare sighting for us. The rest of that road was extreme quiet but due to the drought the smaller antelopes were extreme good visible so we saw during that trip that many steenboks that we never saw before.





A beautiful and colourful purple roller could be admired, also a bird which is not crossing our path that often.



Needless to say that Duke’s waterhole was completely empty and so we did not stay long there and carried on. On the S30 which is normally surrounded by thick grow over thorny bushes so you normally cannot look deep into the bush we this year could look endlessly and the cute duiker we met there could not hide herself.



Once again the rest along the tar road until we could view into the Sabie river was frustratingly quiet but for sure the closer we came to any water points during this trip the animals occurred in masses and so was it when we were allowed to enjoy the views into the Sabie with uncountable impalas, warthogs,



and many giraffes, all were thirsty and did not move far away from the precious water.



to be continued...

[Lisbeth]

The Kruger looks like KTP and KTP like Kruger, at least when it comes to greenery

Great sequence of the jackal

Always nice to see cheetahs

Terrible to see the south so dry

[nan]

a whole Impala all for itself
superb Shrike
and Cheetahs... on the S 28 how many time I have searched there a Cheetah


well done

[Toko]

A very happy jackal getting a full antelope not only leftovers