Social distancing in the Kgalagadi Oct/Nov 2020

[GavinW]

As we got close to Rooikop, we had to stop for the obligatory sunrise pic.

We had travelled for about a kilometre along Maries se Draai when we spotted movement on the right.
A cheetah with two cubs was walking through the grass along the side of the dune.

She would stop every now and again to survey the surrounds. We reckoned that she was busy hunting.

[GavinW]

Unfortunately, after a while they disappeared over the ridge of the dunes. We waited a while driving up and down in the hope of seeing them again, but had no luck.



Eventually we carried on around the loop. On the far side, a pride of lions were settled under a couple of trees.

Social distancing

Settled being the operative word. They eventually lay down flat, and we decided to go back to camp, and then to take a drive up north to Cubitjie Quap.

[GavinW]

Briefly back at the camp, Debbie spotted these Southern White faced owls in a tree close to our tent

[Alf]

Stunning owls

[harrys]

Awesome scenic photos

[Lisbeth]

The owls

Nice early morning pics from the hide

[GavinW]

After a short break at the camp, we left Nossob and headed up to Cubitje Quap.
That took a while. The roads were not great.


We were met by this stunning Black chested snake eagle on our arrival at the waterhole.

It spent some time showing off on the top of a nearby tree

[GavinW]

Before going down to the waterhole for a drink

Where a crow decided that the eagle was unwelcome and tried to chase it away
It succeeded

The balance of the day was spent back in camp, where we had an early steak braai, before going for a drive around Maries in the evening
The cheetahs from this morning had obviously come back and crossed the road after we had left them, because they were no sleeping under a bush on the other side of the road.

We waited with them until we needed to return to camp, but they weren’t going anywhere

[GavinW]

Rooikop is one of my favourite waterholes, especially when it comes to taking photos there at sunset.
Today was a perfect example of this

That evening we went barking gecko hunting, and were rewarded with a couple of nice sightings of them
Including this chap.

A massive storm hit Nossob later that night

[Richprins]

Quite a selection!