I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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Pumbaa
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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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In the distance we heard thunder and it was extreme dark whilst there was also a rainbow to be seen

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as it was still a bit time left before gate closing we also paid Sunset dam another visit indeed an advantage of this camp and here we never could get enough from the many crocodiles

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who were still lying around extreme lazy

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and extreme close.

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Now also a great white egret stood close to where we parked

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and the light was perfect now in the late afternoon.

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It was so nice there and we could have stayed there much longer but with a last look onto the farer away crocodiles

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as well as onto the green backed herons and weavers

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we returned back to camp, enjoyed the view from our verandah as long as it was bright enough before we had an early night with air condition and in fact that night we slept like logs.

Tuesday, 15 February 2022 – Lower Sabie

Explored roads: H4-1 – S82 – H4-2 – S137 – S28 – H4-2 – S28 – H4-2 –H10 - S29 – S128 – H4-1

When we stepped on our verandah with our morning coffee we noticed a couple of raindrops on our car but nothing serious, however, it was still extreme overcast and grey. At least it felt far more comfortable and we definitely had nothing against a couple of cooler days after the extreme heat. We packed everything together and I forced Timon to drive under all circumstances the S82 as I had such a strange feeling that we might see something on that road – We had such strange feelings throughout the trip and we were never disappointed so this was the reason of the title for this trip report……

Right at the beginning we noticed a secretary bird on an acacia bush

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and also noted a not that willing to pose indigo bird.

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Pumbaa
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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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At least the start of our drive on that road was not that bad but it got better when we already noticed something bigger lying right on the road from far already and when we neared I was verified that my feeling earlier that morning did not cheated me -

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There were four lionesses lying right in the middle of the road

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and it looked as if they were not at all willing to clear the road and after we took a couple of safety shots from farer away

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we dared to come closer, chosen a spot to park and had all the time in the world to simply enjoy the sighting.

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Whilst taking shots from the lionesses we sipped at our coffee and were extreme lucky again about such a wonderful morning present.

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Due to the closeness of Lower Sabie camp we thought it might come soon more cars but believe me or not we had them all to ourselves until we left them.

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It was heaven and Timon and I fired away and even had time to put the cameras away and simply watch them.

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to be continued……………….


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Lisbeth
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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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It looks as if the lionesses are infected by scabies, especially one of them -O- :-(

Croc invasion :shock:

Beautiful egret \O It is impossible to see the difference between a great and an intermediate egret, if you do not see them together :-?

I think that you are right about February and fewer visitors. I have never seen more than 5/6 cars at a lion sighting and mostly not even that many. It is close to the Christmas holidays and hot as hell lol Better than too many cars O**

0()


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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Lovely stuff, Pumbaa! \O

Always a hippo injured lying in the stream at that causeway! :-? 0-

How lovely that your "feeling" was rewarded on the S82, it is not a popular road at all! ^Q^

Lots of nice birdies, plus a rainbow! [O]

And cooler weather! 0()


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

Post by RogerFraser »

A storm and Rainbow at the same time O:V

Love the Secretary bird \O

Glad that you some cooler weather .What great luck on the S82 with the Lions and always special when you can have a sighting to yourself without you or the animals being harassed by other people juggling for positions . ^Q^ ^Q^


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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Lisbeth wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 2:21 pm It looks as if the lionesses are infected by scabies, especially one of them -O- :-(

Croc invasion :shock:

Beautiful egret \O It is impossible to see the difference between a great and an intermediate egret, if you do not see them together :-?

I think that you are right about February and fewer visitors. I have never seen more than 5/6 cars at a lion sighting and mostly not even that many. It is close to the Christmas holidays and hot as hell lol Better than too many cars O**

0()
We simply love the time in February in the park ^Q^ Sorry for letting you wait back from my summer holidays to Danmark O/\ 2 weeks it was that hot we never experienced ever before 0*\


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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Richprins wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:49 pm Lovely stuff, Pumbaa! \O

Always a hippo injured lying in the stream at that causeway! :-? 0-

How lovely that your "feeling" was rewarded on the S82, it is not a popular road at all! ^Q^

Lots of nice birdies, plus a rainbow! [O]

And cooler weather! 0()
Cooler weather only for a couple of days O** We had some more feelings like that during that trip \O


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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RogerFraser wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 6:47 pm A storm and Rainbow at the same time O:V

Love the Secretary bird \O

Glad that you some cooler weather .What great luck on the S82 with the Lions and always special when you can have a sighting to yourself without you or the animals being harassed by other people juggling for positions . ^Q^ ^Q^
Totally right we enjoyed the time we had with the lionesses ;-) The S82 is always a great alternative to escape the tar road X#X


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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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As they were lying in some sort of lines we always photographed each row from back

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to the front row, however, that lady needed a pee break

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but as if we were not there she laid again back to the spot she just came from.

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After so many time we spent with driving through the park which we for sure love it was fantastic to just sit easily at such a sighting and enjoy also the silence – Sigh!

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After we got meanwhile that many shots from nearly each angle we also did some close ups

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although it was not necessary as we already stood quite close to them.

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The two ladies in the back row looked sometimes like twins

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and somewhere in the bushes farer away we and of course also the lionesses noticed a couple of impalas, however,

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it looked like all of them had a hard night so they were indeed not that interested in doing some hunting.

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They even decided to go back into sleeping mode

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Re: I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

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and whilst not a lot action at the lions could be seen a white crowned shrike landed in a bush close to where we parked and for sure had to be captured.

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On one hand we did not want to disturb the lionesses, however, on the other hand after meanwhile fantastic 45 minutes we spent all alone with the lionesses we wanted to continue

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and after we switched the engine on, waved a good-bye and drove extreme slowly closer to the lionesses they more than unwillingly cleared the road and I hoped that they might have returned back to the road after we left so that maybe other people might take pleasure on that sighting.

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After quite a while we came across another car and we so much hoped for them the lionesses might still be visible. During our drive we already met a lot of guinea fowls but most of them disappeared soon in the high grass along the roadside but now we even got a quick shot of a really large family.

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Originall we already wanted to drive our beloved S28 already on Sunday but due to our battery break down we had no change to do so so today we wanted to drive that road at least once during that trip and soon we already turned into the S130 were we stopped for an impressive martial eagle

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and at a larger pond along that road we noticed today a dabchick but nothing else and after we spent another short break there we carried

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on and had a more that nice sighting of a group of kudus

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and one even had a nice decoration.

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Also at that sighting a lot guinea fowls were running and also here we were able to get a couple of shots before they disappeared

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and we could again concentrate onto the kudus as they posed so nicely

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and the males also were more than impressive.

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to be continued……………….


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