Sightings WOW, photos not so... (Oct 2018)

[Richprins]

All stunning stuff, Mello!


Difficult to choose a favourite, but that leopard is a beautiful specimen in nice shady light!

I think both are the black snake eagles, Dingwe!

[nan]

fantastic Mel, thank you

I noticed you said : "So we only got on our way at around 8 am." It's a good time and why in my TT I always got up and leave to early…

[Flutterby]

She certainly is a very pretty leoapard!

Great sightings...cheetah, lion and leopard, and some lovely birdies too!

[ExFmem]

So wonderful to see your visit was filled with so many special moments!!

Great photos of the leopard at Craig Lockhart! I was gonna post a "Can you see the aminal" with the leopard AND the lion, but you would have guessed it right away

On Oct. 11 early A.M. Corinne and cubs chased and caught a springbok lamb - we were the only car there for awhile, then 2, then 3...we left when it became apparent it would be a torturous ordeal - mom didn't intervene to take it out of its misery. What was happening when you arrived later?

Hope your arm improves , and I'm now looking forward to your last drive from Mata mata out of the park

[Mel]

Thanks once again for your lovely comments, Pumbaa, Lisbeth, Richprins, Flutterby

Great pictures of the Leopard
So finally, what is the verdict on the white headed raptor ? Is it a Borwn Snake-Eagle ?

Black-chested for both, I'd say. You can see the band emerging on the youngster's breast

fantastic Mel, thank you
I noticed you said : "So we only got on our way at around 8 am." It's a good time and why in my TT I always got up and leave to early…

Yeah, I always wondered about that too

So wonderful to see your visit was filled with so many special moments!!
Great photos of the leopard at Craig Lockhart! I was gonna post a "Can you see the aminal" with the leopard AND the lion, but you would have guessed it right away
On Oct. 11 early A.M. Corinne and cubs chased and caught a springbok lamb - we were the only car there for awhile, then 2, then 3...we left when it became apparent it would be a torturous ordeal - mom didn't intervene to take it out of its misery. What was happening when you arrived later?
Hope your arm improves , and I'm now looking forward to your last drive from Mata mata out of the park

Please post that lion / leopard shot anyway. I'm curious to see it At some point mine will go up on the KTP Mammal Challenge... hint, hint

Corinne and cubs must have eaten the lamb at some point but we didn't watch. And I have no idea when or why they moved over to the other side, towards the dune / ridge and deeper into the bush.

[Mel]

Before I get to our last drive, I still have some more leopard photos to share… Because in contrast to our vows not to go back in the afternoon, we got curious to see the possible mayhem with everybody trying to get into pole position for the best photos To our astonishment, there were only six cars parked there and since there is quite some space, so people don't block each other, we decided to stay a while too. How could we not seeing that Ikhaya had moved out into the open and offering excellent viewing and photo opportunities

Stretching...

[Mel]

Scratching

[Mel]

Watching

[Mel]

And some more just for good measurement

[Mel]

On our way back to the camp we also got some close up meerkats

And on our last drive the next morning, we got to see a very uncooperative wild cat showing nothing but her backside,
some far off lions resting on the dunes behind the riverbed and a very forthcoming giraffe…

... as well as some more meerkats busy digging up breakfast

Not sure what exactly it found there but it seem to be quite tasteful

And that was it! Thanks for joining the ride all Back again in April