Enjoying The Kruger Without Staying In The Park

[Mel]

[Lisbeth]

Thanks all for coming along on all my drives

Almost exclusively a “bird” day with some other two-legged ones thrown in

I started out quite early in order to have lots of time before meeting Harry and Clan for an early lunch at Letaba.

As always when going in direction Letaba I went towards Sable Dam. On the way two Bateleurs cuddled together and it was certainly not cold. There must have been another reason.

I hoped that they would change position, but nothing to do, so I was the one who must move. They looked like Siamese twins and did not move a feather.

At the Dam only a Blacksmith lapwing and a wood sandpiper

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Looks as if it is skating

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I did not realize that this was a grey-headed kingfisher until later when it was uploaded to my laptop

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Further on a Tawny Eagle which had some very pretty colours and made quite a nice figure on top of the termite mound

[Lisbeth]

All the time it had been raining and I had thought about cancelling the lunch, but around 10:30 it stopped so everything proceeded as planned.

A Shongololo on the wet H9

At Nhlanganini only some hippos, but that was more than I ever had seen and was to see there

On the bridge a little further ahead a good looking grey heron

Just before the access road to Letaba a very well hidden hyena under a bush. I am not sure that I would have seen it if there had not been a car parked in front. They moved on and I tried to get a pic of what on a closer inspection turned out to be a mom with two pups

One pup was up and about sniffing at the surroundings

While the other was sticking to the milk bar without moving an inch and in fact I only saw it because the hyena was not moving at all

[Alf]

Stunning twins of bateleurs

Water skating

[Alf]

There’s a den on the left culvert going towards Letaba. We have seen the mum there previously

[Lisbeth]

At the Letaba restaurant deck it was not difficult to spot Harry & Clan

After having missed them in KTP the year before it was nice to have managed this time around and Harry and I had a good chat. I am afraid that I was the one speaking the most

The youngsters looked very tired or more than tired they were sleepy. I wonder what they had been up to the night before

After having greeted harry and co. “Good bye” I continued to the bridge across the Letaba River.

There was a nice assembly of herons, storks and egrets. A grey heron caught my interest. It had just caught a fish

Shake it a bit

Into the mouth

And down it goes

Off to catch another one

And after just a short moment

Egrets and an African Spoonbill

Other family members

A yellow-billed Stork and little egrets

The view on the other side of the bridge

[Lisbeth]

Further on along the river an African Fish-eagle on foot not looking very elegant

Yellow-billed stork busy fishing or whatever they do

A great egret

I had spent a lot of time on the bridge and it would be better to start heading home.
I took the S131 which was absolutely deserted apart from a lot of swallows “roosting” on the road. I still have not found out why, because they were sitting still and not doing like e.g. other birds do to get rid of parasites

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Maybe one of you know something about this behaviour?

[Lisbeth]

There’s a den on the left culvert going towards Letaba. We have seen the mum there previously

They were on the right hand side, maybe they had crossed the road

[Richprins]

Excellent stuff, Lis!

So much water, one can see the rivers were even higher!

Looks quite boring there with the harrys drinks-wise!

Love the birdies, especially the heron sequence, and great vistas!

[Mel]

Too many pictures… How am I supposed to remember what I saw here with my short memory



But I sure remember having seen a stunning variety of birds - big and small

Also a fleeting glimpse of the hyena pup. Shame they would show properly

And of course, the "elusive" harrysandco species