Addo Elephant National Park (January 2011) *

[Ronnie]

What a glorious warm sunny Spring Day it was when I visited Addo Park recently. With all the good rains that have fallen there are flowers to be seen all over the Park. Bird and insect activity has increased, I could recognize bird calls that I had not heard for a long time and the buzz of bees as they were busily visiting the flowers collecting nectar and pollen. The air was filled with all the lovely fragrances coming from the multitude of flowers.

Here are a few pics that I had taken, enjoy

[Ronnie]

Hello and many thanks to :D

Sprocky, Lisbeth, harrys, lowveldboy and Kamadejo

I took those pics of the weavers at Domkrag Dam. This is also a lookout point.
This dam is situated in an area where the former Antelope Camp was.
Here are two pics taken in the Information Center explaning where the dam gets its name from.

[Ronnie]

Here are some more pics of the Cape Weaver taken at Domkrag Dam

This one came and perched on my car door and had a peek around



This fella was real cheeky and chased all the other birds that came near




Perched on Spekboom (Bacon Tree) Addo elephants favorite food




Karoo Scrub-Robin

[Peter Betts]

Kalahari was without doubt the most beautiful of the 4 original big male lions brought in from the Kalahari to Addo

[Peter Betts]

Sunbirds are prolific in Addo...this one is not found in Kruger..Greater double collared Sunbird

[Peter Betts]

One day watching Tchagra shrikes interacting in the bush for 10 minutes then this young Caracal comes trotting past completely ignoring me...I nearly choked on my Egg Mayo sarmie

[Peter Betts]

You dont want to mess with Bitterbal.....I was driving just south of Marion Barrie waterhole one early morning when I saw Nossob crossing the road right to left 5oo metres further..I went straight to the spot and the bush was so thick..nothing I was about to start and proceed when far up the hill to my right out of sight in the thick bush came a series of thunderous roars (obviously Bitterbal...Nossobs coalition partner) I sat there in awe and goose flesh listening to him and realied he too would cross the road somewhere near soon as the sounds were getting closer. But which game path would he use to appear as there were many (About 17 over a 500 metre length of road) I chose one about 180 metres behind me so if he crossed in front I may be able to see him..Silence for over 5 mins then he appeared at my window ..I chose well that day!! :D :D

[Peter Betts]

He is now in Karoo National Park with what could be an injured eye?? and spends 95% of his time AWAY from tourist areas .. I got my info from butterfly collectors/researchers in Karoo Nat Park...good friends of mine who see the 2 male lions on foot far away from tourist roads every time and in the same area most times.

[Peter Betts]

No Buffalo for him to catch there like he had at Addo Nan :D ...and has to rely on puny Gemsbok instead..I saw recent pics and he is sleek and fit...so losta bit of weight from Addo days so he has to work long and HARD for his sporadic meals..He was the 1st lion in that series of shots where I could see the 'injured' eye and he was the guy standing on top of the rocks where he is much THINNER than my pics above when he was much younger in Addo.

[Ronnie]

Rednecked Spurfowl (Francolin)

I took these two pics of this cock (male) Rednecked Spurfowl on a recent visit to the Park. No prizes for guessing why they are called rednecked. I came across a number of these and this cock was very vocal and chasing off any other cocks that came near his covey. Great to watch