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

[Lisbeth]

Never saw a pygmy goose in my life They are very pretty You must have quite a notable list of birds by now

[RogerFraser]

Very interesting bird episode . Lovely variety at Leeupan

[Richprins]

Lovely stuff, Pumbaa!

Great birds at what should be called Waterbirdpan!

Never seen that goose, nor the moorhen, I think..

I like the buff in the water too.

Ja, a giraffe is the biggest normal kill lions can have, so they eat themselves silly!

[Pumbaa]

Never saw a pygmy goose in my life They are very pretty You must have quite a notable list of birds by now

Yes, we were so happy about all the lifers we saw this year and for sure about all the other birdies

[Pumbaa]

Very interesting bird episode . Lovely variety at Leeupan

Leeupan was incredible this year with all the different birdies there

[Pumbaa]

Lovely stuff, Pumbaa!

Great birds at what should be called Waterbirdpan!

Never seen that goose, nor the moorhen, I think..

I like the buff in the water too.

Ja, a giraffe is the biggest normal kill lions can have, so they eat themselves silly!

Indeed waterbirdpan - Nevertheless a great place to just sit and watch - Sigh

[Pumbaa]

Besides the lack of other birds lots of pied kingfishers were hanging around,



the hippos were noisy



and lots of them could be seen.



The pied kingfishers were always starting from one log in the water



and after a short while they always returned to the same log.



A woodland kingfisher could also be detected and also the fish eagle who overlooked its territory from high above,



a tawny flanked prinia arrived as well and landed in the reeds



and even the oxpeckers paid a visit to the lake



as they were thirsty.



The tawny flanked prinia caught a spider but far too soon swallowed same and



now we even could photograph two of the many very well hidden water dikkops

[Pumbaa]

hanging around in the shade.



One of the many pied kingfisher caught again a fish



and same presented same proudly to the audience in the hide.



Overall it was a come and go in the hide and after we spend nearly one hour there we decided to leave but before we had to capture a nicely posing dragonfly.



When driving from the hide to the tar road we stumbled across a couple of nyalas out of which most soon disappeared in the thick vegetation at least one was willing to be photographed.



Luckily I was the only one in the reception so check in went fast and this year we stayed in No. 92 one of the river view bungalows. Whilst moving into the bungalow we stopped long enough to watch the hilarious frolicking the vervet monkeys who were plentiful.



When we packed everything in the bungalow I wanted to take drinking glasses out of the cupboard where I noticed a praying mantis who I soon released in the wild again on top I wanted to cool a bit down the bungalow but when I switched the air condition on after only seconds same went off and soon our neighbours walked over to ask if we also do have a blackout. We tried our luck at the Cattle Barons restaurant anyway, however, they also do not had any electricity and as we only wanted to eat to salads that day we could be served.

After we finished our late lunch which was very good we walked back to our bungalow and stopped for another very well hidden lizard on a tree trunk



but when we came back to our bungalow our neighbours came running and told us that the vervets throwed down one of our glasses which for sure broke apart into several pieces and that they put the other one which was still intact into the sink. Furthermore they told us that due to the ongoing mess the vervets where doing they checked out the other side of the river where they spotted a spotted cat but same was presently not visible. Well now we got excited as well and after picking up the camera, walking a bit closer to the fence and checking the area via binoculars Timon soon spotted the culprit which was a very handsome leopard who was now willing to present himself.



Although the shots were not that great I often sat on our verandah during our many passed trips in this camp and whished so much that one day maybe a leopard will walk on the other side of the river and this dream came true today and for sure was meanwhile the fifth highlight of the day.



Far too soon for our liking same disappeared in the thick vegetation and we could no longer traced same, however, the spectacle of the vervets and our exciting walks with cameras along the fences soon attracted other people. The mess of the vervets still continued but got a bit quieter but the leopard kept away so we thanked our neighbours tremendously and returned to our bungalow where meanwhile the electricity was back.

For our afternoon drive we for sure decided to drive the magical square again but today it was in the beginning extreme quiet but we stopped for elephants



and then only at one of our favourites spots in that at least in the late afternoon the bridge across the Mutlumuvi where same is flowing into the Sand river we spotted the normally resident fish eagle pair there which we already often met there. Luckily the Marula loop was closed I guess for some constructions as you can only decided to drive the Marula loop or to enjoy the view from the bridge.



to be continued…………..

[Lisbeth]

The dikkops are able to stand without moving for a very long time and often not easy to spot.

Quite a big fish for a small kingfisher

Fine of the prinia

What a great day! You could even add a leopard

The vervets are little scoundrels, but very funny to watch

[Richprins]

What an eventful episode, Pumbaa!

I like the birdies, interesting to see the one dikkop lying down in the water?

And what astounding luck to see the leopard from camp!


Was the power outage due to loadshedding, you think?

Monkeys! They terrorised us this year too!