Africa Wild

A quick visit to the Picnic spot.
There are lots of these caterpillars hanging down from the trees, it's difficult not to walk into them.


On the way to Crooks Corner.
A thermal full of big birds.


Another Butterfly.


Bateleur.


And Whitefronted Bee-Eater.


At Crooks Corner something we'd never seen before - the Great Green Greasy Limpopo in flood.



A 180 degree panorama.


Hippos at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu.


Back at the Picnic Spot, a gorgeous Long-Winged Kite Spider with Grasshopper prey.



On the way back to Shingwedzi another Tusker. Shingwedzi-03?


A Jumping Spider traveled with us for a while. Possibly Evarcha Prosimilis.


We decided to drive the Mphongolo road again from the opposite direction.
More views of the river.




Black Storks.


And a Fish Eagle.


Moving day tomorrow and I play chicken with a really scary monster bug!

Caterpillars

Crooks corner and plenty water

Long winged kite spider It looks like an alien I would be running the opposite direction

Great, brave pics

I have to run into this tale
so can speak only about the before....
super to see so much water in the Limpopo
now waiting for another page

Never seen those caterpillars, Bulltuner?

Nice scenic shots!

That bateleur looks "faulty", as BC would say!?

Bushcraft wrote:Caterpillars

Crooks corner and plenty water

Long winged kite spider It looks like an alien I would be running the opposite direction

Great, brave pics

Scared of caterpillars and Spiders There are only a couple of Spiders in SA that are harmful to humans, (Violin and Sac Spiders) all the others - including the big hairy ones - are harmless! The Kite Spider was only about 2cm across and had its mouth full of Grasshopper!

nan wrote:I have to run into this tale
so can speak only about the before....
super to see so much water in the Limpopo
now waiting for another page

The Limpopo in flood was quite a sight! Must put a dent in the immigration figures though

Richprins wrote:Never seen those caterpillars, Bulltuner?

Nice scenic shots!

That bateleur looks "faulty", as BC would say!?

I've seen them a few times at Pafuri but never photographed them before!

The Bateleur looks like it's just reached puberty

Day 9. Monday 25 May 2014. Shingwedzi ->Balule.

Another lazy morning. Time to pack up and move to Balule for four nights.

After we got everything squared away we went to the Shingwedzi restaurant for breakfast. I'm happy to report that things are much improved there since the old franchise was given the order of the toe-cap.

While we were waiting, I spotted a 5cm long monster bug on the old 2000 flood-level plinth. They are quite common and I've often seen them flying past - they sound like someone playing the castanets very fast.

I've photographed one of these before (see Wasp info book) but I was using a long lens and was able to keep my distance. This time I was using my macro lens and had to get quite close. At first it was the perfect subject and stayed still while I took pictures.

After a while, I think the camera flash started to bother it and I could feel my hair standing on end when it started to move around. I decided to run away before it got angry with me; I don't think being stung would be a pleasant experience.

Giant Black Spider-hunting Wasp.




We stopped on the Shingwedzi bridge to take a picture of the new view since the floods.


And a cruising Whitebacked Vulture.


At Mooiplaas Picnic Spot we stopped for a coffee break and found a few more Butterflies.







And a Plume Moth.


A bit further along, some Elephants; including a cow with good sized tusks. I can't find her on Aat's site so I guess her tusks aren't big enough yet!



At the Olifants River bridge, a pair of Fish Eagles.


A Grey Heron at the Ngotso Weir.


Once we'd set up camp it was too late to head out for an afternoon drive so we relaxed in camp.

A Cone-headed Mantid paid us a visit.



and so did a good sized Beetle.


A couple of Banded-legged Golden Orb Web Spiders were on a web just outside the fence.



And we were invaded by a few Sausage Flies - Red Driver Ant (Dorylus helvolus) winged males.

You are despicable, BT!

You start with something grotesque...throw in some butterflies to calm the nerves, then the stuff of nightmares!

Always wondered what those ant things were!

Wow, this is special, love the small wildlife

The butterfly from the prev. episode is Belenois creona severina African Common White.

Your orange one is the Dancing Acraea Telchinia serena, you have also the underside