Getting our Ellie Fix (March 2016)

[Mel]

We're back to one of our best sighting days in the park that I had already mentioned earlier:

We had to wait until half-time before the big cats showed. The 26th was a remarkable day... not only for our first lion sighting. We were headed out early towards Gorah Loop with some other friendly visitors in tow. Well, actually we were passing each other all the time, stopping inbetween to chat a bit. Either way... In the distance there was a car park and didn't move. So I made Spots stop to check through the binocs what was there to see. I still can't believe it, but it definitely was a brown hyena. Those friendly visitors confirmed as they had seen it too. As it was still was too dark and the brownie was too far off, there was no way I could manage even a proof shot. The SO was told to head the hyena's way at maximum speed. Alas, by the time we got there, the brownie was gone... Also because we bumped in yet another exciting sighting. But that's for another day. Just as my top favourite sighting that also happened on the 26th

So, it was early morning, we were on Gorah Loop trying to catch that brownie we had spotted in the distance when on our way this one popped up to our right:



Unfortunately, it was overcast and therefore still quite dark at this time of the morning and the quality of the pix is rather poor, therefore only small photos.
But nevertheless we were totally over the moon to find a spotted hyena. And right next to us as well which my my camera a case of too much lens



Watch closely and find the hilarious thing about this shot

[Mel]

But the best sighting by far happened later that morning when we were headed towards the southern section. A strange shape was walking on the left verge of the road. Something I was sure that we hadn't seen before on this trip. But it took some time before my slow brain in holiday modus registered what exactly we were seeing...



A caracal!!!



Unfortunately it wasn't inclined to stay in the road with us and ampled into the grass / shrubs next to the road. A desperate attempt to get that one shot in case the cat should decide to turn its head around and look at me and my camera:



I took plenty of these!

[Mel]

Now that's better!



Could you possibly turn a little more and face me a bit straighter than this?

[Mel]

Oh, yes, thanks, kinda like that!





Awesome!



Except... you're in the shade

[Mel]

The cat walked, we followed. We lost the caracal a few times in the grass and were almost about to give up when I saw the ears moving again in the Vegetation.
And then for a brief moment:





Needless to say that this was the best sighting of our trip by far!

And not another car in sight... A few passed by but carried on without enquiring when they couldn't immediately spot anything. One car stopped and the passengers should have seen the caracal but I'm not sure since they didn't hang around for long and proceeded further south. Maybe they were after the lions that had been seen there. I don't know and I didn't care. I had my caracal!!!

[Pumbaa]

WoW Mel,

what luck you had with the caracal Magnificent shots too

[Lisbeth]

I like the pic of the spotted hyena

and the little one piing

You lucky fish! You managed to get to see a caracal

Photos of all kinds, but of course the portrait in the sun gets the first price

[Puff Addy]

[Mel]

Good eyes, Lis! Yes, that hyena is peeing into the puddle it is drinking from

And totally chuffed with that caracal sighting - a real quality one.

Thanks for your kind comments, Pumbaa, Puffy and Lis

[Mel]

Last part of that trip:

The Straw that broke the Mountain Zebra's Back