Aat&Elly Nov / Dec Trip 2013 (Last update 8 April)*

[Richprins]

Those nyala pics won't get you anywhere here aat! I've tried for years!


The difference between the bulls is the chin spots..always unique!

Enjoying kruger is more then looking at cheetah, leopard and lion… it’s enjoying every minute and all species in their environment. Just sitting somewhere and having breakfast and looking around does offer special moments too.





Thanks, friend!


(But a lion or two does go down well... )

[H. erectus]

Dear Aat, my apology for posting this link to some pics.
Did so more out of interest rather than too boast a trip report.

Best wishes,

H.e

[aat]

*** NEW Stories ***
Like my previous TR’s, this is not going to be a day to day TR, but a series of stories about animals and special situations based on our last trip.

Story 19: - Who let the Dogs out -


Before we start: I like to make you aware of the Big Tuskers again on the forum - section Mammals >> Big Tuskers . If you have seen (Big) Tuskers during your trip please let me know. Maybe I can help with ID’ing the ones you have seen and possibly you can help me and many other tuskermites with updates of the named or or to be named tuskers. You can be a great help to keep the tusker site up-to-date…. Thanks !!
Sorry to mention this again, but the Tuskers is a passion of me and a “few” more forumites.
Thanks to the ones who sent me very interesting tusker pics !!

Before we start the engines. Situation: Evening in Satara and we were having dinner. Elly said “just a few days to go and we haven’t seen Painted Dogs yet, we have been spoiled with lots and lots of great sightings but still missing the Dogs” I told her we have a few days to go so who knows.

Next morning, very very eatly again. 4.00 o’clock and preparing for another early mornign drive. Waiting till gate opens and like other mornings…where to go? First decision, turning right… then close to H7 and S100 what to do? At once I said to Elly…we are going to Orpen, you want Painted Dogs…you get Painted Dogs. She smiled and start laughing… I smiled too !

Just a few miles from Satara and still a bit dark…
Sixth sense was right again and Elly ? Yessss, ohhhhhh Wilddogs !

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Incredible, Painted Dogs (I prefer this name) all over the place.
Used ISO speed 1000 because of the light at that moment

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And Look… who we got here? It’s Picasso ! The dog we have seen during several trips and now presenting his whole family. Thanks my friend.

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Here some members of Picasso’s family. Still sleeping

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In the mean time… we looked at each other with a big smile and I said something like you see, I promised you… lalalalala
The Painted Dog family was waking up , stretching… what a privilige.

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No other cars yet so time enough to follow some individuals like Picasso’s brother Matisse.

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Getting a bit closer and watching how they socialize

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Lovely to see these two together, van Gogh and Rembrandt

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Moving a bit forwards to make a close-up from this one near the road

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Sitting there , surrounded almost by Painted Dogs, what a feeling, lucky and happy.
After making the first series of photos I tried to count them and more or less there were about 30 Painted Dogs. Thinking about the estimated numbers we were looking at about 10% of all Painted Dogs in kruger. Stop thinking and making pictures again.
Thanks to my friend Picasso

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After 30 minutes, it just turned 5:00 sun was rising so better light. One of the dogs came to me saying something I could not understand.

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With the golden light it was even more beautiful. Another 7 of the big pack.

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Just don’t know where to look for making pictures, movements everywhere..

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Hi Rembrandt thanks for posing so well

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and back pending to some family members, looking, sniffeling etc

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Another dog waking up and starting the new day with a good stretch

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Mhhhh are you looking at me ?

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Who left this ?

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Getting the feeling I am in Doggies wonderland another one was coming from behind a little bush

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Funny, stretching in the morning is one of their favorites…

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After waking up the majority of the pack started with action… running and playing.


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In our car we enjoyed this playtime a lot. Thinking about it, we have never seen this kind of action with playing before.

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and

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It really was a show they were presenting…

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My friend Picasso was looking too at the show and he was thinking… It’s OK

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Talking about the whole pack, I think 40% of them were young ones. No little puppies but younsters.

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Imagine… sitting there, looking at them, hearing the sounds of their play, really really wonderful

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You too get the feeling to be in the middle of a wildlife movie ?

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Ohhh… something happening there?

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Painted Dogs, thanks for the great sighting and show !

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What to say about this sighting? Looking back at most other Painted Dogs sightings this one was full of action. Most sightings they were just laying down and packs were smaller. Looking at about 30 Painted Dogs on and near the road , in the middle of them was very very special. Elly and I were sure this was one of the most special sightings we ever had.

Later that night when we were enjoying our dinner Elly said “Aat , we have seen Painted Dogs again” Believe me… I had a very very big smile on my face…

Thanks for joining us again.

Regards
Aat & Elly


Many other pictures of last en other trips:
My Wildlife Photography Site
http://www.awv-photography.com

[Richprins]

Another big pack! Very good news!

Great pics, aat, but you must clean the dung and stuff off the road first next time! Better backgrounds!

Rare stretching stuff!

The dogs are very social, so would assume the bigger the pack the more playing/socialising?

[aat]

Thanks for the comments at previous story.
It took some time because of some "tusker reasons" but like to add another story , 10 days before leaving to Kruger.


Story 20: - Monty Python -

Before we start: I like to make you aware of the Big Tuskers again on the forum - section Mammals. If you have seen (Big) Tuskers during your trip please let me know. Maybe I can help with ID’ing the ones you have seen and possibly you can help me and many other tuskermites with updates of the named or or to be named tuskers. You can be a great help to keep the tusker site up-to-date…. Thanks !!

Please join us for this remarkable (for us it was…) story.
The good thing about this sighting was…. It…..was……going……slowwwwwwwwwww

Early morning and starting point was Crocodile Bridge. I like the S29 early morning, small road and many many good memories about this road over time. Tuskers, Black Rhino, Lions, Leopard and birth of an Impala (story 1 of this series of stories)

We were driving for some time, looking left and right… slowly so missing nothing.
No Cats, no elephants, no rhino… but suddenly something crossing the road in front of us.
What’s that ? we asked loudly and simultaneously

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Huhhhhh…. A Python ? “yes it looks like one”

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Wowww… realizing we never have seen one with daylight. Years ago with a night-drive but not so close.
Getting closer we could see him or her better and just lucky the Python showed his head.

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What a belly…. Looks like he had a wonderful breakfast
part 1 of the python…

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followed by part 2

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From another angle. Great with pythons…they don’t run away so time enough to change position

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Difficult to estimate the length, but must be between 2 and 3 meters, guessing close to 3 meters

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It certainly was a special encounter and this is what I like so much in kruger.. unexpected sightings at unexpected moments. Rock Python active with daylight.


Thanks for joining us again.

Regards
Aat & Elly