Africa Wild

Alf wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 1:06 pm We have only seen buffalo once before

They seem to stick in the valley either side of camp... came across them a few times this trip

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 5:14 pm Not bad for Mountain Zebra, quite a few species and then, of course, the Verreaux's Eagle

Do you mind posting a couple of scenery shots, please

Scenery shots
I completely forgot about a few - so they'll be coming along shortly

Richprins wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 5:41 pm Lovely shots again, Peej!

Very instructive records these.

Amazing how we can cling on while sleeping like that!

And a black eagle!!!!

Not sure how you cling on like that whilst sleeping... strange species

Mel wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 7:41 pm We must have seen that same buff before. There was always a single one hanging around the dam.
And pretty aged too

Apart from the jackals, I also found the boons to be quite timid. We never had a really close encounter
with them and they would actually run off (Unheard of in the KNP )

The Verreaux eagle is

You're right Mel, the boons generally run off the moment they see a car which is a good thing

Pumbaa wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:39 pm Love the hartebeest shot, PJL,

and all the other antelopes and you even captured a verreaux's eagle

Thanks Pumbaa, a very little hartebeest that one. Amazing how similar they look to the blesbok youngsters

Flutterby wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:02 pm The Verreaux Eagle is beautiful....never seen one before!

Thank you Flutts, the black eagles come and go in and out the park so it's always nice to see them

As requested by Lis, here are some scenic shots from our morning drive. A rather cloudy day which only got warmer around lunchtime

Heading along the main road before swinging up Umgeni



High up over Kranskop Loop





For our afternoon drive we planned to head up the Juriesdam 4x4 trail as well as the Sonnenrust 4x4 trail which exits very close to where we had seen the bat-eared foxes in the morning. We were hoping there might be some littles ones around at the end of the day. It would also mean that we would have covered the entire park, so if there were any cats to be seen we should surely have found them

Juriesdam was a quiet loop. We did get to see our first ground squirrel of the trip in the usual place about half way round



After dropping down from the plateau we spotted a steenbok hiding in some bushes



We also found some kudu which had oxpeckers on board



Sonnenrust was also quiet to begin with... just a few springbok in places



However once the route started to climb a bit higher we found loads of gemsbok including youngsters

Baby gemsbok

Lovely scenery as ordered, AND squirrel for Lis!

The gemsbok babies look so funny with their masks!

And oxpeckers indeed, Peej!

Is there drought there too?

Thank you for the scenery shots although it really looks very barren and dry AND for the squirrel

The gemsbok calves are very pretty.

You must have seen almost all the animals living there Not many birds there?

Those gemsbok youngsters are totally adorable

Juriesdam and Sonnenrust are our preferred 4x4. Juries offered that not to be named sighting,
my first one ever and I love the landscape of Sonnenrust. Kranskop is beautiful too, but there
are stretches where my vertigo sets in and I have to shut my eyes firmly. Luckily, I'm the photographer
not the driver

Mel wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:03 pm Those gemsbok youngsters are totally adorable

Juriesdam and Sonnenrust are our preferred 4x4. Juries offered that not to be named sighting,
my first one ever and I love the landscape of Sonnenrust. Kranskop is beautiful too, but there
are stretches where my vertigo sets in and I have to shut my eyes firmly. Luckily, I'm the photographer
not the driver

The scenic shots are stunning, PJL,

and again a lot of bokkies - Now I love the gemsbok youngster

Lovely to see such different scenery from Kruger!

Richprins wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:16 pm

Lovely scenery as ordered, AND squirrel for Lis!

The gemsbok babies look so funny with their masks!

And oxpeckers indeed, Peej!

Is there drought there too?

The Cradock and Graaff Reinet areas have no water at all ..so yes the Drought is most definitely there with farmers spending up to R 20 000 a day to feed their remaining stock