From Floods and Surprises in River beds

[Mel]

Always bittersweet when it comes to rain. It is badly needed but it can spoil your sightings.
Although I think you did rather well for such an overcast day. And birds and antelopes are always reliable.
I am surprised about the ellie though. In Addo they would have disappeared after such good rains

[Alf]

It's difficult to drive when they start closing all the dirt roads

Wow secretary bird with a snake kill

[Richprins]

A rare kill indeed, Pumbaa!

The rangers or assistants normally drive the dirt roads a while before gate-opening after storms, but it is obviously impossible to anticipate everything perfectly!

[Bushcraft]

Sjoe, luckily you didn’t try and cross that causeway

Brilliant Martial pics

Secretary bird caught a snake Rare sighting that

[Flutterby]

Lots of water around...glad you didn't try to cross the causeway!

Great pics of the secretarybird!!

[Pumbaa]

Lots of water Better safe than sorry

Marvellous pics of the Martial eagle

Secretary bird cliffhanger

More is coming soon

Always bittersweet when it comes to rain. It is badly needed but it can spoil your sightings.
Although I think you did rather well for such an overcast day. And birds and antelopes are always reliable.
I am surprised about the ellie though. In Addo they would have disappeared after such good rains

In Kruger that is normal too especially in the morning they could not be found after some good rains but from time to time they do occur anyway

It's difficult to drive when they start closing all the dirt roads

Wow secretary bird with a snake kill

Gladly these road closures did not last that long

[Pumbaa]

A rare kill indeed, Pumbaa!

The rangers or assistants normally drive the dirt roads a while before gate-opening after storms, but it is obviously impossible to anticipate everything perfectly!

I suppose that could not be on all roads at the same time but it was in fact no problem

Sjoe, luckily you didn’t try and cross that causeway

Brilliant Martial pics

Secretary bird caught a snake Rare sighting that

We were so happy about that kill

Lots of water around...glad you didn't try to cross the causeway!

Great pics of the secretarybird!!

In fact too much water at least good for the park

[Pumbaa]

First same presented and carried proudly the trophy



and after a while tried to devour same



which seemed not at all very easy and looked like a spaghetti



and sometimes this spaghetti still moved……



I know maybe for some of you not at all a dream sighting but I so much wanted to see one day a secretary bird with a just caught snake and for sure was more than happy to have watched this. The second dream sighting came true on our last full day so you still have to be a bit more patient.

We reached Timbavati picnic spot and made a break there before we drove via the S39 back – Luckily this road was also open but was unfortunately extreme quiet which was a bit disappointing as this is normally one of our favourite roads. At least we spotted a group of kudus and once again mom was busy in cleaning the butt of the little one



but the little one looked definitely not that happy about the cleaning activities of its mom.





Overall the Timbavati river looked extreme dry compared to the Gudzani only earlier this morning and although we enjoyed the views into the indeed nearly complete dry riverbed it was a more than quiet drive.

At snake eagle came across



and at Leebron lot of impalas had ganged up to quench their thirst from a large puddle.





The rest until Girivana was then again quiet but there were quite a large group of zebras



and a couple of impalas around.

[Pumbaa]

Furthermore we noticed a large flock of white faced ducks swimming in the large lake together with a lone red-billed teal.







The little one from the zebras was still tied and simply needed a little nap



and we could also capture one of the many black smith plovers extreme close.



Next stop was then at Nsemani where we spotted cattle egrets and a lot of resting waterbucks



L

more white faced ducks were also resting at the waterside and I soon noticed two fulvous ducks between them – Also a lifer.

[

After that long drive a longer break in camp was needed and we also had to shop a couple of things and after a restful afternoon on our verdandah we still had appetite for an afternoon drive especially with the sunshine – The S100 was still closed so we simply drove along the H1-3 until Nkaya pan. At the N’wanetsi bridge we met a small elephant herd



and further down the road a lone hyena was taking a nap or maybe took a lovely sunbath.





to be continued……

[harrys]

More beautiful animals and photos