BELOVED KALAHARI - Our Home Away From Home

[ExFmem]

Tired of the waiting game, it repositioned itself a few times, got up and took a drink,







and off it headed for the nearest trees.








Even tho' it wasn't successful hunting, it was a fun way to spend time while waiting for check-in to open.


On our morning drive around Marie Se Drai, more lions. A couple of subadult males peered out from the bushes, eying us very suspiciously.





A short while later, mom showed up and hurried the kids away, wanting no part of us.





Who knew lions were such great judges of character?

A couple plover pics rounds out the entry...

Crowned Plover




Three-banded Plover

[Lisbeth]

I love your leopard story Intelligent lass - she knows that those others are too big for her to take down, so waiting for the Springboks to come back

Good looking lioness

Who knew lions were such great judges of character?

She might have heard about US trophy hunters

Funny shots of the plovers

[GavinW]

Great leopard and lion sightings

Makes me want to be back there

[Pumbaa]

Thanks ExFmem,

incredible leopard sighting and shots also fantastic lion shots

As always such a pleasure

[Richprins]

What incredible leopard luck, Ex!

A lovely diversion while waiting for check-in!

Great shots and so close too!

Nice plovers to boot.

I'm sure you had a that day?

[ExFmem]

Sis - yes, our, and all, trophy hunters deserve the disdain and ridicule they receive (tho' I always remind myself of my insect collecting days that are now very shameful to me as well ).

Gavin - Yes, I know the feeling of reading others TTs and longing for a return visit. Waiting for your next trip!

Pumbaa - , as always

RP - yep, we had a toast that evening, and the next, and the next, ....

[ExFmem]

Unfortunately, our time in the Nossob area this trip was very quiet. We took twice daily trips both north and south. For example, on Oct 19, we went to Kwang, then down around Marie, taking a total of 1 bird pic at Cub.Q, and a kudu family passing our riverfront unit on the way to the Nossob waterhole. The next day we went to Marie, then to Kaspersdrai, seeing a lone lioness laying near the waterhole.

We returned from Nossob to TweeR via the Upper Dune Road, then down the Auob side to the Lower Dune Road, and crossed back to the Nossob side, passing Kij Kij, then south. Very few pics the entire way. ZZZZZzzz.

There were some lions sleeping at Samevloeing but I took no pics.

That evening the lions were at least up and about so here's a couple of them...













Also a jackal with one of the Rooiputs carcasses...






Catching up on a few more bird sightings during this trip..


Spotted Dikkop or Thick-knee

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They are so vulnerable with their nests right out in the open. This year a group of wildebeests were passing through, and a couple of them seemed totally oblivious to the presence of the Thick-knees, despite their squawking and flapping of wings. I don't know if they stepped on the eggs or not.

[ExFmem]

The ever present ostriches doing their requisite preening and dust bathing...

[ExFmem]

One has to come up with ways to entertain (used loosely ) oneself in such times of sightings droughts, so I became interested in the creativity of the various animals when it came to their architectural poop masterpieces.

Some were lazy and just scattered theirs around willy-nilly, thoughtlessly





While others gathered theirs into smaller denser enclaves,





some even forming theirs into a replica of the Matterhorn,





or a formidable tombstone-like fortress






There was one configuration that was hands down the most impressive, though I have NO IDEA what kind of massive creature could have constructed this all out of plain 'ol poop ?????

[Lisbeth]

A streak of bad luck does happen in KTP. Also in KNP, but mostly there are always birds around, just ask Pumbaa

Only you could start a study of comparative poops