Browns in Kruger October 2016

[Lisbeth]

Lately RP seems to know a lot of photographing

[Alf]

Lately RP seems to know a lot of photographing

Yeah the little alien showed him how to take photo's

[Lisbeth]

[Bushcraft]

Thanks for checking this out all

No solar power at Talamati RP

Not my cup of tea for the price, but I will write to them anyway and see what happens, however I have done this before without resolution.

Charged for 2xBD3's at Satara but given a family cottage without furniture which with furniture costs R500 less.

Charged for an FU5 at Lower Sabie but given a BG3 with extra beds which is certainly a lot cheaper.

etc, etc.

I have given up trying to explain customer service to them as it's almost as if one isn't seen as a guest.

[Lisbeth]

They are doing you a favour

[Bushcraft]

2nd Talamati

We woke to the same generator noise which instantly put me in a mood, so the plan was to duck out of camp and head south and then return with a stop for a late breakfast/lunch of “RP Prego rolls” at Nhlanguleni picnic site. It was another miserable day with howling wind and a little drizzle so I had my doubts about the picnic site story, but we packed a cooler box with everything just in case.

We ducked out of Talamati via the S145/S36/S125 to the H1-3 but only a few locals popped up and we stopped only twice for pics of feathered individuals for the Cow.





Just north of Mazithi Dam the Cow was giving me stick about something that I had said or done, but I can’t remember exactly what I was in trouble for, however this was interrupted by Hawkeyes who suddenly shrieked “LEOPARD!”

I slammed on the brakes “Where!” but spotted him instantly as he was right next to the road on the Cow’s side, which got me off the hook as I didn’t miss it. Thank goodness Hawkeyes was still checking things out.





He was a rather ugly looking leopard who had obviously been in the wars bigtime as he was full of holes.





We were alone with the leopard for around 10 minutes before the next car showed up and I called them over to check things out, however seconds later other cars pulled in behind us, so the leopard started to get edgy, but strangely he decided to walk towards us which caused a mild window flapping exercise with the rats in the back seat.



Suddenly the leopard disappeared right in front of us which is when we realised that there was a drain next to the road which had been his escape path, so I roared across to the other side of the road, but no leopard, so he was obviously hiding out in the drain still.

We hung around for another 10 minutes, but the queues of “what do you see’s” was growing and causing irritation for me, so we continued on.

Just before Tshokwane we came across an elephant carcass which looked as if it had been ripped apart, but the word at Tshokwane was that it had died and rangers had chopped it open to allow scavengers easy access. (I have seen this done once before also on the S125).



We arrived at Tshokwane at around 8:30am and we certainly didn’t want to head back to Talamati yet, so the negotiation started on what to do next. Eventually we decided to head down the H10, up the H4-1 to the H12 and then up the S36 to Nhlanguleni picnic site.

As we turned onto the H10 2 birds caused a stir, but one ducked as I braked, however the other hung around long enough for us to get some pics. I think the Cow said it was an African Hawk-Eagle .



Next up were some ostrich, the local reedbuck gang and all the normal locals.





The Cow got excited again at the H10 Bridge as a heron thing was cruising around, but I think it was a Squacco heron which we have seen less of than the green back model.



To be continued

[Flutterby]

Poor leopard...he does look a bit raggedy!!

That chopped up ellie isn't a very nice sight!

[Lisbeth]

The Cow got a couple of interesting birds

The leopard is certainly of a lower class than the Lullaby leopard, poor thing.

[Mel]

Uh, oh, ja... bad thing to say about a leopard, but it was rather distinctive looking. Not so much because of the the scars, but the right ear doesn't seem to be at its place on the head and there is also the impression of the right eye being crossed-eyed

Keep the boring custard and the ostrich, but please let me have the harrier-hawk and the green-backed heron

The reedbuck sighting is awesome too. Not very common, I believe?

[Richprins]

Interesting, BC, the power thing...could have sworn Talamati started with solar...RP talking k@k again!

Quite rare the kori there!

That leopard is faulty...bad damage from a fight, or possibly first diseased if you look at the face? It is squint!

Maybe put it on "unusual animal behaviour"?