Dams of the Pilansberg

[cheetah]

Pilansberg lends itself towards great game viewing at the various dams in the Park!
Despite how small the Park is, there are about 7 hides where you can get out and sit for hours There are also ablutions at all the hides so I have before sat at a hide the entire day

Mankwe Dam

The most famous of the dams is Mankwe Dam is a magnificent dam situated in the middle of the Park. It is the largest of the dams, and the Mankwe Lair is a hide where you will see animals all day long The meaning of Mankwe is leopard, yet I have not heard of leopard being seen at the dam! It is a hotspot for most birds and game though!

[cheetah]

The fisherman of Mankwe Dam


The cormorants and darters rely on the angle of reflection of the sun off the water to their fishing advantage In the late afternoon their preferred fishing spot is on the dead tree branches only some meters away from the hide!




The Pied Kingfisher generally fishes in the shallows to the left of the hide in the morning near the reeds, and fishes from the reeds on the right hand side in the afternoon


The malachite kingfisher prefers the very shallow waters to the back left of the hide! There is a concrete block that has been put down on the walkway so that people can peer over palisade fence and see them If you don't stand on that block you will think they don't exist in the Pilansberg


The Fish Eagles tend to hunt in the depths of the 'sub' dam a bit North of Mankwe Lair and are generally too far for decent photos

[cheetah]

The three wise men; Larry, Mo and Shep are the mischievous marauding monkeys of Mankwe Lair

The might look cute, but the intelligent furry trio lead deadly raids on cars that leave their windows even slightly open! Their timing and judgement is impeccable!

[Bushcraft]

Thanks for this information cheetah

Great stuff Some good pics BTW

[Flutterby]

Your descriptions are spot on....I've seen those birds in all the same spots!!

Nice pics!!

[cheetah]

Thanks you two

[cheetah]

Makorwane Dam


only about 9km West of Mankwe Lair on the tsukudu (rhino) road is a charming dam and lookout hide! Zebra and wilderbeest are pretty much always in the open plains near the dam. The place is best visited in the mornings!


As the sun peeks over the mountains and touches the cold water the steam rises up


You have a good chance of being alone at the hide and listening to the grunting hippos who congregate where it is most sunny on the far side of the dam from the hide in the mornings


A very tranquil place


The ducks are all over the show!


And the fisherman are generally far away from the hide, so bring your bazuka lenses


As you exit the hide, snap a sunrise pic

[Bushcraft]

More great stuff cheetah I have never been to Pilansberg, so have to head that way some day

Hey, I spotted some awesome Pilansberg pics on one of your FB updates Where's the TT

[cheetah]

Thanks Bushy Pilansberg is quite far for you! I would not think it is worth the shlep. But for PTA and JHB peeps it is an amazing place to get a fix!

Despite the way it looks, I have suddenly become quite busy! And I don't know how you guys manage to do TT's and work so hard
But I decided to at least share pics, stories and info about Pilansberg

[Richprins]

Great stuff!




(Are you allowed a little refreshment when sitting in the hide all day? )