Africa Wild

Just to let you know that we are safe back home from another fantastic Kruger trip better to say from our "home away from home". Compared to the five and especially two previous years where we had torential rains with lots of road closures this year we had nearly the whole time temperatures up to 35 degrees and only a couple of light rain showers.

Despite the heat the park looked lush and green and also all the dams and rivers were filled up to the brim. Besides an area between Mopani and Shingwedzi with lots of general game around and consequently with extreme grazed fields there it looked already terrible dry and also the Shingwedzi itself carried extreme few water and the elephants started already to dig holes.

The sightings were also fantastic with even one lovely surprise in the Satara area and still a couple of lifers when it comes to the birds.

As always I need a bit time to go through all the many pictures before I can start this one but there is still another one running so please allow me a bit time.

Pumbaa!

I actually found this to be a cool and wet summer, although Feb was hot!

Looking forward to hearing all about it Pumbaa

I'm ready too

Thursday, 10. February 2022 – O.R. Tambo - Malelane

After all the required formalities had been done and we packed everything in the rented car we headed straight into the direction of our beloved Kruger and besides a short stop at Milly’s along the N4 and a shorter traffic jam caused due to road works we reached Malelane quite early and after the obligatory shopping marathon at the Spar there we arrived at our booked lodge already around 16.00 o’clock so we still had plenty of time until it got too dark to sit on our verandah and enjoy the view over the Crocodile river into our beloved park.

Timon caught the camera and started on our verandah while I was re-packing our luggage for our Kruger trip and in between I also looked outside the window and scanned the area or walked onto our verandah but to my luck in the beginning it was still a bit quiet as it was still around 36 degrees and that was most of the time during that trip our afternoon temperature so extreme hot.

In the distance a group of elephants were bathing in the river and a group of Egyptian goose flew by



so as it was still quiet – we hoped that not only the elephants but also a couple of antelopes might come a bit closer later - so Timon walked over to the nice pond at the parking area to maybe discover a couple of birds there a bit closer and after he already discovered a white faced duck a red collared barbet just landed on a branch close to him.



To his surprise whilst photographing the barbet also a water monitor swam by and must say that we never saw that many monitors during the whole trip as this year which for us reptile lovers was fantastic.



Luckily the red collared barbet still sat on the branch a bird we in fact did not see that often but always are eager to find one and mostly we do find them either in camp or today at our lodge.



Another bird we also do not see regularly during our trips appeared next on the scene a thick billed weaver



but this one posed and displayed like mad so a Mrs. must have been close by.



Same was in fact not shy



and even got interested in Timon’s camera.





A hadedah also could be detected before it got quiet at the pond as well. At least Timon had more than lovely sightings already for that short period of time he spent there.



Meanwhile he returned to our room and caught another bird in flight but missed a waterbuck who now was already a bit too far away.



Indeed the elephants meanwhile came closer and most of them were feeding



the Crocodile river as well as the pond were on previous trips considerably fuller but it looked as if it rained steadily during the previous months and weeks and to our delight a herd of elephants appeared vis-à-vis from our verandah at the edge of the river and started to use the loose sand as slide.

We saw this already a couple of years ago but then there were only a handful elephants who did this but today there were masses of them



mom demonstrated what to do and the little ones as well as others followed her



and there were even more on the way and this one even removed some roots from the slide.



Although it was extreme dusty when they were sliding it looked as if they had fun in doing so.



For sure most of them landed straight into the water of the river to take a bath whilst others first stopped and decided then to take a bath.



For sure the little ones needed a bit more time as there was so much sand around which invited them to play extensively with.





The first elephants meanwhile reached the large island in the middle of the river



and whilst the cows could easily cross the river whilst walking the little ones already had to swim





and even more followed and this one must really enjoyed on top the “cold” sand in the shade.



to be continued………..

I have noticed that there is a difference between the birds in Kruger and those on the other side of the river. We saw lots of birds at Marloth, that we have never seen in Kruger.

I think that elephants are even smarter than we think: I saw this one on the TV and found it on youtube. He only does it if there is a large audience

https://youtu.be/b-c3DNswVog

A nice start Pumbaa!

Good birdies...never seen that weaver!

And the sliding ellies are great, I remember them from last time!

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Sun Apr 24, 2022 6:10 pm I have noticed that there is a difference between the birds in Kruger and those on the other side of the river. We saw lots of birds at Marloth, that we have never seen in Kruger.

I think that elephants are even smarter than we think: I saw this one on the TV and found it on youtube. He only does it if there is a large audience

https://youtu.be/b-c3DNswVog

Indeed interesting about the Kruger birds