A kinda, uhm, weird trip to KTP (Oct 2012) *

[Mel]

The resident elephant shrew mouse visiting at our unit


2 colonies of meerkats – family portrait


This is one of a bigger group that stay mainly far off in the riverbed

[Mel]

LBL – still need to ID it… *edit* Fawn-coloured lark (Thanks heaps, Dewi! )


A toko with a pre-dinner appetizer


LBR


Close-up springbok


We also saw some BEFs in the riverbed, but the BEFs weren’t too cooperative so far as they remained far away from my camera.

In the evening the brownies took turns and appeared three more times and took turns at the waterhole with an AWC and a cape fox.

Dinner: Marinated chicken (see day 4) and veg (in tin foil grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions)

[Mel]

He was actually quite a nice neighbour, nan, and we did have a good laugh at his mishap.
AND at the end of the day, I got my photos, so I wasn't all to about it.

[Mel]

Nota bene:
During our stay at GK I saw a whopping 28 different birds just while sitting or standing on our little patio.

Even got 3 new ticks. Here it goes:

1. Violet-eared waxbill
2. Black-faced waxbill
3. Yellow canary
4. Kalahari scrub-robin
5. Familiar chat
6. Scaly-feathered finch
7. Sociable weaver
8. White-browed sparrow weaver
9. Cape sparrow
10. Grey-headed sparrow
11. Crimson-breasted shrike
12. Black-breasted prinia
13. Chestnut-vented tit babble (tick)
14. Laughing dove
15. Collared dove
16. Secretary
17. PCG
18. LBR
19. Blacksmith lapwing
20. Glossy starling
21. Red-headed finch
22. Scimitarbill (tick)
23. Red-eyed bulbul
24. Martial eagle
25. Marico flycatcher
26. Fork-tailed drongo
27. Black-shouldered kite
28. Great sparrow (tick)

[Mel]

Day 7
27/10/2012 Grootkolk to Nossob

We woke up at 5.30 am to our daily dose of brownie. We also heard the lions roar in the dunes behind the camp but they didn’t show. Still we decided to take it slow and not to go and hunt them down right there and then as we didn’t want to spend too much time in the car before heading down to Nossob as we wouldn’t be able to check in before 1 pm anyway.
But eventually we were all sorted and the car packed minus the fresh stuff (as our fridge in the car had packed up earlier ), so we decided to have a look. We still heard the lions calling and could tell where they were. Just a pity that there were dunes that obstructed our view… We met another camp guest who had stayed for the night and was on his way to the Bots side. He asked us if we had seen the lions and we told him what we knew. His answer was: “Just head up the dunes. You got a 4-wheel drive. This is Africa!” Very weird once again and I’m still not sure if he was serious or not. But I reckon he was…

The whole day remained actually VERY quiet. Once again, we opted north first for our morning drive before turning around and making our way to Nossob. Funnily enough, we heard yet another lion roar somewhere in the dunes in the very same area where we had first met the Grootkolk family. Weird again. We hadn’t heard so many lions calling in one trip. Anyway, it didn’t take long for us to locate the guy as he came leisurely strolling down the dunes and onto the road to look for the bed that he could use for the rest of the day.

[Mel]

There were two more memorable sightings on our way south. First up meerkats and finally a bit closer than all the others we had seen before

[Mel]

Also, the vultures were having a party at Cubitje Quap but I mess up the photos as I had forgotten to change the settings before happily triggering away.

Oh well, I’ll put these down as artwork…

[Mel]

Other sightings

Mrs. yellow canary (still at GK)


Black-faced waxbill with an itch


Kestrel and wildebeest along the road to Nossob




Springboks at Nossob


Cape crow at Nossob hide




Sand storm, also seen from the hide


Quiet late afternoon at Marie se Gat




Only a jackal came to say hello…



Dinner: Feta with olives, tomatoes and onions grilled in tin foil and jacket potatoes from the fire.

[Mel]

Flutts

Day 8
28/10/2012 Nossob

The morning started off with a visit to the hide. Boy, I was glad that I was there

[Mel]

Going out from a drive at Nossob always yields the difficult question whether to go up north or down south. The north had offered some good sightings, the south only from Kaspersdraai further on south. Still, we decided to persist and give Marie se Gat another chance. We got at least something more than the usual suspects, but *yawn* those cats were getting tiresome. I wanted cheetah! Caracal! Honey badger! Porcupine! Leopard! Whatever! But no more lions!

So, the lovebirds were resting close to the waterhole…


…when the Missus decided that she had enough of the approaching cars and got up…


…and her bodyguard looked a bit confused…


…but obeyed quietly and followed….


…hoping for some action a bit further away from the cars…


…however the Missus was not in the mood…


…still her bodyguard took his job very serious and made sure that his usually partner in crime wouldn’t come too close…


…who in turn looked rather sorry for himself…


…while the bodyguard looked relatively pleased with himself and his fending off tactics.