Addo and the Frontier Parks - Two-timing the KTP (March 2012) *

[Mel]

On our way back we checked on the lions again who were fast asleep. A few metres further, while the boys’ car had long gone, the ladies and Philip discovered Josie snoozing on her own. One lion up on the boys. Ha! As she didn’t bat an eyelid, we moved on quickly to watch the ellies down in the valley.
Two were playfully fighting and I hoped to get there in time for some photos. Well, I did not. They basically stopped as soon as we arrived. But I think they wanted to do me a favour and moved from left to right. Once more, I experienced the sensation of having too much lens!

[Mel]

Obviously it was also time for the annual colon examination:



With that we left the ellies to ensure we would be able to make gate time. We did, just about. Shucks, we could have sat another 10 minutes with either the ellies or the lions…

That evening, we enjoyed a yummy dinner at the restaurant. The day ended the way it had been throughout – pleasant and enjoyable and with lots of laughters. The Aussies and the Krauts had a nightcap on the verandah after Ronnie and Phiilip had left for the night. But Aussie-Mel declared defeat to the German drinking habits and skills soon and we all had a reasonable early night. Well, it wasn’t past midnight at least…

[Ronnie]

why Ellies have a little white point at the corner of the eyes?

But apart from jokingly saying that the ellies hadn't done their morning
wash I wouldn't know why they had that with stuff in their eyes which
look like 'sleep'.

Maybe Ronnie can help us out here?!

It is a mucus build up in the lower corner of their eyes.
I have seen them rubbing their eyes with their trunks,
They also like to take some grass or vegetation in their trunks and use that to rub their eyes.

[Mel]

Addo
29/03/2012

The next day should actually be a Ronnie guiding Mel and Dad only day, but SO and I gate crashed and so they ended up with us on their backs as well.

But before we could start Mel's dad had to get some petrol. Only that the gas station didn’t open before 7.30 am… While SO stayed with Dad, Mel, Ronnie and I went to the hide. There were some feathered friends around but they kept hiding in the reeds and shrubs.

Here is a sequence of agony with a bar-throated apalling, oops apalis which was symptomatic for most of my efforts with bird photos:

I’m here!


Catch me, if you can!

[Mel]

I’m not showing!


Still haven’t given up???


Alright then! Ready – set – go!

[Mel]

Arriving at Domkrag two PCG perched on top of a tree soaking up the morning sun after another chilly night:


Getting out of the car to get a better shot wasn’t my most brilliant idea as the both of them took off:

[Mel]

On a trunk in the dam a spur-winged goose (Tick!)


Scanning the scenery the remnants of once majestic critters told us stories about the fights and suffering that had taken place around the dam many moons ago. The place was actually littered with skulls, horns and bones. But alas, no predator in sight.

This is also when I tried my first spekboom – and I must say it was quite tasty.

[Mel]

We got moving again and another hartebeest willingly obliged to a photo:


Then I ticked off the pied starling…


Talking about starlings and my agony with shooting the birds: There must be thousands and thousands of red-winged starlings in Addo. I left the park with zero picture of them. Only at the Waterfront in Cape Town I managed to take a photo of one…

[Mel]

Another drama unfolded in front of our eyes:

Darn!


Help me, please!

[Mel]

No way. You have made your bed, now you must lie.


- Oh well, okay then…