Camping with Petronella ; KTP May 2016

[Lisbeth]

Personally I would choose the hide

Nice big birds

[GavinW]

Personally I would choose the hide

Nice big birds

Ever heard of Happy wife, Happy Life

[Lisbeth]

I knew you would make a comment like that!

[Mel]

Your tawny is a booted eagle I think, if my eyes don't betray me and there are feathers on the legs.

[Lisbeth]

Not a tawny for sure

[Alf]

I would light the fire and park myself in a chair next to it with an ice cold (tea)

[GavinW]

Ok I know I have been a bit absent from this report for a day or so, but us accountants have things called “month end “which tend to interfere with life a bit
20 May: Our last morning drive from Mata Mata

We heard lions roaring to the south for a good part of the night, but they seemed to be getting further and further away.
We wondered whether the big guy we had seen on the dune that evening was letting everyone know who was boss.
Our plan for the morning was to go for a short morning drive before returning to camp, to break down camp and then set sail for Kieliekrankie

As usual, I need to start the day off with a sunrise picture, and today Mata Mata provided a stunning sunrise once again.



All the usual suspects were out and about but no sign of our noisy nocturnal neighbours.
We eventually resigned ourselves that he was in the dunes somewhere.
As usual, the Lion seekers were well ahead of us when our luck changed, albeit briefly.
We spotted two lionesses on the side of the road just before Craig Lockhart



Unfortunately they moved off to the west almost as soon as we had spotted them, leaving us wondering as to where they were headed.


Our cat sightings for the day were, however far from over.
Just after fourteenth borehole I spotted an African Wild cat in the riverbed, a bit too far away for a photos, and on a bit of a mission.
Damn!!

Then about 10 minutes later, we spotted another one. This time it was headed straight for the road.

We got this pic of it next to the road before it slinked into the grass to our right, before disappearing into the dunes.



Further on a pygmy falcon couple posed nicely for us



As did this raptor



We drove down as far as 13th borehole before turning around to head back to sort out our camp.
There were loads of springbok at the waterholes on the way back.





As well as another ZaZu



At the giraffe carcass at Dalkieth, we came upon a really strange sighting
Lions had taken down a giraffe a while back, and the remnants of the carcass were still in the riverbed.
We came upon the carcass to find a herd of giraffe at the sight, paying a lot of attention to their fallen comrade.
It seemed as if they were saying goodbye, but then they may have just been inquisitive.
A bit like elephants do
I don’t know.

A friend of ours had the same experience a few days prior to us, so I wonder what actually goes on in their minds.









Our last sighting of our return trip to Mata Mata were these lions, trying desperately to sleep at Craig Lockhart



Now we knew where some of the pride we had seen earlier had settled for the day.

[Mel]

Again: this is not a tawny eagle, but looking at the bare leg I'm not convinced anymore that it is a booted eagle but a jackal buzzard in some stage before adulthood.

[Lisbeth]

As Mel says, not a tawny. The same as last time methinks

Lovely pics of the springboks drinking

[GavinW]

Thanks for the id again Mel
One day I will learn