Addo Outings 2018
Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:49 pm
It's been a very fast-paced start to 2018, so visits to Addo have been scarce so far. March is looking decidedly better though 
D and I managed a quick visit to the park a few weeks back. The timing wasn't great (middle of the day) but it was fairly overcast which can sometimes bring out some 'different' creatures. There turned out to be a number of good smaller sightings as you'll see
On Mbotyi loop we caught up with a secretary bird chomping on a grasshopper
It didn't seem to be fazed by the cars so came quite close
Ngulube loop had a few kudu scattered in the distance, but when examining the vegetation close to the road we were surprised to see many colourful grasshoppers
It was definitely a cool day - these mousebirds were huddling together for warmth!
Lions had been seen on a no-entry road between Wayne's Valley and the Fire Base, but despite some careful looking we didn't find them. In Wayne's Valley we found a white stork which isn't something we see too often in Addo
The stork had lunch ideas when it found a dung beetle
There was a bit of chomping...
But the dung beetle was obviously a bit too tough and was discarded back to the ground in just about one piece
Hapoor had a few elephants but not the numbers you'd get on a hot day
There were quite a lot of baby piggies around - these 3 little pigs were up on Mbabala Loop
As we ventured back south, D was keen to check out the grasshopper things again. There were literally hundreds of them around with some amazing colours
Even a citrus swallowtail butterfly came along for a pic![[O]](./images/smilies/camera.gif "Photo")
On our way out the park there were two last sightings - a black shouldered kite as well as a big buffalo right next to the road
All being well we should get another longer visit in later this month
D and I managed a quick visit to the park a few weeks back. The timing wasn't great (middle of the day) but it was fairly overcast which can sometimes bring out some 'different' creatures. There turned out to be a number of good smaller sightings as you'll see
On Mbotyi loop we caught up with a secretary bird chomping on a grasshopper
It didn't seem to be fazed by the cars so came quite close
Ngulube loop had a few kudu scattered in the distance, but when examining the vegetation close to the road we were surprised to see many colourful grasshoppers
It was definitely a cool day - these mousebirds were huddling together for warmth!
Lions had been seen on a no-entry road between Wayne's Valley and the Fire Base, but despite some careful looking we didn't find them. In Wayne's Valley we found a white stork which isn't something we see too often in Addo
The stork had lunch ideas when it found a dung beetle
There was a bit of chomping...
But the dung beetle was obviously a bit too tough and was discarded back to the ground in just about one piece
Hapoor had a few elephants but not the numbers you'd get on a hot day
There were quite a lot of baby piggies around - these 3 little pigs were up on Mbabala Loop
As we ventured back south, D was keen to check out the grasshopper things again. There were literally hundreds of them around with some amazing colours
Even a citrus swallowtail butterfly came along for a pic
On our way out the park there were two last sightings - a black shouldered kite as well as a big buffalo right next to the road
All being well we should get another longer visit in later this month
