Africa Wild

Thursday, 07.02.2018 – Malelane

Somehow we made in record time from the airport to Malelane where we reached the Spar around 15.00 o’clock after everything else went more than smooth and well. After one hour the shopping marathon was history and we were on our way to our lodge which was this year located at the Crocodile river and after everything had been packed away and re-packed for the Kruger modus we still had around 2 hours to simply stroll around from view point to point at our lodge until it was getting too dark to see any longer anything or even to photograph.

Lots of birds could already be spotted whilst hefting our luggage and our groceries into our room and I even noticed a couple of speckled mousebirds but had no camera handy so first we had to be content with a dark caped bulbul





and then we tried to photograph a yellow billed kite in flight but Timon was obviously out of practise and got the background sharp instead of the bird but I somehow liked this failed pictures and same made it therefore into this trip report



but finally Timon could also capture the raptor in flight.



Lots of elephants could be seen as well – lone bulls who walked off into one direction and even large herds who made their way slowly from bush to bush into the other direction



and from island to island in the river



and also from that view point we already noticed that it was ones again extreme dry especially compared to the wet summer last year at least the river looked fuller than during the year of the drought in 2016.



To our delight the speckled mousebirds returned and we even got the chance in taking a couple of pictures



also we noticed a dove



and even a bushbuck made herself comfortable close by where we stood.



We noticed lots of cattle egrets in flight



who finally landed between the legs of the elephants and partly more cattle egrets were present than elephants. For sure the view was simply breathtaking and we were so happy to be back again.

Meanwhile more elephants arrived on the edge of the other side of the river – here mom plus her young and more than cute calf -



and to our joy more birds could be spotted as well – a tawny flanked prinia,



sacred ibis could be seen as well but simply stayed too far away but we got more possibilities in photographing the speckled mousebirds



who returned again to the bush where we spotted them already when we were busy with our luggage.



A white browed robin chat said hello which was lifer no. 1



and then we already spotted our lifer no. 2 during that trip – a large flock of cut throat finches arrived and occupied a bush close to where we stood.



Gladly he and she were willing to pose extensively



and it were so many of them around that we always could find a prepared model.



Needless to say that Timon again could not be stopped and the button on our camera started already at that early stage to glow





only later we also noticed our lifer no. 3 during that trip sharing the branch with the cut throat finches – a bronze manikin!



to be continued.....

Amazing the Cut-throat Finches, never spotted in the Kruger (nor elsewhere)...

In flight, there are both Cattle Egret (black foot, yellow bill) and Litlle Egret (yellow foot, black bill) !

Gonna wait for the end to the other report first, Pumbaa, then will catch up!

Great birds you found there Were you staying just on the other side of the river near Marloth?

Pumbaa wrote: ↑Fri Mar 23, 2018 3:39 pm

We noticed lots of cattle egrets in flight

Pumbaa , great start , and looking forward to more


About the egrets , those rather look like 1 ) 3 x Yellow billed egrets , with yellow bills , dark legs and toes .
Plus 2 ) 3 x Little egrets , with black bills , black legs , with yellow toes .
Can anyone else comment/confirm ?

Already lots of sightings to start off your trip!

Dindingwe wrote: ↑Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:02 pm Amazing the Cut-throat Finches, never spotted in the Kruger (nor elsewhere)...

In flight, there are both Cattle Egret (black foot, yellow bill) and Litlle Egret (yellow foot, black bill) !

Dindingwe already did, Okie and if you want, I can confirm it too

Yes, the yellow-footed ones are definitely Little Egrets.

For the other ones, Okie cast some doubt in my mind. Cattle Egrets often have, even in non breeding plumage, some yellowish feathers on the head, that we do not see here, and don't have completely black legs (rather grey-brownish). But the average size of Yellow-billed Egret, as its other name suggests (Intermediate Egret), is bigger than Little Egrets, which is not the case here. For that reason, I tend to think they are Cattle Egrets, but I am not 100% certain.

I saw these in Marloth, that's why I asked Pumbaa if they were staying at Ngwenya Lodge as it is quite close. Strange that there are species of birds just on the other side of the river, but that you do not find in Kruger
Sorry for "steeling" a piece of your TT Pumbaa