Africa Wild

Flavour of the Month - July 2012 - Rooibosrant Dam.

Rooibosrant Dam is situated 8 kilometers from Bateleur camp along a dirt road which is restricted to Bateleur camp residents only.

The water levels in the dam vary from season to season and year to year. Although not in a "prime" game viewing area, the dam attracts many species, most notably, Sable. Impala, Zebra, Warthog and Hippopotamus, along with the ubiquitous Crocodiles, are normally ever present here. For birders, the dam attracts waterfowl and other species which come down to drink at various times of the day. There is a family of Southern Ground-hornbills resident in the surrounding bush and Double-banded Sandgrouse are very common along the approach road. A resident pair of Fish Eagles nest on one of the dead trees in the dam.

Flavour of the Month - July 2012 - Rooibosrant Dam.

You can see the 3 litle loops on the right hand side on the private road from Bateleur Camp! (Obviously a dry time of year...when I was there the water area was massive!)

Flavour of the Month - July 2012 - Rooibosrant Dam.

We spent a whole day just sitting here and observing the wildlife. We recorded 110 different species of Mammal, reptile and birds in the 11 hour period there that day, and that in the middle of Winter!

There is a pride of Lions that regularly use the dam, and also a resident Leopard, but we never managed to be lucky enough to see them.

The approach road to the dam (looking back along the road from the dam).


The Fish Eagle nest.


The Dam wall runs along the right hand side of this photo.


Low water levels at the height of Winter.


Early morning light.

A view of the dam with Impala, Crocodiles and African Spoonbills.


The Hornbills were acting strangely, so we hung around to get a look at what they were up to...


Tha adult killed a puff adder and gave it to the youngster once the head had been removed. The youngster then proceeded to swallow the snake whole!


Two bull Sable came down to drink.




Before wandering off slowly into the bush.

The Fish Eagles were sitting on eggs in the nest the first time I visited. The following year, the nest was deserted, but the male was still territorial and chased the Egyptian geese away.





Before settling down to sentry duty again.


Blacksmith Plovers are common along the paths here, especially in the damp areas.


While Red-crested Korhaan are also quite numerous on the dusty tracks.


Double-banded Sandgrouse famiies seemed to be everywhere along the approach road as they scurried for cover in the roadside grasses.


and now and again, would stop and look back at you.

A question may you only visit this dam when you are staying at Bateleur

Correct Harrys, you must be a resident at Bateleur Camp to visit.

Hopefully this thread with tempt some more of you to visit there RP.

When we spent the day there, a Gabar Goshawk was having an altercation with a Burchell's Coucal.





Before a Blacksmith Plover forced his way into the argument and drove the hawk away.



Red-billed Buffalo-weavers made a brief appearance.



and a Black-headed Oriole screeched at us from the undergrowth.

How much I learn from you Dewi I would never had thought a Gabar Goshawk and a Burchell's Coucal were more or less the same size