Day 7 - Thursday 30th Nov - Shingwedzi

 

We had our cup of tea on the patio watching the Tree Squirrels and Red-billed Hornbills investigating the Brai and surrounds for any scraps they could find. One of the Hornbills took a fancy to the Microwave door and spent a lot of timme flying up to it and tapping the door. 

We set off for an early drive around some of the tracksfirst taking the road out to the bridge and then coming back to the S134 gravel road. There were a few Impala along the road and we stopped at some of the pools still in the river bed. One of them had several crocodiles floating on th surface and resting on the bank. At the junction with the H1-6 there was a group of Double-banded Sandgrouse that were feeding in the leaflitter. There were also several Blue Waxbills. We had a quick look from the bridge but there wasn't much so we turned back and took the S134 which went round the camp in a big circle. Half way round we took the spur out to the Mashagadzi waterhole and historic site. Along the way we had brilliant views of Southern Ground Hornbill as well as Firefinches and a Black Flycatcher.

Day 6 - Wednesday 29th Nov Letaba to Shingwedzi

 

Day 5 Tuesday 28th Satara to Letaba

Early Morning Drive from Satara

 We got up around 4 am and joined the early morning game drive before breakfast 

Drive from Satara to Timbavatti Picnic Spot

We then packed up the car and drove out along the H7 and S40 to Timbavatti Picnic stop. 

Drive from Timbuvatti Picnic Spot to Letaba

We then headed up the S39, following the dry Timbavatti river stopping at the hide at Ratelpan and the waterholes of ***  And Palm Springs, which were all very dry. We then joined the H1-4 before heading along the H8 to Olifants, then returning to the H5 and heading for Letaba. 

Our early drive started in the dark but the sky soon became lighter as the sun rose. We didn't see a great deal but shortly after sunrise we did find a male lion resting on the road. He eventually got up and started walking leisurely along the road before we headed off and left him to his rest.

Further along the road we came across a group of Hyenas which pottered along the road and ran around the bushes before heading off further into the bush. Further along the road were a couple of Giraffe and we had great views of a Black-bellied Bustard preening. Later we saw a Woolly-necked Stork in a narrow water pool.

As the truck negotiated through some bumpy tracks the driver called the one bird I was really hoping to see, a Southern Ground Hornbill which was climbing around in a tree. The truck didn't stop but we managed to get good views and hopefully, we would see more. It seemed much shorter than three hours before we were heading back to camp, stopping for a Blue Wildebeest, or Gnu, and being greeted by the ever present Woodland Kingfisher back at camp.

The drive to the Timbavatti Picnic 

Day 4 Monday 27th Skukuza to Satara

 We had an early walk round, with xxx woodpecker, bee eater, xxxx before walking back to the Station Restaurant for breakfast. We sat out on the deck scanning for birds, then walked back to the bungalows and packed the car. As we hadn’t looked around the camp we drove round to the other side and parked up and looked around. Brenda and I went into the shop while Alan and David walked over to the viewing area. We came out of the shop and met up, scanning the river area. There were several Agama and lizard species along the pathway and a very confiding Glossy Starling that didn’t seem to mind how close it got to us. We’d had an ice cream before we headed out and along the H11 and S42 to Lake Panic. We parked in the car park and walked along the gated, fenced walkway to the hide which over looked a largish lake with Hippopotomus floating about in the middle and several Crocodiles dotted about. There were a couple of different dragonfly species perching in the reeds and along the edge we had ….. A ..buck cautiously came down a track to drink and there were weaver nests in some of the bushes. Careful scanning revealed Thick-knees under a bush and we were shown a Water Monitor on the opposite bank. There was a Fish Eagle that flew around and then settled in a tree

We set off for quite a long drive to Satara Camp. We had intended to take a different route but found ourselves on the road back to the bridge. The Goliath Herons were still there but no sign of the Finfoot. We followed the H12 and H1-2 towards Satara, making various stops along the way. We took a short gravel loop to the Oliphants waterhole, but there was nothing there, we aslo stopped at some rocks with a plaque dedicated to people of note and the Kruger Tablets, another lot of rocks with a dedication to Paul Kruger who founded the Sabie Game reserve before it became the Kruger National Park. We had a scan around but didn't see much so carried on. 

We had a break at the Tshokwane Picnic Site for a comfort break and to stretch our legs but it was closed so we didnt get a drink or any food. There was a troop of Baboons and we had **** before moving on. We stopped at the Kumanadam to watch a herd of elephants which had crossed the road and wlaked down to the lake and then spent time washing, drinking and splashing about. Brilliant. 

As it was getting a bit late we pressed on to Satara Camp, stopping briefly for a Black- bellied Bustard, booking in just before the 6.30 cut off. We found our bungalows, settled in and then walked to the restaurant for some supper. We had a choice of sitting under the roof, with lights, or outside with solar lamps. We sat outside, which was nice, except the lights kept switching off. After eating we had a look round for the Scops Owl that is said to live in the trees by the restaurant. Our waiter had said that it hadn't been around for a while but we were lucky and found it sitting on a branch. It didn't seem to mind the lights so we managed to get some pictures.

Day 3 Sunday 26th Lower Sabie to Skukuza

Following several reports of Cheetah near Crocodile Bridge and some advice from our driver last night, we decided to drive straight to Crocodile Bridge on the tar, then work our way back, before driving on to Skukuza.

We checked out the tree by our bungalows before heading south, keeping an eye out for anything lurking in the bushes. The advice was to drive slowly, keeping a lookout on the left, just before the S28 for any signs. The report this morning was from along the S28 so we headed along it for a while, in hope of seeing something, before turning round and heading back to Crocodile Bridge. 

We bought some Mango juice drinks and something to eat, used the facilities and then started the drive along the H4-2 before taking the S82 gravel road back to Lower Sabie.

We took a left turn just before the bridge to a large look out point but there wasn’t much to see so we returned to the tar road, stopping for a giraffe that was browsing on a tree by the road.

We trvelled along the tar until the S82 where we had a few stops along the way, mainly for more Giraffe, one herd were nervous of crossing so we backed up 100 yds and then they crossed in front of us and carried on into the bush. 

Just after Lower Sabie we came to the Sunset Dam, which is a big area of water with muddy margins. There was a Yellow-billed Stork plus Three-banded Plover pottering along the edge, there was a herd of hippopotomus lazing in the water and various birds around the edge. A little way into the water was a dead tree with lots of weaver nests on it, as we watched as an African Harrier-hawk landed on a branch and started kicking the nests around the tree.

We then set off towards Skukuza along a tar road. There were quite a few detours around places where water had washed the road away and we checked out many of the laybyes, but there was little to be seen and the river was very low. We stopped at the Bridge over the Sabie river on the H12, which David had been told was a good place for Finfoot. There were two young Goliath Herons on a rocky island plus a pair of African Fish Eagles. As we scanned round a hippopotomus appeared and walked into a pool just below us. Alan suddenly said he though he had a Finfoot so we backed up to a better position and there was a Finfoot on a rock, preening. We watched it for a while before it decided to slip into the water and swam around, getting into the reeds and being more difficult to see. 

We turned around and continued on to Skukuza, stopping at a layby where there were a couple of cars stopped, there were pair of lions in the area below the pullin with a recent Warthog kill. We managed to get reasonable views but no photographs as the lions hefted the warthog up and moved a little further into the bushes. 

We drove on to Skukuza where we checked in, sorted out a missing paymeny and settled into our bungalows.

Skukuza is a large camp with several restaurant areas but we walked back up to the nearest, called the Kruger Station, the remnants of the Selati Line and situated on the same spot as the first 'Feast' for visitors when the park first opened. It was hot under the roof but we were offered a table in the carriage which was air conditioned. The staff were very friendly and the food was good. As we walked we met a lady with a torch who showed us a bushbuck which was feeding among the bushes. 

We walked back to our bungalow and then did a short walk round but didn't find anything, before turning in. 

Day 2 Sat 25th Nov - Lower Sabie

We were awake early despite the 2 hour difference and out to look round by 5.30. There was a fruiting fig tree just outside our rooms and we spent a little time checking out the birds conming and going. They were mainly Blue Starlings but we also saw ****. we chatted to one of the other inmates before setting off for Crocodile Bridge. 

We decided to do the S28 dirt road to Crocodile Bridge as this seemed to have the most sightings on the app and was mentioned regularly. It took us a while as there was so much to look at - our first elephants, giraffe, warthogs and lots of Impala to get used to. There were also lots of birds including *****. One of the elephants was lounging against a tree in the shade and there was a group of elephants on the other side of the river, which then decided to cross over and make their way up across the road and further into the bush.

A little further along we saw a Warthog rooting around under a bush, completely oblivious, as were most of the animals, to our car about 50 yards away. A Golden-breasted Bunting was hopping round on the ground and a herd of Impala and Giraffe were browsing on the road side bushes and we had our first sight of Oxpeckers working their way up and down the animals.  

We crossed a ford with some water on one side and saw a small herd of impala and giraffe with Oxpeckers, one of the giraffes seemed to be covered in small growths but it didn’t seem to be causing it any distress. One of the giraffe came to the water’s edge and did the bent legs routine to get a drink. 

  

We made our way to Crocodile Bridge, stopping at the Ntandanyathi hide where we saw an Open-billed stork in a tree and black crake, woodland kingfisher, striped swallows and spotted flycatcher.

Finally made Crocodile Bridge for a late lunch. We had a potter around but day visitors weren’t allowed into the camp and it was very hot so we ate our sandwiches, had an ice cream, checked out the bats, photographed a very colourful Agama and started our return to Lower Sabie. 🙂

We headed back along tar, stopping for our first lions, a couple of females lounging in the shade of a tree, not easy to photograph but a lovely sighting. 

We took the S130 then the S137 across to Dukes pool and back to the S28 before heading back to camp for an early supper before our night drive. 

We had an early dinner and then met up with the driver and set off on our drive. The truck was quite full and had two spotlights fitted to the frame with a wide beam and there was a high powered torch given to one passenger on each side, with directions how to use them.  Our first sighting was of eye shine in the grassy area near the camp which revealed a Genet, possibly the animal we had seen from the perimeter last night. Our next sighting was of two Honey Badgers, which scattered into the bushes giving reasonable but short views and no photographs. As we drove along there was herds of Impala dotted about. Further on we had more eyeshine, in some bushes a little distant from the road. They seemed to be moving along the branches and they were identified as Greater Bushbabies. Two targets in one night! One stop was for Scrub Hares which hopped around and another stop for eye shine found two Pearl-spotted Owlets in a bush 

The three hour drive seemed to go really quickly and we were soon back at the car park. As the truck drove off, I realised I didn’t have my water bottle with me. A search around the car and car park was fruitless, so we drove back to the bungalows and turned in.

Kruger National Park - 24th November - 3rd December 2023 Day 1

 We had previously looked to visit Kruger as part of the Flock to Marion but Covid, changes in route and boat meant that it wasn't feasible so we decided to do a 10 day trip self-driving.

We booked all the accommodation online through Sanparks and booked a 7-seater car with Hertz Car Rentals from Johanesburg airport.

The trip to Heathrow was reasonably straightforward, we checked in, went through security and we were on our way. We had a 6 hour flight to Cairo then an 8 hour flight to Johannesburg with around 2hr 30 wait over, which gave time to get a drink and stretch the legs with no hassle.

We arrived in Johannesburg and left the plane around 7.45 and it took a while to get the luggage and then find and sort out the car hire so it was later than we expected before we were on our way. Getting out of the airport was quite stressful as the signs weren't helpful but we were soon on the right road.

We headed west along the N12 then the N4, which was a toll road. The scenery was interesting and we managed to see a few birds as we went. We had two stops, one at for a burger, where we saw our first Swallows and and one at Millys at Machadorp for a comfort stop and to stretch our legs. It was a lovely stop with a lake and a 'hide' to sit and watch the birds. The temperature was very hot but this didnt seem to affect the wildlife. There was colony of Cattle Egrets and **** plus Swallows flying around which we eventually identified as Wire-tailed and ****  as well as a Great Kingfisher. there were Yellow Bishops in the reeds and fish and dragonflys around the water's edge.

The time seemed to go quickly and there were lots of roadworks and slow moving lorries that held us up. We managed to take the northern loop which was specatacular scenery but a little slower. As we approached Komatiport to turn left towards Kruger,  there was a huge build up of lorries parked on the side of the road which, we later learned, were parked up to enter Mozambique but the paperwork etc meant it could take weeks for them to get in. 

We realised we would we would get to Crocodile Bridge Gate OK but we would be a bit late for getting into Lower Sabie. The girl at the gate said she gave us permission to be driving after 6.30 and we were to GO! and not stop for lions. The drive was an hour, depending how you drive, but we made it in half an hour. The gatekeeper at Lower Sabie told us we were late but as it was our first night she just waved us through. We checked in at Reception, and weren't the last as a couple followed us in. They had planned to go to Malelane Gate but were sent to Crocodile Bridge as the time was too short. We were given our map of the camp and shown how to get there. We manage to interpret the directions and found our first bungalow accommodation. 

The Bungalows were self contained with a fridge, hot plate and Kettle. Plus en-suite shower and toilet. The beds were very comfortable. We settled in, had a quick look round and then headed to the restaurant for dinner.