Looking back *

[flying cheetah]

Thank you all again for your wonderful support
@Toko: brilliant smilies

Today I want to post some pics that I took while doing the Rhino walk in Berg n Dal. Unfortunetely I cannot identify all the plants but I love their colours!









Tomorrow I'm going to post the first predator pics

[Toko]

Beautiful pics

First one is a Sickle-bush, Dichrostachys cinerea and the yellow flower is a Wild Hibiscus, Hibiscus engleri

[flying cheetah]

Thank you Toko and Lisbeth for your comments and id's, especially the wasp flower -O

Time for the first cat and of course it has to be a cheetah. It was a sighting that totally surprised me while I was driving the Mingerhout loop (S47). The cat was drinking from a river (I think it must have been the Nwanedzi) before it slowly walked to the shade and was lying down. For a long time I was alone with this magnificent boy and I enjoyed every single minute

[flying cheetah]

Thank you Lisbeth and Toko for your ongoing support

A very special bird for me is the resident Scops Owl at Afsaal as I have seen her on most of my trips. I don't know if she is still there but I hope we have another meet in November
Here are two pics of my last visit:

[flying cheetah]

Thank you all, I hope rhw Scops is still there in November and of course in January

Last year I had several wonderful pics on the Tropic of Capricorn loop (S143) and during my stay at Mopani I drove it 6 times. Not one drive without a memorable sighting
On a rainy day I saw this Eland that slowly walked towards the waterhole. Unfortunely a big herd of Buffalos arrived at the same time and the Eland dissappeared without getting close to me. Here
are the best pics I got...

[flying cheetah]

Thank you all for your feedback
@Lisbeth: I have the 100-400 mm canon lense and I'm very happy with it

Today I present you some landscape pics of the Berg n Dal area because they give me that special Kruger feeling.
The first pic was taken on the very southern part of the S114, the other two during a bush walk that started at the Matjulu bridge

[flying cheetah]

Today I have some impressions from Lake Panic

[flying cheetah]

Thank you Dup (only a few weeks and for both of us another Kruger adventure starts ), Lisbeth and Toko for your friendly comments

This trip I was extremely lucky with Roan sightings. I love this skittish antelopes and I hope the outbreak of Anthrax didn't take too many of them
I saw this bull who stayed close to my car for 30 minutes on the S143 (probably the best road to find Roan):

[flying cheetah]

Thank you all for your kind feedback
@ Sprocky: Usually the back seat of my car is occupied by the cooler box. But mayber you manage to get on with each other

I thought the Roan that died of Anthrax where captured to protect them from the disease and then something went wrong. But now I have more hope to see them again.
Have there been any sightings recently?

Todays sighting shgows you an animal after dinner. When I saw this Python near Lower Sabie at the entrance to the S 82 I knew she must have had a decent meal. Then the driver of an other car told me that the reptile had just caught and swallowed an Impala baby!! The interesting thing was that two Spurfowls had some kind of interest in hte snake and always walked around very close to her

[flying cheetah]

Thank you Lisbeth, Toko and Flutterby for your lovely comments

@Toko: of course the Python could as well have been a male...
@Flutterby: from time to time the Scops goes on a short holiday for breeding reasons so I will still look out for her in Nov

As we all know too close encounters with Ellies can be very scary and frightening but if you are close to a friendly and relaxed guy it's a wonderful experience.
I met such a fellow on the S114 and he didn't show any signs of aggression or bad temper. The distance between us was around 15-20 meters!