YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP *

steamtrainfan
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YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP *

Post by steamtrainfan »

Good day all mites.

Coming soon - our annual 7 day stay at Manyane with the usual surprise on the last day, but this time the surprise was X3 - morning, noon and evening.

Joan and I look forward to having you all on board to enjoy all the wonderful and unusual sightings that we experienced.

A few more photos to finalise then we will be on our way.


Faith is the bird that feels the light while the dawn is still dark. Author unknown.
steamtrainfan
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

Post by steamtrainfan »

Okey everybody here we go.

My brother, Joe and his wife Yvonne joined us for the trip, and what a pleasure it was having them with us.

Friday October 10 2014:

As usual our day of arrival is full of anticipation and excitement as we enter the reserve and start wondering what we will see first.

Our first sighting was two elephants near Bakubang gate but they were behind some thick bushes. Just after we drove off they decided to cross the road. O/ O/

Next up was the inquisitive waterbuck.

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At the entrance to reception we saw this rather relaxed scene.

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Once we had checked in and unpacked we went for a late afternoon drive.

Saw this tired guy at Tilodi Dam.

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Late afternoon on Hippo Loop looking east. Just love the colours.

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A lovely sunlit African darter at Mankwe Hide.

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There was a very strong wind blowing across Mankwe Dam. I have never seen waves like this on the dam before.

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Mankwe Dam airport was not as busy as it usually is.

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Our final sighting for the day was these three rhino at Tilodi Dam.

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To be continued.


Faith is the bird that feels the light while the dawn is still dark. Author unknown.
steamtrainfan
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

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SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2014 - PART 1/2

A rufus-naped lark greeting the morning with a song.

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This fellow gave us the beady eye.

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Watched some ellies at Pilanesberg Centre.

This guy thought that the salt lick was a soccer ball.

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We named the guy on the left " Floppy Ear."

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Would love these two to be bookends in our lounge.

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Breakfast at Pilanesberg Centre. We were very impressed with the food. Very well prepared and presented. Sorry about the full mouth but Joan caught me by surprise.

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Blue waxbill at the centre scratching for his breakfast.

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Just a nice picture.

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Playing at Ratlhogo Hide.

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Three-banded plover at Ratlhogo hide.

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Our chalet - Number 52 - with the lovely tree in front of it. The flowers on it attract birds and bees. Wonderful.

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To be continued.


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Toko
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

Post by Toko »

Nice breakfast scenery ^Q^

The tree is perhaps a Weeping Boer-bean -O-


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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

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SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2014 - PART 2/3.

Not sure what bird this is - could be of the robin family. Just after this photo was taken he coughed up something and spat it out. It can be seen if you look carefully between his top beak and tongue.

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Cinnamon-breasted bunting. Thanks Lisbeth.

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Our first lion sighting on Tlou Drive Loop. She hid behind a tree for about 40 minutes but then our patience was rewarded as she came out and walked right past our car. It looks as if her left ear has been clipped.

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A few red-faced mousebirds were busy flying between a tree and the salt lick at Pilanesberg Centre.

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Another member of the robin family maybe?

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Natal Spurfowl.

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Waterbuck keeping an eye on two rhino near Ruighoek Dam.

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An unidentified snake skin hanging from the roof of Ruighoek Dam hide.

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Part Three to follow.
Last edited by steamtrainfan on Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.


Faith is the bird that feels the light while the dawn is still dark. Author unknown.
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Lisbeth
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

Post by Lisbeth »

Kalahari scrub-robin \O


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steamtrainfan
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

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SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2014 - Part 3/3

Masked Weaver at Mankwe Hide.

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My favourite bird - just cannot resist taking photos.

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Springbuck.

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This one must have enjoyed his meal.

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Red-billed Hornbill.

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At Makorawane Dam a group of elephant were drinking from what looked and smelled like a sewerage pipe.

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If I am going to smell terrible then I will make sure everybody else does as well.

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This little one really got down to getting his trunk as far down the pipe as he could.

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To be continued.


Faith is the bird that feels the light while the dawn is still dark. Author unknown.
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

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SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER 2014 - Part 1/2

Managed to catch this red-faced mousebird as he took off from the salt lick at Pilanesberg Centre.

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Not sure of the ID of this brightly lit background guy.

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Joan got this Kori Bustard.

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Kurrichane Thrush.

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One of very few steenbok that did not run away when we stopped.

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Another identified bird.

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This elephant had made himself at home inside the Bathlogo picnic spot.

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These three rhino were very relaxed.

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A nice group photo.

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This little zebbie was very attached to his mommy.

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To be continued.
Last edited by steamtrainfan on Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:57 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Toko
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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

Post by Toko »

Lovely steenbok photo ^Q^ ^Q^ and again good birding!

Your "Olive" has a white belly and red bill, perhaps better call him a "Kurrichane"


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Re: YET ANOTHER REWARDING TRIP

Post by steamtrainfan »

Forgive us as we break away from the photos but we just have to tell you the tale of the ellie in the picnic site.

For simplicities sake we shall just call it:

AN EXCITING ENTHRALLING EXHILIRATING ENVIGORATING ELEPHANT ESCAPADE NUMBER 1

On approaching the site a car waved us down and warned us that there was an elephant in the picnic site. No ways we thought. How can an elephant get in over those grid things they have at the entrance.

When we approached the turn off to the picnic site there he stood - bold as bloody brass inside the picnic area.

He looks quite happy, so let’s a get bit closer. We turned onto the road leading to the site. Now if any of you know this little road it is in even worse than terrible condition.

On negotiating the potholes and rocks in the road we had noticed that a little red car with four visitors to South Africa in it had also turned onto the road and followed us in.

On we went, almost to the entrance, when the ellie decided it was time to leave. Strange, but it was also at this time that we decided to leave BUT there was one obstacle in our way. We had this little red car behind us. With much gesticulating and shouting "GO BACK - GO BACK" while at the same time these two cars were now trying to do a U-turn on this narrow and bumpy road. Reversing back up the road was out of the question. Fortunately for us there was a small clearing on the side of the road so we managed a U-turn while the little red car, also trying to do a U-turn, had got stuck against a rock. By know the ellie had merely walked across the grid as if it did not exist. More panic as nothing slowed the ellie down. It was as if he was on a mission and that mission was to come straight at us.

We have never seen three figures jump out of a car so fast and remove the rock from under the car. Memories of those old Charlie Chaplin movies. While they were doing this we took the gap and managed to shoot past them and bump our way out at high speed to the main road. A quick glance back revealed that the little red car was right up our exhaust pipe while the ellie was calmly munching on a tree about 30 metres off the road and nowhere near where we had been.

We stopped to catch our breath and watch the ellie as the little red car sped part us in a trail of dust.


Faith is the bird that feels the light while the dawn is still dark. Author unknown.
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