The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Lisbeth]

It's very clever to keep your last TT going until the next trip starts!!

It has become a habit

[Pumbaa]

Lovely start.

We in fact saw a lot only on the bridge already

[Pumbaa]

Yay! Straight on to the next trip!

I wonder if the oxpeckers are eating ticks on the hippo? I know they do pick at the wounds for food!

Bad to see the water hyacinth there (Sylvinia). They are a real pest in the rivers!

Great pics and patience again!

I guess they doing it - I will try my best that this travel tale will not last that long but our springtime and summer is near over here so we do enjoy the time outside too.....

[Pumbaa]

A lovely start Pumbaa.

It's very clever to keep your last TT going until the next trip starts!!

It was tactic No, you are used to get one of our episodes once or twice a week so you will still get it

[Pumbaa]

It's very clever to keep your last TT going until the next trip starts!!

It has become a habit

[Pumbaa]

Friday, 13. February 2016 – Berg en Dal

Explored roads: S110 – S120 – H3 – S113 – S23 – S114 – S118 – HS – S110

Nothing better than the first full day and even the whole holidays lying ahead of you and you are standing with your brewing hot coffee in hand on the veranda noticing the bush is coming to life – Sigh! Unfortunately I could only sleep until 2.30 o’clock in the morning and was since then wide awake but did not feel tired – Obviously the excitement of what this first day will bring woke us already up that early as Timon also could not sleep any longer. When it was about time we left camp with opening time not to forget to switch the refrigerator completely off as same drove us also crazy that night with those strange noise – If same could not be switched on again when we came back from our drive later that day we had to report it to reception at least same still cooled the food over night.

Anyway we were excited to be back on the road and first animal we noticed today was a hyaena which for sure could be seen clearly as the normal high grass in that area was missing – Another one was a bit farer away and both were on a mission.



All the small water bridges which you had to cross on the way to Matjulu were empty (we in fact did not expect anything else) and at least the marabou storks were sitting on their usual sleeping places.



Besides a group of four still sleepy buffaloes the waterhole was deserted



at least the waterhole was still operational and also a relatively large mud puddle was left.



That area was already trampled down with no grass even sprouting and on top the ground was littered by poo piles the animals most likely elephants had “lost” so needless to say that the helmeted guinea fowls could be found there in a great number and all of them were extreme busy in digging those piles apart.



We waited a bit but as nothing more appeared we carried on to take the Steilberg road and where ever we watched the current drought could not be overlooked and was obvious everywhere.



At least it looked as if rain clouds were about to build up but the higher the sun came the less the clouds got.



A group of kudu ladies crossed the street and one late comer had to keep up with the others



due to the fact of the few vegetation on the bushes I cannot remember having ever seen that many kudus, steenboks and duikers as during this trip. At least now I know where the animals do hide when the park is green and lush they are there but very well hidden. Same appeared as well for the many warthogs which came across.

[Pumbaa]

One of the many fork tailed drongos had to be photographed



as well one of the banana birds



and for sure one of the lovely posing impala.



Then we arrived at a part of the park which obviously got a bit more rain as there it was still grass on the ground left and also the leaves on the bushes did not look that dried up as in other parts so it was more than lovely that we met two rhinos munching happily away.



Always love it when they pull a face like that!



We stayed a long time with them as on top they both were very calm and so Timon could take shot after shot





and even some extreme close ups. What amazing animals they are especially when they attentively jiggle their ears into nearly each direction.





Although the ground was a bit greener with each step they took they raised a lot of dust and sometimes we had to wait to carry on photographing as there was then dust everywhere.



to be continued.....

[Lisbeth]

Nice pics of the rhinos They do have some bones sticking out, but maybe they always have Not nice to see the drought

[Toko]

This bull has a recurved horn

[Richprins]

You don't have to go fast, Pumbaa!

What exactly did you two do in the sleepless hut then from 02h30?

Ja, the rhino are a bit skinny...