The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Flutterby]

Poor animals with so little to eat.

[Alf]

Lovely pictures of the rhino's

[Pumbaa]

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

Those rhinos and all rhinos we saw looked still quite normal sized and not skinny

This bull has a recurved horn

It looked so, Toko

[Pumbaa]

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...

You are a bit too curious, Richprins - We read, day dreamed from Kruger already and then it was already time to get up

Poor animals with so little to eat.

As already said I felt guilty when watching those animals feeding on the remains of grass whilst I was eating cookies or something else - It did not tasted that well

[Pumbaa]

Lovely pictures of the rhino's

We had still more amazing sightings of the rhinos

[Pumbaa]

Although we had been flagged down by a driver who told us about a wild dog sighting only a couple of kilos ahead the road to Renosterpan is also always a must and it was great to see that the waterhole was still operational and the small lake was also relatively full and with the helmeted guinea fowls doing their job also here we notice a couple of Egyptian goose goslings running also around.



We looked everywhere but besides the already mentioned birds and the black smith plovers nothing could be seen and whilst Timone was already about to leave I shouted "Malachite" to him, as on a branch right beside our car only 2 meters away from where we stood a malachite kingfisher landed



and gladly stayed long enough so that Timon could capture same from nearly each side



as this little chap was only looking around to find out where this strange click click noise came from.



We already saw a malachite kingfisher last year here but same nearly kept hidden behind a branch the whole time as we in fact were more than thankful that this one landed so close as we also never see one of those amazing birds that close ever before.



Finally our colourful feathered friend took off and we also carrier on curious to see what surprise is hiding behind the next corner and this time it was a painted one.

We in fact had such an incredible luck in finding actually the already mentioned wild dogs and as normally at such sightings the safari vehicles plus a couple of other cars had piled up already as well and the doggies they laid down altogether directly on the road in the shade of the safari vehicles.



Funny is that when we do find wild dogs during our very first full day in the park then it is taking place in the vicinity where we found them today.





Needless to say that Timon already started to fire away with the camera as it was obvious that they might not lay forever on that road and actually when one safari vehicle left they altogether searched the shade of the next one and again cuddled up close to each other in the shade.



I always do love their interaction between each other and whilst observing them we started also to look around for more doggies and found them although very well hidden under or behind nearby bushes.



Within one minute the safari vehicles left and consequently the wild dogs started to get up and search for more shade on the roadside and joined the other members of their pack.

[Pumbaa]

It was already quite hot despite the early hour and as it was obviously a hard night as a couple of them were still very sleepy.





In that area it was also slightly greener than around Berg en Dal although the grass looked far higher and greener as it actually was



at least the bushes were green enough to provide enough shade as this was also not always guaranteed in other areas of the park this year. I love the all ears shot!



After finally all the doggies were hiding in the shade motionless and as most of the time it was only an ear visible it was also for us time to leave them but for sure what a wonderful way to spot them again already during our first full day in the park.

There were birds around such as this lovely European bee eater but they only occurred sporadically and not in the normal masses as normally in February so we were in fact happy about the few we saw and same for sure had to be photographed at length.



A short break at Afsaal was meanwhile urgently needed which thought all the other people obviously as well as this picnic spot was quite packed. Our usual ice cream break had to be heralded as well and on top it was simply great to get the legs a bit stretched as well as we still had to get used again to sit in the car nearly the whole day.

But that it is in fact no complain and we normally do not stay that long as we are far too excited that we might miss anything on the road especially on the first days of our stay so as soon as the ice cream had been eaten we are back in the car.

A group of impalas started already to position themselves under trees and bushes



but for us such conventions are always a brilliant opportunity to admire their beauty and to take hundred of portraits.....





Another must do drive on our very first day is always the Biyamiti loop and so same turned out to be another more than brilliant drive. Although the Biyamiti river was far drier than usual there were in fact some smaller and even larger puddles with water left and also the vegetation was not that sparse as in other areas so consequently lot of animals crossed our path. We saw giraffes, kudus,



and buffaloes





and even had our first lions during that trip at least a couple of lion bellies as they were only visible from one spot and they did not move a whisker but lions are lions and normally it always take a couple of days until we got out first lion sighting.



Due to the heat and distance we did not stay that long with them and instead carried on as it might still take hours until they might get up.

to be continued......

[nan]

wow Pumba

ready for the suite

[Flutterby]

Lovely doggie sighting and nice birdies.

[Lisbeth]

I just love the Malachite Kingfishers with their beautiful colours and the same goes for the European Bee-eaters

Great doggie sighting