Flavour of the Month: October / November 2017 - S50 Kanniedood Dam Road - Shingwedzi-Mopani Dirt Road

[Lisbeth]

Nice pics

[Flutterby]

[Richprins]

Pumbaa summer 2013:


https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 1&start=70

The further we drove at last on the S50 Northwards the more thicker the vegetation got and the mopane bushes finally made it difficult to spot something in the distance but that is something I like about Kruger the changing vegetations on the same road between only minutes. So the further we drove the quieter it got but this lovely juvenile bateleur on top of a bush made us stop again.



We dared to pay a visit at the Shibavantsengele look out although the road leading to same did not look that trustworthy



and was surrounded by thick mopane bushes - Just to give you an impression!



The view from the look out was indeed nice but besides mopane bushes as far as the eye can reach nothing else could be seen. Somehow we were happy to be back on the S50 as same was by far easier to drive than the bumpy washed out road which leaded to the look out. It did not take long then we reached Grootvlei and there our drive on this road was finished as from here the road further North was finally closed but gladly we could pay a visit at the dam itself



which was extreme full and compared to the only one time we have ever been there where there only was a mud puddle left it looked so beautiful and totally different and simply lovely with so much water left.

[Richprins]

From a 2013 aat report:


https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... =46&t=1591

We were staying in Mopani, always been a special place for us because of all the great sightings we have had in this area. It was very early when we left the gate and like always the decision “where to go”. Let’s go to Mooiplaas waterhole first, may be we see a tusker ?
Still waking up in the car, a bit yawning and nothing near the waterhole. So let’s move on to Tihongonyeni. Following the road for a few minutes and huhhhhh…. Still sleeping or is it real…. A cheetah just near the road

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A male cheetah and just in front of us… deciding to get on the road.

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Well, nothing better to do so let’s follow this guy and see what he is going to do
With open windows we could hear him calling… another cheetah around ?
I remember that I have seen two of them in that same area more then a year ago so what happened…
He went to a roadsign and was sniffing around.

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Always nice to see him on the roadsign

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Sniffing and looking around and calling…. We really got the impression he lost his friend / brother

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and more close up

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Off the roadsign and walking on the road again… such a wonderful sighting just for our eyes..
I was just thinking… such a sighting in the south and many cars around you.. this is what I like in the north …

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On his was to another roadsign

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Mhhhh sniffing… was my friend here ?

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No…no sign of him so what to do…. I have to think about the situation

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and searching for a place to think…..

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As a good cat the best way to think is laying down

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Yawning is good for activating my brains….


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and again….

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Let me roll on my back … maybe I can think even better this way….
** I must say we have seen cheetah’s many times but never seen one posing this way… we had to laugh thinking about our cats at home doing this almost daily. One of the funniest cheetah pictures I could make so far**

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After some thinking I know where to go so time to stand up again and going to the place my friend might be…I hope…

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Well… after a long time following this beautiful Cheetah he went into the bush. What a start of the day in Mopani. Not a sighting you normally expect in this area.

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As said… this is part I of the Big Cats (Cheetah). This story about this Cheetah will be continued later on….

Preparing these pictures I still have to think about his calling for his friend… I am curious if he found him again.

[Richprins]

Ok, we just arrived in Shingwedzi. Great area for tuskers, one of the reasons for us to go to Shingwedzi.
Late afternoon, one hour for closing time and and I decided to have one more drive to Kanniedood-dam… don’t kow why…but my “feelings” told me to go there. I hoped to see a tusker in that area or in the riverbed.

Well, NO tusker appeared and looking at my watch I said to myself…till the “corner” and then back. Just a few hundred meters before the “corner” to the right I saw something moving in the smaller bush near the road.
Yeppppp…… Leopard !


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What beauties are they. It’s great to see him so close-by. Realizing this does not happen so many times.

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I tried to convince him to stay a bit longer, but no… leopard did not listen at all

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And like in first story here… a last look at his tail before he disappeared into the bush.

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[Richprins]

Going back south we stayed some time in Mopani and to our surprise we met some Reedbuck close to the Nshawu area. We have never seen them there and thinking about it, we have seen them before in kruger but not that often. Very nice antelopes and this one was showing his friendly way of posing.

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A bit later we saw more members of the Reedbuck family. The male showed another possibility of being friendly to us.

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The females of the family were posing more as ladies !!

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and

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[Richprins]

From a 2011 lowveldboy tale:


https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 3&start=10

My route was turn right towards mooiplas waterhole, where the Impi's was recoverng after a long night, and then down past the experimental burn plots. At burn plot 1 I was busy reading when I had this strange feeling I was being watched. We all know that feeling, and it is usually true, and this was no exception ...



I was being watched, AWESOME!!!!!! I drove closer, and then they posed for me - Double Sphinx (well almost)



mommy showed up not too much later ..



and then some close-up of mum, that did seem to suffer from mange.





and a close up of baby ...



I arrived at the junction and headed north up the S50 past the Nshawu pans. It is such a lovely area of the park, and one of my favourites. In Nshawu 2, an empty pan that was going to prove very profitable over the next few day ...



My 1st Tsetsebe of the trip, and I loved it. I turned onto the S143and getting close to Thiyongeni found a Kori bustard, If only I knew about my Kori sighting later on in the trip.



I love Kori bustard, then again I love all living creatures (even mods ). At the waterhole, the usual Zebra's and Blue Wildebeest was around as well as some more Tsetsebe. I also had mu 2nd Mother/Child combo for the day ...

[Richprins]

Then As I turned onto the S50, another Parent Baby combo. I have seen planty of ostiches in the past, the 1st ever for the youngsters though.





Just before I reached the tar road, a nice potential tusker ...

[Richprins]

This day I was moving up to Punda Maria, but not before visiting Tropic of Capricorn and Nshawu Waterholes.

Hyeana



Also a kill. The view was not great but some clear photo's





Also Reedbuck - always special ....



And the king of the hill ...

[Richprins]

From mposthumus:

September 2012 - Kanniedood Dam just after 7 in the morning, and raining "cats" and dogs!! But a great sighting non the less


On the match

Up with the riverbank

the 1st one

followed by the other two

Nice pose





And away they go . . . .

https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 2&start=30