Vinkie and Apex Predator back in the bushveld*

[vinkie]

Satara to Lower Sabie



The next day we took the Satara-Orpen road to Nsemani Dam to check if the Leopard had returned.
Unfortunately it wasn’t there…

We took the S12 from Girivani dam to the H7 and returned to the dam again…by that time we met the Browns, who wanted to spot the Leopard too but in the meantime had seen some Lions at the H7 and H1-4 junction. We said goodbye because it was our last drive in the Satara area because we were heading to Lower Sabie.
On our way we saw:



We took the S100 for the last time and drove the S41 and S90






We returned at Satara Rest camp, packed our baggage and left for Tshokwane.

[vinkie]

We saw this Tusker:


We had a nice lunch at Tshokwane and took the Orpen loop, stopped at the View point and Apex Predator saw her first Boomslang(well I think it was one). It was sunbathing on top of the lookout building.




At Nkumbe View site on the H10 we enjoyed the African bushveld view.
Not long after we left Nkumbe we saw three Klipspringers




We continued on the H10 and saw our first Lions of the day doing their thing….sleeping.




An observing Kudu female and the mongoose seemed to be on the lookout.




We arrived at the Sabie bridge and got a nice view of the Sabie and the Rest camp.


We checked in and drove to our Bungalow nice and close to the perimeter.

We decided that we still had some time left for a late afternoon drive and took the H4-2 road to Crocodile Bridge, we took some detours stopped at the Ntandamyathi Hide hoping to see the resident Lion pack(unfortunately they had gone for a walk or something else.)
We had some nice sightings.










We rushed back to camp because it was getting dark and the gate was about to close.
We came across these Monkeys spotting something, we didn’t have enough time to wait and drove on, spotted a Porcupine but it took off before we could make a photo.




We had a nice Braai and some Castles…went for a walk, enjoying the view and the sounds.
Because it had been a long day we fell asleep soon after we got into our bed.

To be continued...

[vinkie]

Sorry for the delay but we have had some computer problems …..the TT will continue now…

Thank you steamtrainfan, Bush Brat, Flutterby, Mel, nan, Twigga, Heksie and Bushcraft for your kind words.
Bushcraft: we took another route that morning if we had left the camp a little later we could have encountered the Lions too…but we left early hoping to spot the Leopard….which we unfortunately didn’t see on our last day at Satara.

The next morning we left on our First morning drive in the Lower Sabie area.

It was a quiet drive, in the beginning we only saw some common game.


Just a few kilometers before we would reach the camp we saw this pack of Lions, because it was still very early the pictures didn’t turn out to be a nice as we hoped they would be.






At the end of the Morning Drive we saw our second Goliath Heron of this trip.


We also saw this Fish Eagle at Lubyelubye


After having breakfast on the Lower Sabie Restaurant deck, enjoying the view of the grazing Hippos we took off for another day of animal spotting.







On our way we saw a Giraffe.



We took the S21, got stuck in a roadblock because somebody claimed to have seen a Male Lion disappearing in to the bushes and all the cars were parked in all directions. After having zigzagged through the roadblock we reached the Stevenson-Hamiltion Memorial Tablet and enjoyed the wonderful view of the Bushveld.



Juvenile Harrier Hawk


We took the S114 and the H5(the Old Selati Rail Route, had some detours visted the Mpondo Dam and watched a huge herd of Waterbuck,.



We continued on the H4-2 and crossed the Sabie and went all the way to Mlondozi because we had heard that someone had seen Cheetahs on the S29, unfortunately we missed them.
Had a nice view of the Mlondozi Dam and continued our rote on the S29 and S128, here we spotted a massive herd of 100+ buffalo……









It was starting to get late so we followed the H10 to the Lower Sabie Low level bridge where we saw this collard Hyena and a young Crocodile.









A Marabou Stork was our last sighting of the day…




We had a nice meal at the restaurant and went to bed early.


To be continued…

[vinkie]

are you sure it's a Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene)... with red legs juv. or not

Your Harrier Hawk looks like a Pale Chanting Goshawk

oeps.... I think you are both right...I placed the wrong name with the bird sighting we had.....at least I know what bird it is now...

[vinkie]

Our last full day at Lower Sabie.

Today would be our last day at Lower Sabie before we would leave for Hluhluwe-Imfolosi Game Reserve the next day.

This morning we left camp and took the H 4-1 north to find these Giraffes




When we continued our trip back South we saw some offenders at Sunset Dam.


Saw this bird too


We drove on and took the S137, at the intersection of the S137/S28 we met another couple who informed us that on the S107 heading towards the Nhlanganzwani Dam there had been a Lion kill and that some Hyenas had been seen in the area too.
We headed in that direction and first encountered the Hyenas and a little further along the road we saw the Lions walking towards the Dam…..there was a roadblock of slowly driving cars that followed the Lions…after a while the Lions disappeared into the Bushes and we headed towards the Dam hoping for them to maybe arrive at the dam to drink......they didn’t.









We returned to the Kill site and took some more pictures of the Hyenas who had moved the carcass to the other side of the road…..the smell of death was awful.






We returned to camp had coffee and drove the S30 the Old Salitje Road hoping to find the Wild Dogs, when we crossed the Salitje we found this Hammerkop who had caught a fish.




Again we met a kind couple who informed us that he had seen two Sable Antelopes about 10k’s further on the road….we had to look at the right-hand side he told us…..we found them…it was a very special sighting…you don’t see two Sables every day.












Further on the road we saw these birds.






On the H12 we saw some guys with a Bulls flag wrapped over their car who got out of the car throwing thing into the river.


Saw a nice Kudu Family






We saw these Bushbuck too


We returned to the S30, came to a new roadblock, a Leopard had killed an Impala but apparently a Hyena had appeared and had stolen the kill. Because of the massive roadblock of three/four cars next to each other we decided to drive on….we didn’t see the Leopard….



When we arrived at the Lower Sabie bridge, we met with Bushcraft who imformed us that he had seen the Leopard and that he had managed to get some pictures….so lucky….


We went back to camp and headed to the restaurant deck to have a drink before we would have the Sunset drive. Tried my teleconverter on a Crocodile lying far from the camp.

[vinkie]

I got a sms from Heksie, Heksie and Wendy also came to the restaurant and we finaly met the two famous Kruger spotters …..we had some drinks and said goodbye, it would be nice to meet you both when we return to Kruger in the future.

At 16:15 we boarded the Safari truck and our Last Guided drive left the camp heading to Sunset dam.








We returned in the direction of the camp and took the no entry road had a wonderful Sunset and saw a couple of young Ellies.










We saw lot’s of animals(Hippo, Serval, Civet, Porcupine, Rhinos etc) but had some bad light users so we didn’t get many photos, we managed to get this civet.




Later this drive we saw two lions just before the camp on the S82.












After the drive we headed to bed early because we had a long trip ahead the next day….

To be continued…in the Travel Tales of KZN Parks section of the forum….after this detour, we will continue our trip in the Travel Tales of Kruger National Park section.

To be continued…

[vinkie]

Thank you all for your kind comments, we will leave KNP and travel to Hluhluwe-Imfolosi in Kwazulu Natal.

We also made a video of the Sable sighting

.

Our last drive in KNP to Crocodile Bridge Gate, after a three day detour in KZN we will return to KNP.

We saw a Side-Stripped Jackal but before we could take a photo it rushed into the bushes.

We did see this lonely old Male Lion and followed it for some time...before he went off-road.























Saw some common game, Giraffes, Impalas, monkeys.




We continued to Crocodile Bridge gate and took the road towards the Swaziland border.


We will continue our trip here in the KZN section of the Travel Tales and return after we did the Hluhluwe-Imfolosi part.

[Richprins]

Great stuff, Vinkie an AP!

Maybe that first raptor at the water is a juvenile fish eagle?

Great to see sable!

[vinkie]

KNP Part 2

After a long journey filled with potholes , customs and roadwork’s we arrived at Malelane Gate.





Just before we entered the Gate we saw our first Ellies.




Tortoise train


After having checked in at the gate we continued our route to Berg en Dal which would be our home for the next couple of days.



On our way we hoped to see the resident Leopard near the gate but unfortunately it seemed to have gone on a holiday…

When we arrived at Berg and Dal we were too early to be able to check in so we made a little stop at the Restaurant and the toilets and went for a drive to explore the area,
we hadn’t been in Berg and Dal before so it was very new to us…


We saw this Elephant




Steenbokkie




Jock of the Bushveld sign




An Ellie family in camoflage....




Kudu male trying the same


but finally we managed to get photo, Apex Predator is a real paparazzi


Distant Rhino


We were so captured by the new roads and the wonderful area that we had to rush back to camp not to arrive too late at the gate.
After checking in, confirming, our Morning Drive and doing some useful and necessary shopping we drove to our new house.


I must say I like the houses at Berg and Dal and the camp layout.

We had a meal and went to bed early, it had been a long day, and the next morning we would have our first Berg and Dal Morning Drive

To be continued….

[vinkie]

you speak about potholes... you come from J'burg by car

nan we returned back to KNP from our Hluhluwe-Imfolosi trip, and came through Swaziland over roads full of potholes.