Browns in Kruger - April 2012 (JHB Clan) *

[Supernova]

Hi All;

We, the JHB Brown's, had a short trip in April 2012 for just 3 nights and as the booking was late we had to do a bit of moving.

20 April - Berg en Dal
21 April - Skukuza
22 April - Orpen

Friday 20th April 2012.

After a late exit from JHB, as the Friday morning traffic and road works did their best to make a 4 hour trip into a 6 hour trip. We arrived at Malelane gate at about 12h00. On the way into to Berg en Dal we came across this brave young chap.



His bravery did not last long, not sure if it is the size of the Discovery or the Kids laughing at him but he soon turned tail and took flight.



Just before the camp we ran into a roadblock of cars, lions had made a kill earlier in the morning and were still eating. It was no more than 20 meters from the road, but lions have this habit of killing in thick bush, with no consideration for the watching tourists.



We patiently had to wait our turn to get to the position where between the sticks and leaves we managed to get a view of the kill. The Discovery is a reasonably big block of a car that blocks an entire sighting, so we took a few photos and moved on to let others get a view.



Still too early for the 14h00 check in at Berg en Dal, we had lunch at the restaurant. Not something we usually do, as I'm never too impressed by the quality of the food, but today was different, the burger was actually quite good.

The Kids and I took a walk along the path in front of the restaurant taking pictures of lizards and bushbuck while Mel booked in for us.



Ater booking in and unpacking into our unit number 82 (FA6), which is a great unit along the fence line. There was a rustelling noise in the roof above the main bedroom, on investigation we discovered that this was obviously not going to stop during the night... as a squril had made its home in the thatch.



Time came for the evening drive and the consensus was to go back and check up on the lions just outside of camp on the S110. The main part of the pride were still on the kill deep in the bushes, this young guy took the effort to stroll past us for a photo.



ItI was not worth squinting through the bush at what we assumed was a lion, so we moved on down the S110 to do the loop along the S110 back to camp. This route has a great landscape to look at but we have never really been lucky with much game.

On the way back to the H3 we came across our cocky friend from earlier.



and somewhere else a Tank decided to block the road for 10 minutes.



Other than that the loop never disappointed us... great landscape and no game !!



So it was back to the lion kill, to see if anything had progressed. The lions were still there but with all the days effort with eating they were not moving much.



We did discover that what we had been told earlier was a Buffalo kill turned out to look more like a Kudu kill.



So back to camp it was for the evening braai and two hours on the phone solving work issues. The little monsters kept themselves busy seeing who could out irritate each other while Dad attempted to keep the peace, drink, smoke, braai and have an intelligent conversation on the phone.



To be continued...

[Supernova]

Saturday 21st April 2012

06h00 the next morning we were out the gate and on the way to Skukuza, we agreed to go down the S110 to the H3 (look at the lion kill AGAIN) and up to the Afsaal for breakfast the cut across on the S21 to the H4-1 and up past Nkuhlu to Skukuza.

Our first sighting on the way down the S110 was this Bateleur and a herd of Buffs





The lions had moved off the kill and were on the other side of the road, again trying their best to hide themselves.



We watched for a few minutes before they made their way off into deeper bush.



The kill was left to the birds, a few eagles and vultures.



Our smallest one is nicknamed Tortoise, so she is are always very happy to see one of these. We have a pet leopard tortoise that lives in our garden called Nelson.



in one of the river beds on the way up to Afsaal there was not much happening, except for this heard of Buffalo.



Breakfast complete and we moved on up the H3, it was 100 meters outside Afsaal when I spotted a Honey Badger lying on the road verge growling at the cars coming past. Slammed on the breaks and attempted to take a photo. But...

The window had not been opened yet and trying to turn around fast and take a photo behind the car, at 10 meters range with a 500mm lens, with a closed window did not work very well. This had me swearing and shouting, while trying to rub the dent in my forehead and the family in hoots of laughter !

Cailin was the only one fast enough to get a photo, and there is a badger somewhere in the centre of the picture below.



The most of the S21 delivered a few Zebra and an Elephants rear end.





At the end of the S21, just before meeting up with the H4-1 we came across the male lion and a female that had hidden herself in the grass.



He began a cleaning routine and showed everyone what must have been the longest tongue that we had ever seen.



At Nkuhlu a snake was cruising around the steps and we had to warn a few people not to stand on it. Two tour operators got into a heated discussion - one trying to tell their group it was harmless and the other telling their group it was deadly poisonous. We moved on.



On the way up the H1-4 to Skukuza we came across our next kill, a monitor had met its end in these claws.



We checked in at Skukuza; relaxed for an hour and took and evening drive down the H4-1, there was lots of general game but the only one of the big 5 we got was this Buffalo.



To be continued...

[Dewi]

I love the young Bateleur on the kill pic.

That Lion's tongue one is a great pic.

Always special to see a Martial Eagle, but on a kill is even better.

Had a look at the snake in my fieldguide. Closest II can find to it is a Western Stripep-bellied Sand Snake. If it is one, they are mildly venomous, but not thought to be harmful to Humans.

Didn't know there were three of you.

We were mugged in Budapest a few years ago - we nicknamed the culprit "Iron Gustav." Experience, but loved the city otherwise.

[Bushcraft]

That lion had a seriously long tongue

I think that Dewi is on the money with the snake ID

Flutts, I described sightings from Supernova’s August trip.

[Supernova]

Sunday 22 April 2012 (Morning)

We had a drive up to Satara and on to Orpen, so we started early and took the H4-1 to the H12, on to the H2-1 and up the H1-3 to Satara. Again our first sighting was a eagle.



At the H12 / H1-2 junction we were greeted by baboons and giraffe



followed a little further down the road by a single lion walking off towards the dam.



We had sightings of 2 of the big 5 on the way up to Tshokwane, which was still closed, so this meant a brief smoke break and back on the road. At one of the dams we got some pictures of ducks and a croc.





Just before the H1-3 meets the H6 we saw a single car parked on the right side of the road, pulling up next to it we saw what they were looking at.



The pride was down one of the no entry dirt roads and quite a way down the road, this picture was with full stretch of my 500mm lens.



while watching the lions, i got this picture of a Bateleur above us.



And this Kori Bustard behind us.



We arrived at Satara for lunch and the monsters went off to check the monkeys that were waiting to raid the tables, this only lasted a few minutes as one of them charged and the monsters came screeching back.



At lunch, we had an American guy at the table next to us who kept asking everyone that passed for a lift to Crocodile bridge the next day. Everyone seemed to be doing their best to ignore him, and he eventually found a young Indian tour group to chat to. Being America the whole restaurant heard the story on how he way hitch hiking through South Africa and was on his way to Mozambique, a few times over and over again....

Cailin thought that his pink shirt and matching pink socks were hilarious, wish we could have got a photo.

Lunch eaten and photos taken we were off to Orpen





To be continued.

[Supernova]

Sunday 22 April 2012 (Afternoon)


Nsemani dam was quiet except for these Saddle Bills



We turned up the S40 to Girivana Dam where this young amorous Giraffe did his best to get lucky without much success.



The continual failed attempts had the family laughing.





There was an elephant close by that was cooling off by spraying mud.



The Sanparks staff at Orpen were great and let us check in early. We had number 15 at the end of the camp, with a clear view of the waterhole. I was looking forward to the evening sightings.





The evening drive was back to Girivana Dam. Where we sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet.







On the way to camp back we found these two walking next to the road.



My evening watching the waterhole did not last long, firstly we had evening church singing from the staff village for the first hour, followed by more American friends who moved in next door and they TALK LOUD !! and had to recycle each and everything they used to cook supper, INDIVIDUALLY. That is 25 trips to the recycle bin, each one followed by a large "KLANG" and as the tin fell in the bin. Then the weather changed to a ice cold howling wind, which chased the Americans and me indoors. Maybe next time.


Next morning it was freezing, we still agreed to a morning drive to Satara for breakfast before heading home. The H7 was dead quiet, the cold had chased everything away except for these Zebra and a lone Baboon.





After breakfast, on leaving Satara, we came across our other American friend from the day before, still with pink socks, at the gate. It seems that his Indian friends had dropped him and he was standing there at the gate with a signboard "Croc Bridge”. We waved and continued on our merry way back to Orpen and Johannesburg.



A last picture of the waterhole while we were packing to leave.



Thanks for reading, sorry to have had to rush through the report and apologies to any Americans that I may have offended.

Garth and Family.