ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta *

leachy
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:04 pm

:) :) :) :)

so............

my first two weeks were over and i had to leave for a few days

to detox and spend some time around the festive season table...

(somehow that makes no sense at all)

the day i left it was very overcast and dull

which brought out the "flying ants" and the feeding frenzy

that goes with it.

another catch 22 situation..........

an overcast day = flying ants = lots of birds..........but no lighting for any decent quality photos......

a sunny day = no flying ants = no feeding frenzy........ but ideal lighting for photos....

oh well...... :? :? :? :?

here are the photos of bee-eaters and starlings and doves and quelea having a feast.......


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and a pretty little wild flower ........................

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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:49 pm

:) :) :) :)


so ............

two weeks in the park have passed

i pop off home to get my clothing washed

and to "do the christmas thing"

then.......................

:D :D :D :D

due back for the next leg of my interaction with the ants and elephants and turds and terrapins

starting at punda on the 1st of january...

0Y 0Y 0Y 0Y


i arrived at the phalaborwa gate at about 06:00 on new year's day expecting to be caught up in the throngs of day visitors

to my amazement and delight :shock: :shock:

i arrived, parked, walked up to the desk

"choeff chaff " and that was sorted.............

i think there were about 4 cars in the parking lot

and i drove through the "overnight" gate while the couple of day visitors cars were being searched.

my first stop was sable dam ,where i saw what i am certain, are squacco heron.......


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a "lifer" for me

from there i moved on along the h14

and stopped for a close up observation of this "wrinkley grey one".......


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"nandaza" had a splattering of water

and i was astounded at the height of these foam nest frog nests from the water......

there must be some seriously agile reptilian predators around here.


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i am used to seeing these just above the water designs.....


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also evident was the symbiosis between turd and terrapin

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and the relationship between two terrapins (nudge nudge,,, wink wink) on their own little "turd island".

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a journey on the h14 will be incomplete without taking the

short detour along the shivulani near "ngobeni"......


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one is tempted to just park off on the grass and have a picnic.....

just what i needed at that time of the morning because......

i am sure that the zamalek draught that they shoved down my neck

in copious amounts the previous night

at the buffalo restaurant in "phalagat" was off

Ox Ox Ox

i had to stop and observe this interesting looking scat......

i think that the light colour is consistent with a high calcium diet ......

but what is fascinating is the formation.........

i have never noticed the rounded medallion shapes joined together before......


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
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Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:13 pm

:) :) :) :)

so as i looked up from the little turds

i saw what i think is a brown snake eagle

staring at me as though i had been "smoking labrador poops"


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so.... i drifted along in the muggy heat ..........

this chap under the tree seeking shelter from the midday sun at bowerkop

seemed to establish the mood of the entire area.......

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and so i continued into the tropics

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i think the only evidence of movement between mopani and shingwedzi

was this, what i think is a juvenile something or other..........


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eventually i arrived at shingwedzi

expecting the worst new year's day chaos..........

as i entered the gate i noticed the people and the braai fires..

and.. at the parking bays outside the shop were three field rangers

all decked out with their fire arms directing wayward "people carriers" that were looking for parking

to the new picnic site just outside the gate....

(i had not even noticed it) :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

there was hazard tape and clear signage outside the reception area

that all the parking there was reserved for shingwedzi overnight guests...

i was amazed at the calmness and quiet...........

:shock: :shock: :shock:

that was shingwedzi on new year's day.... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^

well done sanparks !!!!!!!!!

as i was leaving the camp i witnessed the first evidence of people leaving their cars.

two "bakkies" had stopped right outside the gate and opposite to the entrance to the new picnic site

and a few very hot and perspiring passengers emerged from out of the canopy to gaze at these ellies in the river bed.....


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i mentioned to them that they might be fined lots of money should they be noticed by the sanparks officials.

and i pointed them in the direction of the new picnic site.

they responded very apologetically and thankfully

and climbed straight back into those "canopy ovens" while wiping their glistening brows....


i continued on towards punda maria

and stopped at boyela only to see this little chripy brown job.....


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and just after babalala i noticed evidence of the recent rains that had fallen in the northern parts........

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just before the punda turn off on the h13-1

i stopped to snap this, what i think is a, pale chanting goshawk who had just finished an afternoon snack.....


thanks dewi........ dark chanting indeed !!!!!!!!

i think it was me who was pale at that stage..........


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:10 pm

:) :) :) :)


so having got to punda maria i set off onto the "mahogony" loop

that first little water hole on the left when taking the northern entrance

used to be a favourite extended stop a number of years back before

we "discovered" teba........

it still is a hive of activity..........


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and has that enchanting atmosphere of

"let's have a picnic here"

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the entire area is so inviting and lush.

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i rumbled off down the road to the witsand waterhole

i always think of the cape when i see the name "witsand"
but i understand the name derives from the white sand that was unearthed while the borehole was being sunk


which, i think, has been out of commission as an artificial water source

for quite some time now, however, after the recent rains there seemed to be a bit of water in the "crib"

i sat at the loop at end of the road next to a puddle of water

where the brown-veined white butterflies where lined up next to the edge

like windsurfers at blaaubergstrand......


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and just watched and waited for whatever might appear...

after a while i heard a splash in the puddle........

then i heard them.........

woodies !!!!!!!!!


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at first i thought i had found the source of where "brown-hooded" kingfishers are created..........

but, despite repeated attempts...................

these two never managed to keep any of the brown shades from the puddle on their plumage.....


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then they were gone ..........................

leaving the butterflies staring in amazement.............................


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:00 pm

:) :) :) :)


so........

it was time to head for the enchanted forest !!!!!!!!!

0Y 0Y 0Y 0Y

at the gate at 04:30 and on the asphalt headed north as the gravel route s 60 was in a shocking state

(let us not blame the cross-border commuters for this as well)...

a strategic stop with a tree as foreground....


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then behold...........

:shock: :shock: :shock:

we have arrived......


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i took the border post road to crooks corner,,,

stopping only for this spider web


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and i was there...............

with the sun still fairly gentle on the trees.....


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to my extreme joy the limpopo was as full as i had encountered it in july and last january.......

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there were a few fellows going about their morning chores

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and the bee-eaters were busy enjoying an easy breakfast snack.....

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while the open bills were gathering

on a sand bank near the island on the opposite side of the river


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after about an hour i left for a meander down to the levhuvhu

passing this huge billed lappet


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and this white-fronted feeling a bit out of place amongst these european tourists

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some carrion seekers

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an inquisitive monitor

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and then this amorous bull and his ewe

who almost stumbled off his mate in a moment of ecstasy....


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or was it because he had more than one pecker throughout the entire process ?????

never the less he seemed to savour the conquest in the air......


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:37 pm

:) :) :) :)


so....... once the saxophone tunes had died down

i moseyed along the road westwards towards the pafuri picnic spot.

i pulled over at the last short loop on the right overlooking the levhuvhu

across from the intersection with the dirt road

that heads south to the border post black-top road.

i had my camera focussed on the river where there was quite a bit of avian activity.


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after a short while a duo 4x4 double cabs

with raised suspension, winch, desert dueller tyres, local registration plates and a snorkel

pulled up alongside me ............

the man in the white vest at the wheel hollered out

"haai !!!!.......... watse lens he jy daa ??"

loosely tranlated..... that means something like......

"shark !!!!........ what lens have you got there ??"

i gave him the technical jargon

to which he replied.........

"jislaaik........maa djy kan sommer daai puisie oppie krokodil se neus afneem"

loosely translated..... that might mean something like

"good gracious ........but i am certain that you are able to photograph the pimple on the crocodile's nose"

to which i tried, in my best afrikaans to explain...

"nee..... ek probeer daardie byevangers afneem"

loosely translated..... that might mean something like

"no.....i am attempting to photograph the "bee-catchers" ......."


Ei Ei Ei

now here is the thing.........

the way that these bee-eaters take a bath is quite radical


:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

it reminded me of an apprentice skimmer.

as it skims over the water

and suddenly tilts its head to one side stabbing the surface with its bill

and tumbles head-over heels

(do birds have heels????)

into the water

where it thrashes about briefly.....

before flying off again....


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all this activity left me quite weary so i headed for the picnic spot

and the reminders of february 2000

by this time my "flood level" was also cause for concern.......


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amazing to think it was twelve years ago !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


i eventually arrived at the bridges over the levhuvhu

and greeted the river


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it is concerning to see that these trees on the south eastern bank seem to be dying

as they are losing their foliage rather evidently


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there was also evidence of richprin's last visit to the bridge.......

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and the skies above as always host to a variety of locals.

the juvenile "mountain rooster"


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the lesser striped swallow

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the little swift

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not too sure if this is also the lesser striped swallow

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and the brown veined butterfly.......

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i decided to head back to punda

to see if the woodies would return to witsand

saw this kill on the way.


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and when i got to witsand only the windsurfers

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the emerald-spotted wood-dove

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and what i think is the southern masked-weaver

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where at the puddle.......

so i made my way back to camp as the resident buffalo herd was settling in for the evening....


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:20 pm

:) :) :) :)


it would be my last day in this part of the world (until 30 september !!!)

so i hit the road early and aimed the outlander for the limpopo.....

just before the crooks corner turn off i greeted this guilty looking fellow

"hi heena !!!!"


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he looked as though he had just been caught with his "hands in the cookie jar"

he never stopped to chat, but just kept on slinking away so i bade him farewell

"bye heena !!!"


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now.......

there is always a sense of excitement when you get to the final section of road leading towards crooks corner.

that last section is narrow and twisty and lush..........

you never know what you might bump into along the way


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and of course..... the arrival at the end is like opening a present.........

no matter how many times you have been there in the past few days....

and today was a contrasting day


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there was even a delegate in the parking lot from the limpopo branch of the

"anc insect league", all dressed up in the party colours, to welcome me .........


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above me was, what i think is an alpine swift,

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and a couple of egrets

heading towards mozambique..................


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then i heard a loud splash in the river and was just too late to capture the culprit...

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but i did manage to observe this pied king fisher busy with his morning routine

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and then............................................................................................

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

no prizes for guessing ..................................................................

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

it was butterfly-breakfast time...........................

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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:30 pm

:) :) :) :)


so................. i left crooks corner for the last time during this trip

and already started looking forward to 29 september...

i figured i would take one last visit to the bridge

under the watchful eyes of what looks like the white-backed vulture.

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while still under the canopy i spotted this chap who looks like he stole the tow-bar cover from the double cab of a blue bulls supporter

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and this lone "emo-chicken"

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once in the clearing......... this meve's starling was busy foraging in the sand..

(i don't know where meve was ???)


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next to the levhuvhu... this family of common and garden hadeda ibis seemed to be busy with a planning discussion about the upcoming daily activities

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further along the road is some evidence of some quite extensive foliage damage that had to be trimmed and moved aside to clear the road........

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otherwise the enchanted forest still had its charm......


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while at the bridge i met mr and mrs hankey

(of south park fame)

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and their family with their happy faeces

:D :D :D

just standing about doing what solid shitizens do, ...........i guess.......................


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en route back to punda these two guineafowl were having relationship issues

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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sat May 05, 2012 1:10 pm

:) :) :) :)


last night at punda............

:( :( :( :( :( :( :(

i always miss punda..........

:( :( :( :( :( :( :(

took the "mahogany" loop to witsand to see if perhaps the woodies would return to splash about in the "chocolate sauce"

had to snap this interesting looking insect on these pretty white blossoms....



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the buffalo were hanging about maritube as usual...

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but they seemed a bit edgy at times

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and so content a second later.
perhaps buffalo have the animal version of bipolar disorder ??????

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i got to witsand,, and found some bare bellied beverage clutching folks

in a 4x4 double-cab with raised suspension, snorkel, winch and "desert duelers"

had parked directly over the woodies splash pool,


:evil: :evil:

however, i figured,,, that with their concentration span they would not be there for long

and after 4 seconds they moved off in search of the big five......

i parked strategically in wait for the woodies....

voila .............

:D :D :D :D

they had come to say goodbye ................................


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and of course the emerald spotted residents also made an appearance at this community amenity....

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i could now settle down in my little garden

with my own cool beverage and r2d2 to keep me nourished

as i marvel the passing parade of rowdy, barefoot, sweaty visitors

heading for the shop to stock up with ice and coke,

clad only in a pair of rugby shorts and a "bush hat"............


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the future is not what it used to be
leachy
Posts: 2918
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:17 pm
Country: rsa
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Re: ants and elephants, turds and terrapins & other silly ta

Post by leachy »

Posted by leachy on Sun May 06, 2012 6:58 pm

:) :) :) :)


so.... i left punda maria and headed south along the h1-7......

a purple roller had just picked up breakfast and decided to have take-aways


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so off he went.

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a short while later i came across this decent looking fella.

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i found him near "babalalalala".......

so maybe that's who he is ?????


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a lone mother and her foal ??????????

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boyela always seems to have a resident jumbo utilizing the concrete dam...

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i never took the chance to have a look at the new day visitors centre at shingwedzi when i passed through there on new year's day

so i popped in to have a squiz


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they even have their own kiosk !!!!

quite exposed, but after a few years maybe so more trees would have established themselves.


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still going south on the h1-6

these stunning trees


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and elephant activity in the shingwedzi river.....

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this scat was on top of the signboard to the old main road loop

and it looks very similar to the scat i photogrphed near ngobeni on new year's day


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any ideas of its source ????

( i know it is squeezed from a sphincter muscle......... i would like to know who that muscle belongs to !!)


at a stop on the mingerhout loop overlooking the confluence of the letaba and tsendze

was this very disciplined family of elephant crossing the tsendze.

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note how they keep their rigid formation throughout

and even after having crossed the river they still seem to keep a structured formation.....

good to see families that still have that structure in their lives.....


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they had barely moved out of view when another group appeared in the river bed

in contrast to the previous group this one was more of a scattering

as they loosely made their way up the far embankment

probably one of those modern liberal families.........


:roll: :roll: :roll:

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a short stop on the letaba bridge were this b/t was sunning himself

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and the late afternoon spider web

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and then off to camp..........

an interesting sight were these bundles of mopani trees

having been cut and bundled on the side of the road.....


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i wondered if it is part of a verge clearing exercise that would assist road users on this busy stretch in seeing any animals that might be on the roadside

or.... if it is merely an economic process of harvesting firewood for the local communities....


just before camp is this secluded little water hole with the same characters in it as when i was there last year...

anyone who was at letaba in december will remember them..........


:shock: :shock: :shock:

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eventually i arrived at letaba and i could soak up the view of the river from my garden cottage

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:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D


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