Two Days in the Crater.

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nan
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by nan »

a good lesson for "stiffnecks" \O O**

magnificent pictures and birds ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^


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Penga Ndlovu
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Penga Ndlovu »

Nice shots bud.

I loke the green winged Pitylia.

\O \O \O


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Flutterby
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Flutterby »

I have to say that the Pilanesberg Camps and Centre do seem to have a greater variety of birds than Kruger camps. ;-)


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Amoli
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Amoli »

This is true for me Flutts.. I have seen lifers just sitting in my camp chair. \O


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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Flutterby »

\O


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Toko
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Toko »

^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ These birds are so beautiful!


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Bushcraft
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Bushcraft »

Awesome pics Dewi ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^


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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by PRWIN »

great photo's dewi \O


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Dzombo
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Dzombo »

Dewi, Great photos and some good sightings too. [O]


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Dewi
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Re: Two Days in the Crater.

Post by Dewi »

Thanks for all your comments here. Glad you are enjoying the bird photos. \O

I tend not to stay in camp too much when in the parks, but on this trip, we had to return at lunchtime for the meals tht were included, so had some time to wander around with the camera.

We saw quite a variery of Mammal species as well as birds. This was also one of the occasions that we drove by a Cheetah kill sighting. We approached Mankwe dam and noted lots of cars racing towards an area of grassland. We had no option but to try to get through the mele to get to where we wanted to go, and J and I steadfastly refused to look in the direction that everyone was gesticulating frantically at us from their cars. =O: I often wonder what these people thought as we weaved our way through and drove off along the track without a glance. :-? They must have thought that we were 0- We found out later that no one could actually see the Cheetah. Just the first car that saw the hunt in long grass. Everyone else that arrived watched the swaying tops of the grass for a couple of hours without even seeing a spot or tearmark, not even a tai-ltip. We made the right decision.

Eventually we found some Elephants browsing and drinking at the water's edge. There were two bulls who allowed us to sit there quietly watching them from close by. Further up the road, hidden from us, we could hear wild trumpeting and revving engines, so we drove along for a bit and came to a 90 degree bend in the road. As we came around, we could see below us in the dip that two bakkies were trying to cross a low-level bridge, but the bridge was occupied by a small herd of ellies. The bakkies kept advancing, revving wildly, but one of the ellies was having none of this and charged the vehicles repeatedly. they would reverse wildly at the onslaught and the ellie would back off and return to the bridge. We decided to go back to the two bulls and stay out of the way to give the herd on the bridge some space if they decided to come down the road in our direction. We reversed about 500 metres and had just settled down to watch the bulls again when an almighty trumpeting ensued and the small herd came charging towards us from around the bend in the road, followed by the bakkies that were revving and tooting behind them. We had no time to turn, so were reversing madly to get out of their way. Thankfully, the lead ellie turned off into the bush and the rest followed. As the bakkies came alongside, I glowered at them and J said something in Afrikaans which I did not understand fully, but got the gist of. 0= 0= 0=

The two Bulls.
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At the Pilanesberg Centre, we stopped to look at a Giraffe and calf at the salt lick, and also watched as another took a drink from the waterhole.

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Along one of the higher tracks in the hills, we found a Warthog and his companion.
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While this unicorned Springbok rested in the vegetation close to Mankwe Dam.
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A pod of boulders snoozed the day away at one of the waterholes.
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And Impala were heading down to the water to drink.
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Blue Wildebeest were also present.
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And a lone young Waterbuck watched us as we pulled alongside for a photo or two.
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A Suricate watched us nervously.
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Then continued to dig for food when he decided that we were no threat.
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He refused to stand up in the alert pose for me though. :-(

Some more birds next....


Dewi

What is the good of having a nice house without a decent planet to put it on? (H D Thoreau)
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