The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Mel]

I always appreciate a good bird episode And the bulbul doing its aerobics is particularly great

[Richprins]

Ja, the animals are a bit scarce sometimes after rain, Pumbaa, except for the tortoises!

Sunbirds very difficult indeed to take a pic!

Lots of hippo indeed in the dam there!

[Dewi]

Lovely bird pics Pumbaa. I really like the wahlberg's one.

[Pumbaa]

welcome back
wow lot of birds, small and big
my prefered ... the Woodland

and the "dirty" road


for continuing

It was in fact a day for birding

Welcome back, Pumbaa! I hope that you had a rain free Danish holiday

Lovely birdies and also the scenery with and without giraffe

The bulbul is having a heat time

The weather was this year amazing, Lisbeth, but the Baltic Sea was a bit cold with only 16 degrees......At the end of our holiday the water had 19 degrees

[Pumbaa]

I always appreciate a good bird episode And the bulbul doing its aerobics is particularly great

Without my coloured friends it is definitely not a good trip to Kruger so we were happy that we saw despite the drought many different birdies

Ja, the animals are a bit scarce sometimes after rain, Pumbaa, except for the tortoises!

Sunbirds very difficult indeed to take a pic!

Lots of hippo indeed in the dam there!

Yes that dam was still carrying a lot of water - At least it rained about which we were extreme happy during that drought

Lovely bird pics Pumbaa. I really like the wahlberg's one.

The sky was still a bit grey but we definitely could not complain

[Pumbaa]

Another wahlberg in a tree came across



and a zebra herd crossed the street and one needed an urgent itch





and more arrived to check out all the fuss



and needless to say that the zebras were now waiting in line to be next at that rubbing post! At least it was funny to watch all of them.



As nothing more came across and it was still extreme early we still wanted to drive around the high water bridge and return via the Sand and Sabie river causeways so after only a short break in camp we headed forward but once again it was now raining again heavily but the green backed heron we spotted in the Sabie river whilst checking out one of the many loops on the H4-1 did not bother and for sure each single drop of rain was urgently needed.



On the high water bridge a traffic jam had already built up and it took quite a while until we discovered the culprit – A lone male lion was sleeping on a rock in the riverbed a bit farer away but we even could capture same – He still looked extreme sleepy and also the still falling lighter rain did not bother him



and whilst standing on that bridge and observing the lion it suddenly started to clear up and the sun started to win the battle against the clouds and it got lighter and lighter



as not much happened we did not stay that long at that sighting although we were again happy to found in that area a lion again as it was already a couple of years ago when we found lions in the vicinity of the Sabie or Sand rivers as in earlier years this was a regular sighting here. As the S30 was lying just around the corner I wanted to drive a bit on that road again at least as long as same is leading along the river.

[Pumbaa]

Needless to say that we met no sable there today but nevertheless that drive along the loops was again lovely as we found a nyala male with his harem.



It was great to already found these antelopes that far South again as normally at least for us same only occur in the North. He needed an urgent itch and was rubbing his head and horns on the ground and a smaller one was also around and same was simply to gorgeous



and looked very much like “Bambi”



We enjoyed the break at that loop extremely and still could observe the little nyala feeding on something



whilst he unfortunately kept for the rest of the sighting hidden.



A safari vehicle appeared and was asking what we are watching although you only had to look into the bushes and you would have seen the nyalas. We replied but they immediately disappeared again obviously they were not interested in one of the most beautiful antelopes on Earth.

We still continued a bit and stopped for a fish eagle in flight,



a grey lourie feeding on figs,



buffaloes returned into the bush after they quenched their thirst in the river



whilst the impalas were still busy in doing so.



to be continued...

[Flutterby]

Bambi is very cute. Nice lion sighting too.

[Lisbeth]

Cute little Bambi and daddy looks like a big guy

[Richprins]

Stunning pics in the overcast conditions again, Pumbaa!

A colleague of mine saw the sable there again on Sunday!

S-30 has the most restful loops, even in busy times!