Brown's in Kruger July 2012 *

[Bushcraft]

10th July Olifants to Skukuza

We had a plan this morning to duck off as early as possible towards Satara with the hope of finding more game in that area and spend some time that side before moving back to Skukuza.

I got overexcited the previous evening with the Gin, so I wasn’t overly keen on sticking to the plan when the alarm clock went off, but eventually got moving and we were the 2nd out the Olifants gate.

We drove 10 meters and the Cow started shrieking “Hare, Hare”, which confused the heck out of me, however I eventually got up to speed and managed a pic just before it ducked into the bush.



As we turned onto the S92 it started getting seriously misty and freezing, so the pink scarf went back around my head and we had to drive slowly because I couldn’t see that far in front of the vehicle.

A few 100 meters after joining the S91 something moving at pace in the mist towards us caught my eye, so I slammed on brakes, which caught all in the car by surprise, so everyone went flying.

The Cow was about to grease me when she spotted the steamroller charging across the road just in front of us and the thunder face turned to one of shock.

A hippo had obviously been out for a chow during the night and had gotten a fright when hearing our car and decided to roar off back to the water. If I hadn’t slammed on brakes he would have hit the side of the car.

We sat still in the car for a few minutes absorbing how lucky we had been and then moved on.

All were very attentive now and the charging hippo in the mist mission was on, but I knew that we were moving away from the water now; however, because things were quiet I didn’t say anything.

By the time we hit the H1-4 the mist was so thick we couldn’t see more than a few meters in front of the vehicle, which was a first for me in Kruger and highly irritating, because it was freezing cold, everything in the car was getting wet and we certainly couldn’t see any animals.

We continued on at a snail’s pace and the mist only started to lift about 10km from Satara, but by that stage my lip was hanging on the steering wheel.

A few minutes later the Cow shouted “Burchell’s”, so I stopped as I was desperate for anything by that stage.



Around the next bend we found some cars stopped on the side of the road and immediately spotted a kill in the tree. A zebra junior had been taken out by a leopard, but the leopard was no longer around.

I asked a few people and the leopard was supposedly in the long grass somewhere at the base of the tree, so we stayed another 15 minutes trying to spot it and then moved on.



We stopped at Satara for a loo break and to decide on the next plan of action, but after 10 minutes we still hadn’t decided, so left Satara without a plan, which always causes me big stress.

At the H7/S100/H1-3 intersection I stopped the car, so the Cow started “What now?” “I’m waiting”, “FOR WHAT!”

About a minute later a car approached from the H7 side, so I started up and much to the Cow’s embarrassment, semi blocked him off, which also seemed to give him a fright.

I then proceeded to interrogate him about where he had come from and what the morning sightings had been like. They had only seen a few impala all the way from Orpen.

By this stage I think that the Cow was trying to hide under the dashboard, but I had the information we needed about the H7, so went back to our ambush spot and waited for someone to come down the S100 or H1-3.

This got the Cow seriously excited “Just chose a route now!!” I gave it another few minutes and no victims arrived, so turned down the S100.

The first 14km of the S100 produced bird after bird, so the Cow was happy, but my lip had extended past the steering wheel, as I have never really managed to get into the bird thing.





About 6km before the end of the S100 we found a car stopped on the side of the road and as I pulled up next to them they shouted “a leopard just crossed and is somewhere in the riverbed.”

My lip instantly straightened, but after driving slowly for 2 minutes scanning the bush, realized that a massive amount of luck would be required to spot him again, so we left our leopard spotters and continued on.

About a 1km further up the road a small inlet overlooks a tiny patch of water, so we decided to pull in and join two other cars whose occupants were doing some bird watching.

As I switched the car off, I spotted him and shrieked “Leopard, where’s the camera!!” The Cow started “where, where, where” and then passed the wrong camera again, which resulted in hysterical shrieking from me, because I have learnt over the years that sometimes you only have a few seconds to get a shot off.

The guy in the car next to us had turned in his seat to see what all the commotion was about and I watched him nearly spill his coffee as he spotted what was coming down the riverbed towards us.

Fortunately the leopard was is no rush.



The leopard stopped for about a minute scanning the little patch of water and then decided to cruise across in front of us.





He stopped again at the water and took his time checking the scene out before having a drink.



It seemed like he drank for minutes, but suddenly stopped, stood up and moved off out of sight down the riverbed.



To be continued

[Mel]

See, that's what others get when they are into birding: A stunning sighting of a leopard!!!

But I still appreciate the Burchell's, the saddle-billed and the fish eagle.

[Bushcraft]

10th July Olifants to Skukuza continued

My teeth were hanging out again as a leopard is our favourite animal, so we sat jabbering for a few minutes until I suddenly remembered that there’s another inlet just up the road, so roared off in a panic that direction.

The leopard didn’t play the game though and had obviously moved off between the two inlets, so we continued on towards Gudzani Dam.

There wasn’t much happening at Gudzani, so I decided to head up the S41 for a few km as that section to the north of the dam often produces, but it was going back in the opposite direction to Skukuza, so I announced “Only a few km” as I knew that the Cow was giving me the hairy eyeball.

It only took a few km to produce these 3 guys relaxing in the shade.



The cheetah were lying down and didn’t seemed that interested in moving, so we decided to just sit back and wait.

About 20 minutes later a few zebra came cruising past on the other side of the road and this seemed to get the cheetah’s attention, but it didn’t last long





After sitting with them for a few more minutes, we decided they weren’t going anywhere, but we had to get going, as we still had a long way to go, so decided to head back in a southerly direction.

When we arrived at the S100 turnoff again I asked if anyone needed the loo and all seemed fine, so I decided to duck back down the S100 towards the H1-3 as the H6 has never been a favourite of mine.

The first few km produced a few locals that weren’t hanging around earlier





Back at the inlet where we had seen the leopard earlier, this ellie was trying to find some shade and a little further on his big brother was cruising around.





The rest of the S100 produced a few more locals and the majority of the H1-3 was quiet until just before Tshokwane where we found two cars on the side of the road, but we couldn’t figure out why they had stopped, so I again decided to pull up next to them and ask “What’s up”

The 1st crowd ignored me and then pulled off, but the other car moved up next to us and told us that there were some lion in the riverbed.
They were difficult to see, so we hung around a few minutes until a couple of them popped their heads up.





Tshokwane was very busy and we were all very hungry, so the mood was deteriorating rapidly, but the wallet was a little thin on cash and we still had bacon and eggs in the cooler, so I hired a skottel and we tried to find a peaceful spot to cook brunch.

I was hanging for a beer and the fact that our neighbours were sneaking off to the car and pouring beer into normal cups wasn’t helping my pelican, so I started moaning about the rules to the Cow, but if I had a plan I would have also sucked one down.

To be continued

[Bushcraft]

10th July Olifants to Skukuza continued

It was now the middle of the day and things were beginning to heat up, which was a welcome change from the freezing cold morning, so all jackets came off and the mood improved as all stomachs were full.

We stopped in at Leeupan and the first thing that I noticed was that the road had been sorted out, which was good to see.

Hawkeyes shrieked about 50m in about a strange bird that she had never spotted before, but by the time I had stopped and reversed it was gone, so the stories continued on for 10 minutes about “This rare opportunity that we missed”, so I wasn’t popular.

The pan produced a couple of buffalo and a lone ellie that had arrived for a drink.





Things were relatively quiet on the H1-2 until just past Mantimahle Dam and as we came around the corner a massive traffic jam was waiting for us.

The road was completely gridlocked and I was tired of driving, so the head gasket exploded after 10 minutes “What complete stuff up, why doesn’t that d....h.... move”, which set the Cow off “What are you getting excited about, you can’t go anywhere even if he moves”
A few minutes later cars started to pile up behind us, so we were now completely jammed in the mix and then to top it off a few guys got overexcited and pushed past us on either side, which only made matters worse, so I started chirping “Hey, hey, what do you think you are doing”, which set the Cow off again “Relax please”

15 minutes later things started moving and by that stage I really didn’t care what it was, but we eventually moved forward enough to see a couple of lionesses and one male deep in the bush.



Some twit now decided that he owned the sighting and stopped in the middle of the road, so the traffic jam just got bigger.

A few minutes later some old timer a couple of cars in front of us lost it and roared off into the bush and around the traffic jam, which caused a few more to follow him and within minutes a new road was being forged.

Suddenly a guy in the middle of the traffic jam starting waving his hands and then put a sign board on a stick outside his window that said “What a bunch of baboons”. I only wish that I had taken a pic of it because it was classic.

I stopped at the “new road” entrance and waited, but some guy behind me had also lost it by this stage and started waving at me to go, which set the Cow off “There’s nowhere to go idiot”

A LBR then decided to arrive and sit close to us, which distracted the Cow enough to stop another “brawl in Kruger”



We eventually got through after half an hour, but now I didn’t care much for anything other than a G&T, so put blinkers on and took the shortest route to Skukuza.

The Cow went to do the book in and guess what “No keys again”, but fortunately housekeeping were waiting at our unit, so war was avoided.

We had a strange unit at the end of camp in front of Selati restaurant, a guest house on the left, a fence line on the side and in front and what could be called a “private garden”.
I believe that it’s often used as an overflow for the guest house. I was happy though, because it’s private, so dived straight for the Gin and hit the veranda.



The Cow spotted some strange bird cruising around the garden, so went off on a stalk for a pic and I went exploring in the bush next to the unit with the rats and found a drain under the old railway tracks that leads out of camp.

A few rods had been knocked into the ground to block the drain, but the rats had eyes like saucers and the war stories started about badgers and things using the drain as a pathway at night. I didn’t tell them that a badger could easily fit between the rods in the ground.

There was boon turd everywhere also, so they can obviously get into camp from the bridge.

The Cow eventually got her bird pic.



It had been a long day that had ended in a traffic jam, so we only did a very short evening drive in a westerly direction and our first interesting sighting was this guy in the road.



The last sighting for the day caused a full on argument that was only resolved by Katja and SO two weeks later in St Lucia.

The Cow spotted two “Storks” cruising around and insisted on a pic, so I stopped and said “That’s a weird looking bunch, they look like Saddle Bill Storks”. The Cow looked at me as if I had gone made “What do you know about birds?”

I actually know very little about birds, but couldn’t resist the challenge “I have done my research and I think it’s a female Saddle Bill”

“Research, you read three pages of a bird book and give up, it’s a Woolly Neck” “Who’s a woolly neck” “THE BIRD”



The argument continued while Hawkeyes checked her book and couldn’t find anything so we decided to leave the issue until later, but forgot about it until we met Katja.

Katja pointed out that they were juvenile Saddle Bill Storks, so I was more correct in the end, unless Katja was wrong?

To be continued

[Flutterby]

Maybe we should all have signs on sticks ready to show to offending idiots!! -O

The colours in the LBR pic are lovely!!

I would say your first birdie is a Whitethroated Robin-chat, and agree with Katja...Saddlebilled Storks.

[Bush Brat]

The exact same thing happened to us in Kruger on the N'wanetsi River Road......two female lions and a male just cruising on he side of the road, not doing anything an yet it was the biggest traffic jam I had ever seen, there were even police there!!

Really love the bird pics!!

[Bushcraft]

11th July Skukuza

This was one of those strange days as we got the big 5 before breakfast and didn’t even realize it, but I will explain this confusion later.

The plan was to drive down to Lower Sabie, stop for a loo break and then head back to camp for breakfast.

The day started with all the usual suspects and then a few ellies hanging around



We decided to take the S79 causeway instead of the tar and this produced the 2nd member of the big 5. The Cow insists that she was only trying to take a pic of the ox pecker, but I obviously assumed there was more to the pic.



Next up was another LBR, which I have to stop for if I want picture and sound for the rest of the drive.



It was still fairly early by the time we got to Lower Sabie as it had been a quiet morning and as nobody needed the loo yet, we decided to continue on for a few km past Lower Sabie towards Croc Bridge.

About 3km later we found a car stopped on the side of the road and immediately spotted movement on the opposite side of the river.

It was a male lion looking for a spot to relax in the morning sun.



The morning sun was shining in our face, so it was difficult to see what was happening and even worse to take pics; therefore I was getting highly excited with the camera and to top it off Albert couldn’t see the lion and was whining big time in the back.

Suddenly the Cow said “There’s a lioness approaching”

“I don’t care about the damn lioness; I’m trying to get a decent pic of the male”

Albert could now see the “lioness” walking, so peace returned to the back seat, but the Cow continued “The lioness seems nervous”

I squinted into the sun and spotted the “lioness” hit the deck, which also confused me “This must be a strange male lion and she’s unsure”

Suddenly a 2nd male lion popped up in the grass behind the “lioness” and this got me excited for the “lioness”, so I snapped a pic into the sun.

I will divert now and explain what happened in the evening and would never have admitted it, but we told Theuns and Poplap the truth in the park.

The Cow was dumping our pics on the laptop that evening and came outside with a confused look on her face “The lioness from this morning has spots”

“What have you been drinking?”

“Seriously come and have a look at the pic”

I wobbled inside mildly irritated and then shouted” It’s a damn LEOPARD”



Back to the sighting

The “lioness” lay dead still for about 2 minutes looking at the male lion in front of her, but hadn’t spotted the male lion behind her, so I was getting highly excited because action seemed inevitable.

Suddenly a 3rd male lion sat up just to the right of the “lioness”, which caused the “lioness” to bolt out of frame before I could snap another pic “Damn, I missed the lioness as she took off”



We sat looking at the 3 males for another 10 minutes, but the “lioness” never returned, so confused we did a u-turn and headed back to Lower Sabie for a loo break, but had no idea that our “lioness” was a leopard.

Just before Lubyelubye Bridge the Cow shouted “Lion”





The pride was arriving and there were more than 9 of them, but it ended with them linking up fairly deep in the bush. We waited another 10 minutes, but the lions seemed to be moving deeper, so decided to duck back to Skukuza for breakfast.

Halfway back with stopped for a tawny who was warming up in the morning sun.



We had been moving camp every day, so all were looking forward to some relaxing time in camp; therefore we were back for breakfast just after 10am.

To be continued

[Bushcraft]

11th July Skukuza continued

The rats were stoked to have some time out of the car and in camp, so they set up weird games in front of our unit, the Cow put her feet up with a book and I got bored in 20 minutes, so took a walk around camp, drove to the sighting board, shopped for more wood and finely settled with a G&T.

Albert decided that her leopard needed to be photographed while it was in the tree and some boons raiders pulled in along the old Selati Bridge





We felt guilty loading the rats back in the car for an evening drive because they were having fun in camp, so we eventually left fairly late for the drive.

The afternoon drive started similar to the morning drive as all the usual gang made an appearance and then some ellies



Next up was the H12 Bridge boon patrol



The initial plan was to duck across the H12 to the H1-2 and back to camp, but as we still had about 15 extra minutes on the route, chose to continue a little way further on the H4-1.

A few km later we spotted a car stopped on the side of the road. Suddenly a hand popped out and started waving at us, so I shrieked “Get the camera ready!”

As we pulled alongside them they informed us that a leopard had been cruising along in the riverbed, but now they had lost sight of it.

This immediately got me overexcited “I don’t need the camera, where’s the binoculars!!” which immediately set the Cow off “You have them you idiot”

I frantically pulled out the binoculars from the side door and tried to scan the riverbed, but forgot to take the protective end caps off, which added to the blood pressure.

Two minutes later Bushpig started wailing for the binoculars, which added more to the blood pressure “Wait, I can’t see anything yet”

A few minutes later Albert started asking for the binoculars and I was about to blow when a tail caught my eye.

The leopard was having a rest on a rock in the riverbed, but was relaxing with its butt looking at us.



We sat and waited for as long as we could, but I really wanted for some crazy reason to still do the H1-2 so the Garmin was starting to indicate that if we continued with the planned route we better move.

The leopard didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move, so after a conference we decided to leave.

My pelican began to get longer and longer the closer we got to Skukuza on the H1-2, because even the locals weren’t hanging around, so decided to take a few deep breaths and enjoy the drive as there were no other cars around us on the road.

Suddenly it felt like a tornado rushed past us and I swerved all over the road “What the ......”

A bus was roaring down the road in front of us, so the pelican returned and I turned into Mad Max.

The Cow started “You are now no better than them”, “Slow down now!!”

I had got up to 60km/h and the bus was still rapidly pulling away, so I admitted defeat and gave up, but the mood had changed, so stuck to 50km/h.

This had excited the rats big time as they are big into catching people who break the rules, so they were all highly attentive “Dad, lets catch him, dad, why did you stop chasing him, let’s chase him and take a picture”

The Cow exploded “We are also breaking the rules if we chase him!!”, but this didn’t stop the rats from chirping about the bus for the next 2 minutes.

I suddenly realized that we were very close to the Sabie low level bridge and that this would hold the bus up as it’s a single lane.

2 minutes later we arrived at the bridge and the chorus started in the back “There he is, let’s get him”

The rats all started snapping away at the bus and one of them eventually got a pic that was in focus



The bus was full of people and turned into the Skukuza staff village next to the day visitor’s area. We continued around to the Skukuza main entrance and as we arrived the same bus was coming out the top end of the staff village, so we stopped to see where it was going as it was 3 minutes to gate closing.

The bus continued on towards Kruger Gate, which can only make me wonder.

To be continued

[puppy]

Bushcraft - Do you only have one pair of binoculars in the car????
Maybe it's the birder in me but I wouldn't dream of going on a trip without everyone in my vehicle having a pair of binos. A good buy - Tasco 10X42 @ about R800. I won't tell you what my Swarofski's cost - but nobody is allowed to touch them!

[Bushcraft]

Great TT again

We also have our own binos - but then there are only 2 of us
most times. You will need a separate trailer just for the
cameras and binos soon

You are correct pooky about the trailer.

It’s a mission already in our car

5 cameras (1 with 3 lenses)
1 video camera
Cooler box (the rats wail all the time for something to drink)
Snack bag (the rats wail all the time for something to eat)
Each rat has a book and toys to shut them up in the boring times
Etc

It generally chaos in our car