Day 2 Morning!
Kwaak, kwaak, kwaak, kwaak!
What's going on?
Oh ... that was the morning alarm going off! Time to get going!
I draw the curtain at Kruger Park Lodge only to discover what I feared
Seriously? Its been rain the whole night
I can't deal.
I launch over to my parents bedroom to usher them out of bed. I scarcely enter the room before getting the question I dreaded:
"Is it still raining?"
"Yes, why?"
"Wake us up when it stops raining then we will go"
Eish
I pack everything we need for the drive and sit by our front step gazing into the dark skies
Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
All the world is waiting for the sun.
About half an hour later, it stopped pouring down!
Jislaaik, I headed off to my parents and my ouma at Greece Lighting Speed!! And announced to the oldies that the time had come to galvanise!!!
Wake up little Suzie, wake up!
I just about drag everyone to their positions in the car and put coffee in their hands! Its not easy being on a trip with me :lol:
I lead the charge to Phabeni Gate! We got there not too long after gate opening time
What would be the first animal??
Anything could happen somewhere over the rainbow right? Well as the car rolled up to the first Phabeni Bridge, there was a shape in the reeds which did not seem to conform with its surroundings . I stared at this shape as the car drifted forwards. All the while trying to decipher this odd mass amongst the reeds. As the angle of the car provided an opening in the reeds, the anomaly was identified:
A Reedbuck
What else would one find in the reeds? :redface: The male was too far away and light was poor. But as luck had it that day, Rachael and Rebecca Reedbuck came to say hello on the left!!
Aren't they just lovely?! Rachael and Rebecca Reedbuck are dainty ladies by nature. Elegance can be seen by every movement of theirs. Thank you for the welcome ladies
A few meters down the road it was an odd 'popping' sound that caused me to reverse
The sound had come from this Black Bellied Korhaan!
He was looking so pretty in the Saturday drizzle! It was only later in the trip that I managed to capture the vocalisation on camera. The Korhaan is so proud of his call that he makes!! He gathers up looooots of air to make that unique sound! It was mightily cute and unique :D We waited for a good number of minutes for the next vocalisation!I think everyone in the car gained a new appreciation for this bird on the trip. I went from a drive past animal, to a stop and listen animal :D He was more unique than we ever gave him credit for.
This is the wonder of having your window open! The sounds and smell of the bush! The sharp fresh fragrance over the rainbow is something remarkable! The pristine, clean, crisp, cleansing air does something for the soul! I was sommer loving this Kruger morning air when my ouma squeeked:
“niks is so onaangenaam soos 'n koue windjie nie” (nothing is as unpleasant as a cold breeze) :roll:
So I had to close my window :roll: I complained bitterly about the lack of vision through my window which now had zillions of raindrops blocking my once perfect view
Fortunately, the next Kruger gift was large enough to spot through the droplet fortress!
A Nellypant!!!!!
I didn't hesitate to open my window and unleash Antarctica upon the car!
Because here stood the big grey. The oil fountain!
This is Nellypant with a bit more context!
The next sighting was a slightly sad one … this impi warrior had a growth on his throat :(
Could it be caused by Bovine TB?
Soon afterwards we made a miraculous turn onto the N17 to Potch where we found Rhonnies!!!!
You see they even had a smallyceros with them!!
Too cute!!!
And at klipsringer koppies we found the residents
These are mos the pets of parra
The sightings of the 'ordinary' animals were just too lekker
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
