Finally we turned around and also decided to do a drive on the Marula loop but same was today disappointingly quiet. At the causeways we saw a great white egret, hamerkops and wooly-necked storks but all were too far away for decent shots but gladly the marabous today could be found closely to the causeway and once again needless to say that we never saw both rivers with that low water level ever before.
Although it was still early we decided to return to camp to relax a bit, do a bit shopping as we were running out of supplies and therefore start earlier for our afternoon drive and it was heaven to simply sit on our verandah overlooking the Sabie and do nothing just to enjoy life.
After we did our extensive shopping we stopped at one of the benches close to the restaurant to enjoy our just bought ice cream and whilst looking into the beautiful fig tree we got stuck there as there was such a bird activity to observe that we could not but arm our cameras and click happily away for sure after the ice cream had been consumed.
A plum-coloured starling
was eying all the fruits extensively to chose the delicious ones and in fact the ripe ones were much sought-after.
Lots of green pigeons were also around
as well as black-eyed bulbuls and even red faced mouse birds.
Another frantic birder joined us with his camera and pointed all the birds out to us and simultaneously naming them in Afrikaans whilst I replied to him the English names – It was quite funny as he was simply so excited when he found another bird.
The red-faced mousebird did everything to reach the delicious ripe ones
and compared to capturing them in flight throughout the park it was extreme easy to just stand in front of that tree and simply click away.
Meanwhile I brought our purchases into our fridge and put all the other things away inside the bungalow and returned back to the fig tree but Timon could not be found any longer. So I waited quite a while on the bench and after a couple of minutes he returned. The frantic birder wanted to show him something else and they went to the shop as he wanted to show Timon the fruit bats but they were gone and now he got really excited and even furious and asked one of the shop attendant whether she noticed where the fruit bats might have flew. Gladly she pointed out to him where they might have landed and finally they found them but also could photograph a colourful butterfly
and finally also the many fruit bats – I found it simply wonderful when one can be that passionate and even share his passion with all the others. At least he said good-bye and left Timon alone
who then found me on one of the benches near that famous fig tree. We still watched the birds and now even a wattled starling,
a woodpecker,
