Africa Wild

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 12:49 pm A baby zebra will soon arrive

I am sure that you meant a red-billed firefinch

Lovely views on the Olifants River

Lots of waterbucks

For sure I meant red-bellied firefinch This year we saw that many zebras that fat as this one either they were all pregnant or simply there was so much to eat.......at least love it that way - The bigger, the better

Richprins wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:37 pm Welcome back, Pumbaa!

Olifants is a nice area, quite open even in summer!

Lovely views at the lookout indeed!

I like the giraffe shot too, it reminds me of a pic I took on one of my earliest Kruger visits as a kid!

One can never pass a giraffe without taking a picture - They are so photogenic animals

and then we luckily stopped again at our beloved pond on the left hand side along the tar road which was again filled nicely with water and consequently soon detected lots of green backed herons on small branches nearly in the water.



Some could been seen a bit closer and this one was successful in catching a frog



pied kingfishers also arrived



and another green backed heron now on the ground also caught a frog.



Much longer we stayed the more green backed herons could be seen and also more pied kingfishers appeared





for sure we enjoyed our stay at that lovely pond once again and obviously the pied kingfishers had a small dispute and after a while one of them flew away



but luckily one of the green backed herons demonstrated their acrobatic skills.



After a while we left the pond and carried on and discovered in the Letaba riverbed a group of ground hornbills out of which one found a frog



who same presented proudly to the rest of the group.

For sure more waterbucks occurred who are always plentiful in that area



and two of them even started to fight only to walk side by side later on their way.





The small S95 loop leading close to the river is always a more than good alternative to the tar road and normally good for birding and so it was today



as many of them landed on a dead fallen tree and a bit farer away even saddle billed storks could be seen.



We stopped on the highwater bridge across the Letaba but as the water level was still extreme high and the river strongly flowing no birdies or other animals were around, however, to our surprise the S47 was after nearly 10 years open again (we obviously had always bad luck with the rain the previous years during our stay and so same was always closed) for sure we immediately turned into same which is offering always incredible views into the Letaba





and on top on hot days that road is lovely to drive as lots of trees along that road are offering nice shade but whilst driving same we noticed also the roadworks which had be done on that road so same was not only closed due to the rain but obviously also for roadworks.



Could also not remember a causeway which had to be crossed along that road but that was such a nice oasis on a more than dry road to drive and it was great to hear and see water flowing across the causeway and we noticed soon a three banded plover



and also a water monitor was enjoying the sun after same emerged from the water.



We could have stayed longer at this lovely spot but we still had a long way to drive and in the sun it was again unbearable so we carried on and could capture two yellow billed hornbills.



to be continued…………

Great sequence of green-backed herons

The ground horn-bills look very funny

I like the pics with all the small birdies; there must be at least three or four species

Yes, it is a waterbuck area

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:59 pm Great sequence of green-backed herons

The ground horn-bills look very funny

I like the pics with all the small birdies; there must be at least three or four species

Yes, it is a waterbuck area

Yes, there were a lot of different birdies around that morning

After the road left the Letaba we soon were surrounded by mopane bushes and here we met a lone elephant bull



and as we decided to also drive a bit on the S131 we discovered a bit hidden a large small lake where already two cars stood and where we missed only by minutes a lot of elephant herds as we still could hear them trumpeting. To our luck a small herd just arrived and allowed to take a couple of shots from them whilst quenching their thirst.





In fact it was lovely to watch them



whilst still drinking and carrying on slowly



until they carried on their way.



In that lake lots of whited faced ducks and a lone knob-billed duck could be seen.



Meanwhile we were back on the tar road but from time to time decided to drive a shorter loop with a couple of causeways to be crossed and there we detected a green shank



and another resting waterbuck male.



Back to the road along the Letaba we stopped for hippos out of the water,

a nice posing goliath heron



and for more hippos



before we again stopped at Letaba camp and here we even visited the small shop before we drove back vis the H1-5 but as often experienced it was extreme quiet there and only whilst stopping again on the highwater bridge across the Olifants we noticed a couple of open billed storks on a sandbank in the river



we now drove back to Olifants via the S91/S92 but due to the heat it was dead quiet. Back in camp we had lunch at the restaurant and enjoyed the time on the deck there before we returned to our bungalow where we stayed for the rest of the day as it was far too hot for anything else then to sit in the shade and to just enjoy the view.



As always a nice wind was blowing high above where we sat and so it was a bit more bearable



and after a closer view through the binoculars down in the riverbed we even detected a lot of different animals for sure hippos were around, several grey herons,





more hippos even out of the water



as well as zebras and lots of waterbucks.



The later it got the more hippos emerged from the water and a large group of baboons could be seen frolicking on a large sand island in the very far distance.







We stayed on the verandah as long as it was bright enough to see something in the distance before we retired as we in fact needed today an early night.

to be continued………………….

I seem to remember the pond where you saw the elephants and I saw a kudu lady drinking, but I'm not sure

How nice to see a photo of both of you together

Great view from your deck

Catching up, Pumbaa!

Great adventures you are having, even the S47 again!

Lovely birdies, I like the greenbacks frogging, the kingfishers and the yellow hornbills against the shy!

A hut with a view at Olifants must be the prime thing one can have in Kruger, you look very happy there!

If one looks quickly at the fighting waterbuck they look as if their horns go backwards like ibex!