Africa Wild

Where elephants are there is always a puddle with mud left and so it was here as well



as the extreme lively elephant youngster stopped extensively at that mud hole and had then to run to keep up with its herd.



Endlessly there were more elephants coming, crossed the open area only to disappear completely when surrounded by those many mopane bushes.





We already noted with extreme delight that the S48, the Tsendze loop, was open as during the last 10 years (it at least felt that long) same was always closed when we were there. Also here some roadworks had been made as obviously during some high water periods part of the many loops were washed away. For sure we enjoyed our drive there extreme and simply loved the views into the Tsendze riverbed and in between a large buffalo herd came across.



Meanwhile the sun came out and it suddenly got extreme hot again so most of the buffaloes had already chosen a place in the shade under either smaller or larger mopane bushes





and to our delight lots of yellow-billed oxpeckers were present as well.





Meanwhile the air started again to glimmer in the midday heat and so it was not easy to capture the two secretary birds we spotted next between the legs on many zebras.



They were a bit too far away, however, from time to time clouds covered the sun and so a couple of shots came through not that blurred – also these birds started already to search for shade under some smaller mopane bushes.

As already said we were so happy to finally could drive that loop again and we also met wattled starlings,



waterbucks, Egyptian goose as well as wildebeest resting in the shade.



We simply had to capture the nicely posing two crowned plovers



and shortly before we reached Mooiplaas waterhole we stopped for an elephant bull resting under a tree.



At Mooiplaas itself it looked a bit devastated as there was no grass left only partly yellow blades and compared to the rest of the park this year especially the area North of Letaba and South of Shingwedzi was not that overgrown as the rest of the park but at Mooiplaas in fact no grass was left although lots of zebras were hanging around and elephants arrived to quench their thirst at the waterholes.



It was extreme dry and consequently dusty





so each time when the huge elephants bulls moved we were covered in a cloud of dust and there were lots of them around



as well as the zebras although they stayed a bit farer away from the grey giants





and despite the heat and dust some of them even started a fight.



to be continued………………

Mooiplaas is definitely very dry; it looks like winter I just had a look at my last time there and the grass was nice and green and full of animals

Nice Sabota lark

The elephant youngsters at that age are always upto something

All sorts again, Pumbaa!

Amazing how dry it was the norther you got?

I like the yellow-billed oxpeckers, always nice.

Plus even a spider!

And secretary bird.

Wow very dry there .

Always interesting to watch the Ellies behaviour .

Love the little ones pose .

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 3:13 pm Mooiplaas is definitely very dry; it looks like winter I just had a look at my last time there and the grass was nice and green and full of animals

Nice Sabota lark

The elephant youngsters at that age are always upto something

The area around Mooiplaas waterhole looked in fact like winter - I remember having seen there last year our honeymoon couple in the rain and there was a lot of grass around

Richprins wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 5:53 pm All sorts again, Pumbaa!

Amazing how dry it was the norther you got?

I like the yellow-billed oxpeckers, always nice.

Plus even a spider!

And secretary bird.

In fact a small strip between North of Letaba and South of Shingwedzi looked far dryer than the rest of the park - The farer North we then came the greener it got again

RogerFraser wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:20 pm Wow very dry there .

Always interesting to watch the Ellies behaviour .

Love the little ones pose .

Those little ones are indeed very special and believe me we saw masses of elephants there

The pump there had in fact to work overtime so many animals wanted to had a drink there



and especially the large tank from which the masses of elephants drank had to be filled up quickly





and in between the dust even two bulls began a fight which was for us the signal to leave as we were indeed not in the mood that those grey masses might even come closer.



On the S50 we even discovered still a bit far away our first tsessebe during that trip



and at Nashawu 3 we simply had to stop again although we stood in the midday sun without shade as there it was once again that much to be seen such as lots of bathing elephants





we discovered a grey heron on the shore but same nearly vanished because of all the other animals around such as a buffalo,





very relaxed elephants out of which many were about to leave the bathing point



after having cooled down a bit

only to stop then at a fantastic mud hole right in front of the waterhole.





So in the hot midday heat it was in fact the best place to stay either for us or the animals as we had so much to see



and the elephants as well as zebras had still enough to drink especially it was stunning to watch the zebras drinking as in the beginning only two of them were thirsty



but after a while more and more arrived and started to drink.



After a while although we could have stayed longer there we decided to drag ourselves away only to stop again for another elephant under the only tree there.



Somehow the whole road until we reached Tihongonyeni waterhole was deserted and nothing came in sight but at Tihongonyeni itself we noticed a couple of ostriches quite close but very well hidden behind mopane bushes



as well as zebras and wildebeests in the shade as it meanwhile was far too hot.



That area was as well as Mooiplaas extreme grazed and due to the heat and the lack of other animals we carried on and only at Bowerskop along the tar road we stopped again as there was a herd of tsessebes about to arrived



and even came closer and closer.



Originally they wanted to quench their thirst there but that waterhole was empty so they immediately carried on to find another waterhole for sure I felt a bit sorry for them due to the heat



but we were so happy that they were so close especially with a couple of youngsters in between them



to be continued……………..