Sunday, 21. February, 2016 - Satara
Driven roads: H1-4 – S100 – S41 – S90 – H1-4 – H1-3 – H6 – S41 – S100 – H7 – S12 – S40 – H7
Gladly it cooled down extremely overnight and also the air condition finally worked again in the early morning – Normally we do not have same switched on whilst sleeping but that night was simply too hot so same had to do some overtime that night but it was heaven that it was that bearable during our whole 4 nights we stayed at Satara – On each day it was overcast, very windy with a couple of raindrops here and there and I cannot remember that I ever saw the sun during the rest of our stay at Satara but for us it was quite okay that way and for the sightings we had there as well.....
As a tradition we always drive the S100 as first road on our first full day in that area and so we did today especially having in mind to maybe meet the lions from yesterday evening again and we had luck at nearly the same spot as the evening before we stopped again for a single male lion who was lying in the grass.
Although there was still not much action we enjoyed his company whilst taking shot after shot and sipping at our coffee. It got slowly lighter and brighter
but it was still extreme windy and his mane was blowing around by the wind from one side to the other.
“I see you!”
His ears were moving into each direction and finally also his head as soon a traffic yam had build up but most of the cars did not stay that long
and as he supposed to be still extreme sleepy we also finally left him but it was in fact a more than good omen to spot once again lions or better to say one lion during our ver first morning in that area on the S100.....
and although we looked around carefully during the whole sighting we did not see any other lions.
Not far from that sighting Timon stopped again for another lifer – a scimitar bill – also a bird we already wanted to met a couple of times but today finally our wish came true....
That bird was in fact extreme difficult to capture as same was always in action but finally we got some usable shots and although that area of the park was nearly bone dry with nearly no leaves on the bushes and grass on the ground that road turned finally into the best birding road during the entire trip.
Suddenly from nearly everywhere the birds appeared and within seconds we spotted an orange breasted bush shrike,
Love those evenings at Satara!
Luckily they have invented the air condition
