Stories from Tar Roads and From Spots

[Richprins]

Lovely again, Pumbaa!

What odd places to see the wildebeest and ostrich...wildebeest are increasing in the Mopane/Letaba area in my opnion!

And another different swarm of bee-eaters!

Of course the baboon are the best!

[Pumbaa]

Also the green-backed heron has changed name, now it's called Striated Heron Only the juveniles, like yours, have stripes as far as I remember.

Snoozing baboons

Great pic of the pied kingfisher

I still prefer to write green backed as I cannot remember how to write striated I always have to check the right wording "green-backed" is far easier

[Pumbaa]

wow love the Boon, Ostrich and Heron

as per my book (Sasol fourth edition 2020) is Green-backed (Striated) Heron... striated in "-----" = old name
so I can't understand nothing now, old new, new old....

I always decide on the names which are easier to remember or easier to write

[Pumbaa]

Lovely again, Pumbaa!

What odd places to see the wildebeest and ostrich...wildebeest are increasing in the Mopane/Letaba area in my opnion!

And another different swarm of bee-eaters!

Of course the baboon are the best!

The baboons were indeed so lazy althouth it was not that early in the morning any longer

[Pumbaa]

For sure we stopped at the look out point there and soon stood again on the high water bridge across the Olifants we turned then around to gave the S91 a try where we stopped for a nicely posing purple roller





and also another jacobin cuckoo could be captured not so easily.



For sure we again paid a visit to our beloved Balule bridge where today the three banded plovers put up a show





finally busy in producing more three banded plovers.



We in fact had such a wonderful time with them and on top we were all alone at that sighting



luckily for us all this happened extreme close to where we stood.



After quite a while we finally continued and stopped for white fronted bee eaters and returned quite early back to camp.



Due to the heat we were a bit lazy and in fact spent the rest of our afternoon on our verandah as there a nice still warm breeze was blowing and we even decided against an afternoon drive and stayed in camp and once again enjoyed the view and whilst the braai was already going we noted also a lazy kudu in the riverbed and in the background a group of waterbucks.



As tomorrow was also moving day we give it an early night as we were indeed quite tired.

Wednesday, 26. February 2022 – Olifants - Mopani

Explored roads: H8 – H1-5 – H1-6 – S95 – H15 – H1-6 – S50 – H1-6 – S142 – H1-6 – S50 – H1-6

After a couple of days with lovely sunshine and heat in the afternoon today the day started very overcast and it cooled down over the night. Whilst we left camp it was still extreme dark and on top it was also extreme quiet as we decided to drive today via the tar road to Letaba we already supposed that it will be quiet as we never had that luck on that road at least we stopped for a very vocal woodland kingfisher



and for a jackal in the high wet grass who was nearly invisible.



Then we already reach Letaba for a short comfort break at least meanwhile it got a bit brighter and we carried on and once again stopped again for another woodland kingfisher



and soon stopped again at our beloved pond we already discovered yesterday and today we were greeted by an enormous twittering and to our delight today far more birds were already present there first we noted masses of carmine bee eaters who already occupied one of the trees around the pond

[Pumbaa]

and today we were not the only car there as when we arrived another car parked already there busy in photographing all the different birdies.



In the beginning it was not easy to decide where to look first as there were so many birds around and we were successful in finding also a diderik cuckoo who unfortunately stayed not that long and we were happy that we could discover same that early.



For sure the carmine bee eaters could be seen nearly everywhere



and now also a couple of pied kingfishers paid a visit already successful in catching tadpoles



or either still in the process in finding some.



Lots of juvenile carmine bee eaters could be seen between the adults



and now we heard already from far rolling thunder whilst it again started to get darker.



We again switched between the pied kingfishers in flight



and the carmine bee eaters





and now we even discovered again one of the many green backed herons



and to our delight also a giant kingfisher who just landed in a branch



and now also white fronted bee eaters joined the carmine bee eaters and they now shared the trees with them.



The far rolling thunder was now longer far but close and it also started to rain again whilst we admired a group of white fronted bee eaters from the back.



to be continued……..

[nan]

wow love the Boon, Ostrich and Heron

as per my book (Sasol fourth edition 2020) is Green-backed (Striated) Heron... striated in "-----" = old name
so I can't understand nothing now, old new, new old....

I always decide on the names which are easier to remember or easier to write

you are so right.... like me and Gymnogene

wow again nice episode, love all the birds, specialy the Cuckoo, Heron, Bee-Eaters
I needed so many time to find one... ONE Carmine Bee-Eater and you found an entire tree, I'm jealous
The Jackal seems to be a bit old with its greyish face, or it's only the light
magnificent

[Lisbeth]

Gorgeous birds, Pumbaa

A lovely view from the terrace

[Pumbaa]

wow love the Boon, Ostrich and Heron

as per my book (Sasol fourth edition 2020) is Green-backed (Striated) Heron... striated in "-----" = old name
so I can't understand nothing now, old new, new old....

I always decide on the names which are easier to remember or easier to write

you are so right.... like me and Gymnogene

wow again nice episode, love all the birds, specialy the Cuckoo, Heron, Bee-Eaters
I needed so many time to find one... ONE Carmine Bee-Eater and you found an entire tree, I'm jealous
The Jackal seems to be a bit old with its greyish face, or it's only the light
magnificent

Could be an older one indeed The masses of different bee eaters during that trip were indeed incredible

[Pumbaa]

Gorgeous birds, Pumbaa

A lovely view from the terrace

We simply enjoyed that view for the rest of the afternoon Sigh