Lions On The Loose

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PJL
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Re: Lions On The Loose

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Fri 21st June contd

We continued our drive up the H4-1, stopping at sunset dam to see what was around. The pileup of crocodiles had dispersed quite significantly

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There were yet more monitor lizards... this one doing a good job of being hard to see lol

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But another was much more obvious X#X

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We also had a couple of white-fronted bee-eaters perch in the bush next to us O/\ O/\

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One even arrived with a kill ^Q^ ^Q^

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Continuing up the H4-1, we weren't entirely sure what bird of prey this was when it flew over us, but I think it must be a juvenile martial eagle :-?

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We also found this tall chap

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Just before the nwatimhiri causeway we finally got some luck with our first lions of the trip O\/ O\/
And yes, they were on the right side of the road as indicated by the sign on the back of our car lol

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Further up the road there was a chap out his car with jump leads nervously trying to get his car going again. The noise of him walking around his car certainly got the lions' attention

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Very quickly the lions got up and walked away from the road. Past Nkuhlu there were yet more lions, again on the right side... but this time flat out :-)

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Other sightings up to the H12 bridge included some baboon and a young nyala O:V

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Just past the H12 there was a huge traffic jam. We had heard about there being a dead giraffe there for a few days, so we figured there must be a predator or two still around. There were plenty of vultures in the surrounding trees, but very few daring to hop down to the ground like this one

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The reason being that a big male lion was still guarding the carcass. He was snoozing mostly, but as we drove past something caught his attention for a moment O:V
Yet again, our lion sign was pointing the correct direction ;-)

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In the heat of the day and with cars all over the place we weren't interested in waiting around and instead continued on to get some lunch at Skukuza. Whilst waiting for the food to arrive we found a blue headed tree agama sunbathing \O

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Alf
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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by Alf »

Very nice photos all around ^Q^ ^Q^

Just love the sign on the back window \O


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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by Flutterby »

Great lion sightings. \O They had obviously heard about your signs and moved into the correct places! lol


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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by RogerFraser »

^Q^ Wow busy day already and its only Lunch.

\O Glad you got in fairly quickly even without pre-booking .

Love the Owl the S130 is always a good road for them it seems . ^Q^ Very muddy drinking Zebras :shock:

That last Monitor has a very determined look on its face lol and lovely Bee eaters ^Q^

..0.. Hmm the sign seems to be working very well for Lions ...hope the other side also worked out ;-) O:V


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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by Richprins »

Well done on the sign, Peej! =O:

What stunning pics as always, and it seemed to be a lizard day! [O] ^Q^

And plenty lion on the correct side, which is also very organised! \O

Yes, a juvenile martial flying there. X#X

Sorry... IO


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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by Lisbeth »

Quite a few monitors \O

Lovely bee-eaters! The one with the kill came back to exactly the same place where it had been sitting before ^Q^ ^Q^

Lots of lions. Easy for those behind you with an arrow pointing in the right direction lol lol


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Re: Lions On The Loose

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Fantastic bee eater and monitor shots, PJL \O

Pity about that Leopard sighting :O^

But at least you got the see the lions clearly :ty:


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PJL
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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by PJL »

Alf wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 1:21 pm Very nice photos all around ^Q^ ^Q^

Just love the sign on the back window \O
Thanks Alf X#X
The sign helped us big time lol lol
Flutterby wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 2:33 pm Great lion sightings. \O They had obviously heard about your signs and moved into the correct places! lol
Thanks Flutts \O
RogerFraser wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 3:12 pm ^Q^ Wow busy day already and its only Lunch.

\O Glad you got in fairly quickly even without pre-booking .

Love the Owl the S130 is always a good road for them it seems . ^Q^ Very muddy drinking Zebras :shock:

That last Monitor has a very determined look on its face lol and lovely Bee eaters ^Q^

..0.. Hmm the sign seems to be working very well for Lions ...hope the other side also worked out ;-) O:V
Yep it was quite a busy day after a slow start ;-)
Richprins wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:17 pm Well done on the sign, Peej! =O:

What stunning pics as always, and it seemed to be a lizard day! [O] ^Q^

And plenty lion on the correct side, which is also very organised! \O

Yes, a juvenile martial flying there. X#X

Sorry... IO


lol
Very organised lions :yes:
IO IO IO IO is soooo essential in the morning 0:
Lisbeth wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 6:03 pm Quite a few monitors \O

Lovely bee-eaters! The one with the kill came back to exactly the same place where it had been sitting before ^Q^ ^Q^

Lots of lions. Easy for those behind you with an arrow pointing in the right direction lol lol
Thanks Lis... yeah we did make life rather easy for those behind us. I wonder what they thought at non-predator sightings :-? =O: =O:
Pumbaa wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:58 pm Fantastic bee eater and monitor shots, PJL \O

Pity about that Leopard sighting :O^

But at least you got the see the lions clearly :ty:
Thanks Pumbaa. It was a shame about the leopard that morning, but you win some and loose some. Timing and luck is everything O** O**


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Re: Lions On The Loose

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Fri 21st June contd

Sometime during the day we managed a far-off sighting of a rhino. It was a very good spot by H ^Q^ ^Q^

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After an enjoyable lunch at Skukuza, we decided that we better get a move on as it was quite a long drive all the way back to Crocodile Bridge. Rather than face the traffic jams around the giraffe carcass we decided to take the H1-2 along to the H12 before heading down to Lower Sabie.

At the second low-level bridge across the Sand river we found a pied kingfisher with lunch. It was busy bashing the fish (looks like a small barbel of some kind) - presumably so it wouldn't wriggle once swallowed lol lol

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Soon after the Maroela loop turn off there were a couple of cars stopped and almost immediately we spotted a leopard behind a set of bushes O\/ O\/

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Fortunately it was heading in our direction and we didn't have anyone behind us, so we were able to reverse into clearings in an attempt to get decent sightings of it. O:V

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The bushes and tall grass made it really tricky to get any kind of clear shot, and it was walking/looking more and more away from the road, so this was the only pic we got of it looking our way

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One last long stare at something in the distance, then the leopard disappeared entirely

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It had been a great sighting - particularly for the middle of the day! A bit further along the road we found a female nyala, and whilst stopped briefly on the Mutlumuvi bridge, D pipes up with "There's a hyena!". His young eyes were sharp - there was indeed a hyena that popped out and crossed the dry riverbed O/\ O/\

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What a start to the afternoon it had been X#X


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Re: Lions On The Loose

Post by Richprins »

Superb planning and luck, Peej! ^Q^ ^Q^ ^Q^

Always nicer to spot something on one's own.... :-0

Healthy leopard that! X#X


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