AN AMAZING 7 DAYS AT MANYANE - EACH YEAR JUST GETS BETTER *

[steamtrainfan]

We have just returned from the most amazing of our annual 7 day trips to Manyane Camp at Pilanesberg . This year must be rated as our best trip yet, as mentioned in the title it just gets better each year. This year included 2 lots of lions at kills, mating lions next to car, a LIR and 2 sightings of very special inhabitants, the one sighting being a “first time ever” sighting for us, and then of course the usual gangs seen in various places. More about these later.

May I before we start the TT introduce you to the travellers:

JOAN AND ME AT OUR FAVOURITE SPOT – LENONG VIEW POINT


NORMAN AND MELANIE AT MANKWE LAKE HIDE PARKING AREA.


NEILL AND CAITLIN ON THE STOEP OF OUR UNIT 52. Unfortunately they could only stay for Friday night as they had to be back in Pretoria by Saturday afternoon.


DAY 1 – FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER:
We all left Pretoria just after 09:00 and arrived at Bakubung Gate at 11:30 after having to stop at Sun City Village Spar to buy braai wood which we had forgotten to bring with. At the gate while paying our entrance fees I bought Joan and I a rubber wrist band with rhino imprinted on it and the words StopRhinoPoaching.com as they stated that the funds from the sale of these wrist bands would go to the fund. I sincerely hope they receive the monies. We trundled on up Kubu Drive, only seeing some impala and kudu, and stopped at Kubu picnic spot for some lunch. The road from Bakubung Gate to about Noga Drive has been re-tarred and is now nice and smooth. Feeling refreshed and ready for some major game spotting we moved on very slowly up to Manyane Camp to check in at 14:00. A few pics we took on the way up, not quite the major game spotting we had hoped for:

This LBJ looked very pretty in the sunlight on the shores of Mankwe Lake – not sure what it is.


Also on the shores of Lake Mankwe this giraffe with two hitchikers made quite a good start.


These monkeys close to Manyane Camp reception amused Caitlin no end.


Checked into Unit 52, which had recently been re-thatched, and looked very nice and clean. After unpacking it was time for my snooze while the others relaxed. The three guys went for an afternoon drive while the ladies went swimming as the temperature had peaked at 39 and it was still very hot at 15:00.
We saw impala, springbuck, wildebeest, elephant too far away and some kudu. While travelling along Mankwe Way towards Tshwene Drive this fellow came walking out the bush right in front of our car. Good start to the trip.






During the braai we got a visitor which caused quite a stir among the ladies.


The end of day one and time for some much needed sleep.

Until next time please stay safe and stay happy.

[Dewi]

Great start STF.

Nice to get a Brownie so easily.

The LBJ is a Capped Wheatear. Great pic of it.

[steamtrainfan]

Day 2 - Saturday 6 October 2012 - Part 1

Woke up to a beautiful morning but sad that we were having to say farewell to Neill and Caitlin. First shot of the day was this one of Caitlin looking up in a tree at a yellow billed hornbill while we were having tea/coffee and rusks on the verandah.



I took this photo of some blue wax bills also enjoying breakfast in the early morning sun. Pity, the photo did come out as good as it looked in real life.


On the way to Tilodi Dam Joan got this shot of a kudu crossing the road.


It was about now that Joans 500mm lens decided to join the rest of the country and go on strike. She then had only her 18-105 lens to use.

Somewhere in Pilanesberg we came across 8 rhino browsing. Could not fit all 8 into one frame.


Not much to be seen until we reached Lengau Dam where we saw these ellies coming down for a drink.


Joan also took this shot which we thought was quite appropriate.


At Bakukbung Gate we said our farewells to Neill and Caitlin and took the Kgama, Ntshwe and Kukama Drives to go to Ruighoek Dam.

A group of ellies seeking shelter from the sun on the Ntshwe Drive.


Just after turning left onto Tlou Drive and about 800 metres from Ruighoek Dam we saw some cars stopped. Upon asking one of the group we were told that somewhere in the burnt out veld there were some lion with a kill. They could not see it but were still looking. Moving on we came a cross a couple in their car who it seemed could see what was going on so we asked them. He very kindly and patiently explained to us where the kill was. It took us a while of searching the burnt out bush but all of a sudden Norman spotted it and now it was his turn to try and explain where it was. At long last all four of us could see it but not very clearly as will be seen from the attached, very heavily cropped, photos.





We could only see two lion - the second one was further away sleeping in the shade of a tree. After watching them for about 20 minutes our tummies started rumbling so we decided to go back to camp for lunch and my siesta as we felt that they were not going to much more in the midday heat.

Part 2 to follow - we go back to see if we can find the lions.

[steamtrainfan]

DAY 2 - SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 2012 - PART 2/2

After seeing the lion kill we stopped off at Ruighoek Dam to have a look. Not much going on until this spoon bill fishing:


and then playing at being a submarine:


and then tried being a yacht:


We drove back to camp and after a light lunch with the temperature now hitting 39 and a snooze we went back to see if the lion were still with their kill. When we arrived there there was not another car in sight and also no sign of the lion no matter how hard we looked into the bush. The kill had been moved slightly and was now even more difficult to see. We decided to go to Ruighoek Dam in the hope that the lion, after having eaten their fill, would have gone down to get a drink. As we neared the dam we saw a lion come out the bush and walk back toward the kill. Then another and another and yet another. I turned the car around as I knew that at some stage they had to cross the road. For a while they disappeared in the bush so I stopped the car and waited. Sure enough they came out and crossed the road one by one as per photos below.

Number 1:


Number 2:


Number 3:


Number 4:


Near the kill:


The four of them getting tucked in again:


Unfortunately we could not watch them for long as it was quite a long trip back to Manyane. We did not see much on the back so Joan took this pic of a warthog snuffling in the sand:


And lastly for today a jet stream over Pilanesberg in the late afternoon.


Until next time when we start off with a bakers dozen.

[steamtrainfan]

DAY 3 - SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 2012 - PART 1/2

As we entered the game reserve at Manyane Gate the security guard told us that there were wild dog just around the corner on Potokwane Road.

Sure enough. There were 13 in total all running around playing in lovely burnt out veld area. As it was still very early, just after 06:00, there were only two other cars with them so we could choose our spot. We photographed and followed them for almost an hour when by now there were about 12 cars in a procession following them along Potokwane Road. Eventually they went off up the side of a hill and disappeared. I apologise if you feel that I am putting up too many photos of the doggies but we just had such a wonderful time with them which we would like to share with you.























The rest of day 3 to follow.

[steamtrainfan]

DAY 3 - SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 2012 - PART 2/2

At Mankwe Lake Joan got this shot of a springbuck catching the early morning sun:


Some white faced duck just beginning to wake up:


This mongoose played hide and seek with us:


At Malatse Dam this buck???? help with ID please - was grazing and scratching quite peacefully at the fence to the parking area:




At Tilodi Dam this ellie was trying to get some relief from the 40 degrees heat:


Back at Mankwe Lake the heat did not seem to worry this croc:


Now please bear with me as I post a sequence of a pied kingfisher diving for lunch at Mankwe Lake- I think my shutter speed was too slow????










Normans photo of another PK with a successful catch:


On the way back to camp Joan got this shot of mother and child:


Until next time.

[steamtrainfan]

Great doggies! How many packs are there in Pilanesberg

Hi Toko. I have been advised advised that there is only 1 pack.

[Dewi]

Great pics of the kingfisher STF.

The antelope is a Bushbuck.

[JoeKing]

Great doggies! How many packs are there in Pilanesberg

Hi Toko. I have been advised advised that there is only 1 pack.

Correct, at one stage the pack was very big and they split up, then the numbers dwindled and PB was left with a single pack with 5 Adults, Glad that they have been successfully breeding, but some new blood must be brought in. Else we are going to end up with inbreeding and that could cause the animals to be weak and the pack to maybe decrease in size again.

[steamtrainfan]

Nice sightings ...we've never seen a bushbuck there!

Hi F.B. Nor have we and the booklet only mentions mountain reedbuck but not bush buck. This is the reason why I queried the ID as I was not sure.