Africa Wild

Friday afternoon we returned from another wonderful trip to CT and KTP. It will probably take me a while to sort the pictures and to start the trip report. Just a short update for now:

It was very warm –day temperatures in the mid-30s most of the time. At night it went down to 1,5 degrees but mostly the temperatures stayed in the teens.

Dalkeith is out of order.

Grootkolk – we were told that the waterhole was going to be moved closer to the chalets end of September
while we were there bird baths were allowed again
The king was forced to move towards Union’s End with his family. Two new lions (brothers?) took over

Nossob –bread and rosterkoek can be ordered again
wi-fi is available – it is working great but it is very expensive: R 40 for about 20 minutes
a leopard visited the waterhole in the evenings between 9 and 10 pm

improvements:
Urikaruus and Kieliekrankie got new tables and chairs on the stoep
Nossob and Grootkolk got new braais and Grootkolk new fridges as well
some minor additions as new braai tongues in most of the camps
the sighting boards went for repair but did not return until we left on 08.10.

sightings :
Sorry, ids are not confirmed yet –sightings and dates according to what I know

leopards:
at Nossob waterhole (04.10.) and North of Nossob (05.10.) – probably V-Nose
just South of Geinab – probably Rosa (26,09.)

cheetahs :
one cheetah at 14th borehole (30.09.) – Lisette?
three cheetahs at Kamfersboom (06.10.) – probably Top Cat Gang
Corinne and her four cubs (moving South) 700 metres South of Monro (08.10.)
another cheetah with two cubs (moving North)right in the middle between Montrose and Rooibrak (08.10.) – Hanri?
three cheetahs between Leeudril and Rooiputs (22.09.) – probably Kij Kij 3 Males
four cheetahs between Cubitje Quap and Kwang (03.10.)

lions:
Kwang pride (?) – around Bedinkt (24.09.)
mating pair at Unions End picnic site (25.09.)
lionesses with 14 cubs from Nossob to Marie se draai (03.10.)
lioness with a tiny cub just North of entrance to Marie se draai (05,10.)
two brothers at Grootkolk (27.09.)
single male at KTC turn-off (01.10.)
single male at Gemsbokplein (01.10.) and maybe the same one at Monro (06.10.)
at Dalkeith (06.10.)

meerkats:
on Auob road right next to the lower dune road turn-off (only three)
on Nossob road about 5 k's South of Kij Kij (with young ones)

cape fox dens:
900 metres North of closed Urikaruus waterhole
just South of Kij Kij between the main rod and the road to Rooiputs
Charlie Fax has a mate

Looks like no lack of cats of all sorts. Great sightings and looking forward to your photos and TT. Cheetah mum with 4 cubs were seen exactly a week ago at Samevloeing. Wonder if it was Corinne.

21.09.2014

We arrived in Upington around noon and were very disappointed that we got a Nissan from the rental company and on top of it, it was a petrol-driven car. We told them that we were going to stay at Grootkolk for four nights with no petrol station and that the range of a petrol-driven car was not sufficient. But they did not have another one and we had to take it.

We saw the first birds at the airport already. I think this is a little swift



Our guest house was located at the Orange River



on the other side there was a fish eagle, unfortunately a bit far away

the mousebirds enjoyed a tree in the neighbouring garden





and on the river these geese were enjoying themselves – any ideas what they are? I think they have to be escapees – the left one looks like a domestic goose to me and the right one resembles our grey goose

This will not be a minute by minute report as I do not want to bore you with antelopes and birds again and I will try to finish until March as we will be going on another trip. Thus, I will only post my personal favourites of sightings and pictures which is more than enough already, I think.

This was a different trip again:

I have already mentioned that most of the sightings were far away
the sandgrouses were replaced by sparrows
no jackals at CQ, no lions at Kwang ( I know they returned after we had left )
hardly any vultures
we only saw one AWC – at the waterhole in Grootkolk after dark for about 10 seconds
there seemed to be more kudus and red hartebeests
ostriches and northern black korhaans were everywhere
On the other hand we had some interesting first sightings, including some birds and rain
and last but not least – spring was in the air

22.09.2014 Kgalagadi Lodge

We got up, had breakfast and went to the butcher to buy our meat, packed our stuff and left for KTP (almost). We arrived at Kgalagadi Lodge at about 2 pm, checked in, ordered dinner and .... left for the first drive in the park. Checking in at TR went smoothly and we received our day visitor permit.

We started with a first in TR camp already – a chestnut-vented tit-babbler and we were greeted by Gusti

We drove towards Leeudril and the first animals spotted (outside camp) were willies

at Samevloeiing we saw flocks of social weavers – I have never seen that many in one spot before



a little bit further another first – secretarybirds on a nest

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when we arrived at Leeuudril it was really overcast and there was lightning as well (sorry, no pictures ).

There were quite a few animals around





I hope these are not those hartebeests killed by the Top Cat Gang in October

Speaking of the Top Cat Gang – another car arrived and told us about three cheetahs about 3 km’s towards Rooiputs. Thus, we left in search of them. Actually they were about 5 km’s away and when we arrived there were many cars around but we could not see the cheetahs. While we were still looking for them, the action started. All of a sudden the cheetahs were in the middle of the road and started hunting the willies. I only could follow Choo with the camera









The willies fled over a far away ridge but it looked like the cheetahs caught one