South Africa 2013 Pt 7

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Kruger Park, Pretoriuoskop Rest Camp and surrounds:

We are here for two nights which now gives us time to explore a little. We also had time to book onto our first guided tour, we chose a rather early and chilli morning.

Pretoriuoskop turned out to be my fav camp of the four that we stayed at. The camp site wasn't as busy as the Satara Camp that we would visit in a few days. The bird species around the camp were stunning and seemed a little more tolerant of humans, probably due the more relaxed atmosphere of the camp. More of those species later!

Southern Kruger turned out to be a stronghold for the magnificent Bateleur Eagle. The adult birds are quite stunning, but unfortunately I only captured the adults in flight
 
Bateleur
 

however I did get a juvenile perched

 
A few kilometres from the rest camp was Shitlehave Waterhole. It was productive for a few species, especially these Hammerkop that were mating
 
 
Wooley Necked Stork (and Turtles)
 
 
Three Banded Plover
 
 
Waterbuck
 
 
 
While out travelling along the roads between Pretoriuoskop and Skukuza the stunning birdlife continued to show
 Lilac Breasted Roller

 
 
Black Collared Barbet

 
 Burchells Coucal

 
the incredible Purple Crested Turaco
 
 
Grey Go-away Bird
 
 
Crowned Hornbill (Which became my 1000th Life species)


 
Tawny Flanked Prinia
 
 
Laughing Dove

 

The most fantastic thing you could wish to see ....
Southern Ground Hornbill
 
 
and the full version.....

 
Back in the camp early morning walks bagged me
Grey Tit- Flycatcher
 
  
Beautiful African Green Pigeon
 
 
Red Headed Weaver female (confusingly without a red head!)

 
Common Scimitarbill

 
Green Wood-Hoopoe
 
 
 
Southern Black Flycatcher -a beautiful understated bird
 
 
African Whiteye

 
 
Yellow Fronted Canary
 
 
Crested Barbet checking out a nest hole
 
 
What a stunner!

 
Cardinal Woodpecker

 
and the female
 
 
other species around the camp were African Mourning Dove,  Green Backed Camaroptera and Marico Sunbirds while Little Swifts congregated in their 1000s in the evening making a deafening screech as they fed, Lesser Striped Swallows seemed to be more of a morning species as they swooped around the camp and a single sighting of a Fiery Necked Nightjar as it flew across the camp one early evening.
 
In the surrounding areas of Pretoriuoskop camp a few sightings of Coqui Francolin, a large roadside flock of White Crested Helmet-Shrikes I guess if they hadn't been so skittish with the traffic passing along side I may have seen a Retzs Helmet-Shrike or two in the flock, as it happens one of my trip target birds escaped me. Add African Stonechat and Black Crowned Tchagra.

  This lovely raptor didn't escape me as we had quite a few sightings in the area of
Brown Snake Eagle

  
The star of this post was undoubtedly the sighting of three Cheetahs.
The early morning guided drive was certainly chilly. It started off under spot light as we looked for eye- shine from the nocturnal and early morning risers. Small-Spotted Genets were numerous as were Water buffalo, however as the early morning sun rose the dense fog made viewing near impossible...... most of the tour group huddled under the blankets in the back of the tour bus. The drive was becoming fairly non eventful (but still very much enjoyable) until we reached the point that we have to turn back to return to camp. Just a few hundred yards up the road at a junction two cars were parked at the roadside, the driver said he would just check this out before we turned back, as we neared the cars a hand appeared from the drivers side window and pointed across the road where bingo!!! Three Cheetahs had been resting in an open area, our bus must have disturbed them as they all got up, stretched and proceeded to walk past us. One stopped  a few yards away and unbelievably  started to scent mark the junction corner....

Cheetahs


 The other two had now walked in front of our vehicle and even felt confident enough to stop in the sun-lit road
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What a way to spend part of a morning! Cheetah watching.
 
Of course the Cheetahs didn't hog all the limelight.......
Impala males
 
 
Warthog
 
 
Nyala male
 
 
Giraffe

 
 
The impressive Greater Kudu Male

 

African Elephants

 
 
Zebra

 
 
Wildebeest


However it was really turning out to be a few days of big cat sightings. Our third cat species of the area.

Leopard
It walked right alongside our vehicle but quickly disappeared into the bush and out of sight

 
This group of Impala was the intended prey.

 
We soon figured out that while Cats are hunting, Vultures Gather, Although we had now lost sight of the Leopard the Vultures were gathering in large numbers, Possibly upto 50 were now circling above us including White Backed, White Headed and Hooded species
 
White Backed Vulture
 
 
Ten minutes later we relocated the Leopard a few hundred meters away using the long grass as camouflage, the Impala didn't stampede but were on edge enough to retreat to the thicker bush
 
 
We needed to make headway as we had many kilometeres to travel........
 
Next stop Satara Rest Camp, but not before we stopped to witness yet more cats
 
Four Lioness`s (three in the foreground to the left)
 
 
unfortunately we really must move on now, many more kilometres to travel
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South Africa 2013 - Pt 6

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Kruger Park: Melalane Rest Camp and surrounds (including Berg-En-Dal):

Onwards into Kruger.................... the start of another adventure.
Malelane Gate



Just the one nights stay at Malelane. We (Aletta, David, Liz, Ryan, Matt and myself) booked in, unloaded and got on the road in double quick time. The plan was to drive a simple loop towards Berg-En-Dal camp to buy provisions for the evenings Barbecue. Most of the mammal and Fauna species were going to be new to me here in Kruger so it was eyes alert ...... I even got out of walking around the shop and snook in a little extra bird-watching from the car park.

Dark Capped Bulbul
 
 
Scarlet Chested Sunbird
 
 
Black Backed Puff-back
 
 
 
Greater Blue Eared Starling
 
 
Back on the tracks and heading around the Matjulu Loop we were soon picking up some Mammals. Impala were to be the default Mammal species across southern Kruger, often large herds of either Males or females, although now and again we did see the odd male in with large flocks of females.

female Impala

 
it didn't take us long to get our first Rhino.... here is the White Rhino (we would later see the critically endangered Black Rhino on a guided tour)
note the Red Billed Oxpeckers.
 

Magpie Shrike
 
 
Black Collared Barbet

 
African Grey Hornbill
 
 
Southern Ground Hornbill.
This bird is huge, impressive and high on any birders wish list, we were to get some seriously stunning views and images as the week progressed.
 
 
Southern Yellow Billed Hornbill
and possibly the most charismatic species in the whole park, I spent hours watching their antics.....
They refused to fly away under all sorts of provocation from other species (when food was around).. they simply picked something up and ran, often in circles trying to avoid attacks from every angle. Brilliant to watch.
 
 
Back at Malelane Camp before sunset I went looking to see what species were around the camp while the others were able to prepare the Barbecue which immediately grabbed the attention of a large troop of Vervet monkeys.
They only managed to steal bread but tomorrow I would witness them ransacking other Rondavals where food had not been locked away over night. I found them to be a creature of dare I say FUN, however the SA residents were less tolerant of their antics.,..... lock your possessions away, simples!
 
 
The Barbecue was lit, the sun had gone down and a lap of the camp with the torch for some spot lighting. Thirty yards away and sat on the lower branches of the tree was this fella..... also ready with its diner in preparation..... (notice the Bat in its Talons).

Pearl Spotted Owlet
 
 
A very early start for Aletta, Matt and myself as we left the camp at first light.

Quickly we came across 3 Spotted Hyena, they all stopped in their tracks and looked at us for only a few seconds and they were gone deeper into the bush..... things looked promising. Then a few hundred yards down a dirt track we saw 4 Spotted Eagle-Owls all perched in the same tree, they were a little more distant, the light was poor so no image (now back at home I wish I had at least gotten myself a record shot), however we were soon onto our first large Raptor when we found this impressive Tawny Eagle stood alongside its nest, a little later we would see an adult flying low over the bush.
 
 
We headed for Matjulu waterhole. As it turned out it was a little disappointing with no mammals coming to feed but a few good bird species kept our attention for the hour or so.
 
Natal Spurfowl
this one showing it spurs rather well and hence the species name
 
 
White fronted Bee-eater.
A good sized colony enjoyed feeding as the sun began to rise
 
 
while a few species of Kingfisher perched towards the water both Grey Headed and Brown Hooded Kingfishers as well as Blue Waxbill, Red Billed Hornbill, Streaky Headed Seedeaters and Burchells Starlings.
 
We headed back towards camp and birds were now warming up in the sunshine
Gabar Goshawk
 
 
 of course the mammals would soon be out and about these Giraffes taking an early feed
 
 
African Elephant
 
 
as were these menacing looking Water Buffalo
 
 
 but for me here is the star of the show.....
Lilac Breasted Roller
It is very cool this time of year in the mornings so this bird had its plumage a little ruffled so as to keep warm, what an absolutely stunning creature.
 
 
the same species but looking a little warmer

 
the stunning species continued to show.... this was just out side the camp entrance
Crested Barbet
 

as was this Red Billed Hornbill

 
while back inside the camp
Kurrichane Thrush


 a pair of fabulous Southern White Crowned Shrikes



 
Another must see species, Brown Headed Parrot
I had seen a large flock flyover the camp the previous evening at sunset, they returned this morning to feed in this tree

 
I counted at least a dozen at one point
 

and mixed in with the Parrot flock were a pair of Black Headed Oriole


Plenty of other species were around, Black Storks flew over the river behind the camp while Lesser Masked Weavers, Cape Glossy Starling, and White Bellied Sunbirds were in the camp.


This was the first afternoon and morning in Kruger Park, if this first camp was a taster of what was to come then roll on the rest of the stay..... happy days!
 
We now travel the 4hrs to Pretoriouskop Rest Camp
 
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