Tuesday, 26 August 2014

A day trip to Lower Sabie.

It is Monday 25th August & I planned to drive north in Kruger National Park. However, things didn't really pan out that way! I entered the park & almost immediately saw a very large pregnant Spotted Hyena, unfortunately I was too slow to get any decent photos, before she went into the scrub. I saw very little else as I passed Skukuza & slowly meandered adown the Marula Loop track, which is normally productive.
Some huge old males in this herd.
A small part of the Cape Buffalo herd.


 I then turned right on the H 12 & saw around 500+ Cape Buffalo crossing the Sand River.
One of the old, adult females in the group.
Two, of the three young male Lions.

Yawning, not roaring!



Next I drove the Salitje Road, which is another of my favourites, with little traffic. And so it proved today. I bumped into six Lions along the dirt track & spent around 30 minutes alone with them before another vehicle came & pushed them deep into the bush. It really was a quality sighting.
Hooded Vultures.


 I watched a couple of Hooded Vultures pecking at an old carcass in the river bed.

Woolly-necked Stork
Brown-headed Parrot

I made my way to Molondozi Dam & enjoyed a quiet view watching many Hippos & quite a few bird species including Woolly-necked Stork, Brown-headed Parrot and my first migrant Wood Sandpipers & a Little Stint.
A Black-faced Vervet Monkey eyes my biscuits!
Mother & baby Chacma Baboon.


Both Monkeys & Baboons kept an eye on me & my biscuits!

Another herd of Cape Buffalo
 along the Sabie River.


I also saw two immense herds of Buffalo, the first around 450 strong & the second herd around 750 strong! Amazing, & the noise was very loud with all the bellowing from the calves. I also had several large herds of breeding Elephants.
The wonderful Lower Sabie Camp.
Open-billed storks in front of
a rather large Crocodile!

I arrived at Lower Sabie Camp & enjoyed a nice lunch on the viewing deck. It really is in a superb situation. I then had a quick look at Sunset Dam, which held lots of Open-billed Storks + the usual immense Crocodiles!
I then took the main road back, seeing another group of four Lionesses, but too many cars in the way to get a good photo. I decided to loop around & complete the Waterhole Road & back to the Paul Kruger Gate. 

Klipspringer.
Despite intense searching my only good sighting was of a fine male Klipspringer. And so ended a very pleasant day out in the park.

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