Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Sabie Park in December

The female Bushbuck is still in the garden.

The big male Warthog is still around.

Elephants opposite my house.






This male was right up against the fence!
White Rhino taken from my veranda.
Cape Buffalo coming down to drink at the river.
Marabou Stork flying over.
They have been scarce recently.
Hadeda Ibis are ever present & make a
 good early morning alarm clock!
Green backed Heron at the picnic site.

Adult Bateleur
 The not so colourful immature.
Steppe Buzzard - a real long distance migrant.
Purple crested Turaco.
Giant Kingfisher
Burchell's Coucal
Laughing Dove - 
surprisingly scarce inside Sabie Park
Black collared Barbet
Little Bee-eater - confined to the river here.
Red-billed Helmetshrike
Fork-tailed Drongo with a broken tail!
The very similar Black Flycatcher
Chinspot Batis
White bellied Sunbird is very common.
Green backed Camaroptera
Yellow breasted Apalis
Common in the garden.
Pin-tailed Whydah

Arrived back home to a heatwave! The first two weeks have been unbelievingly hot with just the occasional thunderstorm. The country is in the grip off a drought & the veldt is not as green as it should be for this time of year.

Kitchen looks a little bit different now!
Much more modern with nice clean lines.

The fridge/freezer will be replaced
 to match the cooker.

Have been getting the house sorted out. The kitchen is now installed & working, although there are still a few minor things to be done.

Not the best photos - but you get the idea!




The lounge is getting there as well, with new bookcases & a coffee table now in place.

We saw a Bat Hawk at dusk in the garden on 4th & a European Honey Buzzard was around for three days but being very elusive. No photos were obtained of either bird! Drat!

Looking towards Hazyview


After my few days in Kruger I drove back through White River & this was the view ahead of me! Storms had been brewing for a few days, spectacular but little or no rain falling! Just after I took these shots there was a short but intense hailstorm!

Leopard Tortoise
Flat backed Tortoise

Have enjoyed a few lazy days around home, swimming in the pool etc. It has been unbelievably hot with some intense thunderstorms, but little or no rain.

The tree - now all cut up.

Rob, Cath & Sean arrived on the evening of 21st co-coinciding with a terrific thunderstorm which blew a large tree down onto their house! Minimal damage was done, but quite a spectacular homecoming!

2 comments:

  1. Hey Steve - Happy New Year and great adventures in 2016 - the house and especially the kitchen look great. Safe travels - Dave Clark

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dave,
      Great to hear from you. I spend about four months a year in SA now, as I am retired.
      Hope to come out your way in the future.
      Wishing you all good things
      Cheers
      Steve

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