Vitumi area.
Another grey day
Vitumi Dam
This is quite a open area surrounded by bush willow
dominated woodland.
dominated woodland.
Enjoyed a great day out in Kruger on 15th April. It was the Easter weekend so had to queue to get in! it took me 50 minutes! So once inside I opted to hit the dirt roads & went along the S36 & on to the Vitumi Loop & back across to Nhlanguleni picnic site.
Sable
Scarce in Kruger
Whow!
Cheetah!
This is how hard they are to spot!
A young one.
First it was quiet, but three Sable livened things up & then I came across a Cheetah, which sat around for quite some time. As it walked off it just disappeared into the surrounding grasslands! No wonder I don't see them very often!
Still lots of water around, after all the recent rains.
Quite impressive, close up!
Wahlberg's Eagle
European Roller
Still the odd one around, although most have left.
Little Bee-eater
Cinnamon breasted Rock Bunting
Still the odd one around, although most have left.
Pretty full!
Returned via Tshokwane & arrived back in Sabie Park around 4.30 pm. Went to work on my computer & kept a close eye on the rugby being played as well. Went home to find my house wide open! Someone had used a key & opened the main door. As I walked inside I saw the veranda door was also open. They had used the keys off the dining room table! The strongroom was also open. I went back & alerted the management & the warden & head of security walked around my property. It was only when they had gone that I discovered someone had also turned my gas off! I believe someone is leaving me a message! The police visited over the next two days.
I was back in Kruger just before dawn on 20th April. It was yet another grey, overcast morning. In the first two hours I saw little of note & then the Kruger magic happened! It was driving along the Waterhole Road (S65) when I spied two Cheetahs sat in full view on a small patch of bare earth.
They didn't do much but watched them for a few minutes & as the multitudes arrived I drove off straight into three Lions! Two were on the ground in long grass but one immature male was up in a tree! This is only the second time I have seen this in Kruger in all the years I have been coming here. They were a long way away & I got some poor photos. So driving down the road & a female Leopard sat with two cubs on a koppie! (They were very close to the Lions)! Unfortunately, just as I stopped a tourist jeep spotted them & with all the noise from the open back she slunk off with the cubs & remained hidden! I was not a happy bunny! So I drove about a kilometer & I saw a car pulled over & just glimpsed the back end of a Wild Dog! On speaking to the occupants they said that there were at least two animals, but probably more hidden. So all three cats + Wild Dog inside 27 minutes! This has to be some kind of record?
The rest o the morning was a bit quieter, but I popped into the Lake Panic Bird Hide & got great shots of Squacco Heron & African Jacana.
View from my house, looking into Kruger.
Late afternoon at the Picnic spot.
I have been busy with all the Sabie Park nonsense. But for the last two nights a Leopard has been coughing very close to my veranda. So much so, that I have had to move inside, which is a pity, but necessary. Also heard Giant Eagle Owl. Had a nice afternoon at the picnic site. Nothing special, but it was such a beautiful afternoon/evening.
Two brothers
Lousy photos!
But this is such a rare sighting!
He looked really awkward up there!
Klipspringer
Squacco Heron
The light was just right.
African Jacana
Comb Duck
Lappet faced Vulture
Southern Ground Hornbill
Leopard Tortoise
On 21st April I thought I would do the same circuit but today the animals didn't come out to play! I then headed off down the Biyimiti Loop Road to Afsaal. It was a beautiful morning but very quiet. What a change from the previous day!
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