Kruger in winter

 Because of our continued tiredness we didn't venture into the national park until 24th July. We did a short drive along the river, across to the Waterhole Road, Transport Dam & back via Skukuza. It was a nice day out but we didn't see anything too special.

It is the middle of winter here, 

so very brown & dusty.

We found a Hyena den on the Diospane Road.

This cub was tiny & adorable!

Too young to have spots on its coat.

Best sighting of the day!

This Hippo has inhabited this dwindling pool for

many months now. It will have to move soon!

On the Sand River

Male Nyala

Brown Snake Eagle

Shikra

Pearl Spotted Owl, 

always nice to see in the daytime.

Brown Headed Parrot

At De Laporte Waterhole

Rufous crowned Roller

Striped Kingfisher

Black collared Barbet

It was nice to be back in the park again. Although the landscape was in its winter colours.

African Fish Eagle

Immature

Squacco Heron

Black Crake

A very obliging bird.

Water Dikkop

Mariqua Sunbird

Speckled Mousebird

Ashy Flycatcher

Southern Cordonbleu

On the 26th July we made a short trip to Skukuza & Lake Panic.  It was just half a day out.

Dark chanting Goshawk

This is a scarce species these days.

Brown Headed Kingfisher

Little Bee-eater

Burchell's Starling

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Opportunities like this are rare

 for this species.

The next day on 27th July we drove along the entire length of the S3 & left the park through Phabeni Gate. This is an excellent drive to do early morning as the sun is behind you & conducive for good photography. 

Three banded Plover

Spectacled Weaver

On the 30th July we drove down the S114 & Biyimiti Loop Road & back along the tar ending up at the indigenous nursery to buy some plants. It was remarkable in how little we saw! 

The worst photo ever of a Leopard 

with an Impala Kill.

We didn't go back into the park until 4th August when we drove through to Malelane. Yet again it was a very uneventful drive apart from a Leopard in a tree with its impala kill! Sounds good, but the views were not great. Our main reason for the trip was to get vaccinated on 5th August which we did. We enjoyed a lovely evening at Andrew & Jackey's house on the banks of the Crocodile River. 

Cape Buffalo at N'watimirhi Waterhole

Yellow billed Oxpeckers!

A big surprise here!

Around 20 Red billed Oxpecker 

were present as well.

Warthogs having fun!

Lovely!

Impala drinking.

Red crested Bustard

On 16th August we enjoyed a morning trip into Kruger, driving down the main road to Nkuhlu Picnic Spot. It was a quiet drive, but upon arriving at N'watimhiri Waterhole we found a sizeable herd of Buffalo. Among the many Red billed Oxpeckers were three Yellow billed! This is a real rarity this far south in the park & only my second record of this species in this area. 

This is one of the largest tuskers

 I have seen in a while.

We didn't enter the park again until 28th August when we drove slowly along the Sabie River Road (S3). This is a good early morning drive as you have the sun behind you & it is great for photography. We saw several herds of Elephants & amid one of these herds was a male with huge tusks. Big male tusker Elephants are getting rarer & rarer in Kruger. No one seems to know why, so seeing this individual was unusual. 

African Harrier Hawk

Juvenile

African Wattled Lapwing

Cardinal Woodpecker

We were also entertained by a juvenile African Harrier Hawk looking for food in holes in trees & stripping bark from the tree.  The rest of the day was taken with chores & shopping in White River. 

Southern Ground Hornbill

Wahlberg's Eagle

Our first migrant bird back.

We entered the park again early on 31st August taking a slow drive down the S3 & S4 & onto the Waterhole Road & along the main road exited the park at Numbi Gate. It was yet again slow going for game species but we did see our first Wahlberg's Eagle of the spring.