Northern Kruger & Dumela Wilderness Area Mozambique.

 We left Pretoria on 21st May for the drive to Sabie Park, where we spent two nights. The purpose of coming here was to pack our trailer (which we had left here). We had one day to do everything! Hectic! Dawn on 23rd May saw us entering Kruger National Park for the long drive to Shingwedzi, where we were staying for the next three nights. It was a long 280 kms drive through the park. We stayed on the tar road & didn't have much time for birding or even animal watching! 

Taken with the phone through the windscreen

in the pouring rain!

Under normal circumstances, this would have been

 a fantastic sighting!

However in torrential rain we spotted a very wet & grumpy Lioness on the road. She was looking ahead at 14 Wild Dogs & 4 Spotted Hyena which were shadowing the Dogs. We enjoyed close views but it was bucketing down with rain.

On the Letaba River Bridge.

The headless Leopard!

Just north of Letaba Camp we spotted a nice male Leopard on the road. Unfortunately all our cameras were packed away & Delana managed a shot with her phone. 

Shingwedzi River.

We arrived at our camp late afternoon & settled in for our three night stay. As we proceeded north, the weather got better & we enjoyed a nice meal by the restaurant on the river.

It is a very scenic drive.

This Water Monitor gave stunning views.

Bush Squirrels

Lilac breasted Roller

On the 24th we slowly drove south on the border road to Grootvlei Dam. The road closely follows the river & one gets stunning views. It was a lovely day out but without seeing any notable game sightings.  

We have never seen so much water around.

Southern Yellow billed Hornbill

White fronted Bee-eater

Mosque Swallows

Rattling Cisticola

A common species, throughout Kruger.

Bennett's Woodpecker

A widespread, but always scarce,

 species within Kruger.

Brown hooded Kingfisher

Martial Eagle

This bird had caught & was eating

 a Bush Squirrel.

Tawny Eagle

Southern Ground Hornbill

Immature

Crocodiles at the low water bridge.

With the high water levels, the crocs were lining up 

to catch fish as they came over the top!

They learnt quickly, as this doesn't happen very often.

Water Dikkop was also at the crossing.

The next morning we went north along the Mpholonga River. It was another beautiful morning & we enjoyed the drive.

Showing the way!

It was a large, spacious campsite next to a lagoon.

Our first of six sunsets here.

On the 26th May we crossed the tiny border post into Mozambique & drove the short distance to Dumela Wilderness Area. Delana found out about this place a couple of years ago & it is right on the Pafuri floodplain, so should be good birding! We are staying in Pel's Fishing Owl Camp! I like the sound of that!

The view from camp.

There was even a little bush bar!

There is no power here, so we had 

to use the generator.

One evening we went on a cruise on the lagoon.

A very secretive Purple Heron.

Brown hooded Kingfisher

Burchell's Coucal

Little Bee-eater

Red faced Cisticola

Poor photos as this bird was singing at dusk.

Our camp was about 500m from the Limpopo River.

It is a beautiful spot & it is nice to be able to

 walk around & not confined to a vehicle.

White backed Vulture

White crowned Lapwing

White fronted Plover

Pied Kingfisher

There are some great riparian

 forests along the river.

Pel's Fishing Owl

There were three birds, but we only managed to 

get good views of one bird.

Of course this is where one of the great avian prizes lives. One day we made a concerted effort to find them & after a long three hours we did!

Often difficult to photograph, 

as it keeps in the shadows.

The other species that is found in this woodland is Black-throated Wattle-eye. Always tricky to find & get good views of.

This area is also famous for its 

extensive Fever Forests.

This is a fast declining habitat, 

as it is rapidly been cleared by local people.

An absolute pleasure to

 be birding here.

Delana birding in the fever forest.

Grey-headed Bushshrike

There is a nice clearing close to the dam

 where we camped.

Egyptian Geese on the dam.

Lemon breasted Canary

A very localized & hard to find species 

over much of its range.

There were seven birds in this group.

Always keeping their distance & into the sun.

We really enjoyed our time here, a lovely camp & nice to just able around anywhere you wanted to. Some great birds as well: Crested Eagle; Pel's Fishing Owl; Black-throated Wattle-eye; Yellow White-eye & Lemon-breasted Canary being the best. Altogether we recorded 124 species in our time here. 

To be completed. In Mozambique now no signal.