South Africa 2016 - Mopani and Letaba

We met our guides early morning along with 6 other people for a mornings Bushwalk. We would be looking for the smaller critters and learning the bush mans way of life. Unbelievably we didn't come across any mammals at all during the 4hr trip , it would have been interesting if we had, depending on what we came across. Even without the mammals it was very interesting and informative and a very enjoyable walking in the bush. I bagged a couple of life birds with Bru Bru and the elusive White Backed Night-Heron.

 

White Backed night-heron

 



Back at Mopani camp we decided to have a few hours chilling in the garden before heading back out onto the roads. I racked up an incredible garden bird list with plenty of lifers at close quarters. Golden Tailed Woodpecker, African Paradise Flycatchers, Red Billed Firefinch, Grey Headed Bushshrike, the stunning female Black Cuckoo-Shrike, along with loads of the more regular species, Grey go away Bird, Grey Hornbill, Yellow Hornbill, Red Hornbill, Southern Black Tit, Crested Barbet, Chinspot Batis, Black Backed Puffback and plenty more. The woodland garden at units 20-24 where we stayed was a bird watchers paradise.

 

all three garden Hornbills

Grey Hornbill

 

Red Billed Hornbill

 

Southern Yellow Billed Hornbill



African Paradise Flycatcher

Red billed Firefinch

Grey Go-away Bird

Crested Barbet

Black-backed Puffback

Golden Tailed Woodpecker

African Mourning Dove

Yellow Bellied Greenbul

 

A spot of lunch and then back out onto the road, rivers and plains.

Boabab Tree

 

a battle scared Hippo

 

a rather cute youngster

while larger parties fed and watered

Once again we visited Middlevlei waterhole, this time it was quiet but just farther along the road we retried for the area that we had seen 2 lions the day before. This time we were fortunate to see the pair chilling, then just as we were about to leave we witnessed them mating. Incredible to witness this, again we had no one else around.

We spent a short while around the five Nshawu waterholes where the mammal life was quiet save for a few Zebras but we picked up 2 Gabor Goshawks perched together and a few Life birds with a Jameson's Firefinch, Long Billed Pipit and a Black Chested Snake-Eagle. Other birds included African Stonechat, Common Waxbill, Black Collared Barbet, African Palm Swifts.

Gabor Goshawk

Jameson's Firefinch

Black Chested Snake-eagle

The last night was a stop over at Letaba rest camp just to reduce the travel time to the Ba Phalaborwa Gate and Hoedspruit Airport.

The Letaba River didn't disappoint as a pair of Giant Kingfisher surveyed from the bridge
Giant Kingfisher

Zebra

Croc

while this Yellow billed Stork keeps an eye on another

This Juvenile Southern Ground Hornbill tries to stay cool by extending its wings, it was part of a family group that fed a little way into the bush

Kori Bustard

Long Billed Pipit

a family of Bushbuck decided to check out our accommodation, while one decided to have a rest

A few new birds recorded as we started our exit journey were at the Nhanganini waterhole, with Black stork and Woolley Necked Stork

Been there, and now its that way out....

just before the Gate the only African Hoopoe of the trip flew over while this magnificent African Hawk-eagle perched up for us.

Next stop Cape Town

South Africa 2016 - Kruger Park Mopani to Shingwedzi

I have a new favourite rest camp, Mopani. It is set in a woodland, we felt more secluded (even though we still had neighbours), but I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic garden bird list of 30+ and add a very close encounter from a Honey Badger that entertained us for 40 minutes, even though it was at the cost of ransacking our bin.

We also added a new antelope species with Tsessebe and saw our first Klipspringers of the trip.

There were some magnificent highlights too, Stunning close views of a Leopard, a Waterhole scene out of a wildlife documentary, and witnessed Lions mating.

We drove even further north for a day trip to Shingwezi rest camp which has a reputation of the area being some of the best uninterrupted wildlife viewing in the park.

Enjoy the wildlife of Lower Northern Kruger Park!

 

Typical  winter colours of the Mopani bushes

After leaving Olifants we headed towards Mopani via Letaba (this rest camp would be our final stop over in a few days time). 

 

This Klipspringer was resting at the side of the road and was one of a pair

 



We didn't realise how much quieter the roads would be and certainly didn't realise that we would have an amazing half hour at Middlevlei waterhole completely on our own. We pulled up and immediately noticed a few Zebra that seemed on edge. Then we witnessed a Spotted Hyena come out o the bushes and head for the waterhole, quickly followed by two Elephants and two Black Backed Jackals, and throw in a huge Kori Bustard.

 



Zebra takes evasive action form the Spotted Hyena



 

Spotted Hyena

 

The Big4, Kori Bustard, Black Backed Jackal, Elephant and Spotted Hyena

 

Kori Bustard and Black Backed Jackal

 



We booked into Mopani and quickly left as we wanted to visit as far north as we could in a day trip so headed towards Shingwedzi. We had now well and truly left the open savannah and were now deep in the golden colour of Mopani trees and bushes. It wasn't long before a few new trip birds were seen, African Green Pigeon and Red Faced Mousebird, while I managed a few life birds as well.

 

Red faced Mousebird

 

We continued from Mopani past the Tropic of Capricorn where if feeling brave you can get out of the car to walk the line and see the marker boulder..... we felt brave!

 



We continued north along the H1-6 when a car infront stopped suddenly, he had gone too far, we were perfect, along side our car posed this stunning Leopard.

 





 

we managed a few images  before the car in front hastily turned round his car and immediately disturbed the cat who climbed down off his rock and into the bush. I am convinced the Leopard would have happily sat there a while longer .

 

 

What a morning, stunning wildlife and incredibly good views too.

 

We just had time before reaching Shingwedzi to add a new species of antelope to our list with a few herds of Tesessebe.

 

I would add 6 new life birds to my list before we reached Shingwedzi

Purple Roller, Long Tailed Paradise Whydah, Wattled Starling, African Openbill, Sabota Lark and Red Billed Quelea.

 

Purple Roller

 

Red Billed Quelea

  

Yellow billed Stork keeps an eye on the croc

 

African Fish Eagle

 

Shingwedzi camp

 

by comparison of the morning the return journey back to Mopani would be fairly uneventful apart form the normal herds of Elephants, Zebra and Impala.

 

 

a superb days wildlife spotting was capped off by having the Honey Badger in our garden for 30 minutes or so as it ransacked our bin and gave very close views as it ate our brai waste.

 

 

Tomorrow we take a morning Bushwalk around Mopani and I do a spot of top class garden birding.