Sunday 30 March 2008

South African Birds

Cattle Egrets - Kruger National Park


Blacksmith Plovers - Kruger National Park


Blue-eared Glossy Starling - Kruger National Park


Black-fronted Bulbul - Kruger National Park


Purple Heron - Kruger National Park


Green Pigeon - Kruger National Park


Unknown - Kruger National Park


Laughing Dove - Kruger National Park


Speckled Mousebird - Kruger National Park


Cape Rock Thrush - Bourke's Luck Potholes


Long Crested Eagle - Near Graskop, Mpumalanga


Full list of birds seen:

Burchell’s Coucal – Hazyview

Tawny-Flanked Prinia - Kruger

Chinspot Batis - Kruger

Black-Fronted Bulbul – Various

White-Breasted Cormorant – Kruger

Collared Sunbird – Hazyview

House Sparrow – Hazyview

Red Bishop - En-route JoBurg-Hazyview

Thick-Billed Weaver – Hazyview

Guinea Fowl - Kruger

Crested Francolin - Kruger

Speckled Mousebird - Kruger

Grey-Headed Gull – Nelspruit

Egyptian Goose – Hazyview

African Paradise Flycatcher – Hazyview

Yellow-Fronted Tinkerbird – Hazyview

Cape Rock Thrush - Bourke's Luck Potholes

Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling – Kruger

Long-Crested Eagle - Graskop, Panorama Route

Bateleur's Eagle - Kruger

African Pied Wagtail – Hazyview

Cape Wagtail – Hazyview

Fiscal Shrike - Panorama Route

Red-Backed Shrike - Panorama Route

Alpine Swift – Various

Common Swift – Various

Rock Martin - Jo'Burg Airport, Panorama Route

Red-Rumped Swallow – Various

Lesser Striped Swallow – Various

Barn Swallow – Various

Green Pigeon - Kruger

Laughing Dove - Kruger

Hammerkop - Kruger & Hazyview

Malachite Kingfisher - Kruger

Grey-Fronted Kingfisher – Hazyview

Pied Kingfisher - Hazyview

European Roller - Kruger

Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill – Kruger

Hadaba Ibis - Kruger & Hazyview

Water Thick-Knees - Hazyview

Blacksmith Plover - Kruger

Cattle Egret - Various

Grey Heron - Kruger

Purple Heron - Kruger



Friday 28 March 2008

Hippo Hollow Hotel, Hazyview, South Africa - March 2008

As part of our visit to South Africa we stayed at the Hippo Hollow Hotel in Hazyview, just a few km from the Kruger National Park. This is a wonderful hotel right on the bank of the Sabie River. We stayed in a lodge overlooking the river


The view from the veranda was spectacular.


Some great wildlife was seen here during our stay.

This crocodile was in the river right outside our veranda.





On two evenings a hippo was grazing on the hotel lawn by the restaurant.


Sitting on our veranda one evening a hippo was in the bushes right next to us. We couldn't see it in the dark, but its grunting was initially quite frightening as it was so close.

This footprint in the mud shows how big these animals are.




It's best to be careful when you're by the river.



A large monitor lizard was digging in the lawn one afternoon.


And this one received an aerial attack from 2 Grey-hooded Kingfishers.


Another lizard



Many frogs/toads could be heard at night from the reedbeds. What I believe was an Olive Toad (Bufo garmani) was in the swimming pool. This frog was on our veranda.


There was plenty of birdlife to be seen too:

Egyptian Geese were often seen.

Three Hadaba Ibis landed on the lawn right by where we were sitting.


Cattle Egrets were seen heading off in the evening to roost, and Hammerkop were spotted flying over the other side of the river above the trees.

Two wagtail species were frequent visitors to the riverbank.

African Pied Wagtail



Cape Wagtail




There were also two Kingfisher species, with at least 1 pair of each

Pied Kingfisher




Grey-hooded Kingfisher


Some other birds seen:

African Paradise Flycatcher


Sunbird


Some sort of finch - I think.



Thick-billed weavers, Water Thick-Knees (Dikkop) were amongst some of the other birds seen.

And finally..


















Wednesday 26 March 2008

Kruger National Park, South Africa - 7 March 2008

We left Hazyview at about 5.30 a.m and travelled through the Shangaan tribal lands to the Paul Kruger Gate. We entered the Park around 6 a.m. just as it was getting light.

Our first sighting was of a hyena, which walked across the road and went into its burrow in a culvert under the road.



Spotted Hyena - Crocuta crocuta



The next animals seen were a group of Burchell’s Zebra. These zebra clearly showed the shadowing of the stripes, which is typical of this species.



Burchell's Zebra - Equus burchelli

I then spotted a White Rhino (Big 5 – No.1) lying in the scrub. Our guide stopped and reversed the truck for some decent views.


White Rhinoceros - Ceratotherium simum


There were a few Giraffe on both sides of the road, eating the leaves from the tops of the bushes. Both Red-Billed and Yellow-Billed Oxpeckers were feeding on them (you won’t see that at Woburn!).


Giraffe - Giraffa camelopardalis


Red-billed Oxpecker - Buphagus erythrorhynchus



A family of Crested Francolin were walking along the road.


Crested Francolin - Francolinus sephaena


Our first pride of Lions (Big 5 – No.2). The Male was staying well hidden within the bushes. The females and cubs were more visible and active.


Lion - Panthera leo
Lioness with cubs


Play time!


Dad taking it easy in the shade!


Here, whilst watching the lions, I spotted the first of many European Rollers, which were unfortunately difficult to photograph.


European Roller - Coracias garrulus


A number of Impala and a male Kudu were seen along the way, before we got these excellent views of a herd of Impala. Impala are the commonest antelopes in the Park. What lovely animals they are!


Impala - Aepyceros melampus




A young bull Elephant (Big 5 – No.3) was then spotted. He was on his own.


African elephant - Loxodonta africana


The area of the park we visited was the typical bushveld terrain of mainly scrub with a few taller trees. The grasslands are best visited in the dry season when the grasses are shorter


Bushveld

The next sightings were of 2 female Kudus. Apparently affectionately referred to as Prince Charles Antelopes – for obvious reasons.


Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros


So much to see already and we haven’t even had breakfast yet. A stop was made at the Skukuza rest area. Obviously it is not safe (and it's illegal) to get out of the vehicle in the Park – so the appointed rest areas, surrounded by high electric fences are the only places to take a break. On the way in we saw a Sausage Tree – the fruits weigh up to 15kg.





The 1 hour breakfast stop was by no means a break from the wildlife. In the Sabie River there were Hippos;


Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibus


This gecko was well camouflaged on a tree;




Fruit Bats were roosting under the thatched roof of the picnic area.





Birds here included – Green Pigeon, Speckled Mousebird, Glossy Starling, Laughing Dove, Egyptian Geese and Hadaba Ibis. I also got a brief glimpse of a Malachite Kingfisher dashing along the river.



African green pigeon - Treron calva



As we left the rest area there was a group of about 10 Warthogs trotting along the road, including 1 male and some young.


Warthog - Phacochoerus africanus


When Warthogs run they have their tail sticking up in the air.




A second pride of Lions was seen from a distance, lying on the bank of a dam.




Here some Wildebeest were standing in the shade at the edge of the road.



Wildebeest - Connochaetes taurinus


Our guide received a report of a leopard in a tree several km away – so it was decided that we would try to get there, however we soon received a disappointing update that it had now left. Our consolation was a Leopard Tortoise slowly ambling across the road.


Leopard Tortiose - Geochelone pardalis

A Vervet Monkey dashed across the road and disappeared into the bushes, before I could take a picture. (Never mind plenty in Zambia!)


A few eagles were seen during the day, soaring above the Park including Bateleurs Eagles (Terathopius ecaudatus).


The news over the ranger's radio was that the Leopard had reappeared so the chase was on again. A brief stop was made for a group a Guinea Fowl.




When we arrived at the spot where the Leopard had been sighted there was unfortunately no sign of it. A few Impala were grazing in the bushes though. Suddenly the Leopard (Big 5 - No.4)was spotted through the undergrowth, apparantly stalking the Impala. After a couple of minutes trying to get some good views of the Leopard it re-appeared in the tree. We were treated to some excellent views of this rarely seen big cat.


Leopard - Panthera pardus
On the lookout


Gracefully moving around the tree


Just taking it easy!


The Leopard obviously had the right idea, the temparature was well into the high 30's. Even in the open safari truck it was very hot.


On the way to lunch stop at Skukuza we saw these 2 Hammerkop.


Hammerkop - Scopus umbretta


The rest area again produced some good birdlife and some clearer views of the Hippos. A Purple Heron was standing in the middle of the river. I decided to walk along the river bank to get a closer view of the Heron. Unfortunately the reedbeds were too high to see the bird clearly, however we were rewarding with an African Buffalo (Big 5 - No.5) lying at the edge on the river on the opposite bank.


African Buffalo - Syncerus caffer

I shared the news with another group in our party, unfortunately an Australian couple who were with us, were not around so they missed out on the chance to complete the Big 5.


After lunch we visited the dam on the Sabie River and saw this crocodile.


Nile Crocodile - Crocodylus niloticus


We then had some excellent views of a group of 3 elephants and another single a few metres down the road.



African elephant - Loxodonta africana


As ever there were several more sightings of Impala.


This male Kudu was well camouflaged in the bushes. The females seen earlier did not have these impressive horns.


Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros


Not all the wildlife was on a grand scale. Although this Golden Orb Spider had a web several metres in diameter.


Golden Orb Spider


A visit to a lake produced several Cattle Egrets and some Blacksmith Plovers. There were also good views of Hippos.


Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus amphibus
Cattle egrets - Bubulcus ibis


Although the afternoon was much quieter than the morning, all in all a thoroghly enjoyable and memorable day was had. Not everyone gets to see Lions when they visit the park and many visitors leave without spotting (pardon the pun) a Leopard - so we were very fortunate to see all of the Big 5.