This week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee calls for pictures of anything beginning with Z. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is Zebra.
Part of the challenge includes photographs of ‘catching zzzs’
Lazy Lion
Sleeping Puff Adder found in our Kgalagadi Camp!
Went straight back to sleep when he was caught and put under a distant tree!
A very comfy position to sleep in
Today we decided to do a trip to Letaba Rest Camp and back taking the river loops along the way. By 6:30 we were ready to leave.
First to greet us this morning was a wildebeest. (Erich, if you’re reading this – we gave him your regards 🙂 )
Our most exciting sighting of the morning was when we stopped at view point to get a closer view of the river. Looking down we were delighted to find a grey heron, a hamerkop, two pied kingfishers, two fish eagles and two saddle bill storks fishing in a shallow pond. We spent a while there enjoying the scene and taking photographs.
Female Saddle-billed Stork
Fish Eagle
The Bug and Mean – oh sorry The Mug and Bean have been a resounding failure in some of the camps and Letaba is one where the restaurant is closed till further notice. However, there is temporary arrangement in the form of The Rustic Kitchen operating an open air or under canvas restaurant. What a stunning idea – so much better than the Bug! You sit at a simple wooden table and your food is cooked in the rustic kitchen and served on tin plates. Coffee is also served in a tin mug. It was fun and we enjoyed our fried eggs, venison sausage and grilled tomato!
The highlight on our return trip was just as we approached the Tsendse bridge we noted a stationary car with his lights flashing. He’s seen something we thought as he indicated to the car in front of us to stop. Said car ignored and overtook him. Then I spotted them lying flat on the river bed. There were five of them. They were so well camouflaged but then one got up and moved his position – wild dog. We watched them sleeping for a few minutes and when we saw they were not going to do anything for the rest of the afternoon we left them in peace.
Back in camp we had a cup of tea and I started downloading photos and The Earl pottered about sorting out technical stuff to do with the car fridge. A few hours later we went for another game drive.
On our afternoon drive we found the usual zebra, giraffe, buffalo, elephants, waterbuck etc. We took the Tropic of Capricorn Loop which produced some lovely sightings. Sometimes there are stretches of nothing and one can lose concentration as I obviously did at one point. Omiword – The Earl slammed on breaks. Did you see that. I looked back and saw a bird of prey on a tree but he flew off. Darn we missed him and he was on your side – why didn’t you see him. Maybe because he was so small? Not that wasn’t it – I’m usually on the lookout for small raptors. Just a lapse in concentration I’m afraid.
The Earl wanted to carry on but I persuaded him to go back to see if we could find him again – and we did. He led us a bit of a dance flitting from one tree to another but in the end we got a nice shot of him and were thrilled to identify him as a Gabar Goshawk.
Other sightings that we enjoyed were the following:
Tsessebe having a rest
The Iconic Lilac-breasted Roller
Heaviest flying bird – the kori bustard
Sadly it was our last night in Tsendze but we really loved this camp and will certainly be back.
How fantastic to wake to the sounds of the dawn chorus in the bush. It was already getting light at 4:30 am and that’s when the gate opens. But we had no intention of making such an early start. I went to shower at the ablution block just after 5 and we were packed and ready to leave at 6:30
Our first exciting event was an encounter with Ayres Hawk-eagle. There were actually two. The light was bad so the photo is not great but we found this one on a kill.
We also got a good sighting of the common black-shouldered kite – but what a pretty bird.
Elephants, buffalo, hippo, wildebeest and zebra were also on the menu and we got to see a lot of birdlife. Here are a few photos that we managed to get.
Lesser-striped swallow
Hippo
The uncommon yellow-billed oxpecker – grooming a zebra
Cute little blue waxbill
Shy steenbok
Beautiful giraffe
A rarity in the park is an antelope similar to a red hartebeest – the Tsessebe – We found a few of them which was lovely.
Time wore on and we were getting hungry. We decided to head back toward Mopani and have something to eat there. After a few hours of game driving you rather hope that you won’t see anything exciting as all you want is to have a break and get some strong coffee into you. I yelled at the earl to stop with a couple of interesting birds but either I was too late or he’d lost interest because he just drove on. Thank Goodness for that because just a few kms from camp we spotted some stationery cars – always a good sign – It has to be a leopard, I said and as we got closer I spotted a tail hanging down from the branch of a tree. Oh joy – all thoughts of coffee and food disappeared in an instant. There was a young leopard on a kill up in the tree. And was she having a delightful breakfast – lucky creature. If we’d delayed over the birds I’d called we would have missed her as after a minute she slid down the tree, washed her paws and slipped off into the bush! Gone! The only evidence were the remains of impala hanging in the tree!
We lingered long over breakfast at Mopani as its restaurant has such a lovely view over the river. We saw marabou storks and watched greater striped swallows take off and land back in the branches of the trees again. There was a lot of activity. I had a second cup of coffee while the Earl went to another section of the facility to pay accounts and send emails from his laptop.
We like to rest in camp in the middle of the day and it was now just after 11. We just did one more loop to Mooiplaas Picnic site, spotted some birds and hippos and then did a little river loop where we saw buffalo and elephant.
We got back to camp around 1 o’clock and rested until 3:30 and then went out again. We saw all the usual suspects and were not expecting anything too exciting. It was nearing 6 o’clock when we were in sight of this morning’s leopard tree and gate closing is at 6:30. And what should we see – three cars stopped at the tree.
“They’re probably looking at the carcass,” I said the Earl.
But no as we got closer I saw that the leopard was back.
But wait there’s more – “Look there,” said The Earl, “There’s another one in the tree.”
And then all hell broke loose as the two leopards started growling and slapping each other.
This is my dinner – Be off with you!
After a brief skirmish one decided she’d better get out of there and slipped down the tree and disappeared into the bush. The victor sat in the split in the tree for a few minutes looking for all the world like any domestic kitty cat.
Then he climbed onto the branch where the impala carcass was and proceeded to finish his meal.
Soon other cars appeared and in the end there were five of us watching this amazing sight. It gets dark quickly in the Kruger and by 6:10 I had enough photographs in good light. It was time to head quickly back to camp before the gate was locked! We made it with 10 minutes to spare
When one is in the misty mountains of The Magoebaskloof, it’s easy to forget that you’re in Africa and that it is Summer. The temperatures can be very low any time of the year here!
Haenertsburg is a tiny place and there are often problems with electricity. For most of yesterday afternoon we were without power, it came on again for a short while in the evening then was gone again for the rest of the night. This morning it was still not on but it didn’t bother us as we were out for most of the day.
How exciting it is to take possession of one’s new caravan! Our Gecko is simply the best! We loved our Imagine but we had so many setting up problems, so we decided that something a little simpler and easier on the old bones was required. Keith and Alison greeted us just before nine this morning and took us through the handing over process. They also provided us with a superb manual for easy reference. It was so interesting to find out that the reason they started building their Gecko caravans was because they too had owned an Imagine and after two trips in it decided to make something better! So they really understood what we were looking for!
We had so much fun learning all the ins and outs about our new van and Keith also took us on a tour of their impressive factory. The Earl was hugely impressed and you know what a perfectionist he is!
After our orientation we went to Minki’s for an amazing breakfast. Their coffee was to die for.
This ‘jug’ of hot coffee was a welcome warmer to the day
The breakfast was excellent
After breakfast we drove 30 km to Tzaneen to shop for Kruger. On our return we went back to Gecko and packed the caravan.
We had all our gear in the boxes on top of the Ford Everest and we spent about an hour sorting out and packing. It’s all done and dusted now and we’re ready for departure tomorrow morning.
I made the super new kingsize bed!
Alison suggested pantry bags – what a good idea – everything fits in so snugly
There is packing space in the cupboards, drawers and under the benches — note the aircon!
It has a loo
And a shower!
After all this activity we needed more coffee so back we went to Minki’s to pick up the ground coffee and relish we’d ordered. We also indulged in another of their amazing coffees and cappuccinos and shared a slice of delicious carrot cake!
The weather cleared in this afternoon and I did a bit of birdwatching around our cottage. It’s really in a superb spot with a great view of Stanford Lake. I was thrilled to find a long-crested eagle perched at the top of a tree.
The view
Long-crested Eagle
Taking flight
We have just had a lovely braai of lamb chops, boerewors, sweet potatoes and salad. It’s not as cold as last night and we have power! We’ll be off to bed soon as tomorrow is an early start for The Kruger National Park!
All too soon our five days with the Kokstad Clan came to an end. We caught up with Barbara and Andrew, saw our friends Neil and Rose who live on the farm next to Lauren and Alan and just relaxed and got ready for the next phase of our journey.
Masked Weaver in Barbara’s garden
We visited some huge gardens on Friday but Barbara’s smaller one is just a beautiful
Small by Kokstad standards – big by mine!
Barbara with her grandson, Caleb
Shannon went back to St John’s on Monday afternoon and on Tuesday we were all set to say farewell to Lauren, Allan and Simon. It will be another month before we see them all again.
The weather was not too hot and not too cold but when we reached Underberg we saw snow on the mountains! From there to Howick we went through several patches of mist and had fun (not!) playing dodge the pothole for many miles. But after that things improved, the weather warmed up and the scenery was stunning.
We stopped in Ermelo to refuel and as we try to collect U-count points we searched Google Maps for a Caltex garage. It took us a roundabout way and when we found one we were a bit disconcerted to see some huge trucks at every pump. However, the boss came running over and told us not to worry – we would be next in line. I asked if he would direct me to some clean loos and he immediately called a staff member to show me where they were. She took me to the extremely clean and well-maintained Fresh Stop rest room. When I emerged the boss checked that I was completely satisfied. Once again – what excellent service. The refuelling was ready within minutes and the attendant explained exactly how we could back to the N11 and warned us about upcoming road works. What a pleasant refuelling stop!
What a shock to find these monsters at every filling pump – they were on their way to Botswana
Our overnight stay was at Pumpkin Tree Lodge in Middelburg a very different Middelburg the one we spent the night at in The Eastern Cape! Mpumalanga’s Middelburg is quite a big town. We were greeted by a friendly owner with whom we had a long conversation on the merits of different caravans. She too was shopping for a new one and was very interested in hearing about our pending new Gecko.
This just outside the rooms
Bath converted to bench
Very lush garden at Pumpkin Tree Lodge
We decided not to go to the Italian restaurant she recommended as although we felt like having pizza it did not seem to offer Banting options. However, there was a take away menu from Pizza del Forno in our room and we decided to go there instead. Because I put in the wrong address in the GPS we found ourselves at the wrong place and had to start again and it took us a while before we finally got to our destination. On our return home we laughed because it only took two minutes!
At first it looked like it was in the dodgy part of town and we were afraid that our car might be broken into. But there was secure parking right outside and we could see our vehicle from where we sat. The food was excellent our waitress was attentive. I had a Banting Base Pizza topped with feta, avo and bacon and Earl had the same with normal base. Both were excellent. The owner was wonderful too. We asked him about the condition of the roads to Haenertsburg and he gave us excellent advice on which way to go.
In this part of South Africa at this time of the year it is HOT! The climate is subtropical and we are also in a Malaria area. (We are taking prophylactic medication) I heard a mosquito in our room in the night but luckily I was able to kill him!
In the morning we dressed in cool clothes but because we knew the temperature would be lower in the Magoebaskloof, we had our jackets ready. The trip once again was very scenic. How lovely it would be if our Western Cape dams had as much water as we saw in Loskop Dam just before entering Limpopo Province.
It took just on four hours to get to Haenertsburg and our first port of call was to the Gecko factory. And there she was – our brand new caravan! What a thrill to see her. Alison greeted us enthusiastically and brought out the stuff we’d couriered up. We spent the next half hour packing things in and admiring our new home on wheels. Tomorrow we will have our orientation and on Friday we take her into The Kruger National Park
Originally we planned to enter Kruger on Saturday but the weather is cold, misty and wet and seems to be set in for a while. Earl no longer does extreme fishing so we decided to book an extra day in Kruger instead!
Once we’d settled into our accommodation – a two bedroomed front cottage at Stanford Lake we set off to town to shop for supper. The little supermarket has a limited range of produce but we managed to get some boerewors, steak, garlic, sweet potatoes, baby marrows, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and olives for tonights supper. We also bought eggs and bacon for tomorrow’s breakfast. Then we found a lovely little coffee shop called the Book coffee shop. It was the most fascinating place that sold all sorts of goodies as well as old and interesting books. We ordered a hot chocolate and cheesecake to share! It was divine.
Cold, Misty and Wet in Haenertsburg
An interesting shop to browse in
The one next door was also quaint
Hot chocolate and cheesecake to die for
The electricity was cut for a few hours due to some cable problems but this did not bother us too much. We lit a fire in the stove and made our braai and by supper time the lights were on again. It was altogether a very pleasant evening.
The Earl at the braai
This week’s fun photo challenge calls for all kinds of furniture. Here is my take on it – Shabby Chic at Diesel and Creme, Barrydale, Western Cape, South Africa
I love the cushions.
Relaxing in the winter sun, waiting for coffee
Fabulous outdoor decor!
Here is my contribution to this weeks’s One word photo challenge
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Kgalagadi National Park Northern Cape South Africa
Drinking at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia
The All Coastal Bottom Fish Interprovincial Competition was hosted by Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club at Struisbaai from Tuesday 21 March to Saturday 25 March 2017. Thanks to Leander Wiit (Chairman of Western Provence Deep Sea Angling Association), DP Burger (Convener) and Louis Becker (Tournaments Officer) for their organisation of the event.
The three days fished were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Conditions were superb although the sea was quite rough on Thursday.
There were nine teams, namely
Thanks to the skippers who put in their boats for this competition
The boats used in the competition. Thanks to the awesome skippers.
All the catering was done by Marinda de Kock and her team. All can attest to the superbness of the breakfasts, lunch boxes and dinners.
A Delicious Spread at the Opening Function
The radio communications were ably controlled by Andrew Perris and assisted by Earl Fenwick who also took most of the photographs.
Thanks too, to the following people, Grant van der Westhuizen, Elize Beukes and Dick le Roux for doing an awesome job as weigh masters at the scales, Mark Westhook for organising the bait and Louis Becker and Patrick Christodoulou for doing the scoring.
At the opening function it was great to see the teams dressed in their colours, newbies were capped and there was an auction to predict and ‘buy’ the winning teams. He/she who predicted the first, second and third winners would win a handsome cash prize.
Leander Wiit and Patrick Christodoulou with the newly capped WP Juniors – Divan Burger, Karla Rautmann and Christof Dahl
Launching time was 7:00 am which meant a chilly and early rising if you wanted to enjoy a good breakfast before setting off to nab your catch. The aim was to get as many bottom species as possible. They had to be measured, photographed and released. However, if it was a pending record fish it had to be brought to the scales to be weighed. Yellowtail could be caught, kept and brought to the scales for points.
Busy at the scales
An awesome catch of yellowtail by Southern Cape White -Terry, Johan and Koos
The Gerber family – Eastern Province Black – did exceptionally well and were a tough team to beat!
Sheena Gerber achieved a SADSA Lady’s 6kg line class record with her beautiful yellowtail
The only juniors fishing and didn’t they have an awesome time – not to mention a three day break from boring old school!
A special word of thanks is due to the skippers of GT, Cavalier and Haven for hosting the Juniors. Thank you guys for your patience with and your guidance and support of these delightful youngsters. Long may they continue with their passion for the sport.
Christof Dahl holding his Red Stompneus which is a pending 6kg line class junior record.
It was a close competition and on Saturday all held a collective breath waiting to hear the final results at the prize-giving function. Roger and Sonja Marais were particularly delighted to hear that Western Province Blue, the team they ‘bought’ were the winners!
Sonja and Roger with the winning team!
What an exceptional Eastern Province family in second place
And Border came an awesome third
Pietro Cutino (Kitty Cat) was the skipper in third place
Colin Joubert (Haven) was placed second
And the top skipper was Louis Bekker (S-Catman)
And so ended another awesome Suidpunt Deep Sea angling event!
Hilton invited us to spend some time with them at their holiday home in Port Edward while we’re here in KZN. We needed to take Lolz to the airport yesterday so we decided to stop over with them on our way back.
King Shaka International Airport is a three hour drive from Kokstad so it was a crack of dawn start on a beautiful clear day. We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and had a golf cart come by and give us a lift from the carpark to departures. It took half an hour for Laurie to get through the bag drop queue and then we went to Mugg and Bean for breakfast.
Bag Drop was busy!
Brekkie at Mugg and Bean
The drive from the airport along the South Coast of KZN is one of the most beautiful in South Africa. It has a subtropical climate and everything is intensely green. The old railway line is still in existence for industrial use but sadly no passenger trains use it anymore.
A mix of traditional and modern housing
The railway next to the sea
A very scenic route
In 1979 I stayed with a friend whose family farmed in Boston. At that time I had no connections with anybody in KZN! Together we took the train from Durban to Port Shepstone – a beautiful scenic ride which took about six hours. Another friend collected us from there and took us to Port Edward. I still have amazing memories of the mud huts in which we stayed, the trees and the unspoiled beach. Returning there this year to stay with Hilton and Glynis was a thrill. Progress of course, is inevitable because those thatched, mud huts which nestled on 640 ha of pristine land, bordered by two rivers and one of the most unspoiled beaches in Southern Africa, have been replaced by The Wild Coast Sun Hotel and Casino. Heather’s husband, Gundi, also remembers the site, as he too spent many family holidays there.
Although a lot of development has taken place, the beaches are still unspoilt and it is a delightful area in which to have a holiday home. Hilton and Glynis have one close to a small beach where the kids can mess about in rock pools, there is space for the boat and tractor that pulls and launches it and there is also a pool.
They usually have this beach all to themselves
Glynis and the dog
Just watch out for grass snakes before getting into the pool
Soon after we arrived we went down to the Ski-boat club which overlooks the main beach. We enjoyed a drink and then returned with Nathan who had just been discharged from hospital and was a little tired. Recently Hilton and Gareth entered a species competition and they and Earl returned to attend the prize giving. And Gareth was thrilled to get R2000 in prize money!
Gareth posing with photos of past catches that line the walls of the living area
An old landrover is what is used for most of the driving around Port Edward
Hilton at the wheel – even the windscreen is missing
It’s a really fun ride
In the evening we went to the spectacular Wild Coast Casino for dinner. It was busy and full of gamblers but we enjoyed wandering around the place and the restaurant, Chico’s was lovely. For a set price they serve soup, Mongolian stir fry, roasts, seafood, vegetables, cold meats and salads and a variety of desserts. You may help yourself and eat as much as you can manage! We had an amazing evening.
Chico’s
Lit up for Christmas
Tropical Fish in the ponds
This morning we were up very early and met another niece Heather and her hubby Gundi for breakfast at Bobbie’s – which also overlooks the main beach.
Gundi, Heather, Glynis, Hilton and me
Afterwards we went for a walk along the beach. The swimming flags were up and a good number of life guards were on duty. Once again we thoroughly enjoyed our morning bonding with our younger relatives. We are very keen to visit them there again in the future and when Earl is stronger Hilton wants to take him out to sea – the KZN way!
View from Bobbie’s
The sea was 20 degrees C – Hilton said it was cold but it was not!
Life Guards keeping a close eye on the bathers
It was an hour and a half drive from Port Edward back to Lauren’s. We took the short cut which involved a game of “dodge the pothole” and watch out for pedestrians, cows and goats but once on the N2 it was smooth going again.
Tonight we are having a quiet evening and may or may not stay awake to see the New Year in!
On Monday afternoon we went down to say farewell to Struisbaai beach as we the following day we would be heading to Cape Town to spend the Christmas holidays with the kids in Cape Town. The water was stunning. How lucky we are to have this on our doorstep.
The tide was quite high
Abri’s boat on anchor in the background
Holiday Makers having fun on a jet ski
Earl thinks he might like to have one!
We woke up early yesterday, washed the linen and towels and made sure the house was in order for our holiday tenants. While the washing was drying on the line, we decided to try out the new restaurant on the Main Road. It is called 55 Knots and has a magnificent view of the sea. As it was a stunning morning we decided to sit out on the deck.
We made friends with a couple at the neighbouring table and the gentleman kindly took this photograph for us.
The first thing I want to know about a new restaurant: – Is the coffee good? – and I am relieved to say that Yes – 55 Knots has passed the test! Our breakfast – a three egg omelette with a choice of three fillings @ R45 was superb. So they will definitely be seeing us again soon. And the new owners have trained their staff well. Our waitress was wonderful. She was quick, efficient and friendly. The owner also came to check on us and we were pleased to give her positive feedback. They have only been open a week but we are sure they will have an excellent season.
The linen and towels were dry when we got home and so after packing everything away we bidding the house farewell, we dropped the keys off at the agent and set off for Robertson. It was a pleasant drive and we did some high speed birding but didn’t get an impressive list.
Before meeting Abri went to the tasting centre and enjoyed the dam and birds for a while. A white-throated swallow posed and performed beautifully for me.
A lovely place to relax – the dam at Springfield Wine Estate
White-throated swallow at the edge of the jetty
About to fly off
We’d come to Springfield to collect some wine which Abri is generously donating for an old members reunion at Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club next month. But we were also invited to a ‘light’ lunch.
Our host preparing calamari and prawns for lunch
Our lunch was a gastronomic delight served with my favourite Springfield Sauvignon Blanc “Life from Stone” of course
A family of geese have taken over Abri’s Swimming Pool
After our excellent lunch and the wonderful company of Abri and his daughter Emma we made our way to Cape Town. So it is in another holiday town that we find ourselves. I grew up on Fish Hoek Beach so I will always have a soft spot for it but it does tend to get terribly crowded during the season! Although the same can be said for Struisbaai, it is a longer beach and you can always find a place to put your towel!
This morning I decided to beat the crowds and go down to the beach early. I rallied the troops who complained bitterly at having to drag their sleepy bodies out of bed at the rude hour of 7:00 am. Josh was somewhat more enthusiastic than Jay and I am so grateful that they accompanied me on a run down the beach. They decided against the swim afterwards – Jay said he was too exhausted and Josh had a blood nose! He did run faster and further than Jay and I managed so maybe that’s what brought it on.
Initially the water was freezing – far colder than Struisbaai – but once I was in it was glorious. The shark net wasn’t up yet so I kept a close eye out for monsters. I wallowed for ages and chatted to some other Fish Hoekites – there were very few young ones in the water – we were all over 50!
Fish Hoek Beach
It was pretty early
Shark net going out.
Earl was up even earlier and went off fishing but didn’t get too much – It’s calamari for supper tonight!
We make our way stealthily through the inky darkness. There is no light other than the dim beam from our torch. I am not used to the bush and every rustle conjures up visions of wild animals lying in wait to pounce on me. My husband enjoys my discomfiture and teases continuously telling me that jackals have their lairs just metres from our rondawel.
I giggle nervously half believing him. It has been storming but now the night is still and fresh. I open the door and a wild creature leaps out knocking me off my feet. I gasp and shriek. The creature is on top of me pinning me to the ground. I feel his hot breath on my cheek and brace myself for its vicious fangs to tear into my flesh. But instead, I am suddenly covered with wet licks from the farmer’s German Shepherd. During the storm he’d jumped in through the window and settled down for a nap, which we have now interrupted! Hubby is beside himself with laughter while I am hopping mad!
Exhausted now we settle down for the night. But wait what’s that I see. “My gosh, Darling, there’s a snake in the thatch!”
“Relax,” assures my hero – I’ll get him out. He gets up and ties a hook – gaff style – to his rod, but too late the snake suspecting danger slithers into the thatch and disappears.
“He has to sleep,” – Hubby says – “we’ll deal with it in the morning.”
Exhausted by my hectic day I finally drop into a troubled sleep. Suddenly I am woken with a feeling of foreboding. I sense my husband stiff and in a cold sweat beside me.
“What?” I say –
“SHHH,” he says, “Don’t move! Something hit my wrist – It’s lying next to us.”
Move? – I’m rigid with fear – not a muscle will obey me. He whips the cover off and shines the torch beside us and there, black and terrifying and curled up fast asleep – is an enormous Songololo!
It was the call of the fiery-necked nightjar calling loudly that woke me at a rude hour this morning. I lay listening to The Good Lord Deliver Us over and over again before reluctantly climbing out of bed and heading to the showers. Good thing too – because it was already light and gate opening was at 5:30. We made it to the gate by 5:45.
The weather was somewhat cooler but still warm enough for shorts and t-shirt but I took along a jersey for when the windows were open. Our first bird of the morning was this summer visitor from Eastern Europe
Although the steppe buzzards breeds in Eastern Europe they migrate to Southern Africa in summer arriving in October and leaving in April
Another non-breeding summer migrant is the barn swallow
These birds start arriving in September and the last ones leave in April
An intra-African migrant Lesser Striped swallow greeted us early this morning.
Lesser Striped Swallow – present in South Africa from July to March
The Southern Masked weaver is a common resident in South Africa and is not too shy to pose for a portrait. They can become quite tame and frequent campsites in the hope that they pick up a snack or two from the friendly humans.
How those vicious thorns don’t stab them I do not know.
As we drive around the reserve we frequently hear – Willie – come out and fight – scared. Or that is what the field guides tell us the Sombre bulbul is saying. But I think it sounds more like. Look out – you can’t find me – whaaaaa. But today we did find him – right out in the open too.
Another one who calls out loudly and likes to hide is the very pretty little Diderick Cuckoo. Today Earl found him trying to camouflage in the foliage.
The male cuckoo is very good looking – but he and his wife don’t raise their own chicks. The female chooses a variety of hosts including the southern masked weaver, red bishop, Cape sparrow and Cape wagtail. She lays up to 20 eggs per season so that’s a lot of surrogate mothers she has to find!
It is important to get out into the park early if you want to see predators. Lions are lazy and sleep in a shady spot most of the day. Today we found two large males at Carol’s Rest and they were just lying there – awake and just staring into the distance.
Lions Rule
Red Hartebeest, zebra and kudu were waiting, dead still, over the road on the hillside, very aware of the enemy and too scared to come down to drink.
We parked off, had breakfast and drank our coffee while we waited to see if anything would happen. Warthogs have to be the bravest and cheekiest of animals. The appeared from the other side of the waterhole so did not consult with the herbivores on the hillside. They boldly approached their kings and I wondered how the conversation went.
Please, Your Majesty, may I go down to drink?
Now let me think – I’ll check with my brother
NO! Get out of here or we’ll have you for breakfast!
The cheek of those subjects!
You would think the others would learn from the warties – but no – all of a sudden a herd of donkeys in prison clothes came racing across the road – then stood dead still in front of their sovereign.
We’re just out of jail and very thirsty – May we have a drink please sire?
Oh sure – if you want to be steak!
So they turned tail and headed back to the hill.
They have to leave some time – we’ll just have to wait!
We watched these antics for over an hour and then decided to head back to camp.
We were thrilled to find two meerkats – but only one photograph is worth posting.
Life is good in Addo Elephant Park
Jackals are usually on a mission but this one must have had a tough night as he is settling for a nap
I’m watching you – please leave me in peace.
Back at camp we decided to follow the jackals example and have a nap before going out in search of more game later in the afternoon.
It was 3 pm when we set off again and I have to eat my words about summer reaching the Eastern Cape ahead of us. A cold front sneaked up, strong winds blew and the heavens clouded over. It is calmer as I type but freezing cold! It will probably rain in the night.
Anyway this did not dampen our spirits and we had an enjoyable game drive. Surprisingly there we saw no elephants until the very end.
It was great to see a black-shouldered kite
A greater double-collared sunbird posed and sang for us.
And finally at Hapoor we found a small herd of elephants
We decided to do a small potjie over the fire for tonight’s dinner
And just to make our day a bushbuck came to visit
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 
![NaBloPoMo](http://www.blogher.com/files/NaBloPoMo_2015.jpg" alt="NaBloPoMo November 2015" height="255" width="298"></a>){kind=link}