Olifants | Diary of an Adventurous Retiree

8 July 2014 Day Trip to Letaba
We started the day at 7 a.m. warmly dressed and expecting rain. It did drizzle for an hour or two so we decided to take the tar road to Letaba, have breakfast there then take the dirt roads home. This turned out to be a wise decision as the rain stopped for our return journey.
First up today – Impala. If they’re around you know the park is healthy! Stopping on a bridge we found a huge herd of buffalo crossing the river.

Crossing the river

Crested Francolin were up early, zebra crossed in front of us and then we found our first tortoise of the trip. Strange that he was not hibernating on this very cold morning. Heather suggested that his burrow might have been flooded and he was forced out.

Tortoise crossing the wet road

Is his tongue stuck to the tar or does the tar make the water taste like coke?

A lilac breasted roller was fluffed up and wet looking rather sorry for itself.

Wet Lilac Breasted Roller

We saw bull elephants quite a few times. I feel quite sorry for the male of the species as elephants have a matriarchal society and the alpha female leads the family and when the males get to a certain age they have to leave the herd and are only allowed to visit.

Birds of prey have made themselves scarce this trip but the brown snake eagle is often around.
Baboons amused us several times today too.

So waaa to you too

We have not stopped too many times for birds as they seem to be scattered abroad. But we did find a few bird parties and this little lark had us guessing. We finally decided it was a monotonous lark.

We stopped to look at giraffe, zebra and elephant and then arrived at Letaba at 9:15.

Refurbing of the restaurant and rest rooms are in process. Bug and Mean have taken over and we were apprehensive as to the service having had two bad experiences at Satara and Olifants. Our waitress was lovely but we had to speak simply as she did not understand everything we said. Our drinks arrived in less than 15 minutes and our meal in less than half an hour which we find quite acceptable. The food was good. My coffee was the house blend which is bottomless. The first cup was not very hot but as I take it black it was drinkable. I was offered a second cup and I asked for it to be hot and it was! Usually their coffees are served in a mug but I asked for a cup and a cup I received. So we were impressed with Mug and Bean, Letaba! After breakfast we walked around the camp trying to find owls but they were clearly away on holiday. Instead we found a grey-headed bushshrike. It was not easy getting photographs as it moved constantly and his behind the foliage.

My shot with his bill behind the branch

Earl managed a clearer shot

Bushbuck love Letaba and find their way into the camp. We found one trying to look inconspicuous under a tree.

We took a slow drive back to Olifants along the river road but there was not much to see. The cold weather had clearly sent the critters into hiding.
There were of course stops to see the usual suspects of giraffe and zebra etc. The vegetation is very pretty in this area with Mopane trees in varying colours from autumn to new spring leaves. So the colours are green, yellow, orange, red, bronze. At one of our stops we found pied wagtail, 3 banded plover and a coucal in a tree.

African Pied Wagtail

Three banded plover

A flock of canaries startled us out of a reverie and we stopped for ages taking photographs. There were other species among them like grey headed sparrow and twin spot batis. Red winged starling flew into a tree and as I watched them I caught sight of a brown headed parrot hiding in the foliage. This caused a great flurry of camera activity and finally we all managed to get some decent shots.

This might be a female or non-breeding red-headed weaver

Chinspot Batis with yellow fronted canary in background

Yellow-fronted canaries

Brown headed parrot

After this excitement there was a dry spell of driving until among the beautiful burnished colours of the Mopani trees I saw a ball of grey. I called stop and Earl reversed and even when I saw it again I was tempted to say – no its nothing but I raised my binoculars to it and found a pearl spotted owlet. It took a while to describe to the others where I was looking and there was great excitement when everyone spotted it. We had a brief minute or two when suddenly it was gone and we could not see where it had flown too. A really special treat!

Pearl Spotted Owlet

We had tried to fill up with diesel at Letaba but they had run out so we needed to be sure to get back to Olifants before we ran out. We arrived back at quarter past 2, filled up, went to the shop and then had left overs for lunch at our huts. At half past three we went out again this time to find our crocodile and terrapin pond. We always visit this pond as the first time we found it a baby croc and his terrapin friends came rushing to the edge to meet any vehicle that happened along. Clearly someone had started feeding them and they still try to cash in on the deal. And yes they were there! The croc is much bigger and more frightening now but still ruler of the pond! I wonder if he will ever migrate away from it.

My but he’s grown!

Beware

Have you got some crumbs for us?

Please?

To end the day we found kudu and then a korhaan.

It was our tamest day so far but a slow day in Kruger is still better than a good day in Cape Town.

7 July 2014 Orpen to Olifants Our day started very early with a loud clattering and crashing coming from the stoep. Earl and I both got up to investigate at the same time – I knew it had to be a honey badger and I grabbed the walkie talkie to alert Heather. By the time we got there the invader had gone. It was just after 2 a.m. We went wearily back to bed and eventually dropped off only to be awoken by fresh clattering and this time there were 2 naughty critters. They’d upset the bin, opened a latched cupboard and were greedily devouring the scraps left over from last night’s supper! Our presence with cameras did nothing to deter them and we managed to get some reasonable shots of the little burglars.

Intruding Honey badgers

After all this excitement it was difficult to get back to sleep but exhaustion took over and we were back in dreamland knowing that our wake up time would be 5 a.m. BUT I had somehow got it wrong and woke with a start at twenty to six. The alarm was only set for 6 which was supposed to be departure time! But with cooperation from everyone we packed up quickly and were on the road to Olifants by 6:30. Our intention was to stop at Timbavati Picnic Site and make breakfast there. But the weather had turned and it was freezing so we had a loo and coffee break there then continued to Olifants where we had brunch much later. The sightings today were good. From Orpen along the H7 we first found wildebeest and then Peter said – red brake lights up ahead – what has he seen? As we approached Heather called out Jackal and to our joy he cooperated well and gave us a good photo shoot. He sniffed and scratched for morsels to eat, performed his toilet then took off into the bush.

On an early morning mission

When nature calls you must respond

We saw zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and impala and then another holdup of cars ahead.

Just love these elegant creatures

When we caught up we found a huge herd of buffalo – nice to see after the few scattered pairs and individuals we’d seen previously.

Nice herd having breakfast

All this was before 7:30 in the morning. Then up ahead two cars cruising slowly and staring into the bush. Earl passed the one in front very slowly and I mouthed – what? Lion he mouthed back. We couldn’t see anything then the car in front of him pointed and we caught up and stopped. Heather yelled – there he is and a huge male stared me right in the eye! Earl said – close your window – my hands were shaking on the camera but I was not about to give up my shot to wind up any window!

He stared me in the eye before looking away

We watched him for a while turned around and saw him cross the road and march off into the bush. There was a second lion but we didn’t see it. It must have gone over while we were looking at his friend.

He was a big boy

Off to find his friend

A nice scratch on the prickly bush before moving on again

Near the waterhole Girabana we found a fish eagle in a tree and waterbuck looking too gorgeous for words.

Fish Eagle

Beautiful Female

Sat on a wet toilet seat? Or is it just a target on her bum!

After our coffee at Timbavati we took a detour to the Ratelpan hide but it was disappointing. Usually we spend at least half an hour there but today the cold prevented us from waiting for something to turn up. There seemed little to see on the S127 and were chatting about this and that when I interrupted a story Heather was relating – Kori Bustard! And then there were 2.

All Puffed up to look attractive for his mate

Approaching each other

Shall we dance?

http://http://youtu.be/vk_aGbODtSA Soon after we stopped for Temminck’s coursers and while we were trying to identify them a car drew up and asked if we’d seen the Secretary Bird. You mean Kori Bustard? we asked. No and he showed us his photograph – he’d seen it 5km back – too far for us to chase. We were most disappointed to have missed it because earlier in the holiday I’d commented that we’d never found Secretary Birds in the KNP! How annoying to have missed it by 5km! They raced ahead and we found them soon after starting at a bird of prey in a tree. It was difficult to identify but we thought we knew what it could be We asked the driver what he thought but he was stumped. “Juvenile Black breasted Snake-Eagle we said. ” when it’s a juvenile – I give up he laughed. But that’s what my son thinks it is too! The boy was about 12. Next up we found a small group of Mommy elephants with their adorable offspring.

Elephants again

Then surprise and delight I spotted the elusive bird we’d been seeking – A secretary bird! What were the chances after missing the previous one we would so soon find the culprit!

The elusive Secretary Bird

The next interesting sighting was a little yellow mongoose trying to hide away from us. The final highlight of the day was once again seeing 2 cars ahead going slowly, catching up and Earl declaring – its a hyena. In fact it was a baby. On a previous visit we witnessed an adult pack going off to hunt, a baby bidding its mom goodbye and going off to the den. Clearly this one had not obeyed the instruction to stay hidden while his elders we getting his lunch! It was a beautiful sighting!

My shot – he was right next to my window

Nice capture by Earl

And then he stalked off!

We arrived at Olifants at 12, checked in but could only pick up the keys at 1 so we had brunch at Mug and Bean – a tad better than Satara but not much!