Misty Morning's

23 July 2023 - Roodewal Camp, KNP - Day 2

We all slept well and were up early to exit the camp when the gate was opened. The beauty of being at Roodewal is that you have the roads to yourself for the first hour, as both Olifants and Satara are quite some distance away. 

There was a low mist hanging over the bush as the sun peeped over the horizon and just crying out for any subject to step into view for an atmospheric and creative image. We turned left onto the Timbavati Road and headed toward Olifants. Eric and Kari turned right and they struck gold with 2 male Lions in the mist. Unfortunately, we dipped on finding any animals in the mist - so I had to be contented with a landscape!

Misty morning

We were all meeting back at camp for breakfast at 10:30 and our drive didnt produce much in the name of game, but we did get some Giraffe once the mist lifted and cleared. 

It was interesting that the Yellow-billed Oxpecker's seemed to outnumber the Red-billed. I call this image "A Tower of Oxpecker's"

Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus)

I did also stop for another Lilac-breasted Roller sitting on a decent perch in good light

Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)

We had a hearty breakfast after which I had another walk around the camp. I had heard Red-capped Robin-Chat calling and it took some time to eventually track it down

Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis)

The Dusky Flycatcher was seen close to our chalet together with Ashy Flycatcher

African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta)

Ashy Flycatcher (Muscicapa caerulescens)

Arrow-marked Babbler's were active in the more dense sections of the Camp

Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)

This time I found a Black-crowned Tchagra, so both species are resident within the Camp

Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus)

I also found a few Butterflies which I still need to ID

Sulphur Orange Tip (Colotis auxo)

Butterfly sp.

Later in the afternoon, we had another drive. This time we turned south onto the Timbavati Road hoping to bump into the Lion, but no luck with that. We had a few Raptors on this road - Bateleur

Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)

and a pair of Martial's that Eric had seen mating on their morning drive

Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) - male?

Female?

Driving to the Bird Hide, we also had Magpie Shrike

Magpie Shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus)

and Sabota Lark

Sabota Lark (Calendulauda sabota)

Once at the Hide, we brought out our picnic basket for coffee and snacks whilst a Striated Heron sat quietly below us

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

Driving back, we had a Burchell's Coucal

Burchell's Coucal (Centropus burchelli)

We then headed back to the sundown spot overlooking the Timbavati River just past our camp. A herd of Kudu prompted me to try and get a rim light image - even though there was too much bush around them - but, it sort of worked

Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

We were all on-time for sundowners and enjoyed a magnificent sunset as well as a Honey Badger running across the dry river bed.

Timbavati Sunset

It was then back to Roodewal to get the fire going and dinner prepared with another enjoyable evening swapping stories and entertaining "Bosluis" fines under a starlit sky.

Back to Central KNP

22 July 2023 - Roodewaal, KNP - Day 1

We were invited by our good friends Eric and Kari to join them together with Paul and Saskia and our kids for a few days at Roodewal private camp, situated in central Kruger National Park. It is a fantastic and spacious camp, situated on the Timbavati River with easy access to both Olifants in the north and Satara to the south.

We left Midrand at 4am, so that we could get to Orpen Gate fairly early and give ourselves a few hours in the Park before checking in. We stopped for coffee at Alzu where it was a chilly 2 degrees and then had to contend with mist all the way to Belfast - so it was slower going. We arrived at Orpen around 10am and could then relax and let the KNP just recharge our souls. We had a slow drive to Satara, finding a large bull Ele

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

I picked up a pair of Mosque Swallow's which is a good record in the central park and then a couple of beefy Dagga boys. These Buffalo do also look good in B+W

African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

We stopped at Satara to check-in and stretch our legs before backtracking a little to continue north on the S40. I saw a Lilac-breasted Roller dive into the grass, so we stopped to watch it decimate the Grasshopper it had caught

Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)

A little further up the road, we flushed a Pearl-spotted Owlet that was bathing in a puddle in the road - luckily it didnt fly to far off and gave us a few photo opportunities

Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)

Just before we got to the Timbavati Picnic Spot we encountered good numbers of Waterbuck - one of the more photogenic antelope in the Park who also lend themselves to B+W with their shaggy fur

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)

A leg stretch at the Picnic Site, before continuing on the S39 and last stretch to Roodewal Camp. A male Red-crested Korhaan gave good views as it walked slowly and deliberately across the road and then almost disappeared into the long grass

Red-crested Korhaan (Lophotis ruficrista)

We made it Roodewal right on check-in time and at the same time as Eric and Kari. It didnt take long to unpack in our respective chalets and get out a few cold ones whilst enjoying a catch-up at the communal fire pit outside the kitchen area.

Later in the afternoon, I had a walk around the camp to see what 'resident' species were around. Mid-winter means you cannot rely on calls especially during the day, but rather have to walk, stop and look for movement. This worked well and I picked up African Dusky Flycatcher

African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta)

Black-backed Puffback

Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla)

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Brown-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra australis)

and a few Chinspot Batis

Female Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor)

By then the rest of the gang had arrived, so back to our communal area to start preparing for dinner and sundowners around the fire