KNP Tsendze

Check-in for Tsendze is also at Mopani Rest Camp. While Roger was in the rest room a Belgian couple approached me to request a photo of them at our motor home. It turns out that they are very keen birders and this is their third visit to SA for birding purposes. Their club members always travel with a club flag and at an appropriate spot have themselves photographed with the flag. Unfortunately I did not think taking a photo of them.

Tsendze campsites are allocated, i.e. we cannot go around and choose a spot. This was nice for a change because we normally take forever to choose a site! The camp is great. It is quiet and the sites are well spaced, creating a feeling of being secluded. There is an abundance of bird (and squirrel) life.

Elina, the friendly camp attendant, immediately came to greet us and pointed out an African Barred Owlet resting in an Apple-leaf tree close to the ablution facility. Much to our dismay he had already flown off when we came back for a photo. However, later on in the afternoon he rewarded us by perching in a tree 5 metres away from us in our campsite!

All the cold nights were now forgotten. It was HOT. Even the squirrels came and flopped down every now and again to cool down in the shade.

The camp does not have electricity for us to boost the battery charge and the heat was so intense that the fridge and freezer was running continuously and our solar panel could not keep. Luckily there is a communal gas freezer so after 2 days we transferred our freezer contents and shut ours down.  The kitchen area of the camp provided marginal relief from the heat.

A daily trip to Mopani camp was obligatory in order to cool down in the pool. These huge lizards frequent the rocks around the pool and are quite imposing, though very shy.

Mooiplaas picnic spot is a really lovely place to sit in the shade of a thatched lapa and watch birds and wild life in the Tsendze River below. This is about a 5 minute drive from the campsite and we went there once or twice daily. We discovered that is actually back-to-back with the campsite, except you cannot access it on foot.

After the heat of the day it is very revitalizing to sit outside at the braai fire and listen to the night sounds. We heard the African Scops-Owl, Barred Owlet and Pearl-Spotted Owlet, all calling at the same time. It was new moon so the night sky was beautiful and the amount of light from the stars alone was surprising.

Roger found this hapless little create on the floor in the men’s ablutions on our last night at Tsendze. It was calling pitifully so he picked it up and it did not take long for the little squirrel to calm down.

We don’t know whether the mother dropped it while changing nest sites or perhaps he simply fell out of the nest. Nevertheless, we could not keep him so Roger put him into a tree nearest the spot where he was found. He was gone this morning. Either mother found him or he became a snack for one of the resident owls. Heart-breaking but that’s nature for you…