The Kruger National Park is an IBA with full protection status and on our drive from Punda Maria to Shingwedzi we saw a number of threatened bird species.
A family of two adults and a juvenile Southern Ground Hornbill were foraging alongside the road.
This Kori Bustard moved from one shade spot to the next.
Upon arrival at Shingwedzi this little guy was crossing the road and he looked as if he was inspecting big brother Ufudu. Ufudu is the Zulu name for turtle and for terrapin.
We found a lovely camping spot next to the fence and close to the pool. Out-of-season is definitely the way to go!
On our drive the next day we were very fortunate to see this beautiful Bronze-winged Courser, which is usually a nocturnal bird and a first for us.
A Kurricane Button Quail crossed the road in front of us but was too shy for a picture. Also a first for us.
We saw another group of Southern Ground Hornbills and came across them again a short distance away when they flew over and perched in a tree. In flight their all white primary feathers make a spectacular display. Very special indeed!
A short while later we saw a number of birds of prey, all congregated in the trees surrounding a dead Impala. The cause of death is not known but it may have been killed by lightning the previous night as there were no predators in sight and the carcass was still intact.
This little antelope had us puzzled for a while but Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa to the rescue; it is a Sharpe’s Grysbok, unknown to both of us, probably because it is mostly nocturnal.
This little creature was peeking at us from his tree house (spotted by Mr Hawk eyes himself!). The photo had to be hugely overexposed in order to see him in the darkness inside. We suspect that it was a Woodland Dormouse.
It was SO hot that the Buffalo were pretending to be Hippo! Luckily there is a huge pool at the camp for us humans and we certainly made good use of it. It is not often that you catch Letitia in a public pool!
Roger had been trying to contact Marius Renke, a colleague from his days in the Airforce but was not successful due to the MTN network issues after the storm. Marius has been in Kruger for 11 years and is the section ranger for the Shingwedzi area. Coming out of the park shop, lo and behold they bumped into each other and had a long chat.
There was a spectacular electric storm at sunset. Luckily the braai fire was big and hot enough to survive the rain shower so we enjoyed our dinner in the cool after the storm.
Saturday was cool and overcast and this, as always, triggers the maintenance man. The freezer has really battled to cope with the heat and was badly in need of ventilation. Until now the door had to be left open whenever we stopped. Today is the day to fix this…
Going for a short drive now and tomorrow it is off to the Shipandani Hide where we will be spending the night, followed by 3 nights at the Tsendze Rustic campsite where we may or may not have connectivity.