Boys Weekend in the Pilanesberg

43 Replies

Early on this past Saturday morning Joubert and I headed for the Pilanesberg National Park’s Kwa Maritane Gate. Our plan was to spend all of Saturday, most of Sunday morning and the night between in one of South Africa’s most easily accessible wildlife destinations, enjoying a bit of father-son company and shared hobbies in the beautiful surroundings far from the city’s distractions. When the Gate opened at 05:30 we set off, enjoying some thrilling encounters with the Park’s wildlife right from the start.

With the kind help of wildlife photographer Brian Pettit (http://www.naturepicturesworldwide.com/ & https://www.zambezicruisesafaris.com/our-blog/), this massive insect was identified as the bush cricket Clonia wahlbergii
Pilanesberg’s tusker Mavuso
Grey Heron
Lioness feeding from the carcass of a poached rhino
Well-hidden lion
Plains Zebra searching for fresh green shoots
African Grey Hornbill
Secretary Bird
Speckled Pigeon (photo by Joubert)
Red Hartebeest
Red-billed Oxpecker
Southern Masked Weaver
White Rhinos hiding from the sun
Pied Crow (Joubert’s photo)
Steppe Buzzard in flight (Joubert’s photo)
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Steenbok Ram
Mountain Reedbuck family
Warthog

While we were enjoying the Pilanesberg’s sights and sounds from the coolness of the photographic hide at Makorwane Dam, Joubert suggested that we head for Bakgatla Resort to go setup camp before the day got any hotter.

Arrow-marked Babbler
Spur-winged Goose
African Darter in flight
Green-winged Pytilia (female)
Kalahari Scrub Robin
Giraffe
Bushveld Pipit
Baby elephants fast asleep in the heat while the rest of the herd stand guard

With our tent pitched and our camping chairs unpacked, we could enjoy our lunch, a few glasses of cold drink and an ice-cream treat surrounded by a selection of Bakgatla’s permanent residents of the feathered variety.

Camping at Bakgatla, Pilanesberg National Park, November 2018
Orange-breasted Bushshrike (male)
Red-billed Hornbill
Black-backed Puffback
Blue Waxbill
Chestnut-vented Warbler
Black-collared Barbet

The first stop on our afternoon drive was Rathlogo Hide, just a few kilometers from Bakgatla.

Hadeda Ibisses
Elephant enjoying a cooling mudbath
Elephant at Rathlogo
Buffy Pipit
Sabota Lark
Giraffe enjoying the shade

At Tilodi Dam we laughed at the antics of a male African Black Duck that was most impressed with himself for having chased off a White-faced Whistling Duck from “his” shoreline.

White-faced Whistling Duck
White-faced Whistling Duck being chased by an African Black Duck
African Black Duck enquiring whether his lady was suitably impressed?

There was much more wildlife to be seen as we traveled through the southeastern portions of the Park.

Immature Black-chested Snake Eagle
Hippos at Nkakane
Eland on Kwalata Drive
Baboons relaxing in the shade
Protective Tsessebe cow with her calf

At Lengau Dam a group of baboon youngsters were having great fun roughhousing in a dead tree and occasionally dropping into the water below – no doubt enjoying great relief from the oppressive heat but I was surprised that they weren’t more afraid of the crocodiles!

Baboons having fun at Lengau Dam
Baboons having fun at Lengau Dam
Baboons having fun at Lengau Dam

With the sun setting it was time to head towards Bakgatla.

Waterbuck
Elephant cow
Big Elephant herd at Makorwane
Sunset over Pilanesberg (photo by Joubert)

On Sunday morning we packed up our camp and headed for the Lenong Viewpoint to enjoy our morning tea and rusks from a beautiful vantage point high on top of one of Pilanesberg’s mountains. The rest of the morning we spent visiting more of our favourite spots in the Park, until the day started getting really hot again. We enjoyed a quick lunch at Fish Eagle Picnic Spot and then headed for Kwa Maritane Gate and home…

Buffalo cow
Lenong Viewpoint in the Pilanesberg National Park
White Rhino
Veld fire started by a lightning strike
Kori Bustard searching the burnt veld for prey
Big crocodile at Batlhako Dam
Immature Fish Eagle at Batlhako Dam
Familiar Chat
Speckled Rock Skink
Diederik Cuckoo
Marsh terrapins and sharptooth catfish fighting about scraps carelessly dropped by a tourist at Ruighoek Dam. (Another of Joubert’s photos)
Ruighoek Dam
Buffalo Quartet
Crested Francolin
Impala Ram
Young Kudu bull
Capped Wheatear
Barn Owl fast asleep at Fish Eagle Picnic Spot
White-throated Robin-Chat

Pilanesberg National Park is an easy 160km drive from our home in Pretoria.

43 thoughts on “Boys Weekend in the Pilanesberg”

    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Thanks very much, Carol!
      Indeed, the veld is very dry in Pilanesberg at the moment, with even sections burned in September in a runaway fire still not showing any new sprouts. Would love to see the transformation after the first rains! All the big dams still hold good quantities of water though.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓
  11. perdebytjie

    Pilanesberg is ‘n klein juweeltjie. Ons was ‘n maand gelede weer daar, maar dit was baie droog. Het dit al bietjie gereën? Jou foto’s is pragtig en dié oor die bobbejane is puik, Dries! Joubert is baie gelukkig om ‘n pa soos jy te hê en hy ontwikkel in ‘n kranige fotograaf.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Ongelukkig lyk dit nie of dit al veel gereen het in Pilanesberg nie, Dina – die dele wat einde September gebrand het het nog bitter min groen gras wat uitloop. Dit lyk darem of die damme goed deur die winter gekom het.

      Baie dankie ook vir die gawe komplimente!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

Please don't leave without sharing your thoughts?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.