Crocodile Bridge was calling

36 Replies

The September school holidays presented the perfect opportunity to visit the Kruger National Park again, this time basing ourselves with family and friends in the south-eastern corner of the Park at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp.

Camping at Crocodile Bridge, Kruger National Park, September 2019

Crocodile Bridge is located in one of the Kruger’s most game-rich areas, and even inside the camp there’s an abundance of wildlife that I found quite distracting from camping chores… From blossoms to butterflies and birds, bats to bushbuck, all placed themselves in the cross hairs of our camera lenses, and when we were quite certain we got enough shots of them we could peer just over the fence (or through it, in Joubert’s case) towards the Crocodile River flowing in front of the camp for even more subjects.

Banded Mongooses doing their early morning rounds Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Black-crowned Tchagra
Blue Waxbill
Bronze Mannikins picking seeds from the lawns in Crocodile Bridge
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Burchell’s Starling
Bushbuck ewe at rest in Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp
Common Bush Brown (dry season form)
Epauletted Fruit Bat
Epauletted Fruit Bats in Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp
Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko in Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp
Female Greater Honeyguide
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Pod of hippos seen in the river from Crocodile Bridge
Laughing Dove
Male Lesser Masked Weaver
Rock Monitor
Orange-breasted Bush Shrike
African Paradise Flycatcher
Female Pin-tailed Whydah
Rainbow Skink
Female Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Harvester Termites
Tree Wisteria blossoms and pods
White-crowned Shrike
Wild Mango blossoms
Bushbuck ewe in Crocodile Bridge
Vervet Monkey looking for mischief in Crocodile Bridge’s camping area

Despite being right at the southern border of the Kruger Park, Crocodile Bridge offers a multitude of drives to choose from when heading into the Park. Heading in a northerly direction towards Lower Sabie is a selection of different routes making for comfortable excursions and providing great sightings along the way. Whether you choose the main H4-2 road or one of the gravel S28, S130 or S82 routes, you are bound to arrive at Lower Sabie excited with what you’ve seen. You can then return to Crocodile Bridge along an entirely different option, getting a glimpse at different habitats and having all new wildlife encounters to boast about too!

Bateleur
Bushbuck lamb on the banks of the Vurhami Spruit
Rattling Cisticola
Crowned Lapwing chick
Elephant cow
Elephant cow and tiny calf
African Fish Eagle
Golden-breasted Bunting
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Grey Duiker and Vervet Monkey
Impala ram in the long grass of the Lebombo plains, along the S28 between Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie
Black-bellied Bustard
Kori Bustard
Lilac-breasted Roller
Magpie Shrike
Natal Spurfowl drinking from a puddle on the road, following an earl morning rain shower
Herd of Plains Zebra on the move
Red-billed Oxpeckers
Crocodile Bridge sunset
Preserved leadwood stump in the middle of the S130 road
Crocodile Bridge sunset
Crocodile Bridge sunrise
A view towards the mountains of Malelane on a clear evening
Spotted Hyena on the run
Steenbok ewe
Swainson’s Spurfowl
Warthog
Waterbuck youngsters

Whether you stop in Lower Sabie for a simple body break, an ice cream from the shop or a meal at the Mugg & Bean restaurant overlooking the river, don’t miss the chance to stretch your legs with a walk on the lawns along the river in front of the bungalows. From the deep shade of enormous trees you can gaze over the river, perhaps being lucky like we were to see a pair of lions hunting right there, and revel in the songs of a multitude of birds flitting about the branches above you.

Black-collared Barbets
Brown-headed Parrot
Bushbuck ram
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Green-backed Camaroptera
African Green Pigeon in a Jackalberry
Lesser Striped Swallow
Sausage-Tree bloom
White-bellied Sunbird (male) on a Wild Mango blossom
White-fronted Bee-eater
White-throated Robin-Chat
Toad Tree pods

Quite literally a stone’s throw north of Lower Sabie is the Sunset Dam, one of two wonderful wildlife magnets no visitor to this part of the Kruger Park should miss out on. There’s a constant stream of wildlife coming and going at Sunset Dam at anytime of day, and the resident crocodiles and hippos (including these boisterous buddies) are easily among the most habituated of their kind anywhere in Africa, making for excellent photographic opportunities.

Nile Crocodile
Grey Heron using a hippo as a fishing island at Sunset Dam
Pod of Hippos in Sunset Dam
African Pied Wagtail
Sunset Dam
Yellow-billed Stork

Just on the other side of Lower Sabie, the causeway over the Sabie River is another highlight. Here too there’s always crocodiles (like this one having fun in a cascade), hippos, terrapins and all manner of wading birds in attendance, often accompanied by elephants, buffaloes, antelope, baboon and giraffe, while the elevated vantage point provided by the bridge offers excellent views into the clear water of the Sabie below.

Nile Crocodile
Goliath Heron
Great White Egret
Grey Heron
Hippopotamus in the rapids below the causeway
African Jacana
African Spoonbill
Squacco Heron
Serrated Hinged Terrapin
Beautiful male Mozambique Tilapia (non-breeding) in the Sabie River
White-crowned Lapwing

Because there was so much to see around Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie, we didn’t really feel the need to venture farther, and only took two extended drives to other parts of the Park. One of those excursions was to Skukuza, roughly a four hour drive from Crocodile Bridge along the most direct route past Mpondo Dam. After spending the midday hours at Skukuza’s nursery and a delicious buffalo pie at the golf club, we headed back to Crocodile Bridge via Lower Sabie again.

Crested Barbet
Crested Francolin (photo by Joubert)
Crested Francolins
Dwarf Mongoose
Egyptian Goose gosling on the banks of Mpondo Dam
Young Giraffe
Magnificent Kudu bull
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Tree Squirrel
Vervet Monkey
Baboon youngster
White-backed Vulture at its nest
Powerful Buffalo Bulls
Crocodile Bridge sunset
Crocodile Bridge sunset

We only wandered north of the Sabie River once, putting a full day aside to traverse the routes between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane Picnic Spot – where we had to contend with a dusty, blustery wind of note while trying our best to enjoy our picnic lunch! Our rewards for sticking to the planned route despite the deprivations of sand and dust on our ham-and-cheese sandwiches was the little leopard cub and flashy hornbill we showed you a few days ago, so you’ll hear no complaints from us!

Blue Wildebeest
Buffalo herd on the plains north of the Sabie
Elephant cow
Klipspringer ram at Mlondozi Picnic Site
Klipspringer ram at Mlondozi Picnic Site
Klipspringer ewe at Mlondozi Picnic Site
Little Bee-eater
Martial Eagle with its Scrub Hare prey
Nyala calf
Dust Storm at the Nwaswitsontso
Dust Storm at the Nwaswitsontso
Sycomore Fig on the banks of the Nwatindlopfu

Sad as it was to return to Pretoria at the end of a fantastic week, we could at least console ourselves with the knowledge that the December holidays aren’t that far way… Guess where we plan to be heading?

 

36 thoughts on “Crocodile Bridge was calling”

  1. aj vosse

    I remain jealous! I remain amazed at the great sightings you share and at the great photography!
    This time, the best for me were the sunsets, trees and bats!!
    I would happily exchange a few sand crunches for all that beauty! 😉
    Dankie Dries… ek het nou weer lekker gekuier daar in jou agterplaas! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
  2. naturebackin

    What a stunning variety, both in the camp and when driving out. Absolutely incredible what you saw and photographed, and as I have said before, I love how you have an eye and appreciation for creatures and plants great and small. Making me look even more forward to our trip to Kruger next year 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Thanks so much for the kind words, Carol!

      I know that feeling of anticipation for an upcoming Kruger trip all too well – if all goes to plan I’ll be celebrating my birthday in Satara today in three week’s time and I’m already finding the day-dreaming about our upcoming trip so distracting from the daily grind!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓
  13. H.J. for avian101

    The galleries are fantastic! What a variety of animals! I’m always happy to know that most African territories are being preserved. Thanks for the tour, my friend. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      We had an amazing time, Lois. We always do.

      Yes, the blotched hide belongs to a giraffe – the oxpeckers on the giraffes were a lot easier to photograph – perhaps they felt safer on the giants than on the smaller antelopes when we came close.

      And that tiny elephant calf gave us so many chuckles. He was still a new born and didn’t quite know where to suckle, so he would taste all around the big grey mountain that was his mom until he found what he was looking for. So cute.

      Like

      Reply ↓

Please don't leave without sharing your thoughts?

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