Satara Summer 2021 – 21 December

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The Kruger National Park really delivers on every scale imaginable! These are some of our shots taken today in and around Satara Rest Camp.

House Sparrow (photo by Joubert)
Spectacled Weaver
Interesting fly that appears to be mimicking a bee (photo by Joubert)
Crab Spider
Male Tree Agama in breeding colours in Satara Rest Camp
Egyptian Goose
Hippos in a hurry at Sweni Hide
Lionesses on the S41 near Nwanetsi
Cheeky Giraffe (photo by Joubert)
Green-backed Heron (photo by Joubert)
Bushbuck ewe

 

Satara Summer 2021 – 20 December

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We’re still having a wonderful time at Satara in the Kruger National Park. The toughest part of every day is deciding which route to take; even after a week here there are still roads around camp we haven’t travelled on! Today we set off in the direction of Olifants for our morning drive, and focused on the loop along the Sweni River in the afternoon.

Black-backed Jackal finding grubs in elephant dung
Sunrise over the plains north of Satara
Spotted Hyena walking along the road near Balule
Exercise session at the Impala creche (photo by Joubert)
Flying Impala lamb (photo by Joubert)
Greater Painted Snipe female (photo by Joubert)
Advancing Buffalo herd
Chin-spot Batis on its nest
Young Kudu bull (photo by Joubert)
European Roller (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – 19 December

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Not to brag, but it seems our days here at Satara in the Kruger National Park are just getting better and better and better… We did a circular route today – Satara to N’wanedzi, onwards to Tshokwane, and then back to Satara via Nhlanguleni and Muzandzeni. The encounters we had were magic.

Buffalo bull (photo by Joubert)
Cheetahs hunting near Nwanetsi
Elephant owning the road (photo by Joubert)
(photo by Joubert)
Big male lion
Wet Baboon piggy-back (photo by Joubert)
Young male kudu (photo by Joubert)
Green-winged Pytilia (photo by Joubert)
Standoff between Vervet Monkeys and Water Dikkoppe (Water Thick-knees) at Mazithi Dam
Leopardess relaxing in a Marula tree (photo by Joubert)
Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake (photo by Joubert)
Yellow-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)
Satara’s famous white lion (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – 18 December

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We’re still having a wonderful time in the Kruger National Park, and we’re going to have so many stories to tell you when we get back home!

Black-backed Jackal having a staring contest with a lion
Mighty lion
Dwarf Mongoose
Bateleur feast
Green-backed Heron
African Cuckoo
Waterbuck herd

Satara Summer 2021 – 17 December

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Today’s weather was a complete opposite to what we experienced on previous days of this visit to the Kruger National Park. It was drizzly and windy, with temperatures dropping by more than half from the low to mid-40ºC’s of the previous days to a maximum of 21ºC today. Still, we had some amazing sightings, especially in the early morning. These predator photographs were all taken by Joubert today.

Big male lion (photo by Joubert)
Big male lion, smiling for the camera (photo by Joubert)
Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)
Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)
Baby Black-backed Jackal (photo by Joubert)
Big Nile Crocodile (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – 16 December

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Another day of exceptional and wildly diverse encounters with the wildlife and scenery of the Kruger National Park.

Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)
Central Kruger Scenery
Arrow-marked Babbler
Blue Waxbills
Amur Falcons at sunset
Storm passing over the plains of Satara, 16 December 2021
Central Kruger Scenery
Central Kruger Scenery
Storm passing over the plains of Satara, 16 December 2021
Waterbuck in a lush central Kruger Park, December 2021
Vervet Monkey (photo by Joubert)
European Roller (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – 15 December

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Tonight just a quick collection of photographs taken today in the Kruger National Park.

Baboon gymnast
Hungry Hyena cub
Dwarf Bittern
Hangry Hippo!
Woolly-necked Stork
Enormous tusker
Baby elephant cuteness

Thank you also for all the comments received on posts in the previous days – I will still get around to answering them all!

Satara Summer 2021 – 14 December

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It’s the summer holidays in South Africa and we find ourselves back at Satara, in the Kruger National Park. We encountered these Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road heading into the Park from Orpen Gate today. These are all Joubert’s photographs.

Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara
Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara
Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara
Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara

Koppie Foam Grasshopper

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Dictyophorus spumans

The Koppie Foam Grasshopper is a large (up to 8cm long) insect whose brilliant red-and-black colouration advertises to any would-be predator that it is poisonous enough to kill a dog. This poison is accumulated in the body tissues of the Koppie Foam Grasshopper when it feeds on poisonous plants from the milkweed family and is exuded in the form of a bloody foam when the insect is attacked. Their wings are far too short to permit flying. Koppie Foam Grasshoppers occur over most of South Africa, being absent only from Kwazulu-Natal and the eastern Free State. They live in open, sparsely vegetated and often rocky areas and are regularly encountered on hills (koppies in Afrikaans) and mountain tops.

Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Poisonous Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Koppie Foam Grasshopper

Aiming at Diederikkies

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The housing complex where we live here in Pretoria has seen a proliferation of Garden Acraea butterflies and their caterpillars over the past few weeks.

Garden Acraea in our garden (photo by Joubert)
Garden Acraea in our garden (photo by Joubert)

These in turn have been a boon for the Diederik Cuckoos that visit our part of the world in summer. Caterpillars are a staple for them.

Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik with caterpillar (photo by Joubert)
Diederik male gifting a caterpillar to the female (photo by Joubert)
Diederik family squabble (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo that caught a Garden Acraea(photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

An added bonus for the Diederikkies are the number of nests of Southern Masked Weavers to be found in our complex gardens. The Diederik Cuckoo is a brood parasite that is especially fond of using weavers as foster parents for their chicks. Of course this isn’t going down too well with the weavers, who frequently dive bomb any Diederikkie found exposed.

Southern Masked Weaver male trying to chase away a Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Southern Masked Weaver male trying to chase away a Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)
Southern Masked Weaver male trying to chase away a Diederik Cuckoo (photo by Joubert)

These photographs were all taken by Joubert in the past couple of days. His examinations are over and for all intents and purposes his Grade 6 year is concluded – all that he still needs to do is collect his report card and certificates. The dramas of the Diederikkies and their neighbours has been great entertainment and Joubert quickly got very adept at using both stories of our townhouse as photographic hides from which to capture their antics. Of course I am very grateful that he loves photography so much rather than vegetating on the couch with tv games.