Category Archives: Kruger National Park

Bird-watching in Kruger (May and June 2019)

With over 500 species recorded, the Kruger National Park deserves its reputation as one of South Africa’s finest bird-watching destinations through and through. We’ve already shown you the cute little Spurfowl chicks that strutted all over the Park during our visits in May and June this year, but there was so much more feathered variety to point our lenses at that it surely deserves a dedicated post!

This first gallery of images were taken in the south of the Park on my solo trip to Pretoriuskop and Skukuza – all in all I ticked 110 species in the 4 days I spent south of the Sabie River.

Ashy Flycatcher

Blacksmith Lapwings

Black-winged Stilt

Goliath Heron with its catch

Grey Heron

Laughing Dove

Purple-crested Turaco

Fulvous Whistling Duck “ducks” as two Water Thick-knees come in to land at Transport Dam

African Firefinch

African Hawk Eagle

Immature Bateleur

Bearded Woodpecker

Black-collared Barbet

Black Crake

Black-crowned Tchagra

Black Flycatcher

Blue Waxbill

Brown-headed Parrot

Brown Snake Eagle

Cape Glossy Starling

Cape Turtle Dove

Chinspot Batis

Common Fiscal

Crested Francolin

African Darter

Egyptian Geese flying low over Lake Panic

African Fish Eagle

Fork-tailed Drongo

Golden-breasted Bunting

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Grey Go-away Bird

Grey-headed Sparrow

Groundscraper Thrush

Helmeted Guineafowl

African Hoopoe

Common (Kurrichane) Buttonquail

Kurrichane Thrush

Lappet-faced Vulture

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Bee-eater

Magpie Shrike

Neddicky

African Openbill

African Pied Wagtail

Purple Roller

Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-billed Queleas

Green, or Red-billed, Wood Hoopoe

Saddle-billed Stork with nestlings

African Spoonbill (with a Sacred Ibis just behind)

Tawny Eagle

Three-banded Plover

Wattled Starlings

White-backed Vultures

White-crowned Lapwing

Wire-tailed Swallow

Yellow-billed Hornbill

Yellow-billed Stork

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Two weeks later, this time with Marilize and Joubert alongside, we headed to the north of the Kruger Park, basing ourselves at our favourite Shingwedzi for 9 nights, during which time we recorded 99 species of birds.

Green-winged Pytilia (male)

Egyptian Goose in flight (Joubert’s photo)

Blacksmith Lapwings

Saddle-billed Stork

Pied Kingfisher

Hamerkop

Grey Heron

Green-backed Heron

Goliath Heron

Close-up Yellow-billed Hornbill (Photo by Joubert)

Water Thick-knees (Photo by Joubert)

Saddle-billed Stork (Photo by Joubert)

Little Sparrowhawk (Photo by Joubert)

Greater Blue-eared Starling (Photo by Joubert)

Fork-tailed Drongo (Photo by Joubert)

Fish Eagle taking off (Photo by Joubert)

African Grey Hornbill

Red-billed Hornbill

Yellow-billed Hornbill

African Hawk Eagle

Immature Bateleur

Bearded Woodpecker

Bennett’s Woodpecker (male)

Black-backed Puffback

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Black-headed Oriole

Southern Black Tit

Blue Waxbill

Bronze-winged Courser

Chinspot Batis

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Crested Barbet

Double-banded Sandgrouse

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

African Fish Eagle in flight with nesting material

Fork-tailed Drongo

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Grey Tit Flycatcher

Jameson’s Firefinch

Kori Bustards

Lanner Falcon

Laughing Doves

Little Bee-eater

Long-billed Crombec

Martial Eagle

African Mourning Dove

Namaqua Dove

Ostriches

Pearl-spotted Owlet

Pied Crow

Red-billed Oxpecker

Green, or Red-billed, Wood-hoopoe

Sabota Lark

Saddle-billed Stork

Immature Spectacled Weaver

African Spoonbills

Tawny Eagle with hare prey

Tawny Eagle

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl

White-fronted Bee-eater

White-headed Vulture

Yellow-billed Oxpecker

The allure of the waterhole

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There’s always a sense of anticipation when we approach a waterhole in any of South Africa’s wild places, and especially so in the vast expanses of the Kruger National Park. Being literal fountains of life, the Kruger’s waterholes attract streams of wildlife to quench their thirst as the dry season drags on, causing the many ephemeral pans that followed the rains to disappear and forcing the animals to congregate around the shrinking pools in the streams and rivers.

A seemingly serene pool of water at Red Rocks

A pool at Red Rocks

A dry Shingwedzi River near Tshange viewpoint

Giraffe crossing the dry bed of the Shingwedzi

A wide bend in the Shingwedzi River

Animals congregating at a waterhole to the north of Babalala

Sitting idly waiting by a waterhole, even if it appears deserted at first, is often handsomely rewarded with the most memorable wildlife encounters, as anything from fish to elephants may make an appearance in the grand show.

Blacksmith Lapwings

Buffalo herd rushing to the water

Buffaloes slaking their thirst while zebras wait their turn

Buffalo bull drinking

Buffalo congregating around the waterhole

Buffalo herd at the water (photo by Joubert)

Bushbuck at the water’s edge

Egyptian Goose in flight (Joubert’s photo)

Eland gathering at a watering hole north of Babalala

Elephants and waterbuck at a deep pool in the otherwise dry Shingwedzi

Elephant herd gathering to drink

Elephant drinking

Elephant herd drinking

Elephants in a dry riverbed

Herd of elephant marching to the water

Elephant cow drinking at Red Rocks

Elephant herd moving along a dry river

Elephant herd running to the water

Elephant herd enjoying a social dust bath after bathing in a waterhole

Elephant tussle

Elephants at a pool in the Mphongolo River

Hippo and Crocodile

A large pod of hippo and their shrinking waterhole

Hippos

Just look at that tiny hippo baby!

Impalas drinking at Red Rocks

Impalas reflecting in the waterhole

Kudu bull

Kudu, nyala and impala share a stretch of the dry Shingwedzi

Plains Zebras

Water Thick-knees (Photo by Joubert)

Hippo pod (Photo by Joubert)

Eland, zebras and Elephants share a waterhole north of Babalala (Photo by Joubert)

Thirsty Tusker (Photo by Joubert)

Elephant Calf (Photo by Joubert)

Elephant herd on the run to Red Rocks (Photo by Joubert)

Elephant Bull (Photo by Joubert)

Elephants gathering in their numbers along the dwindling waterholes in the drying Mphongolo River

Male Mozambique Tilapia (non-breeding colours)

Female Mozambique Tilapia

But as with so much in life there’s also two sides to the story of the waterhole. It isn’t only life-sustaining; sometimes it’s a death-trap as predators know that a waterhole is a like a magnet to their prey…

Old buffalo trapped in a muddy waterhole

Young Nile Crocodile

Nile Crocodiles

Baby Nile Crocodile and Adult Water Monitor lying next to a pool in the Shingwedzi River

Goliath Heron

Green-backed Heron

Grey Heron

Hamerkop

Pied Kingfisher

Saddle-billed Stork

Fish Eagle taking off (Photo by Joubert)

Big male lion in the bed of the Mphongolo River

Lions in the grass next to the Crocodile River

Given so much danger around, this Green-winged Pytilia drinking from a leaking hosepipe at Babalala Picnic Spot instead of taking his chances at the nearby waterhole is probably very clever!

Green-winged Pytilia

Going in search of rare antelope in Northern Kruger

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The northern parts of the Kruger National Park harbours populations of antelope rarely seen in the wild elsewhere in South Africa, and of course the Wild de Wets just love going in search of these special creatures. Our recent visit during the winter school holidays, basing ourselves for nine nights at Shingwedzi Rest Camp, yielded wonderful encounters with Eland, Nyala, Sharpe’s Grysbok and Tsessebe (and we’ll just have to get back there soon to find the roan antelope, sable antelope, lichtenstein’s hartebeest and reedbuck that eluded us!)

Eland gathering at a watering hole north of Babalala

Eland in the mopane bush

We found this Eland near the Mphongolo River

Eland in the mopane bush

Beautiful nyala bull

Nyala ewe and lamb

Splendid Nyala bull

Stately Nyala bulls

Sharpe’s Grysbok

Tsessebe herd grazing on the plains north of Shingwedzi

Predator sightings in Northern Kruger

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The northern parts of the Kruger National Park suffers from an inaccurate perception that predators there are fewer and harder to find, and consequently that part of the Park sees far fewer visitors than the area south of the Olifants River. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy – fewer people looking for predators means fewer people finding predators – that suited us just fine when we visited the area around Shingwedzi Rest Camp during the winter holidays. We returned home bragging about several splendid encounters with lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and both side-striped and black-backed jackals and hardly ever having to share the experience with other visitors. Please don’t let the secret out though – we’re only telling you! 😉

Black-backed Jackal at Shipirivhiri Waterhole

Spotted Hyena seen at night right from Shingwedzi’s fence

Spotted Hyena scavenging from a buffalo carcass in the Mphongolo River

Serene leopard near Punda Maria

Catnapping leopard near Punda Maria

Beautiful leopard encountered near Red Rocks

Lioness in the early morning twilight, just a stone’s throw from Shingwedzi’s gate

One of the two Kings of Babalala

The two Kings of Babalala

The two Kings of Babalala (Photo by Joubert)

One of the two Kings of Babalala

Beautiful male patrolling his territory at Red Rocks

Watchful Lion (Photo by Joubert)

Getting up is hard work for this Lion (Photo by Joubert)

Ready to tackle the day ahead!

Beautiful male patrolling his territory at Red Rocks

Big male lion in the bed of the Mphongolo River

The lady that stops traffic

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This lioness was using the bridge outside Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park as her own personal catwalk, settling down to give her adoring fans some close up views of her beauty – and I was lucky to get a front-row seat!

Lioness on her way to the bridge at Lower Sabie

Weighing up her options

The Queen of Lower Sabie

Lioness on the bridge with her adoring fans

Lioness on the bridge at Lower Sabie

But lions aren’t always such show-offs – sometimes they like to keep their distance, and other times they lie hidden in plain sight…

Lions in the grass next to the Crocodile River

Well-hidden Lion

Painted Wolves on the move (and quickly!)

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Coming across a pack of Painted Wolves, also known as African Wild Dogs, on the road to Skukuza was another special encounter from my solo visit to the Kruger National Park in May 2019. These animals are highly endangered – it is thought that fewer than 7,000 remain in the wild with the estimated 200 living in the Kruger National Park representing South Africa’s biggest population of the species. Seeing these energetic and attractive animals is therefore always thrilling!

African Wild Dog, or Painted Wolf, on the lookout for prey

Heavily pregnant female African Wild Dog

African Wild Dog on the run

Pack of Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, near Skukuza

African Wild Dogs

Tiny Quarrels

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Dwarf Mongooses live in close-knit clans, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t the occasional squabble between family members! While walking around Pretoriuskop Rest Camp on a recent visit to the south of the Kruger National Park, I spied two of the tiny tykes continuously working on each other’s nerves, until eventually and inevitably the fight escalated into blows.

A Dwarf Mongoose searching for food in Pretoriuskop

Dwarf Mongoose eyeing another one in the camping area at Pretorkiuskop

The conversation turns heated

And that’s how the fight started!

Dwarf Mongooses settling an argument in the camping area at Pretoriuskop

One of the combatants calling “Uncle!”

Argument settled?

Francolin Families

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We were really surprised at all the Swainson’s and Natal Spurfowl (both formerly known as francolins) families with tiny chicks that we encountered during our recent visits to the Kruger National Park in May and June, supposedly well into our austral winter (and dry) season.

Natal Spurfowl hen

Immature Natal Spurfowl

Natal Spurfowl hen with chicks

Natal Spurfowl chicks

Natal Spurfowl hen with chick

Natal Spurfowl chick

Swainson’s Spurfowl hen with her brood

Immature Swainson’s Spurfowl

Love Bites

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Well, apparently, if your a Striped Skink love should bite if you’re doing it right! This couple was having their honeymoon right outside my vehicle in the parking area at Lower Sabie Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park, but then headed for the privacy of a crevice in the concrete when the scene was threatening to turn too steamy…

Striped Skink courtship

Striped Skinks courtship

No denying that Hyena cubs are cute!

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During my visit in May 2019, along the main road between Pretoriuskop and Skukuza camps in the Kruger National Park, I was lucky to come across two different spotted hyena clans with youngsters – one group had three babies and the other no less than eight bouncing bundles of joy! And they were bouncing, and biting and bullying, to their hearts content, causing me great amusement but obviously not impressing their mothers very much with their antics…

Spotted Hyena youngster bullying a sibling

Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs

Spotted Hyena trying to discipline one of her cubs

Running around your aunt while your smaller cousins are trying to suckle is great fun apparently in Spotted Hyena families

Spotted Hyena cubs and mother

Female Spotted Hyena

After sending the cubs back into their den, Mom Spotted Hyena can finally take a closer look at potential prey some distance away.

Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs

Spotted Hyena mothers apparently make great jungle gyms!

Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs

One of the Spotted Hyena moms trying to restore peace. The other has seemingly given up!

Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs

Alert Spotted Hyena youngster

Tired Spotted Hyena cubs – aren’t they sweet!?

And just to remind you that spotted hyenas are actually very efficient hunters, I came across this fellow devouring a freshly killed impala very close to Lower Sabie: