Definitely one of the hottest and most humid days we’ve experienced here at Satara in the Kruger National Park since arriving two weeks ago, so we spent a lot more time resting in the shade (at Timbavati picnic spot, in camp, in the hide at the Sweni waterhole and the elevated view-point at Nwanetsi) and a lot less driving.

Senegal Lapwing

Peregrine Falcon

Bushbuck ewe at Timbavati

Blue Waxbill

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl chick at its nest in a windpump

White-backed Vultures in a Leadwood stump

Elephants

Immature African Fish Eagle

Nile Crocodile

Hippos yawn as a threat

Mauritian Tomb Bat

Lioness

Millipede

This picture I include just to show how tricky game-viewing can be, especially with the lush vegetation of summer. The speck right in the centre of the image is a lioness, seen from the viewpoint at Nwanetsi.

Today was laundry day, so we got up a little later, did the washing and drying, spent a few hours walking around camp and then only set out for our drive in the afternoon. The highlight of the day was definitely Marilize’s keen eyes picking up a venomous Boomslang in a tree next to the road.

Little Swift that dove too low and then struggled to get airborne again

Common Dwarf Gecko

Green-winged Pytilia (male)

Patrician Blue

Purple Tip male

Lionesses seeking shade

Dozens of ducks on the shores of Mazithi Dam

African Fish Eagle

Elephant herd at Mazithi Dam

Boomslang

Ostrich

Black-backed Jackal

Spotted Hyena

After a windy and stormy night we set off at 04:30 this morning in the direction of Olifants Camp, with our first sighting of note being a green-backed heron catching dragonflies on the wing at first light. Our afternoon drive was along the Sweni River to the south of Satara, and we made it back to our campsite just at gate closing time (18:30)!

Got it! Green-backed Heron catching dragonflies

Sunrise 16 December

Crinum Lily

Black-backed Jackal couple.

Reedbuck ewe

African Fish Eagle

Blue Wildebeests

Resting Giraffe calf

Common Sandpiper

Giant Kingfisher

Nile Crocodile

Hyena youngster

Southern Black Tit

Red-winged Starling chicks

Curious Sabota Lark

Speckled Mousebird sharing on the spoils of a monkey raid

Woodland Kingfisher

Common Diadem (female)

African Hoopoe

Male Ostrich

Ground Hornbill in flight

Spotted Hyena

Knob-billed Duck

This evening, with a thunderstorm threatening overhead, we can once more look back on a beautiful day exploring the Satara area of the Kruger National Park.

Sunrise over a waterhole on the Sweni road

Yellowbilled Hornbill

Yellowbilled Oxpecker

Buffalo bull

Ximangwaneni waterhole

Giant Plated Lizard

Beautiful blooms dot the veld

Baby Rock Monitor

African Wild Cat

Tree full of Epauletted Fruit Bats

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

Little Swift reinforcing a nest

Lazy lionesses

Young hyena

Another beautiful day in the Kruger Park. Our drives took us along the Timbavati River in the morning, and along the Gudzani and Nwanetsi streams in the afternoon, and we were rewarded with more amazing encounters with beasts both great and small, creatures dainty and robust, scaled, feathered and furred.

Kurrichane Buttonquail

Wattled Starling male

Ground Hornbill

White-headed Vulture

Goliath Heron

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Spotted Flycatcher

Dusky Lark

Sabota Lark

Black-backed Jackal

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl chick in a nest built in a windpump

Leopard along the Timbavati

African Migrant (Butterfly)

Honey Badger

Elephant bull

Yellow-throated Plated Lizard

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Baboon

Laughing Elephant calf

Baby Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Crinum Lily

Zebra foal

Patrician Blue butterfly

Baby Vervet Monkey

Green-winged Pytilia (female)

Impala ewe

African Wild Cat

Baboon Spider

Solifuge a.k.a. Sun Spider

Foam Nest Frog

Another lovely day out exploring the Satara area of the Kruger National Park – overcast start to the morning with the clouds dissipating during the course of the day; as I am typing this we’re viewing the almost-full moon rising beautifully over the savanna.

Red-crested Korhaan calling

Waterbuck bull

Elephant bull blocking our way

Kori Bustard

European Honey Buzzard

Herd of elephants

Sabota Lark

Woodland Kingfishers

Rock Monitor

Very lazy Impala

Young Steenbok

Elephant Bulls

Black-backed Jackal

Newly-born Blue Wildebeest stretching his legs

The first week of our summer at Satara in the Kruger National Park concluded with the sun finally putting in an appearance again after four days. All kinds of insectivorous birds and animals feasted on emerging termite and ant alates, while many different kinds of frogs were jumping at the opportunity to mate in newly formed pools of water and we de Wets took the opportunity to take part in a guided night drive.

Scimitarbill

Baby baboon

Common Duiker

Bushbuck ewe

White-backed vulture trying to dry off

African Green Pigeon

Adult African Green Pigeon

Elephant

Impala skirmish

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Lesser Masked Weavers

African Mourning Doves courting

Flying ant Kings and Queens emerging

Adult Bateleur

Immature Bateleur

Ground Hornbill

African Grey Hornbill

Senegal Lapwing

Tree Agama males displaying

Tree Agama male with beetle prey

Tree Agama female

African Bull Frogs

Bull Frogs

Eastern Olive Toad

Banded Rubber frog

Foam Nest Frog

Bushveld Rain Frog

Frog eggs drifting in a temporary puddle

African Wild Cat seen on a night drive from Satara

Large-spotted Genet seen on a night drive from Satara

It’s the third day of unrelenting rainfall at Satara in the Kruger National Park, and it’s still pouring down cats and dogs. Well, cats anyway. Big cats! And lions to be precise.

Double-banded Sandgrouse

Lion

Lion brothers

A lonely and scared little Lion cub

Lion cubs and one of the pride females

Big old tusker