Category Archives: Mpumalanga Province

Our experiences in the reserves of Mpumalanga, South Africa

Dazzling

This group of Plains Zebra, seen in September between Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park, illustrates perfectly just how well those black-and-white stripes are at breaking the individual animals’ outlines, making it much more difficult for a predator to single out a target.

We disappeared into the bush again…

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But we are back now, fresh from another jaunt in the Kruger National Park. It almost goes without saying that there are lots and lots of photos to share and stories to tell over the next few weeks, so let us start off with a little gallery of pictures taken by Joubert to get you all excited for what is to come.

Buffalo Bull (photo by Joubert)

Fish Eagle (photo by Joubert)

Ground Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

African Hawk Eagle in silhouette (photo by Joubert)

Sparring hippos (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena clan on the move (photo by Joubert)

Graceful Kudu bull (photo by Joubert)

Leopard cub (photo by Joubert)

Lilac-breasted Roller (photo by Joubert)

Lioness on a sand bank in the Sabie River (photo by Joubert)

Lion cub at Lubyelubye (photo by Joubert)

Martial Eagle (photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebras (photo by Joubert)

Sausage-Tree flower (photo by Joubert)

Waterbuck close-up (photo by Joubert)

White Rhino (photo by Joubert)

What makes the Kruger “THE KRUGER”?

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Well, if you ask us what makes the Kruger National Park “THE KRUGER”, our answer wouldn’t be the prolific game or birdlife, awesome as that might be. To us, what makes the Kruger National Park special is the wide variety of habitats and scenery where all this life finds a niche to flourish. At almost 20,000km² in size, the Kruger National Park is bigger than some countries, and naturally a piece of land that enormous would encompass many different landscapes and habitats; in fact there are pronounced differences in the scenery as one travels from south to north through Kruger’s 350km length.

This first gallery of images were taken during my solo visit at the end of May to Pretoriuskop and Skukuza in the south of the Park.

Scenery near Pretoriuskop, complete with a giraffe

Beautiful Blue Water Lily

Impala Lily

Growing Sausage-Tree fruit

The reed-grown bed of the Sabie River

A Sycomore Fig Tree in a dry stream bed near Phabeni Gate

Sunrise over the Sabie River

Sunset Dam at Lower Sabie

Rocky outcrops are a feature of the Pretoriuskop area

Animals congregating at Transport Dam

The Mountains of Malelane

Rocky outcrops are a feature of the Pretoriuskop area

Rocky outcrops are a feature of the Pretoriuskop area – this hill is called Shabeni

Rocky outcrops are a feature of the Pretoriuskop area

Kruger sunset

Rocky outcrops are a feature of the Pretoriuskop area

Sunset near Pretoriuskop

The north of Kruger has a quite different character to the southern parts. Here, the Mopane and Baobab trees dominate the landscape, by virtue of their numbers and size, respectively.

This gallery of images were taken during our visit from 15 to 24 June to the northern reaches of the Park (based at Shingwedzi Rest Camp)

Animals congregating at a waterhole to the north of Babalala

A wide bend in the Shingwedzi River

Giraffe crossing the dry bed of the Shingwedzi

A pool at Red Rocks

A dry Shingwedzi River near Tshange viewpoint

A seemingly serene pool of water at Red Rocks

Baobab with Buffalo Weaver nests

Impala Lily

Impala Lily (Photo by Joubert)

Mopane leaves are uniquely butterfly- or spoor-shaped

Large Jackalberry tree on the Mphongolo Road

Baobab in a see of mopane, on the way to Bateleur

Sunset at the Mphongolo-Shingwedzi confluence

Mopane shrubs

Mopane tree

Sunset elephants in the Shingwedzi (Photo by Joubert)

The last photo taken today – sunset over the dry bed of the Shingwedzi River

Red Rocks from the viewpoint

Game-viewing in Kruger (May and June 2019)

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When talking about “game-viewing”, most people immediately have images of Africa’s iconic Big Five flashing through their minds. And of course our recent trips to the Kruger National Park did not disappoint at all when it came to these most charismatic of African mammals, as well as many other furry creatures great and small.

This first gallery of pictures were taken during my solo trip to the southern part of the Kruger Park between 30 May and 2 June 2019.

Grooming Chacma Baboons

Baboon youngster thinking of mischief

Blue Wildebeest with an unusual chevron mark on its muzzle

Blue Wildebeest having a rest in the shade

Blue Wildebeest herd

Buffalo bull

Buffalo cow

Buffaloes next to the Sabie River

Bushbuck Ram at sunset

Grey Duiker

Dwarf Mongooses settling an argument in the camping area at Pretoriuskop

Dwarf Mongoose standing sentry atop a termite mound

Elephant youngster enjoying a snack while crossing the road

Elephant herd quenching their thirst at Shitlhave Dam

Elephant enjoying a mud bath

Elephant bull at Mestel Dam

Baby Ellie

Big Elephant Bull in contemplative mood

In the hot African sun any shade will do!

Giraffe

Hippo gang at Sunset Dam

Baby Hippo at Mestel Dam

Impala ram on the bank of the Sabie

Klipspringer

Big Kudu Bull

Immature Kudu Bull at Biyamiti Weir

Mating Kudus

Lioness on the bridge at Lower Sabie

Lions in the grass next to the Crocodile River

Plains Zebra

Spotted Hyenas in profile

Spotted Hyena youngster bullying a sibling

Steenbok pair

Tree Squirrel in the camping area at Pretoriuskop

Vervet Monkey youngster with a pod of some kind

Grooming Vervet Monkeys

Waterbuck Bull

Waterbuck Calf

Waterbuck Cow

Waterbuck herd at Transport Dam

Warthogs investing in their future.

African Wild Dogs

There’s also much interest in the Kruger’s invertebrates (including a bounty of beautiful butterflies), fish, amphibians and reptiles, many of which are difficult to see elsewhere in South Africa.

Water Monitor lizard

Marsh Terrapin encountered on dry land

Rainbow Skink

Striped Skink

Yellow-throated Plated Lizard

Baby Nile Crocodile

Medium-sized Nile Crocodile

Enormous Nile Crocodile at Sunset Dam

Tigerfish in the Sabie River

Juvenile Redbreast Tilapia

Speke’s Hinged Tortoise

Common River Frog in Skukuza

Platanna

Bushveld Rain Frog

Male Mozambique Tilapia (non-breeding colours)

Female Mozambique Tilapia

Young Nile Crocodile

Nile Crocodiles

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

Matabele Ants

Solifuge a.k.a. Sun Spider

Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

Striped Skink

Common Tropical House Gecko

Returning to Kruger two weeks later, this time to Shingwedzi in the north of the Park, proved just as fruitful with memorable encounters not only with predators and rare antelope, but also a menagerie of other mammalian species.

Blue wildebeest herd

Buffalo cow

Buffalo calf

Buffalo bull emerging from the mopane

Buffalo bull

Buffalo cow and calf

Buffalo cow

Buffalo on the Mphongolo loop

Half-blind Buffalo bull

Buffalo calf

Prime Buffalo Bull

Big old Buffalo Bull

Dwarf Mongoose standing sentry atop a termite mound

Elephant calf

Classically shaped ivory

Big old elephant bull

Tiny ellie baby

Elephant calf fast asleep

Beautiful elephant bull

Cute elephant calf

Elephant bull destroying a small tree

Beautiful elephant bull

Elephant cow with interestingly shaped ivory

Beautiful elephant bull

Elephant cow with interestingly shaped ivory

Giraffe calf

Tower of giraffe

Grey Duiker

Common, or Grey, Duiker

Hippo in the dark, grazing past our camp

Honey Badger next to the fence at Shingwedzi

Impala Ram

Kudu bull

Plains Zebra foals

Plains Zebra with unique pattern

Plains zebra mare and foal

Scrub Hare next to the fence at Shingwedzi

Slender mongoose

Steenbok ram

Southern African Tree Squirrel

Vervet Monkey

Warthog

Waterbuck Bull

Bushbuck at the water’s edge

Tree Squirrel (Photo by Joubert)

Plains Zebra (Photo by Joubert)

Impala ewe (Photo by Joubert)

Kudu bull (Photo by Joubert)

Buffalo calf on the run (Photo by Joubert)

Buffalo cow (Photo by Joubert)

Bird-watching in Kruger (May and June 2019)

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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

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 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…