17 January 2021
It’s a cloudy start to the day at Cape Vidal and the route for our morning drive takes us along the Grassland Loop and then to the viewpoint at Catalina Bay on the shores of Lake St. Lucia. Recent rains have swelled the lake to proportions I don’t think we’ve seen on any of our numerous previous visits to the area.
Little Bee-eater
Youngish Waterbuck bull
Cheeky Kudu calf
Catalina Bay, Lake St. Lucia
Adult Antlion
We’re slowly making our way to the picnic site at Mission Rocks for breakfast.
Waterbuck with oddly shaped horns
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Dominant male Vervet Monkey
On arrival at Mission Rocks we delay our breakfast of coffee-and-rusks just a little to first walk down to the rocky beach and look out over the ocean. But its windy and drizzly so we don’t stay at the seaside too long before going to hide in the forest, where the picnic tables are also frequented by some colourful birds with the same aching for something to eat that we had.
Spotted Hyena track at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Common Whimbrel
Large crab of unknown species at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab
Natal Rock Crab
Red-capped Robin Chat
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Driving further south the sun finally puts in appearance and the bush becomes alive as birds and animals come out of hiding.
Barn Swallows
Rattling Cisticola
Warthog
Vervet Monkey
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
We turn for camp at Amazibu Pan, where the hippos are kept from their sleep by a raucous assortment of birdlife.
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Spur-winged Goose (photo by Joubert)
Spur-winged Goose
White-faced Whistling Duck
Hippos lazing at Amazibu Pan
Heading back to Cape Vidal there’s three short loop roads that offer an alternative to the busier tarred main road, and each of them offers a glimpse into a different ecosystem. The first of these is the Vlei Loop that passes several open pans where animals congregate to drink.
Dung Beetle with his bounty
Herd of buffaloes
Steppe Buzzard
Water Thick-knee (photo by Joubert)
The Forest Loop passes the kuMfazana Hide, where we discover a butterfly paradise – more about that tomorrow!
Eastern Coastal Skink
Novice butterfly
Common Tigertail dragonfly
Unidentified moth species
A turnoff from the Dune Loop leads to the Kwasheleni Tower – a new facility opened after our previous visit to iSimangaliso that we were very curious to see – but a sour old buffalo bull tried his best to keep us from reaching it.
Wild Date Palms
Water Monitor lizard
Buffalo road block
Buffalo road block
Our patience paid off when the buffalo eventually relented and we could reach the viewing tower without further hindrance (unless you see the climbing up the dune and then the tower as an obstacle). The views afforded over Lake St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park from up the top of the tower was amazing.
Kwasheleni Tower
Kwasheleni Tower
Kwasheleni Tower and view
The view southwards from the Kwasheleni Tower
Arriving back at Cape Vidal around the same time the clouds did, we nevertheless didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to explore the rock pools at low tide.
Cape Vidal beach
Cape Vidal beach
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Intertidal rock pools at Cape Vidal
Little fish in an intertidal rock pool at Cape Vidal
Having lunch on the deck of our log cabin we were visited by a variety of the local wildlife.
Greying old bushbuck ewe
Black-bellied Starling
African Monarch
We didn’t take a very long afternoon drive, just a two-hour excursion along the Grassland and Dune Loops and back to camp.
Shy European Honey Buzzard
European Roller
Warthog
Two of the “Big Five” in the same frame
Brown Snake Eagle (photo by Joubert)
Fan-tailed Widowbird
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Wasp of the genus Stizus
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