Tag Archives: travel

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 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 Skink courtship
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
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
Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs
Spotted Hyena mothers apparently make great jungle gyms!
Rambunctious Spotted Hyena cubs
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:

Splish Splash!

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An elephant enjoying his mud bath (or is that spa treatment?) near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park.

An elephant that thoroughly enjoyed his mudbath!
Elephant enjoying a mud bath
An elephant that thoroughly enjoyed his mudbath!
An elephant that thoroughly enjoyed his mudbath!

Beautiful Butterfly Bounty!

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One would be forgiven for expecting that the most memorable experience of a visit to the Kruger National Park would entail one of the big, charismatic mammals exhibiting some or other fascinating behaviour: a pride of lions making a kill, an elephant cow giving birth or a thousand-strong herd of buffalo stampeding to a waterhole, for instance. However, as I found out during my solo visit to the Kruger Park at the end of May, a bounty of beautiful butterflies can easily make those hairy-and-scary creatures fade into the background! In both Pretoriuskop and Skukuza Rest Camps I found blooming Lowveld Bittertea bushes (Gymnanthemum coloratum) and the surrounding gardens and lawns attended by literally hundreds of butterflies of at least 28 different species! They kept me busy and entertained for quite some time and I hope this gallery of pictures convey at least a sense of this awesome experience.

African Leopard
African Leopard
African Monarch butterfly
African Monarch butterflies and an incoming wasp
African Monarch butterflies
Common Smoky Blue
African Migrant (female form florella)
Black-striped Hairtail
Blue Pansy
Common Diadem (male)
Common Hottentot Skipper (male)
Common Orange Tip (male)
Dancing Acraea
Layman butterfly
Layman butterfly
Layman butterfly
Spotted Joker
Spotted Joker
Squinting Bush Brown
Striped Policeman
Two-pip Policeman (butterfly)
Two-pip Policeman
Common (or Eastern) Scarlet
Robust Hoppers
Robust Hopper
Lowveld Grass Yellow
Sulphur Orange Tip
Ant-heap White
African Common White
Brown Veined White
Two-pip Policeman
Common Dotted Border
Common Dotted Border
Window Acraea
Light Red Acraea
Lowveld Grass Yellow
Dusky Acraea (butterfly)
White-barred Acraea
Yellow Pansy

Of course, the butterflies were not the only insects making good use of the proliferation of winter flowers, and various other insects, most notably bees and wasps, were to be seen in attendance. A few dragonflies and birds then also made use of the opportunity to catch an easy meal on the wing.

Swarm of honey bees
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter Bee
Dangerously armed wasp
Colourful wasp
Just look at the stinger on that wasp!
Julia Skimmer Dragonfly

Two weeks later we returned to the Kruger Park, this time to Shingwedzi Rest Camp about 280km north of Skukuza. Here we found fewer butterflies – perhaps winter had set in now, with nighttime temperatures especially being on the cold side – but there were still enough of them flitting around to keep us thoroughly engaged while spending the midday hours in camp.

Autumn-leaf Vagrant
Broad-bordered Grass Yellow in flight
Brown-veined White
African Veined White slurping nectar from an Impala Lily flower
African Veined White slurping nectar from an Impala Lily flower
Common Orange Tip (male)
Lowveld Grass Yellow
Small Orange Tip (female)
Small Orange Tip (male)
Speckled Sulphur Tip
Topaz Spotted Blue
Veined Tip
Veined Tip
Zebra White

I’d like to dedicate this post to a great friend to de Wets Wild and the biggest butterfly fundi I know – AJ Vosse of  “Ouch My Back Hurts” .

Being taken advantage of…

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Ever get the feeling that your kindness is being abused, Mr. Hippo? Just asking…

This temporary island being used (abused really, don’t you think?) by sunbathing Marsh and Serrated Hinged Terrapins was seen at the Kruger National Park‘s Nwaswitshaka Waterhole on the S65 road between Skukuza and Pretoriuskop in May 2019.

Winter Highland Holidays – Giant’s Castle

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Just two days after we returned from Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park (which we’ll be telling you all about soon, promise!), we headed back to Giant’s Castle in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park to pick up where we left off when we had to cut our trip in March short due to illness.

Part of the planning for our original trip was to spend a day visiting the crafters and speciality shops in the KZN Midlands between Mooi River and Howick along the R103-road, particularly to stock up on a variety of cheeses and other delights to enjoy in the evenings in front of the fireplace. With check-in at Giants Castle being only from 14:00 onwards, we decided for this return visit to then get the “shopping” out of the way first before heading to the reserve. An early (04:00am) start out of Pretoria allowed us to visit all the nice stalls and shops we wanted to, discover a few new ones and do some birdwatching along the Lower Loteni and Kamberg roads on the way before arriving at Giant’s Castle just after 16:00 in the evening (dusk comes really early in the ‘Berg in winter!).

Blue Cranes on the Lower Loteni Road
Secretary Bird on the Kamberg Road
Oribi grazing next to the Kamberg Road
A juvenile Bearded Vulture
A juvenile Bearded Vulture
Black-headed Heron on the Kamberg Road
Giant’s Castle entrance
This Jackal Buzzard (photographed by Marilize) was our first sighting just in at the gate at Giant’s Castle

We were allocated Chalet 26 for our 4 night stay, a 2-bedroom unit which is very privately situated and offers a spectacular view of the slumbering Giant that looms over the reserve named after it below.

Giant’s Castle, Unit 26, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, June 2019
The view from Chalet 26
A close-up view of the sleeping Giant

In a scenically grand environment like you’ll find at Giant’s Castle there’s beautiful landscapes all around, making hiking an absolute joy and the reason why we spent so much time on the different trails (thankfully we had really good weather during our visit)

Heavy clouds descending on the Drakensberg
Scenic vistas along the Bushmans River
The road leading to the REst Camp at Giant’s Castle
Beautiful spots along the Bushmans River
This Crassula is hanging on for dear life on a sheer rockface
Beautiful mountain blooms
Beautiful spots along the Bushmans River
The Main Caves in which you’ll find a fascinating museum dedicated to the San, or Bushman, people
Giant’s Castle scenery
Giant’s Castle scenery
Beautiful spots along the Bushmans River
Deep pool in the Bushmans River
Beautiful spots along the Bushmans River
Giant’s Castle scenery
Scenic vistas along the Bushmans River
Scenic vistas along the Bushmans River
Scenic vistas along the Bushmans River
Scenic vistas along the Bushmans River
This huge boulder looks like it might have been the shell of a prehistoric tortoise!
Beautiful mountain blooms
Sunlight flushing the dark from the valley below Giant’s Castle
Giant’s Castle scenery
Giant’s Castle scenery
Giant’s Castle scenery (photo by Joubert)
Beautiful mountain blooms (photo by Joubert)
Beautiful spots along the Bushmans River (photo by Joubert)
View of the Drakensberg from the Bergview Trail
View of the Drakensberg from the track to the Vulture Hide
View from the track to the Vulture Hide

Of course, being one of South Africa’s oldest protected environments there’s no shortage of wildlife to be found at Giant’s Castle, even if it can often be easily overlooked in the grand environs they inhabit!

Baboons are probably the most easily seen mammal in Giant’s Castle, as they move through the Rest Camp daily
Baboons are probably the most easily seen mammal in Giant’s Castle, as they move through the Rest Camp daily
Baboons are probably the most easily seen mammal in Giant’s Castle, as they move through the Rest Camp daily
A pair of mating baboons high in the mountains
Baboons are probably the most easily seen mammal in Giant’s Castle, as they move through the Rest Camp daily
Geranium Bronze butterfly
Dassie, or Rock Hyrax
Eland were the main reason the Giant’s Castle reserve was proclaimed
Eland on the run along the Bushmans River
At night, Eland often shelter in the camp
Eland were the main reason the Giant’s Castle reserve was proclaimed
Eland were the main reason the Giant’s Castle reserve was proclaimed
Eland were the main reason the Giant’s Castle reserve was proclaimed
Gaudy Commodore (dry season form)
Grey Duiker
Marsh Mountain Blue
Mountain Reedbuck ewe
Red-sided Skink
Little Scarlet Dragonfly
Speckled Rock Skink
Common Hottentot Skipper (female)
Trapdoor Spider on the move
Foam Grasshopper nymph (species unknown)
Yellow Pansy

Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas, and while they’re not indigenous these beautiful animals look very much at home in their highland abode.

Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas
Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas
Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas
Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas
Baboons invading the paddock at Giant’s Castle
Horses and ponies are an invaluable tool to rangers in mountainous areas

The Drakensberg may not boast the richest variety of birdlife in South Africa, especially in winter, but we still had a great time bird-watching while out and about, and often the birds came to visit us while we were relaxing at the chalet.

African Stonechat
Southern Bald Ibis
Cape Crow
Black-headed Heron
Bokmakierie
Buffy Pipit
Cape Batis
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Rock Thrush (male)
Cape Rock Thrush (female)
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Wagtail
Cape White-eye
Chorister Robin-Chat
Dark-capped Bulbuls
Drakensberg Prinia
Familiar Chat
Forest Canary
Fork-tailed Drongo
Male Greater Double-Collared Sunbird
Ground Woodpeckers
Gurney’s Sugarbird
Gurney’s Sugarbird
Levaillant’s Cisticola
Olive Thrush
Olive Woodpecker
Red-eyed Dove
Red-winged Starling (male)
Southern Boubou
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Tawny-flanked Prinia
White-necked Raven
Yellow Bishop (non-breeding plumage)

We had a wonderful time at Giant’s Castle, and are incredibly grateful that we could return so soon. Along the most direct route, Giant’s Castle lies about 500km from our home in Pretoria, but with our four days in the mountains flying past unbelievably quickly we decided to prolong our return journey by taking a more scenic road over Oliviershoek Pass and through Golden Gate Highlands National Park (where our Autumn Highlands Holidays kicked off in March 2019).

 

A quick wrap-up of our Shingwedzi Expedition (15-24 June 2019)

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After nine-and-a-half wonderful days at Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park we’re back home in Pretoria for a day or two, before heading off on the next leg of our winter holidays. We’ll soon be sharing lots of wonderful wildlife encounters from our days in Shingwedzi with you, but herewith so long a gallery of highlights – These photos were all taken by Joubert!

Buffalo cow (Photo by Joubert)
Buffalo calf on the run (Photo by Joubert)
Sunset elephants in the Shingwedzi (Photo by Joubert)
Elephant Bull (Photo by Joubert)
Elephant Calf (Photo by Joubert)
Elephant herd on the run to Red Rocks (Photo by Joubert)
Elephant warning (Photo by Joubert)
Two Elephant bulls marching into the distance (Photo by Joubert)
Thirsty Tusker (Photo by Joubert)
Eland, zebras and Elephants share a waterhole north of Babalala (Photo by Joubert)
Elephant calf (Photo by Joubert)
Fish Eagle taking off (Photo by Joubert)
Fork-tailed Drongo (Photo by Joubert)
Greater Blue-eared Starling (Photo by Joubert)
Hippo pod (Photo by Joubert)
Impala ewe (Photo by Joubert)
Impala Lily (Photo by Joubert)
Kudu bull (Photo by Joubert)
The two Kings of Babalala (Photo by Joubert)
Watchful Lion (Photo by Joubert)
Getting up is hard work for this Lion (Photo by Joubert)
Little Sparrowhawk (Photo by Joubert)
Plains Zebra (Photo by Joubert)
Saddle-billed Stork (Photo by Joubert)
Tree Squirrel (Photo by Joubert)
Water Thick-knees (Photo by Joubert)
Close-up Yellow-billed Hornbill (Photo by Joubert)

 

Expedition Shingwedzi – Update 23 June 2019

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We’ve watched the sun set for the ninth and final time over the Shingwedzi River on this visit to the Kruger National Park. Of course there’s many, many photos from this wonderful place that we’ll be sharing with you in weeks to come!

In case you were wondering how Joubert’s photo turned out:

Tomorrow we’ll be heading home via Phalaborwa Gate for a quick two-day “lay-over” in Pretoria before heading to our next winter holiday destination.