MABALINGWE 14TH TO 18TH MARCH 2011 - LAST DAY

Pleasant evening - no wind or rain.  Woke to Lions roaring again this morning. Went out for our last drive (afternoons tend to be too hot and very quiet). Snapped a couple of birds in the camp

Chin Spot Batis

Waxbills enjoying a bath

We did spot a "cat" crossing the road ahead of us (quite far) - it could have been a leopard or a serval (Luis saw spots) - suspect it was a leopard as legs did not appear long enough for serval - but then, it was quite far and, obviously, no sign of it once we reached the crossing spot!
On the same stretch of road, we saw this really goofy looking young giraffe - gotta love the hairstyle

Goofy

We head home tomorrow - so ...... until the next trip ....

MABALINGWE 14TH TO 18TH MARCH 2011 - DAY 3

It rained well into the night and thereafter the drops dripping off the trees onto the caravan roof prevented us hearing any animal night noises. Plus rain is always conducive to a good nights kip! Game ride this morning was largely about birds.  It started off very misty, so, while we didn't have Gorillas in the Mist, we had Giraffe and Wildebees in the Mist (let alone the unseen lurkers):

Giraffe in the Mist

Wildie in the Mist

Some of the birds posed for us:

Good old faithful Crested Barbet

White Throated Robin serenading us with his pretty song

Melba Finch

Pied Babbler

Comb (Knob Billed) Duck

 

 

 

MABALINGWE 14TH TO 18TH MARCH 2011 - DAY 1 & 2

Reasonably uneventful journey getting here.  Last 10km we were stuck behind 4 massive abnormal load corn harvesters taking up 3/4 of the entire road (R516).  We were in no rush and stayed tucked in behind them - enabled us to see some scenery and it was entertaining to see the oncoming traffic getting forced off the road.
Went out for a late afternoon drive but didn't see much - apparently there was some recent elephant and impala culling - tends to make the survivors skittish!  Did have this close sighting of a blue headed agama:

A pleasantly restless night as woken by honey badgers scratching in dustbin and crunching bones, unidentified things walking on roof of caravan, roaring of lion (distant), hooting of owls, screeching of francolin (something set them off!), very late night call of the woodland kingfisher, jackals - ah what bliss! Sharon had a nightmare - something to do with a leopard chasing her - and she woke up shouting and kicking.  That woke Luis up!!
We were determined to rise and shine early Tuesday morning to see if game were more accommodating.  Up before sunrise, normal blutes, sipping pleasant cup of coffee when "things" started plopping on our canopy - Luis got his "very powerful torch" and was shining torch up into trees above us - exclaimed that "it was raining" (but only above his head, we must add) - turned out to be a monkey peeing. Drenched his newly shampooed hair and dribbled on his T-shirt. Good for a giggle or 2 ... or 10.
Below pic is our camp site (offending "monkey tree" to the right of camp).

Had a pleasant 3 hour game viewing experience. 

Banded Mongoose

Lovely large kudu (largest male we've ever seen)

This cuckoo would not show his chest but based on hint of black stripe while "posing", we suspect this is a striped cuckoo not Jacobin.

Back at camp, the heavens opened up and the rain came pouring down.  Still very warm and rain welcome to wash away the lingering smell of monkey pee (yet another giggle!).