The Trekkie's Forum

We left for Tzaneen on Thursday the 5th where we stayed over at Hillbilly Haven in quite a big house. KFC was consumed for dinner. Yummy!

We left very early on Friday morning. In fact too early and we had to wait 30mins at Phalaborwa gate before entering Kruger. Our first stop was Sable dam where we picked up an overwintering Osprey. Unfortunately it was cloudy and the light was horrendous as it was still too early for the sun even. So only a proof shot was taken.

We also picked up a Kori Bustard right next to the road. In the end Kori Bustard became quite common in the Mopani area. With Tihongonyeni being the best area to locate them with 9 individuals recorded in one single sighting!

We made our way up the H14 towards Mopani and soon the first big tuskers and buffalo came to the front as well as Yellow-billed Oxpeckers.

There seems to be a Brown-headed Parrot boom in the north of the Park at the moment. We recorded them just about daily throughout different parts.

We had a very interesting sighting of two Tawny Eagles attacking 3 Southern Ground Hornbills! With the one eagle actually hitting the hornbill hard with its tallons! Gruesome stuff. We figured that the eagles must've been nesting nearby and wanted the hornbills out of the area.

We arrived at Mooiplaas for a well deserved skottel brekkie consisting of bacon rolls and omelets.

We were too early for checking in at Mopani so decided to drive around on some new roads for us.

Wonderful shots there WTM   Well done on all the additions and look forward to the rest of the report   I am sure you guys had an amazing time.

Lovely photo's guys!

Great going with the lifers WTM!

Some of Laine's shots on the first day.



We end up seeing no less than a dozen of the gorgeous Saddle-billed Storks throughout the Park.

At gate opening we exited Mopani and headed up to the northern point of the Trop of Capricorn loop. As we reached the Tihongongyeni waterhole we quickly picked up Temminck's Courser, Kittlitz's Plover, Kori Bustard, 100's of Chestnut-backed Sparrowlarks and African Pipits and loads of vultures. Tsesebe was also present and posed for some lovely photos!

At the water's edge African Qualifinch called non stop and also came swooping over our heads.

And Laine made the camera do the talking!

Nice going on the TR love.. 

Thanks Imax.  I was very happy with the shot as well and think the morning light played in my favour as the Temmincks is probbie one of the most frustrating birds to focus on..

I have hundreds and hundreds of photos to go through, I have had strict instructions to go through all the bird photos first and then move on to the animoos..  i will try and go through a few more this evening!