It was now October the 2nd and as of yesterday the camp gates open at 5.30 am, half an hour earlier than in September. Quite a few folk are raring to go at that time, indeed I was too on a couple of days but today was certainly an exception. We had to pack up as we were moving on to Olifants Rest Camp for the next two nights, consequently we didn't get going until 7.30am
And lucky we didn't either! I'd been talking to some other residents earlier, one lot left much earlier than the other. As we drove just a few hundred metres up the road we spotted the second lot parked and just beyond them ..Cheetah!
Wow! Cheetah is a special sighting indeed and this one was sat in the long grass very close to the edge of the road.
It couldn't have chosen a better spot as the road divided in to two lanes , the middle being a length of rough ground and bush. Without driving past or obscuring the view of the first vehicle I was able to drive the wrong side of this dual carriage way keeping my distance but still very close.
There was a fair wind blowing and the grass was obscuring it's face but with time allowing I got some better shots.
The Cheetah was sat there for quite some time and it soon became apparent why. A small group of Kudu entered in to the grassland area and that was what the Cheetah was waiting for.
It was watching intently as they slowly moved towards the waiting cat but it wasn't a direct approach so the Cheetah made a move to a different position to launch an attack when the moment was right.
I had a dilemma now. Which camera body and lens to use. I decided on the 1DX and the 100-400mm as the frame rate on the 1DX is much, much faster than the 5D4. I was hoping that the chase would come in our direction but it wasn't to be.
The Kudu ran away from our position.
The Cheetah targeted the smallest in the group but what happened we shall never know as the Kudu leapt a bush, the Cheetah followed.
and that's the last we saw of them!
It had been a breathtaking and fascinating experience. Talking to the people in the other car, they'd first spotted the Cheetah sitting on top of the road marker for our camp. It had then jumped down and walked the road, marking it's territory as it went until had stopped where we found them. They had been there for some time watching and had apparently got some good images too. Needless to say we were all "over the moon" at having witnessed a chase. Just then the occupants of the other vehicle returned and no doubt they would be sick as the proverbial parrot when they were told the news. Just shows, your luck can change in minutes.
It was our lucky day though and that's what mattered! To be honest, if we saw one excellent sight a day, that's all we asked for.
We headed back up the S36 and stopped at the waterhole to watch a huge herd of Buffalo drinking and bathing.
Then it was a right turn down the highly rated ( by Van den Berg anyway) S126. Once again we drew a blank on predators but just before you get to the tar road there's a waterhole.
Not a new bird for the trip but a better sighting than the first one.
It was time for breakfast, well lunch really. We headed to Satara were Claire had a toastie which she said was OK, I had a Hot Dog. In a word, don't bother. It was disgusting!
Not to worry, we'd be eating dinner in the restaurant tonight so I would enjoy dinner even more if I was really hungry!
On the road again we decided to take the S100 , again famed and a favourite of many due to it's predator sightings. Our first drive along there had been fruitless but today it paid us back!
A Lion family!
They were fairly close to the road but on the other side of the river.
They weren't the only Lions we saw either, further on we came across two young males but the views were poor and we didn't stop for more than a few seconds.
It was brakes on when I saw a Hyena running straight towards us.
It was breathless and seemed agitated too.
It didn't stop until the danger was gone!
I think our car had stopped the chase, and the Hyena used us to get away.
Yes, from the chasing Zebras!
I was quite surprised to witness such a scene.Anyway, we moved on leaving the humiliated Hyena standing in the shade of a bush.
Next stop was back to the Sweni Hide where we'd been entertained so well by all the Elephants on our previous visit.
No Elephant today but there was plenty going on.
The Giraffe took an age deciding if it was safe to approach the water and nearer to the hide I was surprised how casual the Impala were.
No wonder some end up as dinner, those Crocs can put in a turn of speed when they want to.
One Antelope that dithered and dithered and eventually decided it was too dangerous was this little fellow.
It was only when I got home I realised what I'd been looking at. Not Steinbok but Sharpe's Grysbok, a rarity amongst the antelopes of KNP. I'd only taken two shots too!!
On our way once again, we still had a couple of decent sightings
The Helmeted Guineafowl are common but this was the best shot I'd achieved to date.
We arrived at Olifants not too long before sunset. A Tawny Eagle was flying around the hill top the camp is perched on. Well that's what I thought it was.
Suddenly hundreds of bats suddenly emerged from a nearby building and the "eagle" went in to action.
What an idiot I'd been. This was a Bat Hawk and another rarity to boot.
I grabbed my camera that luckily was nearby and fired off a couple of shots as it disappeared for good to eat it's supper. I could only hope it would reappear the next evening. what a fool I'd been , it had been flying around for at least 20 minutes and coming fairly close too. Another Damn,damn, damn moment!
Tonight though we'd be eating in the restaurant. Tindlovu are the caterers that run it, the same as at Berg-en-dal where we had eaten on the first night. I was starving so we ordered two starters too.
How can Halumi cheese fritters taste so different in the same chain! These were inedible they were so salty and so was the other concoction we'd ordered too. Never mind, the burgers looked good.
Another huge disappointment I'm afraid.
They look good, they come with a skewer holding together the bun with several rounds of battered onions and a burger in place. The trouble is it was saturated with a gloop of mustard mayonnaise which left the whole thing a soggy mess.
Hugely disappointing and despite being hungry I still couldn't bring myself to eating most of it.
From now on we'd be self catering I swore!
TBC
And lucky we didn't either! I'd been talking to some other residents earlier, one lot left much earlier than the other. As we drove just a few hundred metres up the road we spotted the second lot parked and just beyond them ..Cheetah!
Wow! Cheetah is a special sighting indeed and this one was sat in the long grass very close to the edge of the road.
It couldn't have chosen a better spot as the road divided in to two lanes , the middle being a length of rough ground and bush. Without driving past or obscuring the view of the first vehicle I was able to drive the wrong side of this dual carriage way keeping my distance but still very close.
There was a fair wind blowing and the grass was obscuring it's face but with time allowing I got some better shots.
The Cheetah was sat there for quite some time and it soon became apparent why. A small group of Kudu entered in to the grassland area and that was what the Cheetah was waiting for.
It was watching intently as they slowly moved towards the waiting cat but it wasn't a direct approach so the Cheetah made a move to a different position to launch an attack when the moment was right.
I had a dilemma now. Which camera body and lens to use. I decided on the 1DX and the 100-400mm as the frame rate on the 1DX is much, much faster than the 5D4. I was hoping that the chase would come in our direction but it wasn't to be.
The Kudu ran away from our position.
The Cheetah targeted the smallest in the group but what happened we shall never know as the Kudu leapt a bush, the Cheetah followed.
and that's the last we saw of them!
It had been a breathtaking and fascinating experience. Talking to the people in the other car, they'd first spotted the Cheetah sitting on top of the road marker for our camp. It had then jumped down and walked the road, marking it's territory as it went until had stopped where we found them. They had been there for some time watching and had apparently got some good images too. Needless to say we were all "over the moon" at having witnessed a chase. Just then the occupants of the other vehicle returned and no doubt they would be sick as the proverbial parrot when they were told the news. Just shows, your luck can change in minutes.
It was our lucky day though and that's what mattered! To be honest, if we saw one excellent sight a day, that's all we asked for.
We headed back up the S36 and stopped at the waterhole to watch a huge herd of Buffalo drinking and bathing.
Then it was a right turn down the highly rated ( by Van den Berg anyway) S126. Once again we drew a blank on predators but just before you get to the tar road there's a waterhole.
Not a new bird for the trip but a better sighting than the first one.
It was time for breakfast, well lunch really. We headed to Satara were Claire had a toastie which she said was OK, I had a Hot Dog. In a word, don't bother. It was disgusting!
Not to worry, we'd be eating dinner in the restaurant tonight so I would enjoy dinner even more if I was really hungry!
On the road again we decided to take the S100 , again famed and a favourite of many due to it's predator sightings. Our first drive along there had been fruitless but today it paid us back!
A Lion family!
They were fairly close to the road but on the other side of the river.
They weren't the only Lions we saw either, further on we came across two young males but the views were poor and we didn't stop for more than a few seconds.
It was brakes on when I saw a Hyena running straight towards us.
It was breathless and seemed agitated too.
It didn't stop until the danger was gone!
I think our car had stopped the chase, and the Hyena used us to get away.
Yes, from the chasing Zebras!
I was quite surprised to witness such a scene.Anyway, we moved on leaving the humiliated Hyena standing in the shade of a bush.
Next stop was back to the Sweni Hide where we'd been entertained so well by all the Elephants on our previous visit.
No Elephant today but there was plenty going on.
The Giraffe took an age deciding if it was safe to approach the water and nearer to the hide I was surprised how casual the Impala were.
No wonder some end up as dinner, those Crocs can put in a turn of speed when they want to.
One Antelope that dithered and dithered and eventually decided it was too dangerous was this little fellow.
It was only when I got home I realised what I'd been looking at. Not Steinbok but Sharpe's Grysbok, a rarity amongst the antelopes of KNP. I'd only taken two shots too!!
On our way once again, we still had a couple of decent sightings
The Helmeted Guineafowl are common but this was the best shot I'd achieved to date.
We arrived at Olifants not too long before sunset. A Tawny Eagle was flying around the hill top the camp is perched on. Well that's what I thought it was.
Suddenly hundreds of bats suddenly emerged from a nearby building and the "eagle" went in to action.
What an idiot I'd been. This was a Bat Hawk and another rarity to boot.
I grabbed my camera that luckily was nearby and fired off a couple of shots as it disappeared for good to eat it's supper. I could only hope it would reappear the next evening. what a fool I'd been , it had been flying around for at least 20 minutes and coming fairly close too. Another Damn,damn, damn moment!
Tonight though we'd be eating in the restaurant. Tindlovu are the caterers that run it, the same as at Berg-en-dal where we had eaten on the first night. I was starving so we ordered two starters too.
How can Halumi cheese fritters taste so different in the same chain! These were inedible they were so salty and so was the other concoction we'd ordered too. Never mind, the burgers looked good.
Another huge disappointment I'm afraid.
They look good, they come with a skewer holding together the bun with several rounds of battered onions and a burger in place. The trouble is it was saturated with a gloop of mustard mayonnaise which left the whole thing a soggy mess.
Hugely disappointing and despite being hungry I still couldn't bring myself to eating most of it.
From now on we'd be self catering I swore!
TBC
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