Part 7 of our Southern African trip, back to Mahikeng and then further south.

We left Elephant Sands with a long drive ahead of us, 823 km back to Mahikeng, as you can see on the map below.  Patrick drove the whole way and we arrived safely back at their house.  Thanks Patrick!

On the first part of the trip, we had to keep a very watchful eye out for elephants that were often close to the road side; no fences here...!!

They were everywhere, and would suddenly pop into view out of the tall bush...

We had departed very early in the morning, so after an hour, we stopped at Nata Lodge for a coffee...

Loved the decor as we entered the lodge!

A little further on, we just had to record the fact that we were crossing the apparently  ever-slightly-moving Tropic of Capricorn at about 23 degrees South.  It moves 15 metres (18 feet) per year to the North! Well, I never knew that!

 Otherwise, a pretty uneventful trip, and back in Mahikeng we saw these bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus) in a reserve...

Springbok (Damaliscus pygargus); also the rare sub species, the black springbok.....

and the pure white.  Both male and female have horns, although the female horns are slightly thinner.

More bonteboks...

and a number of hadada (or hadeda) ibis (Bostrychia hagedash); they are very noisy and allegedly the loudest bird in Africa!!!  They have an extremely loud and distinctive "haa-haa-haa-de-dah" call—hence the name.

We had one day to 'relax' in Mahikeng, to catch up with all the washing etc, and then we were on the road again, heading south-east - just look at the view and the empty road in the Free State province!!  In all, this leg of the trip was just under 1000 km (625 miles), as you can see from the map....

We made an overnight stop at Harrismith, around the half way mark, at the very comfortable La La Nathi Lodge just outside the town...

Stunning and spacious individual accommodation...

and a view over the thatched roofs in a very strange light as the sun went down.

The following day found us at Leisure Bay, where we stayed with fellow blogger Joan. We promised no personal photographs,  so are sorry you will not get to see her!   We did, however, see and photograph some of the local wildlife around her home.

Cape white eye (Zosterops virens), seen in the garden...

 African pied wagtail,  (Motacilla aguimp)....

Brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) on one of the street lights...

I am no specialist on crabs, but this one sitting in a salty puddle took my eye...

and here is a hermit crab; odd creatures with an abdomen that is concealed in a scavenged mollusc shell.  They change shells as they grow in size! 

Red-winged starling (Onychognathus morio).

and finally,  vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) who appeared in every corner of Joan's garden. Males have a mass of 6kg and measure 1.1 m in length, whereas females are slightly smaller and weigh only 4kg.   They are one of only two monkey species in South Africa,  the other being the Samango monkey.

Next we are off to friends in Pietermaritzburg, who take us on a really amazing tour of Kwa-Zulu-Natal!!  Watch this space.....

Also see my daily diary HERE

and My Life Before Charente (updated  25 September 2016) I will get back to this eventually! 

Part 6 of our Southern African holiday, still in Botswana.

On the morning we left Kasane River View Lodge, (see parts 3, 4 and 5) we had a short drive ahead of us, (about 200 km or 125 miles) to our planned two night stop at Elephant Sands game park on our way back to Mahikeng in South Africa. More about the place later on!

Cruising southwards along the almost empty tarmac ribbon, Patrick's observant eyes suddenly spotted several of the rare Southern ground hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) by the roadside...

Despite the fact that their name sounds as if the live on the ground, they do in fact fly, (as you can see above!) and also roost in trees.  This hornbill is the largest in the world, featuring striking red facial and throat skin which contrasts with its black plumage.  It has a wing span of 120 to 180 cm (4 to 6 feet) and it is on the endangered list. It is long-lived, apparently reaching 50 or even 60 years old.  It has a varied diet, mainly consisting of insects found on the ground.  They lay only two eggs, of which only one chick generally survives.  They do not breed very often; spaced anywhere from a few years up to at least nine years. So that might explain the rarity!

Arriving at Elephant Sands, we found the roads were quite wet and there was much mud around. It was the rainy season after all, but there had been exceptionally heavy falls in the two months before we arrived.

A warthog, having just got up from having a very welcome mud bath.  The mud cools them (they do not have sweat glands) and it also removes ticks and other skin parasites, which then become embedded in the mud.

Mum and baby.  Common warthog, (Phacochoerus africanus), is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland.

The white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata)  breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and also in much of South America.  At night, the birds fly to foraging areas to feed on a varied diet that includes grass, seeds and aquatic molluscs, by wading, swimming or diving. 

The yellow-billed oxpecker, (Buphagus africanus), is from the starling and myna family.  It feeds exclusively from the backs of large mammals, eating ticks and insects on their hides.  As with the tick birds in my last post, it is good for the animals and provides food for the birds, a win-win arrangement!

African three-banded lapwing (previously known as a plover) (Charadrius tricollaris).  It lives near water, feeding on land and aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans, small molluscs and worms.

As the name of the resort suggests, there are plenty of elephants to see in the open landscape. The safari tent accommodation is placed around a large waterhole, so the elephants can  freely come in very close to drink and bathe;  care must be taken to keep out of their way!  You can see  one of the safari cabins on stilts in the background.  We were sitting in the relative safety of the main lodge building, taking these photos with a long lens!

As close as I ever want to get!!!  Eyelashes of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana).

We each had a safari tent; here are Christelle and Patrick on their balcony.   We both slept like logs while here, but Patrick was up and about in the middle of the night, and on his balcony, taking videos of elephants very close by!   Brave, or a little mad, I am not sure which!!!!

Christelle, Patrick and Nigel in the heat of the day, relaxing with a cool drink....

from the bar opposite.  The pool was perfect for cooling off from time to time.

The elephants mostly arrived later in the day and into the evening, looking for water to drink and to cool off in.

Getting the fire ready to barbecue our dinner.  No fences anywhere here, so we were keeping a watchful eye out for large intruders; thankfully they left us alone.  The elephants and all game have total freedom and can wander anywhere, which they do!

Another amazing African sunset.

The next morning, we were greeted by a glossy starling (Lamprotornis  genus). There are a number of very similar starlings and I am not sure which one this is.  In low light these birds appear to be almost black, but in the right light they radiate the most spectacular array of blues, greens and magenta. However, there are no pigments in the feathers that give rise to these colours. It is simply a trick of the light!

Red-billed teal. (Anas erythrorhyncha).   This duck is not migratory, but will fly great distances to find suitable waters.  Very common.

 Rock pigeon (Columba livia). Feeds mainly on seeds, rarely eating fruits and leaves. It typically forages on the ground, usually on farmland, lawns or roads.  Also very common!

Early morning stroll, having taken a bath.  Note he has his trunk resting on his tusks; guess it gets a little heavy to carry around all day!

Giraffe (Giraffa) A newborn giraffe is about 1.9 meters tall (6 feet) at birth and weighs about 68 kilograms (150 pounds). Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft) tall.​ Males are taller than the females. I have given more information in some of the previous giraffe photos.

Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris).  A small common antelope which is only about 60cm (2 feet) high at the shoulders.  Mostly solitary but occasionally they will pair for life.  Visitors will often think that they are babies as they are so small!!

Various mix of butterflies, the one with open wings is (I think) Small grass yellow (Eurema brigitta), and the white and orange one could be the Bushveld orange tip (Colotis pallene).  If anyone can help with identifications, I would be delighted as I am not a lepidopterist!

The white-browed sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali).  Found in groups of two to about eleven individuals including only one breeding pair. One dominant male and female; the remainder are helpers! They build a number of untidy looking nests that look like a bunch of straw; inside is soft grass, feathers and woolly type material. The breeding nest has only one entrance while the roosting nests have two entrances.  The babies are fed by all the birds in the colony. Co-operation at its best!

Also see my daily diary HERE

and My Life Before Charente (updated  25 September 2016) I will get back to this eventually! 

Part 5 of our African holiday - Botswana

The day following our visit to the Victoria Falls, we planned a visit to Chobe National Park, which is close to where we were staying. We had so enjoyed our evening trip on the Chobe river with knowledgeable guide Kaiser, that we arranged for him to take us on a tour of the Park. Chobe National Park is in northern Botswana near the vast, inland and spectacular Okavango Delta - we still have to get to that :-)! The park  has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. Apologies for the long post, but I did not want to split the viewing of one day into two!

Here is Kaiser collecting us from our hotel. Candy from the hotel on the left making sure all is in order, with Christelle, Nigel and myself.

A few interesting details about the park. It is one third the size of Belgium!

A baby elephant, closely minded by Mum; you can see her just behind on the right.

An obviously young elephant, with characteristically small tusks. (Loxodonta africana). 

The magnificent African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). 

It has the most amazing, haunting, spine-tingling call, which you can hear at this link

Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo)

Banded mongooses are sociable creatures and are found in troops of up to fifty individuals. The sizes of their territories or home ranges depend greatly on the availability of food and the conditions of the area. The food of these animals includes a diversity of creatures such as insects, small reptiles such as lizards, amphibians and birds and their eggs. They also take small rodents and scavenge at times.

Blacksmith lapwing, which used to be called a blacksmith plover, but has fairly recently been renamed!  (Vanellus armatus).

African (also known as a Cape) buffalo (Syncerus caffer) with cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis); they are a species of heron. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and wild animals.  Good for the animals and food for the birds, a win-win arrangement!

A closer view of a buffalo. They can be quite dangerous, so a telephoto lens is essential!  Possibly a male as it appears to have quite a large "boss", which is the heavy part in the centre of the horns.

Southern carmine bee eater (Merops nubicoides)  with striking and very distinctive pinkish-red plumage. They often nest in earth banks.

There were many flame lilies around in the park (Gloriosa superba). It is the national flower of Zimbabwe.

Giraffe (giraffe camelopardalis). In open areas of the countryside, they are visible from a long way off, but surprisingly well camouflaged in areas of denser vegetation as above. Being the tallest animal in the world must have pros and cons as mentioned in Part 2!

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta).  Hamerkop means "hammer head" in Afrikaans, so it is quite obvious where the name comes from! They build massive, unmistakable, nests in  trees, mainly from sticks. A fairly nondescript brown bird, but it has a number of superstitions attached to it.  It is also known as the  Lightning Bird for the belief, in some cultures, that people who tamper with its nest will be struck by lightning!  Some African people believe that if a hamerkop flies over your home, the abode has to be burnt down or bad luck will follow.  The hamerkop feeds predominantly on tadpoles and adult frogs, fish and some insects.  Beware if you have a goldfish pond at your home, as my mother found out - the hamerkop appears to love goldfish as well!!

Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) are semi-aquatic and found by rivers, floodplains and swamps. The deep grunting of hippos is one of Africa's characteristic sounds. Although they are grazers, hippos are blessed with massive teeth that are used in territorial fights and displays. They are renowned for their aggressive, territorial nature and they are one of Africa’s most dangerous animals! As described in part 3.

 Helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris).  Insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds .

Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsciseros) females.  Sadly, we did not see any males; they are very beautiful with their long spiral horns.  Kudu live mainly in thick vegetation and are not easy to see.  They are browsers, but will eat grass, berries and pods if the need arises.

Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus).  It is a spectacularly coloured bird, with a lilac throat and breast and blue belly. It has long, straight outer tail streamers.  For nesting, they use natural tree cavities and large woodpecker holes. Their food consists of a variety of locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, butterflies and lizards.

The Chobe River area is one of the few areas in Botswana where the puku antelope is found. (Kobus vardonii) Shoulder height 80cm. Weight 60–75kg. Easily confused with the lechwe at a glance, the puku has an orange-red colour overall, which is lighter underneath than above. However, puku are found all over east and central Africa, and are one of the most common antelopes in Zambia. Typically, they inhabit open areas near rivers and marshes, though in Zambia are found in a wide variety of habitats.  Thanks to Kaiser who identified the antelope for us.

Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer).  Not the most attractive of birds(!), it is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back above skinny white legs.  Deceptively large, it has a wingspan of up to 3.7 m (12 feet!).  It eats mainly carrion, scraps and faeces, but will eat almost any animal matter if it can swallow it!

Ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) Shoulder height 20–30cm. Weight 400–700g.

This terrestrial rodent is common in the more arid parts of Botswana, including the central Kalahari, and southeastern areas.

 Southern red-billed hornbill (Tockus rufirostris). The female protects her young against intruders by building a mud wall across the opening of her nest. She then seals herself in and brings up her chicks in a 'prison'.  Presumably this is a male bringing food to its family, passing the tasty morsel through a small crack in the mud screen.

 Wahlberg's striped skink (Trachylepis striata wahlbergi) .  They grow up to 25 cms  (9.8 ins) in length.

Fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis).  A very common, easily identified bird in southern Africa; it mainly lives on small insects.

This was a very patient bird; as you can see, as it allowed me to get quite close!

Also see my daily diary HERE

and My Life Before Charente (updated  25 September 2016) I will get back to this eventually!