2016 Elephants crossing Olifants River from viewpoint close to Olifants camp

2016 Elephants crossing Olifants river Nwamandi Viewpoint KNP1

2016 Grey Heron playing with caught fish Dipeni rd adjacent to Shingwedzi river

2016 Grey Heron playing with caught fish Dipeni rd adjacent to Shingwedzi river1

2016 Grey Heron playing with caught fish Dipeni rd adjacent to Shingwedzi river2

2016 Grey Heron playing with caught fish Dipeni rd adjacent to Shingwedzi river3

2016 White fronted Bee eater alarming on Dipeni rd near Shingwedzi

2016 White fronted Bee eaters on Dipeni rd near Shingwedzi

2016 Amorous Waterbuck at Kanniedoodreservoir near Shingwedzi

2016 Elephants tussling at Shingwedzi rest camp

2016 Brown Spotted Hyena watching us carefully on sunset ride near Shingwedzi rest camp

2016 Lion male enjoying warm road and easy travel on sunset ride

2016 Crocodiles 50 near Crooks Corner Levuvhu River near Pafuri

2016 Crocodiles 30 feasting on Hippopotamus near Crooks Corner Levuvhu River near Pafuri

2016 Elephant entertaining at waterhole Punda Maria

2016 Elephants watering at Levuvhu River near Pafuri

2016 – Giraffe – Crooks Corner — near Pafuri1

2016 Cape Buffalo having a mudbath at Nshawudam near Mopani

2016 Cape Buffalo having a mudbath at Nshawudam near Mopani BW

2016 Bruchells Zebras between Mopani and Letaba 1

2016 Crested Barbet in front of restaurant Letaba camp 1

2016 Idillic little pond early morning not far from Letaba 1

2016 Klipspringer at Matambeni hide on Engelhard Dam near to Letaba 1

2016 Large spotted Genet on roof of restaurant Letaba 1

2016 Lioness with kill wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa1 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa2 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa3 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa4 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa5 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa6 1

2016 Lionesses wound to right shoulder at Sable Dam near Phalaborwa7 1

2016 Lovely view from my bungalow out over letaba River Letaba camp 1

2016 Saddle billed stork Tsendze river bridge Mopani to Phalaborwa 1

2016 Saddle billed stork Tsendze river bridge Mopani to Phalaborwa BW 1

2016 Animals stampeding at Mazithidam Tshokwane to Satara

2016 Lion drinking Gudzani rd near Satara

2016 Lion drinking Gudzani rd near Satara BW

2016 Lion drinking and focusses on me Gudzani rd near Satara

2016 Lion drinking and focusses on me Gudzani rd near Satara BW

2016 Lions feeding on Cape Buffalo kill Tshokwane to Satara

2016 Lions feeding on Cape Buffalo kill Tshokwane to Satara1

2016 Lions feeding on Cape Buffalo kill detail Tshokwane to Satara

2016 Lions feeding on Cape Buffalo kill detail Tshokwane to Satara BW

2016 Lions feeding on Cape Buffalo kill Tshokwane to Satara1 sepia

2016 African Scops Owl in tree near reception Satara camp 1

2016 African Scops Owl in tree near reception Satara camp BW 1

2016 Elephants watering Shimanquaneni Reservoir

2016 Elephant watering with Impala Shimanquaneni reservoir

2016 Elephant watering with Impala Shimanquaneni reservoir BW

2016 Lappet faced Vulture near lion kill Tshokwane to Satara

2016 Lappet faced Vulture near lion kill Tshokwane to Satara BW

2016 Steenbok in early morning sun on Gudzani Rd north of Satara

2016 Sunset 22far and away22 Satara NWanetzi road

2016 Greater Kudu with calf feeding near Timbavati picnic site

2016 Elephant feeding peacefully close to road on Doispan road on way to Phabeni Gate

2016 Hippo with 28 terapins on its back in waterhole and impala in background on Waterhole road

2016 Hippo with 28 terapins on its back in waterhole on Waterhole road

2016 Klipspringer on rock in shade on Waterhole road

2016 Sable antelope Tshokwane to Skukuza

2016 African Darter at Lake Panic near Skukuza

2016 Sable antelope in peaceful setting Skukuza to Lower sabie

2016 White Rhino taking a breather under a small tree Tshokwane to Lower sabie

2016 Grey Heron on rock near Lower Sabie

2016 Grey Heron on rock near Lower Sabie portrait

2016 Goliath Heron from bridge Tshokwane to Lower Sabie

2016 Goliath Heron from bridge Tshokwane to Lower Sabie1

2016 Goliath Heron from bridge Tshokwane to Lower Sabie2

2016 Goliath Heron from bridge Tshokwane to Lower Sabie2 portrait

2016 African Wild Dog just before sunset near Lower Sabie Rest Camp

2016 Lion in road Tshokwane to Lower Sabie

2016 Lion in road staring Tshokwane to Lower Sabie

2016 Greater Kudu rams testing each other on S114

2016 Greater Kudus testing each other on Renosterkoppies Dam with onlooker

2016 Greater Kudus testing each other on Renosterkoppies Dam with onlooker BW

2016 Hippo taking over water pond on S114

2016 Grey Go away bird Kwêvoël on Mlambane Loop Afsaal picnic spot

2016 Grey Heron setting off from treetop Afsaal picnic spot

2016 Bruchells Zebras between Mopani and Letaba EnviraAlbum 2

KNP 2016 — 30 May to 18 June

Seemed like two weeks weren’t enough for me so I decided to visit KNP for a couple days short of three weeks and I wanted to test by new equipment (Canon 1DX with 800mm and 100-400mm mkII). Again I spent 9 days between Letaba and Shingwedzi. I really do enjoy the northern parts as the roads and camps are less busy and its just great for “chilling out”.

I followed the same routine and tried to get into the northern parts of KNP as soon as possible. Northernmost airports to enter KNP are Phalaborwa and Hoedspruit both with services from Johannesburg although I’ve not as yet flown this route. Flights directly into the KNP to Skukuza from Cape Town and Johannesburg are also popular. I had a Honda CRV this time which was very enjoyable.

I spent a total of 19 nights in Kruger (camp sequence: Orpen 1; Shingwedzi 4; Letaba 5; Satara 4; Skukuza 3; Lower Sabie 2). I have generally found that it is somewhat more difficult to spot all of the big five up north, but it is possible and takes a bit more time. The ambience has a bit more “natural” feel to it and many say the real Kruger is up north as there is just too much human or human related activity down south.

Most memorable from this visit were the lionesses (one with wound to right shoulder) siting at Sable Dam and other lion sitings on the eastern side in the southern part of the KNP. Some photographs of bee-eaters whetted my appetite for more birding in the future. A dead hippo with more than 30 crocs feeding off it in the Pafuri area was just as impressive. A very unusual siting of about 30 terrapins on a hippo in a small dam was a cherry on the cake as I had never seen so many on crocs or hippos.

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Kruger NP 2016

KNP 2016 — 30 May to 18 June