Friday
Between Tshokwane and Satara it was mostly about three of the Big 5. First it was a huge Elephant Bull.
Then there were two large boys again. The one remained flat, but the other was happy to let me see his handsome face.
He then got up to join his friend in the tall grass.
Next up was one of those really huge buffalo herds. I would see another one or two large herds before I reached Satara.
At Kumana Dam I was just in time for the end of a pool party.
I saw this really pretty Kudu.
Marheya waterhole was the scene of more entertainment. There was a small herd of Elephants that were drinking water. The younger elephant was just adorable.
I so enjoyed watching them.
The waterhole was really close to the road which meant the elephants were really close to the road and my camera.
While the Elephants were drinking water a few Buffalos were wallowing and drinking on the other side of the waterhole.
Further on I saw this Leveillant’s Cuckoo.
I arrived at Satara around lunch time. I found a camp site, but it was still to hot to set up camp and I drove to Nsemani Dam. I large Raptor flew overhead. A new kruger bird for me – a Long Crested Eagle!
Here the African Fish Eagles also had a successful breading season as adult and immature birds were soaring further away. I love it when they call while flying.
But the real entertainment came from the pool party that was in full swing. Elephants swimming and tussling and simply enjoying themselves. What more could I ask for.
There were obviously Hippos in the dam, some Knob-billed Ducks and Waterbuck.
This isn’t the best photo, but it pictures our largest land mammal as well as a teeny tiny little Blacksmith Lapwing.
From Nsemani I drove to Girivana.
I saw my first Ostrich of the trip.
It was quiet at the Girivana waterhole, but on the way back I found a pair of Southern Ground Hornbills.
Nsemani dam seemed to be a magnet for Elephants, and therefore it was a magnet for me.
It was time to set up my camp and I headed back to Satara. Setting up my campsite was a quick exercise this time – the ground was not so hard! I had delightful company while I worked, There was a Black-headed Oriole in the tree nearby and an African Mourning Dove.
Once everything at my campsite was in place I walked to the waterhole. I sat on the bench next to the fence – an activity I would participate in a lot over the next few days! There was a Knob-billed Duck and a Warthog at the waterhole.
The birds continued to entertain, and on the way back to my tent I passed a Crested Barbet and a Red-billed Hornbill busy preening.
After an early braai I went on a night walk. I found a few arachnids – first a medium sized Solifuge and then this Uroplectes olivaceus scorpion.
I also saw a few sleeping butterflies. Bathrooms are great places to find moths like this Wavy Owl Moth.
It had been a long, but incredible and wonderful day. I was completely satisfied with the day’s events as I fell asleep.
Saturday
Saturday 2 December 2023 was Birding Big Day, and my focus for the day would be on birding. Well, for the most part anyway.
I have a favourite biding spot about 6km along the Sweni River Road, and that was my first destination for the day. As I drove south on the tar road, there were numerous animal and bird sightings. First up were two gorgeous Red-breasted Swallows.
A Brown-headed Parrot looked absolutely stunning in the early morning sunlight.
I had to stop for my favourite animal.
As I turned onto the Sweni River Road, there were quite a few birds – Starlings, Sparrows, Hornbills, Drongos, Spurfowl, as well as a small group of Senegal Lapwings and a Burchell’s Coucal.
Even though birding was the main objective, I did not ignore the animals. 
One of the cutest moments of the trip was when I saw this brand new baby Blue Wildebeest.
The umbilical cord was still red, and I thought he coud not have been more than a few hours or at most a day old. Simply adorable.
My birding spot was disappointingly quiet. My next destination was the Sweni Hide. On the way I came across a Red-crested Korhaan and a family of Ostriches.
A group of cars on the H7 indicated lions. They were lying down in the tall grass so it was not the best sighting. Apparently the white lion was with them but had moved off into the grass before I got there.
A little further I saw a couple of large Elephant bulls.
A Bateleur was feeding on some small insects on the road and an European Bee-eater was perched a little further on.
There was more water at the Sweni Hide than I had ever seen before. The resident Hippos were around and a little spot of blue was visible near the rocks.
I drove back to Satara via the S41 and the S100. The causeways along the S41 are always a pleasure to pause at. I saw a few butterflies – a Broad Scarlet, Violet Dropwing and a Common Tigertail.
The day was warming up and the birds became quiet. But slowly but surely my bird total for the day climbed. I saw a few White-backed Vultures, Bateleurs and an Open-billed Stork.
The S100 was deadly quiet with only a few Giraffes and Zebras.
I popped in at Nsemani dam to tick off the local birds. There was a large flock of Blacksmith Lapwings. I tried to get some of them into one photo. There were also hippos.
But birding was put on hold for a bit because, you know, pool party.
I can spend hours watching Elephants in water. Their pure joy is tangible.
After a quick stop at Satara I drove north. The S147 is my absolute favourite road in the Park. Today it was quiet with only a few sightings.
Birding on the S89 resulted in two lovely sightings. First I saw three Black Storks in a tree.
Then there was a Lilac-breasted Roller that had a large snack which it shared with another.
The other bird proceeded to gobble it up without any hesitation.
At the low water bridge at Balule I saw Open-billed Storks, an African Fish Eagle and some Wire-tailed Swallows.
I had just turned back onto the H1-4 when I saw my first Martial Eagle of the trip.
There was also a stunning Elephant bull.
When I approached Ngotso South Waterhole, I could see interesting animals from a distance. On the right side of the road there was a Bateleur and a Tawny Eagle in the same tree, but the light was terrible for photos on that side. On the left side of the road there was this massive boy.
He stood completely motionless. It was only the movement of his trunk and ears that indicated that he was not a statue.
Then the sighting got even better when he was joined by a fantastic bird to add to my BBD list.
It was such a great sighting. I just loved seeing all of these animals and birds together.
But the Elephant and the Secretary Bird really stole the show.
The Secretary bird disappeared over the ridge and I continued on to Satara. I felt all warm and fuzzy as I drove away. This had been a fantastic sighting, and will remain one of the highlights of the trip.
Just before camp there were a few beautiful Kudus.
It was a really hot day, and it was very dry. I wanted to go to the Timbavati Picnic site, but the first few kilometers of the S127 was so badly corrugated, I just did not have the energy and I turned around. I arrived back at Satara late in the afternoon and decided the rest of my birding for BBD in camp. That was not a bad decision as I added another seven or eight species to my day list.
I spent a few relaxing hours on the bench near the waterhole. I spotted this Acara Acraea Butterfly, a new one for my list.
I was happy to finally get a photo of the Klaas’ Cuckoo I have heard and only seen from a distance up to now.
I have noticed that spiders seem to love my camping fridge because I have found many on it since I started using in in January. I found another one today. It was another new species for me, a Tmarus sp Crab Spider.
My bird total for BBD was not as high as I had hoped, and I dipped on a few species that should have been on my list. But it was a good day, and the Secretary Bird sighting made up for all the birds I did not see.
After my braai I went on a walk. I found the scorpion in the same place as before. I saw a “live kill” when this large Wolf Spider caught his supper as I was watching.
As always I saw many moths. including a slightly faded Convolvulus Hawk Moth. A little Pea Blue butterfly was sleeping in the grass.
The rest of my walk included a few Beetles, a Cicada, a Wall Crab Spider and Solifuge in one of the communal kitchen areas.
When I walked to the waterhole, I saw something so incredibly special, and a first for me. I was looking for scorpions when movement next to the fence caught my eye. It was an adult African Wild Cat. But she was not alone. Behind her was a kitten! I had never seen a baby African Wild Cat before. The little one was adorable, but they were very nervous. After a few seconds they disappeared.
What a wonderful way to finish a fantastic day!
Sunday
I wanted to spend some time on the S147 today and headed out of camp a little while after the gate opened. It was one of those glorious, indescribable Kruger mornings.
I saw a large bird flying from bush to bush and was glad when he came closer to the road and I could take a few photos of this Great Spotted Cuckoo.
I saw some vultures spread over a few trees and wondered if it was just them roosting or if there was something that they had spotted the previous afternoon and were waiting for. I did not see anything in the tall grass near the trees, but just a few 100m further on there was a car next to the road. The people were watching this Hyena.
They thought he was eating a Warthog that he may have caught as they saw some movement from it when they arrived.
It was fascinating to watch him.
You could actually hear him tearing and crunching.
He didn’t enjoy being watched as much as we enjoyed watching him and he dragged his meal further away from the road.
I saw two of Kruger’s smaller antelopes -a cute Steenbokkie and a shy little Duiker. When the Duiker Lay down in the tall grass, she al but disappeared.
I have loved the S147 from the first time I drove it. It is such a cool little road – it feels more intimate than any other road in the Park. At the turnoff to the road the magic started.
I had to wait for elephants to cross before I could drive across the stream at the start of the road.
A little Red-backed Shrike looked on as I drove. I stopped at the little causeway where I had an incredible moment in 2018. The stream was full of water and a little Malachite Kingfisher posed nicely.
The S147 was all about the birds this morning. I saw a Jacobin Cuckoo and a Klaas’ Cuckoo in the same bush. There was a pair of Brown-hooded Kingfishers and a Cardinal Woodpecker in another tree. And of course, the ever present Rattling Cisticola.
There were also Vultures. A White-headed Vulture was perched some distance away.
The Lappet-faced Vulture was much closer. As the largest of the vultures, this is a truly impressive bird.
When I reached the end of the S147, I almost felt like driving back to the start and driving it again!
Just before Balule there was a sweet little Impala lamb.
There were Elephants, Zebras and Giraffes on the way to Olifants.
I stopped at Olifants for some refreshments. I took in the incredible view and noticed a splash of colour.
I was excited as I approached the high water bridge over the Olifants River. It is one of my favourite places. And today it would be the scene of one of the best hours of the entire trip.
There were Elephants. Lots and lots of Elephants!
And there were lots of Tinyfants.
I watched the herd approach and noticed something fascinating. One young elephant was pink!
I had never seen something like this. It was really cool. He stayed near his mom the whole time. She was also interesting as her left tusk was longer than the other and bent outwards.
The Elephants, especially the little ones, were a joy to watch.
This little one was so adorable!
There were other animals and birds as well. A Great Egret was hunting while a Yellow-billed Stork flew past.
There were also a few river monsters, but they kept well away from the Elephants.
But it was all about the elephants.
As I watched them, it felt as if my heart was going to burst out of my chest. At the same time I could feel myself melting into a puddle of happiness.
I just could not get enough of the little ones.
I wished I could take one of them home with me!
They walked under the bridge and started crossing the river. I finally managed to tear myself away. But as I left, I knew that this hour would be indelibly imprinted in my memory forever.
My head was still spinning and I almost missed a few Giraffes.
More baby Impalas and Zebras at Ngotso ensured the drive was not too quiet.
More Elephants. But you can never, ever have to much Elephant Magic, and I loved every second.
I stopped at camp for some refreshments and noticed a Velvet Ant. These are actually not Ants, but Wasps that parasitize the eggs of other wasps, bees and moths.
I visited Nsemani dam again, but it was quiet today. There were no Elephants, just the Hippos and a Bateleur overhead.
There was a bit more activity at Girivana. Impalas and Zebras came for a drink. A Warthog came for a wallow to cool down.
He looked so happy! I felt like joining him – it was extremely hot once again.
As I drove back to Satara I saw a handsome Brown Snake Eagle. No matter how many times I see these birds, their piercing yellow eyes never fail to take my breath away.
There were also a Lilac-breasted Roller with a snack and I saw my second Black-winged Kite of the trip.
Back at Satara I engaged in my new favourite activity – relaxing on a bench next to the fence at the waterhole. A very large Tree Agama was very inquisitive. He was gorgeous.
He then climbed down from the tree and ran over to another tree where he got into a small skirmish with another Tree Agama.
A Burchell’s Starling was chatting above my head, constantly jumping down to the other bench. I wasn’t sure what he wanted. Then I noticed some melted ice cream on the ground. I moved away a few steps and he immediately jumped down and started eating it.
Once it had cooled down a little I drove to Nsemani. Again there were no Elephants, but there was something really cute. A mom Hippo led her baby out of the water and to the other side of the dam. Just look at those little rolls!
I don’t often see baby Hippos out of the water, and to see this happy little guy was a real treat.
Another mom and her slightly older baby followed while another large hippo moved to one side to have a toilet break.
A little Black-winged Stilt was foraging on the near side of the dam.
Just as I was driving away from Nsemani Dam a large herd of Impalas decided to cross the road. It took quite a few minutes before I could drive on. But there were also lots of babies in the herd, so I did not mind waiting.
Back at my camp site there was another little spider on my camping Fridge! Again a new one for my list in the form of a Monaeses sp. Crab Spider.
While I had dinner I reflected on the day. When I planned my year and left the Kruger Trip for the end, I thought I was “saving the best for last”. But then the other trips happened and all of them were so amazing. As I was driving to Kruger I wondered if indeed I did save the best for last. But after today I knew I had. Kruger just knows how to deliver. The hour with the Elephants today was sheer perfection. And up to now there had been so many wonderful sightings so typical of Kruger. The year was definitely ending on a high note!
Monday
I had to go to Hoedspruit for an errand, and I left Satara very early, hoping to minimise my time outside the Park as much as possible.
When a day starts like this the rest of the day can only be amazing.
A couple of Elephants were having an early morning drink at Nsemani dam.
Other mammals between Satara and Orpen included Giraffes and Zebras. Both these animals are so photogenic and I love spending time with them.
It was very much a birding morning. I finally managed a photo of an Arrow-marked Babbler. 
Both the Swainson’s Spurfowl and the Crested Francolin were greeting the morning from their respective perches.
A Red-crested Korhaan was hiding between the bushes but other birds posed nicely on this sunny morning, such at this Lilac-breasted Roller and Magpie Shrike.
I finally saw my first and only Southern White-crowned Shrike of the trip.
In the sky above a Tawny Eagle soared.
A Hamerkop was hunting in a little puddle in the riverbed.
I stopped at one of the lookout points and saw a small flock of Retz’s Helmetshrikes. They are such cool little birds with those marvelous eyes and I was so happy to finally get some photos of them.
When I was about 5kn from Orpen, I had a few fantastic sightings. First there was mom feeding the young one. I love that little tongue!
Next was a few Dwarf Mongoose in the road. By far the cutest of all the Mongoose species.
And then a sighting that made me wonder if I imagined it, Three vehicles were driving towards me. The OSV made a U-turn and I slowed to give him time and space to do so. The other two vehicles drove past me, everyone smiling and greeting me, As the second car passed me my head was still turned to the right and there it was.
Three other vehicles drove past him, so am I dreaming? Nope – this magnificent cat is very real. I waved at the OSV to turn around. But by the time they arrived at the spot where he was he had already started to move away.
My timing was great though, and I managed a few photos.
Even though I knew the cat was real, I still felt as if I was in a dream as I drove away. I wasn’t excited by the fact that I had to spend precious Park time in Hoedsptruit, but this Leopard made it worth it!
My errand in Hoedspreuit went much quicker than anticipated and soon I was back on the road to the Orpen Gate. On the way I came across a little Flap-necked Chameleon.
I was back in the Park just before 11h00. It was very warm again and the road back to Satara was extremely quiet, with just a few animals every now and then and very few birds. I loved this scene.
Just before I reached Nsemani Dam I saw two White-headed Vultures in the sky.
Nsemani dam was once again the scene of a pool party. It was blazingly hot, and the Elephants were taking full advantage of the cool water of the dam.
They came from afar to join the fun.
They were playing in and out of the water.
When some of the Elephants left, more arrived.
There weren’t just Elephants at the dam. Waterbuck and Impalas came to drink on the far side and a pair of Fish Eagles landed in a tree. 
A Marabou Stork flew overhead and a Common Greenshank hunted at the water’s edge.
The temperature had gone up even more and it was just not possible to sit in my car in the sun anymore. I drove back to Satara and spent a relaxing few hours on the bench at the waterhole. A Marabou Stork flew past and the noisy Burchell’s Starlings jumped about in the tree next to the bench. An Impala and Warthog came for a drink.
I had booked the sunset drive and went back to my tent to get ready. There was a pair of Tree Agamas in the tree next to my tent. The difference between the sexes is really remarkable.
The sunset drive was quiet initially.
We saw a small herd of Waterbuck with their heart-shaped noses and a pair of Bateleurs in a tree.
We saw some Elephants early on as well as towards the end of the drive.
There was a White-backed Vulture in a tree where we crossed the Sweni River.
Then there was a Black-bellied Bustard. I was very happy to see one as I had been looking for them without success.
They are such pretty birds.
We found a Jackal just before sunset.
The sunset was worth stopping for.
On the way back to camp we saw four Flap-necked Chameleons.
There was another unforgettable moment as we reached the camp gate. We saw a Large Spotted Genet in the grass. It wasn’t very close to the road. I looked through my binoculars and saw that it had a baby! Wow! First the AWC and baby and now this! What a way to end the day. Simply amazing.
Tuesday
Today was moving day. I had everything packed nice and early. I stopped at the filling station for fuel. The attendant washed both the front and rear windows. When she washed the back window I wanted to stop her as it was unnecessary. I heard her share a joke with the other attendant because they noticed the same thing I did – there was almost no point in washing the rear window because the car was packed to the roof. We both had a giggle as I paid.
I left Satara just after 06h00. I noticed some interesting architecture next to the road.
The open grasslands north of Satara provides such beautiful views.
I saw two Black-crowned Tchagras in the road displaying some interesting behaviour. I wondered if it was a mating display. It was fascinating to watch.
I can’t remember ever seeing so many Black-crowned Tchagras as I had during this trip. And most of them were also in the open – normally they are in thick shrubbery . 
A dazzle of Zebras huddled together.
There was another lovely bird sighting in the form of a Common Cuckoo, not a bird I get to see often. This one was sitting nicely in the open.
Then it was time for babies. Another very newborn little Blue Wildebeest. Cuteness overload.
I had been looking for a specific bird every day while staying at Satara, and had been very surprised not to see any.
Then finally, I saw one. And just a short distance further there was a second one! It took me 5 days to find these birds, and then there were two. They always look so proud.
I drove the S147 again. This morning the road was very quiet with just a few birds. But the Sabota Lark, Swainson’s Spurfowl, Arrow-marked Babblers and Starlings kept me company. But I did not mind the lack of sightings, because I just love this road so much.
Soon I was at the Olifants River. I saw some Elephants in the distance.
I didn’t stay long. Shingwedzi was still quite a distance away and I was excited to get to this camp where I had never stayed before.