I drove the few kms To the other side of the Park. On the way I saw a Martial Eagle perched on a tree. There was also a Common Buzzard and many Carmine Bee-eaters.
When I arrived a the Mazhou Camp Site I quickly found a camp site and set op my tent in the shade of a wonderful Nyala Tree.
I could see my little tent from the other side.
I drove to the bird hide. There were more beautiful trees.
There were also some raptors and White-backed Vultures in the sky above.
I saw many Lesser Grey Shrikes.
I saw some Impalas and Blue Wildebeest but they were all wisely in the shade. There were lots of birds at the hide. I spotted African Jacanas, many Red-billed Queleas and Woodland Kingfishers.
Zebras looked on from a distance. They were probably as impressed as I was with the variety of birds. I love this photo with seven species in one frame.
I loved seeing so many Meve’s Starlings.
There were lots of green grubs, and this Woodland Kingfisher found a big fat one.
The activity around the bird hide was non-stop. There were Blue Wildebeest and Baboons, Cattle Egrets and Vervet Monkeys. I spotted movement and saw a young Lesser Moorhen.
There were many Great Egrets and Whistling ducks that flew up and down.
I took the drive along the river back to the camp. The vegetation was extremely thick and I could not see very much. In one spot I had a great view of the mighty Limpopo River.
There were also some White-backed Vultures and Zebras.
It was very hot (again), so I went back to camp to relax for a bit. The relaxing didn’t last very long because the birds interfered. First a small flock of White-crested Helmet Shrikes came past.
Then the drumming of a Bearded Woodpecker got me out of my chair a short while later.
Because I was up, I decided I may as well go for a walk around camp. And I am so glad I did because I found one of the most adorable creatures. This little Cryptic Mantid was completely enchanting.
When it cooled down I drove back to the hide. As I walked along the walkway, I heard a weird sound like little birds. I peered through the sides of the walkway and saw that the sound did not come from birds, but from a group of Banded Mongoose! I was so excited – I hadn’t seen a Banded Mongoose in years!
There were many birds around the hide, mostly the same as the morning. I did however see a Saddle-billed Stork as it moved away from the hide.
The Spoonbills, Egrets and Ibises were still up and down.
There was a Waterbuck, more Zebras and a Blue Wildebeest.
The White-faced Whistling Ducks were very busy once again.
A Weaver was also enjoying the large fat grubs.
I spotted some elephants in the distance. Sadly only one of them came closer to the hide.
He was quite cheeky and would flick his trunk at any bird or Blue Wildebeest that came close.
When the naughty elephant left the Warthog family was able to get a little closer.
This Meve’s Starling looked absolutely gorgeous in the perfect light.
Then there was a moment on the way back to camp. I spotted a Kori Bustard.
And then he took to the air. I was so shocked, I almost forgot to take a photo of this unusual moment!
I never thought I’d ever see our heaviest bird fly!
At camp I lit a fire. It was a fantastic evening.
When I went to get something from my camping fridge I noticed a beautiful little Jumping Spider.
When I went to put him somewhere safer than my fridge, I noticed two Leaf Beetles busy making little baby Leaf Beetles.
I went for a short night walk. I didn’t find too much, just a large Ground Beetle and a Opistacanthus asper Scorpion.
I was off to the hide very early to catch the sunrise. I loved this tree.
As I opened the hide, the scenes were very pretty in the pre-dawn light.
I settled and waited for the sun to rise.
The sunrise reflected off a little spiderweb.
A Black-backed Jackal was sniffing around on the far side of the marsh. A Warthog was fraternizing with the birds.
As the sun rose, the birds started arriving. I saw an African Fish Eagle in a tree. The Woodland Kingfishers, Blue Waxbills and Knob-billed ducks were all around the hide .
The Woodland Kingfishers were very loud and very active.
I found a little side road on the way to the camp that ran along the water. There were White-backed Vultures, Red-billed Teals and Black-winged Stilts. I saw more Banded Mongoose on the other side of the stream. This male Namaqua Dove looked stunning against the blue sky.
This Marabou Stork actually looked pretty in the morning sun.
On the way back to camp I saw a Crested Barbet, Red-backed Shrike and a stunning Lilac-breasted Roller.
I walked around camp for a bit. I met the resident Bushbuck Family. Two baboons were grooming each other on top of the water tank at the entrance to the camp site. A shadow from above had me looking up in time to see a White-backed Vulture in the sky above the camp.
The highlight was a family of Mauritian Tomb Bats under the roof of the kitchen building. The Bearded Woodpecker was back and had a friend.
Some of the other creatures that I saw were a Squinting Bush Brown and Common Evening Brown Butterfly.
An African Striped Skink was sunning itself on a tree.
One of the absolute best things about the Mazhou Camp site is that there is less than zero cell phone reception. You are completely cut off from the outside world. But I had to check in on something at home, and I decided I may as well go for lunch in the eastern section.
On the way to the gate I saw a few elephants in the shade of a massive Nyala tree.
Lunch was as good as the day before. This time I brought my macro lens with me and while I waited for my food I took the opportunity to get some close up photos of the stunning Common Flat lizards.
I was decanting some ice into my water bottle and dropped a couple if ice cubes on the floor. The Lizards came for a quick drink.
When I got back to the Western Section of the Park after lunch I saw another Kori Bustard.
And then another of those moments that are so special, it could only come from elephants. A large elephant bull was feeding next to the road. He was completely relaxed and I spent quite a few minutes just enjoying his company.
Just a few meters further a small family was browsing in the shade. It was interesting to see 2 calves of different ages drinking from the mom. But she soon got irritated with the older calf and nudged him away.
Mom was really beautiful.
When the younger finished drinking, he decided a nap with an older cousin was the best thing to do. A cuddle puddle of young elephants – not many things are more perfect than this.
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my last afternoon in Mapungubwe than at the hide. The activity at the hide was once again non-stop. It started with three lifers – a Bushveld Charaxes Butterfly, a Lucia Widow Dragonfly and a Common Citril Damselfly.
A Meve’s Starling was feeding on a large green grub in front of the hide. The large flock of White-faced Whistling Ducks were up and down again.
A Woodland Kingfisher and Red-billed Buffalo Weaver posed in the afternoon sun.
I saw some elephants on the far side, but sadly they did not come closer to the hide.
A young Water Monitor swam past the hide while another was basking in the last rays of the afternoon sun.
A trio of Marabou Storks came for a drink.
On the way back to camp I saw some Impalas, Blue Wildebeest and an cute little Zebra Foal.
My last night time walk was a lot more productive than the night before. I found a baby Opistacanthus asper scorpion.
Then a lifer in the form of an Uroplectes chubbi.
I saw a Tropical House Gecko. There were many large Beetles of various species.
At first I thought this was a Baboon Spider due to it’s size, but it was a Tropical Wolf Spider – another lifer. An absolutely stunning specimen.
As I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth before bed, I saw movement. The freakiest creature of the night was left for last – a Common Whip Scorpion. Fortunately not close to my tent!
And then it was my last morning in Mapungubwe. I went to the hide for the sunrise before packing up.
A Blue Wildebeest was having an early morning mud bath. The African Spoonbill was on its way to its breakfast spot.
The Woodland Kingfisher had an early breakfast.
On the other side of the hide a trio of birds were sunning themselves.
Three White-backed Vultures arrived.
After quenching their thirst they took off to a nearby tree.
The Knob-billed Ducks arrived soon after.
Other birds included a Black-winged Stilt, a Malachite Kingfisher and a large flock of Queleas.
I reluctantly drove back to camp to start packing. Just as I was finishing packing up, the little Bushbuck family came past my camp site. The one drank from the water in the drain, so I opened the tap a little.
It was such a lovely little moment before I left.
On the way to the gate there were a few last birds. Shrikes, Lapwings and more White-backed Vultures.
And just before the gate I found some Temminck’s Coursers.
The Eastern and Western sides of the Park are very different. But both are fabulous. I could stay for weeks on either side.
I stopped at the Pontdrift Border post just before I left.
And then I was on my way home.
A trip that took so long to realise was over.
And it was spectacular. More spectacular than I could have wished for. As I drove, I was thinking about when I could visit again.