Back In the UK.

The wait for the flight was over, we board the plane and settle in for a ten and a half hour flight to Paris.

Eric checks out what I thought was a complimentary glass of apple juice to welcome us aboard but I discover after a thirsty mouthful that it's actually Champagne! (absolutely disgusting and I fear I'll be dizzy for the rest of the flight.) It is quickly replaced by orange juice to my relief.

As the flights have been re-scheduled, even though the delay at Johannesburg was five hours, our wait for the connection to Heathrow is only two and a half hours, as opposed to the original four. So now only three hours behind - but still means we will miss our booked bus connection back to Wales from Heathrow. Waiting in the lounge does have benefits of some refreshments, and a chance to freshen up.

Eric admires the selection of French pastries on offer. He liked the posh looking one, which was really only tasted like a Rice Krispie cake with a fancy topping on. 

 

Time passes quite quickly and we manage to get in the priority boarding lane, which is good as the plane is jam packed. We are fairly near the front, but the plane takes its time filling up and departure is delayed.

 

Our concern now rests on whether the flight will get in with enough time to make our, newly booked from the airport lounge, onward link to South Wales. The flight is only forty-five minutes and the pilot assures us that we will be making up the lost time.  He tells us to prepare for landing, but ten minutes later we are still in the air. Our piece of mind is not helped when we notice the plane seems to be going round in circles. The pilot then tells us he's not actually lost, but that we have to spend some time in a holding pattern circling Biggin to await a landing slot. So another delay before landing - anxious moments.  Although we are near the front for an easy exit, our bags are two seats further back. Luckily a kindly American gentleman retrieves them and passes them forward.  We plead longingly with some people in front retrieving their bags to please let us out before them as otherwise we may miss our bus. Amazingly they oblige and we sprint (as much as we can with luggage and duty free purchases) through towards the exit.  We managed to clear customs in record time via the e-gates and are thankfully on the bus within twenty minutes of the plane reaching the terminal.

Well, that's all until we can decide where to go next.

Regards
Eric. et. al.

PS - If you are really bored over the next few days and can find nothing useful to do we intend to update the missing wildlife and Eric pictures on the blog, as well as correct our punctuation and spelling mistakes!

On Our Way Home

6 Sept 2017

Not too early up this morning, breakfast at half seven to leave at eight thirty. A small amount of consternation as we receive an email from Air France telling us our flight has been re-scheduled. Instead of leaving JoBurg at seven we will now not be leaving until ten to midnight (groan). This means we will miss our pre-paid no refund bus connection from Heathrow back to South Wales.  Hopefully we will be able to catch a later one on the hop so to speak. 

All on the bus for the trip back to the airport - our guides still spotting things along the way. Luckily the road is a smooth Tarmac so this pleases our driver no end.


Pass some salt pans.  The guide tells us that  can sometimes only have rain once in twenty years or even longer. When it does rain he tells this area and other salt pans like it are covered in Flamingos. How they know where to go when it is not a regular occurrence is a mystery.

Also it means we get to see a Tawny Eagle pick up a Puff Adder snake that was taking in some sunshine on the warm road. It flew off with the dead snake dangling from its talons. Exciting stuff.  

A group tea break at the airport and some time to fill in the last two days sightings in our books. 

The plane is quite small (50 seats) and is full of business women and men flying back to JoBurg. Luckily, even though they try to take one of our hand luggage bags from us (as it was too big allegedly), it was pointed out that the person in front who had a bag twice the size of ours had been allowed through with it, and so we were waved on.

Parting is such sweet sorrow (or something along those lines anyway) - say goodbye to the rest of the group as we all go our separate ways when we reach Johannesburg. 

Through customs and have a sit to compose ourselves before shopping ourselves out at the Duty Free. Time for a meal before travelling to the gate to wait for that midnight take off. 

Eric wants know why we can't catch this one as it's going to Heathrow. We have to wait another 3 hours to go to Paris then Heathrow. 

Kgalagadi Day 2 - Eventful !

Another early breakfast to get to the game park as soon as possible,

Eric wanders through the garden while we finish breakfast.


We whizz through passport control and let down the tyres to the recommended pressure to help preserve the surface of the dirt road and are then on our morning's jaunt..

Drive to a number of waterholes along the Mata Mata road to hopefully repeat our big mammal sighting of yesterday. 

Eric points out that this road just may have a risk of 'grounding' associated with it.
 
 
No such luck today with the mammals, but we get a good views of a number of new and previously spotted raptors:

Black Chested Snake Eagle
 

Tawny Eagle


Tawny Eagle pair - but not really a positive identification, they were too much in silouette. Thought it made a nice picture anyway.

Pearl Spotted Owlet - it's very small - can you see it?

Verreaux's Eagle Owl


Same species of owl, different tree - can you spot this one?

This one was perhaps an inexperienced youngster. It was trying to nest in an old vulture nest right at the top of a tree and out in the open, but was being mobbed by three Pale Chanting Goshawk. So may not be successful.


Pygmy Falcon - the female and the male this time.

Greater Kestrel- this flew over the ridge before we could get a photograph but was positively ID'd by our guide before it did.

Lanner Falcon - think this is the picture,  but will confirm

A picture of a Spotted Eagle Owl looking rather fierce.

Lunch is just a quick sandwich before heading off in a new direction, it is fairly quiet with no new sightings.  Various landscapes and habitats fill the afternoon, together with some of the previously seen species.




 There's a little Steenbok hiding in there somewhere.


In one area there is almost a 'river' of vegetation. Our guide explains that when it rains this area fills up with water draining from the surrounding land, and so the vegetation is greener where the water has lain for longer. 


 
 The one thing about the landscape being quite open is that it is easier to spot the animals (when they are there!)
Eric spots some Gemsbok, but they are running away.


We return to the lodge to eat lunch and order our meals to pick up after tonight's evening drive before setting out again for a short drive this time. 

How about this for a Sociable Weaver Nest? Quite spectacular.  We wonder how long the tree will last with all that weight. We have been told that these nests are not only used by Pygmy Falcons as well as the Social Weaver, but also by snakes - with Puff Adders finding them particularly agreeable.

Another family of Meerkats - out in the open this time.


A Fawn-coloured Lark.


Namaqua Dove - great sighting, and actual a new one.

 Yellow Hornbill.

 
Ostrich 'chicks'.


Spingbok and Gemsbok at a water hole.


And this is something we've seen a lot of since we've been in the Northern Cape but don't think I've included a picture before - White-browed Sparrow Weaver nests. They are in the same tree but are well separated, unlike the Sociable Weaver nest.


Whilst out with our Park Guide last night we had asked about a grey bush on the side of the road. He told us that it was a member of the pea family, has a yellow flower and that cattle liked to eat it.  It makes their milk taste of the plant. He broke of a piece for us to smell. Today we saw the plant in flower.


We return once again to the camp and await tonight's sunset drive guide. The lady Ranger turns up in a smaller vehicle than last night and two other people join us, so it is a little more cramped, but once we set off it's not too noticeable.

 

 

Similar sightings to last night once darkness falls.

A Black-backed Jackal - it was at one of the water holes and was very jittery. We were hoping this meant that the Leopard or Hyena may be about, but no such luck.


African Wildcat - we saw her with her kittens just after this, two of them.


We then start our return waiting to listen for wildlife at a water hole about 5Km into the reserve. This was where Leopard and Honey Badger had been seen earlier in the day so we hope they may return. Put all the lights out and watch the lightning that was pretty spectacular on the horizon. 

Nothing else appears.

When we come to set off, the open land rover we are in won't start. Completely no power. Deado. We now hope the Leopard may stay away, as we have to wait for a backup truck to be called to come and collect us. 

The day ends happily and we make it back to pick up our meals, eating them on the way back returning to pack our bags for tomorrow's flight home. 

After having great views of various already noted stuff the common theme for the day was a number of animal confrontations;

A Pale Chanting Goshawk trio trying to dislodge a Verreaux's Eagle Owl from a treetop nest;

A pair of Yellow Mongoose fighting over a territory;

An African Wildcat protecting her kittens from a Black Backed Jackal.

Another long, tiring but thoroughly enjoyable day/evening.

Kgalagadi Day 1

4 Sept 2017

A day in the Kalahari, or Kgalagadi if you are a local

A few photos to give you a flavour, but Internet access so poor we won't attempt any more at moment, to be filled in at a later date (now done). Just to say we had an absolutely very full and brilliant day.

An early start - six-thirty rise for seven fifteen exit.  This is because where we are staying is sixty kilometres outside of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and we want to arrive there as early as possible - all the cabins in the park itself were booked out for our dates.

At least the road is tarmac.


We have our first sighting of a Secretary Bird. Look at those smart 'trousers'

We have to stop and complete some formalities at the gate. There is even passport control.  As the Trans-frontier name suggests the park melds into Botswansa, and Twee Riverien where the Park Office is, is on the border, although our guide tells us we won't actually be in Botswana??

Eric studies the formalities.


When we enter the camp our driver has to let down the tyre pressures to avoid damaging the gravel roads in the park - normal tyre pressures cause corrugations to form in the gravel apparently.  They do come around with a vehicle that 'grades' the road every few days - this involves a vehicle towing something that looks a bit like a chain harrow, but instead of the chains there are tyres attached horizontally so that they drag along the ground flattening the surface off.

While we are waiting for the driver to do this we notice another vehicle doing the same. It looks like a VW Camper with a caravan body on the back, but still retaining the original VW engine bay door. Very strange sight.

 

Lots of species seen today during the morning, afternoon and evening drives. 

We are not allowed to alight from the bus except at the picnic/toilet stops.

Eric checks out the main camp area, where we are allowed to wander about.

 
 He finds the sightings noticeboard and studies it carefully to find out what we may see today. Some Leopard would be good on our evening drive, but probably unlikely says our guide.
There are two different driving routes that we going to use in the park.  The first day we go on the Nossob road. This is the main route through to Botswana and relatively busy.

At the first water hole

we see Namaqua Sand Grouse and Burchell's Sand Grouse.


and a bright yellow Canary (very blurred photo but gives you an idea exactly how bright it was).


Some very smart looking Gemsbok.


Springbok.

A Kori bustard.


Pale Chanting Goshawk - a very beautiful name for a very delicate looking bird of prey. Hence a few pictures.
On the ground.

In the air





and in the tree (almost, well there's another one sitting in the tree as well).











Ostrich, and what's that? - Wildebeest!
Hordes of wildebeest? Well perhaps not, but quite a few. They are very brindled around the shoulders.





A habitat shot with some of that famous Kalahari red sand in the background.


Bird of prey - We remember someone mentioning a Lanner Falcon, which this looks like it might be, will have to confirm this.


 Some Crowned Lapwing.

and ...Lions, some sunning themselves and some getting some shade. The main male lion was sitting on the front of the dune with the wind blowing his mane.

 The rest of the pride were at the back of the dune behind the bushes.

This little chap was quite comfortable in the bush in front of the lions - they obviously didn't need a light snack

There was a broken down car almost opposite where the lions were resting and the people were out of the car, with someone on the floor trying to fix it.  Bit risky we thought, until we spotted the Ranger standing nearby with a rifle.


Cheetahs
 
A Secretary Bird

We cruise past a sitting Jackal

and he/she decides to make a run for it.


 Yet another Secretary Bird. You can really see the pantaloons on this one.


 A Swallow-tailed Bee-eater with it's irridescent colours.


African Hoopoe.


Burchell's Sand Grouse.


 Scaly-headed Finch.
 

And that was just the morning!

Lunch is back at the Twee Riverein Camp.

This is the restaurant.  Only problem is - it's not open lunchtime at the moment. So we have choose sandwiches from a kiosk around the back.


While we eat we are entertained by Cape Sparrow and Glossy Starling.


 The starling is showing beautifully in the sunlight.
 


 Back in the van for the afternoon foray.

First sighting is Yellow Mongoose.

 
Then a new species for us - some Hartebeest. Great horns.


Some real, wild, non-habituated Meerkats. A family group relaxing. They are just as cute as the ones we saw up close.



Northern Black Korhaan - a good piccie.


Another very stylish bird - Crimson-breasted Shrike.


That's not all that's crimson - wowsers.


We return again to the camp ready for our evening drive. We have a large open-sided bus and only eight of us on it, so plenty of room.

The Park Guide driving the bus stopped to show us a Verreaux's Eagle Owl, it was nesting on top of a Sociable Weaver Nest, and had a chick.


The back of this Kori Bustard was so wonderfully patterned it looked like a work of art.


A little further on the Guide stops the truck again to point out another Owl, a Spotted Eagle Owl.  It was tucked down in a small cave on the cliffs.


A Pygmy Falcon sitting in the evening night. The tree it was sitting on had a Sociable Weaver Nest in it. Apparently Pygmy Falcon often use the other birds' nests as a nest for themselves as well.


An immature Pale Chanting Goshawk - not quite as delicate looking as the adult.


Here it is in flight.


 Sun is on its way down.




What night animals will we see? Will the photos do them justice.

A Bat-earred Fox listening for food.


A Spring Hare hopping quickly away from the spotlight.






African Wild Cat

an another Bat-Eeared Fox - looking at us this time rather than listening for its food.

Return to the camp, pick up our supper - more sandwiches - toasted for some, and eat them on the bus on the way back to our accommodation.  Ready to fall into bed, but first we have to extract a beetle, an earwig and a millipede.  Plus eject a rather fearsome and scary looking creature crawling across the floor.  It had a body in two segments and jointed legs, a sort of nondescript beige colour and dull not shiny.  As it was just about to crawl under the bed the usual thought of photographing it for identification went out of the window, or rather it was rapidly shooed out of the door and some distance away. Later investigation from memory suggests it may have been what is called a Camel Spider, or more accurately it may have been something in the  Solifuge order in the Class Arachnida. So they are closely related to spiders and scorpions but in fact are neither.  Apparently they eat other invertebrates or even things up to the size of small rodents.  Since there is no photo we'll never know for sure. But they do live in the desert, not sure if that includes the Kgalagadi.