Atlasville, 18 January 2008
Just back from our annual timeshare week at Ngwenya Lodge, on the Crocodile River near Komatipoort in Mpumalanga. This the 9th consecutive year that we have been at Ngwenya from the second Friday in January and I have not before seen the level of the Crocodile River so high as this year, so high in fact that the low-water bridge at Crocodile Bridge was closed for entry into the Kruger Park until the Wednesday morning. This meant an extra half hour or so on the travelling time from Ngwenya for us, to enter the Park via the bridge at Malelane Gate.
The large amount of rain in the park has left all the minor rivers flowing, especially in the south-west, with the Mlambane, Biyamiti and others flowing strongly. The vegetation, usually thick in January, is extremely lush this year and almost impenetrable, making game viewing extremely difficult as the animals do not have to go to the waterholes to drink. Even birding is quite a trial as creepers are rampant and often you can hear the birds in creeper infested trees but see absolutely nothing. Areas of usually short grass are now metre high, so looking for lapwings, larks, pipits, etc. is rather challenging. Birding at Ngwenya itself was not affected too much and most of the “usual suspects” were seen, although I dipped on the usually common Green-backed Camaroptera, which was not even heard during the week.
Our first full day was Saturday 12th when we made the drive to Malelane Gate and then via Berg-en-Dal, an area of the Park that we don’t see too often, to Lower Sabie. A rather fruitless day given the wet and lush conditions. Very few photo opportunities, although I did manage this Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill that had found itself a tasty breakfast and a flock of Red-billed Oxpecker perched atop a white rhino. We also had a pair of Common Quail, not a bird you see too often, dash across the road near the Biyamiti Causeway. We were back at Ngwenya in time for me to do an hour’s walk around the grounds, where I got some good shots of Tawny-flanked Prinia, African Paradise Flycatcher and an unexpected bonus in a juvenile African Goshawk.
On the Sunday we again entered the Park at Malelane and made our way by a different route to the Lower Sabie area. Just as on the previous day conditions were not too conducive to good game viewing and birdwatching. Very early in the day I got a shot of a perched Yellow-billed Kite. More often than not you see these in flight. Later, in the Lower Sabie area I added European Roller, Magpie Shrike and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark. Near Crocodile Bridge as we headed in mid-afternoon back towards Malelane there seemed to be rather a lot of Southern Carmine Bee-eater around. On any otherwise disappointing day in the Park there is always one moment that will bring you back to try your luck again. Today it was a rare sighting and my best photos to date of Lesser Spotted Eagle. Again we were back at Ngwenya in time for me get in a bit of birding and I added some good shots of Dark-capped Bulbul (now regarded as a sub-species of Common Bulbul) and Black-headed Oriole.
Monday was the ‘stay at Ngwenya’ day and I did my early morning and late afternoon walks around the property. Apart from photos of Spectacled Weaver, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Kurrichane Thrush the focus was very much on insects. Photographed were Golden Piper, Green-banded Swallowtail and African Common White butterflies, and this CMR Bean Beetle. I did though set a personal birding record for Ngwenya with 98 species seen in the day, none of them particularly special, but this gives a good idea of just what a good birding spot this is.
Tuesday saw much better weather with the damp and on/off overcast conditions finally giving way to some good sunshine, but also some oppressive heat. We entered the Park again at Malelane and made our way to Lower Sabie, this time via Skukuza. Of course we dropped in at our favourite Lake Panic Hide where a pair of Thick-billed Weaver were doing a great job feeding a couple of fledglings. The day’s best photos were all taken in early morning near to the Biyamiti Weir. Just before the weir was Bronze-winged Courser, only my second sighting of this one, then at the weir itself Water Thick-knee and a Giant Blonde Snail. Not far past the weir I took what I regard as one of my best Kruger photos so far. A pair of Wahlberg’s Eagle, but what makes it special is that one of them is of the dark form and the other the pale form. In early afternoon even some elephants were finding the humid heat tiring and sheltered, huddled together in the shade of trees near the Nkuhlu Picnic Spot. At the Sunset Dam at Lower Sabie I added Black-winged Stilt and at the camp we heard that the Crocodile Bridge Gate had been re-opened at midday so we wasted little time in heading back to Ngwenya that way.
On Wednesday the humidity had dropped a little and it did not feel quite as oppressive. We entered the Park at Crocodile Bridge and made our way via Lower Sabie and Tshokwane to Satara, returning by much of the same route. It was a day of all the ‘usual suspects’ including the ever-present Giant Kingfisher at the Lower Sabie low-water bridge, but with one ‘bring you back again’ sighting. This time it was Pallid Harrier just south of the Nkumbe Lookout.
On our final day in the Park we did the triangle Crocodile Bridge-Skukuza-Lower Sabie. Highlights included a Tawny Eagle at the Renosterkoppies Dam, African Jacana with lots of juveniles in evidence at the Lake Panic Hide, an African Fish Eagle near Lower Sabie and my best photo yet of a Senegal Lapwing at the Nthandanyathi Hide. At Nthandanyathi there were also a lot of Barn Swallow with juveniles.
Before leaving Ngwenya and heading home this morning I got photos of a female Southern Black Flycatcher with a juvenile right outside our chalet.
Despite the dodgy weather, still a trip list of 183, boosting my 2008 list to 250 already!
