Atlasville, 21 Jan 2006
Just back yesterday from our January timeshare week at Ngwenya Lodge. This is the 7th consecutive year that my wife and I have been to Ngwenya from the second Friday in January. This was, however, the first trip where I arrived armed with my Canon and zoom lens, with high hopes of some decent bird photos around the grounds of the Lodge at last.
It is an easy drive from home to Komatipoort via the N12 and N4 highways and we arrived around 4pm on the Friday afternoon, giving plenty time to unpack and get the birding off to a hopefully good start with a walk around the grounds. We are lucky too that the main bird hide at Ngwenya looking out over the Crocodile River and into the Kruger Park is right next to our chalet! In just over an hour I ticked off 30 species including Cut-throat Finch, Red-faced Mousebird, African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-backed Puffback and Bronze Mannikin.
With six full days at our disposal we usually plan to spend at least four in the Kruger Park varying our routes to see as much of the southern sector of the Park as possible. So on Saturday morning we drove to Crocodile Bridge Gate at opening time, a drive of 12 km usually taking only 10 minutes once out of the Ngwenya resort grounds. The route was to be a triangle, Croc Bridge – Lower Sabie – Skukuza – Croc Bridge. After entering the Park at Crocodile Bridge we head towards Lower Sabie on the main tar road but as we crossed the Vurhami bridge we turned off onto the S28 gravel road (the Nhlowa Road) as from past experience this has always turned up some good sightings. I especially remember one time when a serval dashed across the road in front of us, still our only sighting of serval ever anywhere in the Park. Rhino are almost always seen along the first 10 km or so, but this time we missed out, instead coming across a Greater Kudu bull with impressive horns. Along the way we had seen the trio of common galliformes, which are always most active in the hours after sunrise – Natal Spurfowl, Swainson’s Spurfowl and Crested Francolin. Some of the summer visitors added were Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, European Roller and Levaillant’s Cuckoo. First raptor of the day was a Martial Eagle, followed quickly by Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle and Amur Falcon (another summer visitor).
About halfway between Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie is the Nthandanyati bird hide. The open veld straddling the access road to the hide is usually a very reliable spot for Temminck’s Courser and yet again it was present. The area was carpeted with yellow-flowering Tribulus terrestris known locally as Puncture Vine because those nice yellow flowers give way to a hard woody seed pod with fearsome spikes. This ‘carpet’ is a good 15 cm thick and does a good job of hiding the smaller birds that forage amongst it. Those with the good sense to stay in the more open areas were Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Crowned Lapwing and Red-capped Lark. The waterhole at the hide provided Goliath Heron and African Openbill.
Arriving at the turn into Lower Sabie camp we were greeted by a calling Sombre Bulbul sitting in a tree above a male Common Waterbuck and some impala. The outside seating area of the restaurant/cafeteria at Lower Sabie is on an elevated deck commanding a superb view along the Sabie River, which just about guarantees sightings of hippo. Here we added Horus Swift, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Village Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Chinspot Batis and White-bellied Sunbird.
From Lower Sabie we headed north across the causeway over the Sabie River then took the S30 (Salitjepad) gravel road towards Skukuza, re-crossing the Sabie River on the only bridge over the river and continuing to Skukuza on the main tar road. Little Bee-eater, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and African Black Swift were added along the way. Skukuza produced two surprises. I was heading out of the cafeteria when there was a large thud as a bird hit one of the big windows of the adjacent restaurant. The poor thing struggled to its feet and very groggily fluttered up onto a wooden bench where it sat for a few minutes to regain its senses. A large ring of people formed around it and many photos were taken, unsurprisingly, as it was a rather handsome African Pygmy Kingfisher, which seemed to have also bent the tip of its bill on impact with the window. Then, sitting down under one of the thatched covers over the outdoor cafeteria seating I glanced up and was treated to some roosting Peters’s Epauletted Fruit Bats.
It was a rather uneventful drive back to Crocodile Bridge via the S26 (Bume Road) adding Red-breasted Swallow, White-throated Swallow and Black-headed Oriole among others. Back at Ngwenya I still had time for a bit of birding and managed to get reasonable photos of White-bellied Sunbird, as well as adding Water Thick-knee to the day list.
On the Sunday it was into the Park again, with a repeat of Saturday’s route as far as Lower Sabie. At Sunset Dam just outside the camp entrance we ticked off Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and Three-banded Plover within a few metres of each other, while Common Waxbill and Woodland Kingfisher sat in the tree overhanging the water’s edge above them. On the brick path from the car park to the Lower Sabie shop/restaurant we encountered a tiny juvenile Flap-necked Chameleon. From Lower Sabie we struck north towards Satara, making a very interesting sighting along the Muntshe Loop. A Black-winged Kite had caught and was busy plucking feathers from a Common Buttonquail. Interesting because it was something of a dilemma – could I tick off a dead bird? In the end I decided that since there was enough evidence from a few dozen photos to positively identify the deceased buttonquail I would indeed chalk up my first lifer of the trip. Next chance to get out of the twin-cab was at the Orpen Dam viewpoint, where we added two of those ‘nice to see’ birds that you don’t see too often in the Park, Little Bittern and Eurasian Golden Oriole as well as a probably resident pair of African Fish Eagle. From Orpen Dam on to Tshokwane Picnic Spot one of those memorable spots that I have been stopping at, never driving past, since my first visit to the Kruger Park in 1980. There are always dozens of glossy starlings, both Greater Blue-eared Starling and Burchell’s Starling, hopping around looking for crumbs falling from the picnic tables. Don’t leave your table unattended as the bolder ones and the much more sneaky Vervet Monkeys will make off with whatever they can. North from Tshokwane towards Satara are Mazithi waterhole and Kumana Dam, both usually good spots for elephant, where we added Common Greenshank, Little Grebe, African Spoonbill, White-faced Whistling Duck and Red-billed Teal.
Satara Camp itself is a ‘bridge too far’ if you want to make sure of getting back to Crocodile Bridge before exit gate closing time. A hefty fine awaits if are too late. So we turned west on the S33 (Vutomi Road) where we encountered a small herd of Waterbuck, one young male showing off the distinctive rump markings of this species. At the junction with the S36 (Nhlangulene Road) we turned south and headed back towards the Sabie River without seeing too much more as by this time of day it is getting rather hot and animal activity is more restricted. We crossed the Sabie River by the bridge, made a short refreshment stop at the Nkuhlu Picnic Site and then headed for Crocodile Bridge on the main tar road (Gomondwane Road). Passing the Sunset Dam at Lower Sabie we were fortunate to see a Black Heron using its ‘canopy feeding’ method of catching fish. Beyond Lower Sabie we branched off along the parallel gravel road, the Gomondwane Loop. Here we had a male Red-crested Korhaan strutting down the middle of the road. We arrived at Ngwenya too late for any birding.
Monday was a break from driving for me and I walked every inch of Ngwenya birding while my wife caught up on her reading. Essentially this was early morning and late afternoon as the midday heat restriction of animal movement applies the same here as across the river in the Park. Some additions to the trip list were Diederik Cuckoo, Kurrichane Thrush, Black-collared Barbet at its nest hole, Black-and-white Mannikin, Green-backed Camaroptera and Purple-crested Turaco. Good photos were also taken of Grey Heron in flight, several African Paradise Flycatcher, one at its nest, and Chinspot Batis. Sighting of the day, though, was a bloated buffalo carcass floating down the (aptly named) Crocodile River being attacked greedily by crocodiles.
Butterflies were out in force too, chief among them being Citrus Swallowtail and Large-spotted Acraea, both favouring the Pickerelweed growing around the edges of some of the ponds on the property.
Tuesday saw us off to the Park again, using the Crocodile Bridge gate. This time though we took the first turn west out of Crocodile Bridge along the S25 (Crocodile River Road) adding Burchell’s Coucal, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rattling Cisticola, Arrow-marked Babbler and Grey Go-away-bird among others, before spotting a very photogenic Dusky Lark at the Bume River crossing. Taking the Bume Road and the Mpondo Dam link to the Randspruit Road we then headed to the Renosterkoppies Dam, where we added Blacksmith Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Magpie Shrike and Red-billed Quelea. Then on to Skukuza Camp, where we had settle for the ‘usual suspects’ like Dark-capped Bulbul (now regarded as a sub-species of Common Bulbul) outside the Reception office and Tawny-flanked Prinia in the riverine bush next the cafeteria – no African Pygmy Kingfisher surprises today.
Rather than take the Lower Sabie Road along the south bank of the Sabie River we crossed the river on the low-water bridge just out of Skukuza and headed east along the north side of the river, eventually turning north on the S36 (Nhlangulene Road) towards Lugmag Dam, where as well as seeing the expected waterbuck here, we added two bee-eaters, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and European Bee-eater, along win Pin-tailed Whydah, Namaqua Dove and one of the less common galliformes Coqui Francolin. Not far past the dam we hit a roadblock of the bovine kind. A large herd of +/-200 Cape Buffalo was crossing the road. The dominant male stood imperiously, staring at us while the herd made its way over the road. As soon as the last one was over we expected him to follow, but no. He turned and headed back into the trees from which they had all just emerged. Of course the rest turned around and followed. I’d swear he did that on purpose! Had he not done so, however, we would have missed the Snouted Cobra (aka Banded Egyptian Cobra) crossing the road a few minutes later.
As I’ve already mentioned Satara is just too far for a day trip from the southern gates of the Park, so we took the first gravel road heading east to the Kumana Dam and then south to Tshokwane Picnic spot, which as usual was swarming with glossy starlings. Taking the main tar road towards Lower Sabie the road climbs steadily to the top of Nkumbe hill. At the summit there is a lookout point where you gaze westwards across the flat plains below. You can literally see for miles and a good pair of binoculars is a must for spotting the distant herds. The large boulders and rock outcrops on both sides of the main road here are also a very reliable place for seeing Klipspringer.
From Nkumbe we continued south, turning onto the S128 gravel road towards Lower Sabie – it parallels the main tar road. This road turned up a major lifer for me a few years ago, an uncommon visitor to South Africa (or perhaps just seldom seen because of its preferred habitat), a Corncrake. Amazingly I saw another Corncrake (or could it be the same one?) within a few hundred metres of the same spot exactly one year later. No such luck today and we had to settle for Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark and Fan-tailed Widowbird.
If I were asked to name the best place in the Park to see Wire-tailed Swallow I would say that it was the low-water bridge over the Sabie River just below Lower Sabie Camp. Sure enough a pair were sitting on the railings on the bridge as we crossed, along with some Lesser Striped Swallow. After a brief refreshment stop at Lower Sabie we headed straight down the Gomondwane Road back towards Crocodile Bridge as the heat was having its usual effect and there was very little activity to prompt us to stop. We did come across a pack (some call it a cackle) of Spotted Hyena that had decided lying down in the shade was about all they could manage.
On Wednesday we left Ngwenya a half hour earlier as we were to enter the Park via the Malelane Gate, an additional 45 km but the majority on the main N4 highway. Once in the Park we headed for Berg-en-Dal camp. While my wife relaxed over a coffee in the cafeteria I wandered down to the small dam in the camp and a viewpoint looking out into the bush. Black-headed Oriole, Brown-headed Parrot, White-bellied Sunbird, Black-backed Puffback, Violet-backed Starling, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, and Speckled Mousebird were all ticked. From Berg-en-Dal we headed to the Matjulu waterhole and then on to Skukuza keeping as far as possible to gravel roads. It was a hot day and our bird and game sightings were few and far between, with the highlight of this leg an African Cuckoo on the Mlambane Loop.
Just before Skukuza we made sure to go into the Lake Panic Hide. This really is one of the gems in Kruger’s crown. I have never been disappointed with Lake Panic. There are always hippo here, and terrapins, perhaps some skittish bushbuck coming nervously to drink, in the summer nesting swallows under the eaves of the hide. Jacanas hopping from lily pad to lily pad, pied kingfishers diving for fish, that quintessential sound of the African bush a calling African Fish Eagle. And a multitude of butterflies and dragonflies – Barbet Percher, Blue Basker and Pearl-spotted Emperor were the species of the day.
From Skukuza back to Malelane Gate in the mid-afternoon heat was completely uneventful – almost. We had just 3 km left to go to the gate when a leopard ambled across the road a few hundred metres ahead of us, turns and started walking towards us along the road verge. It even stood still at our approach and posed for us. If you look carefully at this leopard you may just make out the line disrupting the natural spotted patterning on the hip where a wound appears to have been sewn back together, I can only guess by a Parks Board veterinarian.
We arrived back at Ngwenya just in time for photo opportunity with a male African Paradise Flycatcher displaying those marvellous tail streamers, right in front of our chalet.
On our final full day, a real scorcher, we again entered the Park at Malelane Gate, this time working our way up to Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, then staying largely on the main tar roads to Skukuza, Lower Sabie and out of the Park at Crocodile Bridge. Saddle-billed Stork, Double-banded Sandgrouse and Greater Honeyguide were the only additions to the bird list. A dark morph of the Jacobin Cuckoo was seen near Pretoriuskop, but highlight of the day was a very accommodating immature African Fish Eagle at the Gardenia Hide. On the road between Afsaal Picnic Spot and Pretoriuskop I came across African Migrant butterflies milling around a damp patch on the road.
Final tally for the week was 189 species.
