Estonia 16th-26th May 2015

Birds, Bears...... and Pine Marten.          

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Estonia was a place that i would probably of glanced over as a birding destination before Gary Waddington thought it would be a good place to visit.

Estonia  has Sweden to its west  across the Baltic sea, Finland to the north and its eastern border neighbors Russia.  Estonia is the same size as Wales roughly. Flat as a pancake throughout the highest peak is as high as a double decker bus.

Thrush Nightingale.

Prices are generally half of what they are here in rip off Britain. The hotels, restaurants, supermarkets are good and run with efficiency. The folks that we met were more than helpful  and some very helpful like one girl who rang and booked a hotel for us and pointed us in the right direction when we became a little lost.

Outside Tallinn the capital, it is very rural with large arable farms and vast forests, the place is beautiful, clean, and quiet. Traffic is virtually non existent in a lot of places but the roads are good everywhere.

The areas we visited for wildlife became better and better, the variety was superb and what we considered rare became possible with effort.
We landed and collected the hire car in the early evening spotting Common and Artic terns, Hooded crows, Swallows and both Herring and Black headed gulls. We made our way to the Hotell Tehetorni  on the edge of Tallinn. Unpacking in a flash we had a couple of hours at a local park/ woodland area . The area was easy to amble around and peaceful. The birds we noted surprised me, we had 4-5 Wood warblers, Spotted flycatcher, Goldcrest, Great spotted woodpecker and a skeen of 400 Barnacle geese overhead. Fieldfare seemed plentiful around us and quite busy feeding.  The star of the show though was one particular Thrush nightingale singing like a champion, we chased the little songbird along the paths trying to capture its song on our mobile phones.
17th May  started well we had several songbirds singing around the hotel including Thrush nightingale again, Lesser whitethroat, and Yellowhammer. Today we headed towards Spithami point a couple of hours away.  The drive was easy and we picked up Marsh harrier, several Common buzzards, Kestrel, White storks nesting upon purpose made nesting poles.

but the best surprise was a huge female Capercaillie at the side of a forest track. The car was feet away when we noticed the well camouflaged bird, maybe if we had spotted it a few moments earlier we would of had a chance of photos but the huge female was obviously spooked by the car and flew past and around the back of us vanishing into the forest..what a treat and what a cracker. 
                                                                       

                                                                           White Stork on nest.

Spithami point is a peninsula with good arable land nearby, we did some sea watching picking up .Sandwich tern,Redshank and Spottted redshank, Velvet and Common scoter, Goldeneye, Common sandpiper,  Little gull, Ringed plover, Whimbrel, Gadwall , Pochard and Scaup. The whole place is worth spending time there with plenty of habitat and areas to investigate. We walked along the paths and onto the farmland picking up Red backed shrike, Whinchat, Wheatear, Linnet and Gary spotted a Ortalan bunting that gave us the run around. Yellowhammer now started to become common and White and Blue headed wagtail also.
We headed towards the Sutlepa Meri birding area and its 3 bird watching towers that we read viewed over the vast reedbeds. Unfortunately 2 of the towers had been pulled down and the 3rd closed for obvious safety reasons. We did pick up on Little gulls and Black terns and a single Red necked grebe along with Sedge and Great reed warbler. A lone Caspian tern flew over and we spotted a female Roe deer. The area looked good and we did return  the next day. We headed to our hotel for the next two nights The Baltic Hotel Promenaadi. Haapsalu

18th May we had breakfast and noted 3 Sea eagles on the bay that the hotel is situated upon along with Common, Caspian and Artic terns. We headed towards the local sewage works.Obviously being one of the more glamorous places on the itinerary. On the way we stopped at a decent size lake that is part of Haapsalu town. We picked up Slavonian grebes and Gargney and decided to call back later after the Grebes drifted away and into poor light for us.. At the glamorous sewage works we chased a Thrush nightingale through a large pile of brush and cut down trees  before doing a bit of bush bashing along a quiet track. Garden warbler, Lesser whitethroat, Bearded , great and blue tits showed. We spotted Hawfinch but failed at snapping them. Along the way we saw a female Montagu's harrier but she drifted away from our lenses. We bumped into a lad that found our scopes and tripods amusing and fascinating  the poor lad was hard to communicate with and obviously had learning difficulties. We tried to encourage him to look through the scope but i think it scared him slightly. We set off back to the car and picked up a displaying Honey buzzard . Whilst we watched the bird a pair of Montagu's harriers came into view to our left hand side tumbling and rolling sometimes talons touching. The Honey buzzard drifted away but the harriers gave us good views. When they had drifted away another harrier appeared over the trees to our right hand side and we think that we had a possible total of 5 Montagu's harriers that morning in this area. I walked back to the pile of brush and dead trees for the Thrush nightingale but with little chance of a photo . Whilst searching a Hobby soared past.
We headed back towards Sutlepa Meri picking up Marsh harrier and Great white egret on the way.
Whilst at Sutlepa meri we added Raven, Long tailed tit, and our 2nd Honey Buzzard of the day. Later we moved to Haeska tower one of  my favorite places. Along the edges we had views of  Little stints, 15 Temmincks stints 50 Ring plover 7Grey plover 50 Dunlin 400 ruff and 3 Marsh sandpipers that gave good photography views.

Marsh Sandpiper

We added 10 Shovelers 2 Smew 6 Gargney Black tailed godwit Sea eagles Lapwing and about 4-5000 Barnacle geese as well. Walking around the reception block and gardens we picked up  Hawfinch Chaffinch and Wood sandpiper near the car parking area before leaving.
19th May we had a hour before breakfast on the headland near our hotel spotting Sea eagles again and Little ring plover along the way. After breakfast we headed back towards the Slavonian grebes that we had seen not far from the hotel. We pulled over looking to our far left but noticed that a pair of Grebes were just ahead  of us and better still somebody walked past them and the birds did not drift away like they had the day before. We had crippling views of these birds at close quarters and produced some stunning photos between us.

 Summer plumage Slavonian Grebe 

We moved towards the areas around the north part of Mattsalu bay, another good area.On our way Gary heard a noise that he had not heard in years so pulling over we looked around and caught a few brief views of our first Wryneck..and a Green woodpecker also..a good spot . We stopped on our way at the side of the road looking over the foreshore and marshland pools picking up Snipe and Ring plover with young and also Lapwing. Thousands of Barnacles geese could be seen along the foreshore and we had several Wood sandpipers  at the edge of the marshy pools. Another good bird was a female Bluethroat on the lawn of a house just as we were parking up. We had another elusive Male Bluethroat a hour or so later. The area were we stopped is called Puise and it was a lovely spot for birding. One of the first things we watched was a male Red backed shrike displaying to a nearby female. White fronted geese and Turnstones added to our growing total before we moved on.
We headed towards Virtsu looking for a hotel but hit a blank, a young girl in a supermarket helped us and booked a room for us in a nearby holiday village that was comfortable and clean. We had a walk in the evening watching Common cranes display with their necks stretched and heads help high whilst making the unmistakable evocative cry. We also spotted a female fallow deer along the edge of a wooded area.
20th May Bright and Sunny. We drove to Mattsalu river park and spent sometime searching for a woodpecker that never showed itself  but we did get some good quality photos of a male Wood warbler ( below) along with Pied flycatcher , Dunnock and Wren on our woodland walkabout. In the same area we caught up with Common crane again Black grouse and a very vocal Corncrake.

We headed to the ferry that would take us over to the island of  Saaremaa. The food was rubbish in the ferry terminal the only poor meal we ate. We looked around the perimiter of the port for Barred warbler .. a tip that we had been given but nothing showed. Oystercatcher and Common terns flew over and two separate Common gulls nested on the floor on the ferry terminal car park...bizzare !
The 20 minute crossing produced Velvet and common scoter, Long tailed duck, Eider and Scaup.
Once we disembarked we headed towards Kubassaare point, the walk around was quiet but we did catch 4 Scarlet Rosefinch, Serin and Barred warbler. Along a dusty wooded track we scanned the trees from the car searching for movement or listening for something different. What we did not do was look straight ahead at a pair of Hawfinch and a Yellowhammer drinking from a puddle 20 yards or so in front of us. We did eventually photograph them though we could of seen them earlier. The male Hawfinch was a very striking bird.

Common Buzzard showed well on our way back towards the main road and away from the area. Making our way towards the capital Kuressaare and  looking for accommodation we dropped into the tourist information centre  only to find that we were about to strike gold for the night. We were advised to stay at the Ekespaar residents Hotell. A nice looking and high class hotel set in the grounds of the castle of the beautiful town of Kuressaare. We booked a twin room that was smallish but well fitted out and nicely decorated.  Outside of the bedroom window we could view Artic and Common terns on the moat that surrounded the castle. The grounds are a public park area that is well kept and very pretty. This was not the best part, we were offered a complimentary drink on arrival ( so i had two coffees) sorry Gary. The best part was the breakfast, when it was served they offered us a 7 course breakfast including champagne, we declined the champagne at such a early hour. The total price for staying at this place was a ridiculous 51 euros....and that was between us. On top of that the girl at reception did some research for birding spot around the island for us. Gary gave her a good tip when we left...what a place and what a beautiful setting and town.
21st May..The birding in the area was good we saw lots of birds but not many new ones though our walk before breakfast did give us good photos of Wryneck, Rosefinch and Lesser Redpoll even though we had drizzle we were happy.

The drive back to the ferry we watched White tailed sea eagles, Little gulls and Black terns at distance and a nice male Marsh Harrier.
Puhtulaid and Tuhu Soo were the next on the agenda for a spot of birding after we crossed back onto the mainland.
Puhtulaid is quiet and has wooded areas and a pebbled foreshore, it also boasts a tower overlooking the foreshore. We had great fun chasing 3 Ictrine warblers  and listening to these birds mimic so many other birds. , what a song and what a cracking little warbler to study. Warblers scare many birders because they are hard to identify especially if you dont get a good view but on this trip Gary made it easy to identify quite a few small birds without seeing them. In the same wooded area we had decent views of 4 Red breasted flycatchers one was probably a first year male showing no rusty orange/red throat patch. In the same wooded patch we had more Hawfinch, Pied and Spotted flycatchers.  A good place and maybe worthy of a longer stay.
On our way towards Tuhu Soo from Puhtulaid we had just turned off route 10 and onto route 60 if i recall correctly, when just in front of the car and at tree top height a cracking Honey Buzzard circled over the road.Leaping out of the car like two mad men we rattled off some shots before the beauty climbed and gained height, another cracker and probably the best view we will get of these birds.

Tuhu Soo is a mire a bog or wet moorland with a boardwalk that is purpose made to explore. Again it is quiet, we had a walk along the boards and spotted two raptors at distance and studying them for a few minutes we thought they were Golden eagles, Red backed shrikes showed as did Tree pipits and as we walked along 3 Black tailed Godwits took exception to our presence. These are known to nest here. We watched a Hobby catching insects also whilst walking back towards the car. This is another place worthy of spending more time at because it also hosts Black grouse , Cranes and Harriers.
22nd May .. We made our way towards " the magic corner " a name given by Dave Gosney in his guide to this area of forest. This area was supposed to hold a rich wealth of forest birds. We never thought that the birds would be easy, we just hoped that we would see some good birds.First of all we found several open felled areas of forest that looked promising so we walked along the tracks investigating each area. One of the first things that we spotted was a fox walking down one track towards us that Gary filmed. We heard Black woodpecker very close but failed to see any, we did pick up Mistle thrush and Ictrine warbler again along with Rosefinch, Common Buzzard and Wryneck as we walked. One area looked better than the others and we spent sometime searching here, after awhile we managed 2 sightings of White backed woodpecker and a Grey headed woodpecker, Though quite brief they were positive sightings. Nutcracker was heard but not seen.
After a few hours at this patch we moved towards Nigula Bog. Driving towards the area we picked up several Golden plover, nesting White storks and the usual Yellowhammers. As we came close to the car park we noticed two large raptors soaring over the tree tops.

Two lesser spotted eagles showed fairly well, we watched them for a few minutes and drove nearer towards them and the car park. We sat in the car park picnic area and listened to another Ictrine warbler singing around us before we walked along the boardwalk towards a vast open moorland. we walked and chatted when all of a sudden a female Capercaille lifted from the side of the boardwalk that we were walking only two feet from us. She hid at the foot of a large bush and then stepped out onto the boards behind us for a brief few seconds before flying off. The moorland was quiet but looked a very promising area maybe in the early morning or evenings. We made our way back to the car park and i went looking for the Eagles, spotting a Sparrowhawk straight away. I thought i had a buzzard perched on the edge of the forest but once i had the scope up we both decided it was another Lesser spotted Eagle. They seemed very numerous here we had 5-6 birds at this area though we could of seen the same birds twice.

In the evening we headed towards Pikla Pools.This was my favorite place of the trip. Huge coastal reedbeds, farmland, shallow pools , foreshore, two birding towers, and some scrapes. The first thing we noticed as we drove onto the site was a Great Bittern lift from one part of a reedbed and drop down several yards further along. The reeds were full of noise mostly from Great reed warblers ( right ) but also Bearded Tits. We had at least 3 booming Bitterns , several Rosefinch and Marsh Harriers (below ).

Add to that hundreds of Swifts and plenty of Terns, Little ringed plovers displaying, half a dozen Ruff, Black tailed godwits and a handful of Greylag geese flying over.  We had wagtails on the fences, and a cracking Savi's warbler singing from the reeds that we photographed ( below right ).

Lapwings, Golden plover and Red backed shrike added to the numbers. One of the funniest things we saw was a Marsh Harrier spook a Bittern out of the reeds, the Bittern flew a short distance before squawking some disapproval at the nearby Harrier.A easy place to go bird watching and we believe that Crakes can be found here as well. On the way back to the chalet we had two Moose cross the road 100 yards in front of us. Back at the chalet we had something running over our metal roof we never saw it but think it was either a Squirrel or a Cheeky Pine Marten.
23rd May. We started with a walk along a track in Nigula forest that we had heard was good for Hazel Grouse but with no luck. We arrived early spotting a Common Crane and Common Buzzard. We saw Green Sandpiper along the drainage ditches that run beside the forest tracks. They breed  in the forest here nesting in trees. Along the tracks that we walked we did manage to see Turtle doves and also Crested tits. One of the nicest thing we saw and photographed was a cheeky Red squirrel that showed some curiosity towards us.

We had plenty of other sightings but still no Black Woodpecker and no Hazel Grouse. In the evening we hit Pikla Pools again with our first main sighting being a Hobby overhead, the next good bird that we saw was a group of 5 Red necked Phalaropes about 100 yards away on a shallow pool. They shared this pool with Gargney and later 2 cracking mall Ruffs. One being quite mottled with a red neck the second male was a splendid deep purple in colour .Gary spotted a immature Goshawk being mobbed and the Marsh Harriers glided over the reeds again. Bitterns boomed and Savis's warbler sung again.We noted Stock dove.Lapwing and Whinchat before setting off for Nigula forest again to see what would be around at last light. We had a tip off for Ural owl but decided to split up and watch separate areas. Soon Gary was waving and by the time i had made my way over the owl had  moved. Minutes later it returned and flew past us hunting the only grassy area within the forest. It showed well but was hard to photograph in low light.It was a superb bird to witness  and a great bird to find. Just further down the track as the light was going a River Warbler sand and was close to the edge of the track ut very hard to pick out. Woodcock also flew over us as we searched for the River Warbler.
On our way back to the chalet we caught Nightjars in the headlights another great bird to see.
24th May 2015. The day started with Gary being unwell, so i had a little walk around the chalets whilst he slept a little longer. The chalets faced the sea and quite quickly two White tailed sea eagles passed at distance. A Marsh harrier cruised over the reeds and a new bird appeared in the trees around the chalet a Coal tit. A female Roe deer caught wind of me and ran into nearby trees.
After Gary woke we headed back towards Nigula forest, we had been given a tip off on Black woodpeckers nesting, a bird Gary had missed a few times before. We returned to a clearing that we had visited several times before, several mature trees had been left standing in the middle of the clearing and the nest hole was on the back side of one of them.Gary stayed with the car and i made my way towards the trees about 100 yards away. The light was strong and cast the nest hole into shadow.

Whilst i waited a Tree Pipit gave me a good photo opportunity posing upon a stump. A Greater spotted woodpecker gave some entertainment but then i heard the call of a Black woodpecker quite close.   A female adult, she stayed  on the edge of the felled area surveying the open clearing whilst the single chick called from the nest hole. I am quite sure she noticed me and that made her hesitant for awhile but slowly she made her way over. She tended her youngster and i took photographs, when she left she called again and i wonder if this was to let her mate know the that the youngster had been fed.About 40 minutes later another call came quite close by, this time it was the male, he seemed nervous and flew around the edge of the clearing before quickly flying to the nest for only a short time then departing quickly. He also did the same thing by letting out a loud call on his exit surely letting his mate know he had visited the youngster. Making my way back to the car a Honey Buzzard showed over the trees but drifted away. We made our way to the roadside filling station and cafe for food and coffee. We had a good feed and Gary took a nap whilst i had a wander around. I didn't see much until a White Stork flew overhead giving good views.

We had decided to head to Tartu that afternoon but stopped at Rannametsa Vaatetorn just a few miles from our cafe diner. It was a stop on the main road that we had passed a few times and proved to be a good spot that we maybe should of paid more attention too. It was midday and we picked up two Hobbies straight away, from the top of the tower we overlooked a vast area of open ground and around the tower was a vast expanse of pine forest that must of held Black grouse, Goshawk and Capercaille. The top of the tower would of given great sightings at first light and i bet some good birds and animals would of been seen at dawn. Whilst at the top of the tower a ragged immature White tailed sea eagle soared past and below on the footpaths we had several Pied flycatchers. Back at the car we drank some water and heard Golden Oriole call from the trees across the road from us. 
On the road to Tartu we had Marsh Harriers again along the road, We booked into the Riia Villa and unpacked we then decided to head to The Great snipe Lek just off the road to Karevere. We would of seen more if we had stayed staring at the wall in our rooms. The lek site was quiet, two Yorkshire men had been there way before us and scoured the area with nothing at all, the site was not there anymore.Though the men from the White rose county did give us some good tips of places to visit. We did get a red fox as the light faded and we went on to have a quick look at the llmatsalu fish ponds but we ended up on the wrong side of them as darkness fell. Though we did see Hobby and a very vocal River warbler.
25th May 2015 we started at the fish ponds and what a place it is ! A river runs down one side and the ponds are large and quite varied in vegetation. Telegraph and power lines criss cross the area and there is one huge lake that is close to the bird watching tower. The footpaths are easy and a few hours here may not quite do it justice. We had all the usual suspects and the birds of note that we did see were White spotted bluethroat singing from a telegraph wire. A marsh warbler sang from the bottom  of a bush but did give us brief views as it flitted around. Gary found a hanging domed Penduline tits nest that was active

and we spotted 3 Red necked grebes on the centre of the large lake. Whitethroats, Rosefinch and Yellowhammer became plentiful here.We did stop for awhile when Gary became curious over the song of one bird coming from the trees , it was hard to catch sight of but when we did we realised that he had found a singing Redwing something i had never witnessed. Citrine wagtails showed but not in great numbers. Also a Osprey flew across the large lake hovering like a Kestrel before moving on. Later it flew past us clutching a fish in its talons. Several Black terns gave us good views and Marsh sandpiper could be seen on the pools  We met the Yorkshire men again who told us of a possible Pine Marten den that we would later investigate.
We moved at midday towards Hollywood Hill a raptor watching point. Its not a hill really though it is the highest ground in that area. It is behind a service station and cafe along the main and is easily missed. I would say it is about 100ft high and the path to the top is loose gravel and stone making it hard to climb but worse to walk back down. Whilst climbing we had a Sea eagle fly past and another eagle to the right that we could not get onto because neither of us could secure a footing on the path.At he top it is a good place to scan for eagles. We stayed for a short time then moved along the road 100 yards past the burger bar and petrol pumps. Turning left  if you are coming from Tartu and Karevere. This was a place the Yorkshire lads had told us about and not in any guide books. A huge expanse of flooded fields with a backdrop of tall trees. Another cracking place that held lots of birds. 2oo plus Sand martins , a large number of Little gulls picking insects on the wing with a few Black terns mixed in. Wigeon, Green sandpiper and Wood sandpiper waded in the shallows. Some rarer birds showed well in the scope. 14 broad billed sandpipers 12 Ruff and 2 Terrick sandpipers shown to me by Paul one of the Yorkshire men. In addition to this we had Moorhen, Spotted redshank and 3 Citrine wagtails.

In the evening we returned back to llmatsalu fish pools. The hedges and reeds were alive with warblers but not one Hobby that we thought would be around chasing the many Dragonfly's. We spent some time waiting for the Pine Martens to appear but when they did i had my camera setting wrong. I took some pictures but they are rubbish. Gary managed a few beautiful shots through his scope and then the light fell. We went back to the motel and i kicked myself hard for making a costly stupid mistake.
26th May 2015.
We returned to the fish pools again and i headed to the Pine Martens den it was still quite early. Along the way a cracking Penduline tit was feeding and i caught some good views and good photographs. A nice Thrush Nightingale sang from the wires as i walked along. At the den i waited and waited but nothing showed, i thought my luck was out when i noticed movement and a flash of cream midway up the tree, a few moments later the cheeky begger poked its head from behind the tree checking me out.

It stayed long enough for me to grab a few decent shots before scurrying down the tree and looking in my direction again. I snapped away knowing that this beauty could be away in a flash.

These animals are quick but this one was cute it did not show itself any longer than it needed after it's curiosity of me had gone. It vanished through the undergrowth and that was that.

Walking back to the tower a Beautiful male Scarlet Rosefinch posed nicely for the camera.By the tower i met Gary and we noticed another Penduline tit close by it had a hidden nest hanging like a Christmas Decoration just beside the tower.

After some food and packing our cases away we headed north towards the Brown Bear hide at Veneoja Kula. About 90 minutes from Tallin in the north eastern part of Estonia quite close to the Russian border. We arrived at the meeting point early so did some birding along the forest tracks picking up 2 black woodpeckers flying over, drumming Snipe at 4pm and Golden Orioles. Corncrakes could be heard but not spotted and common Buzzards also.This place must be worth a couple of days here if you are thinking about visiting. A promising area for Golden Eagle, Capercaille and Black Grouse along with Woodpeckers, deer and Elk. I imagine a lot could be found here in such a remote area, this was the least populated place we visited with big expanses of forest and fields.
We met the lady who owned the Bear hides and paid our £75 each. A high price with no guarantees. The hide was a good walk from the track about 1 mile.The hide was wooden and  basic with no water or power, the loo was dry and used wood shavings. The bunk beds had flat thin foam for a mattress and no pillows. It was very warm and musty and had 2 hard chairs for sitting and viewing from. The place was full of biting insects. 
The 2 viewing  windows had clear perspex and were 15cm high by 45cm wide and at eye level.  Below and close to the floor was a shelf with a tripod head fixed and a small opening for the camera lens. A good idea but a tad awkward laying on the floor to take photographs.
We had been in the hide a hour or so and a red fox sneaked through the trees and a little later a Racoon dog showed slightly. Gary climbed onto his bunk and i watched for Bears. Around 7.30 i glanced to my far right and about 3 meters away right besides the hide a Brown bear was passing.
My heart jumped into my mouth it was huge, its bulk was massive and it was yards away.

We both observed it as it walked into a better position for photos. It was rummaging around the fallen trees and undergrowth  when all of a sudden it glanced over its shoulder and shot off running like a scolded cat. Then from the right of the forest that we could see the daddy of all bears strolled in. The first bear was a big animal but this new one was 20% bigger, he was a giant. Probably 4ft at the shoulder  6-7ft in length and weighing 550-600 lbs. The head was round with small ears but the muzzle was broad and strong.He was mature and he stayed around sniffing and foraging before moving along the same path as the first bear. Before the light faded we noted four bears in total though we could of seen the same bear twice. One bear came in and started digging at a patch of ground as i took photos and something bolted from beneath its claws startling the bear and myself. I guess it was a rabbit i only saw a flash of white for a split second.

Also in the mix that evening was several Racoon dogs, Great spotted woodpecker and Black Woodpecker. We did hear some deep owl calls from the trees above the hide but saw nothing. After a dredful sleep we woke early to see more Racoon dogs, Turtle doves,Pied flycatchers and another Black woodpecker on the stump of a tree. The sightings made the price cheap, but it was uncomfy. We moved to a cafe/petrol station fueling up with coffee and sandwiches and washing in the men's toilets.

I would not hesitate to investigate this area more without the bear hide. I imagine this forest is alive at dusk.
We had a look around some of the forest trails and spotted Golden Orioles, Cuckoo, Whinchat, Common Crane, Hobby, Wryneck, Whitethroats, and River Warbler. We noted lots of tracks along some of the muddy paths that probably belonged to Wild pigs, Racoon dogs and foxes. On our way from the forest we had 2 Green sandpipers almost attack our car. As we drove they took great excpetion to us flying around the car and us and making a right old racket. We must of been close to the nest site on this particular track.
Making our way back towards the airport we stopped at Kuhli Tarv, we could not make much progress through the trees towards the lake but we did see good signs of active Beaver, we noted 3 River warblers and had god views of Ictrine warbler along with Hobby Whinchat and Wheatear and vocal Corncrakes.We packed our scopes and bins and returned to Tallin and home !
In Total we calculated 184 species of birds. Several good mammals and a fantastic new country.

z

South Africa November 6th-20th 2014

South Africa a trip report from Johannesburg northwards towards Nylsvley, Magaobaskloof , Musina, Pafuri and back through the Kruger National Park.

For four or more decades I have been watching Sir David Attenborough wander through The Kruger NP and various other places throughout Africa. Expertly describing  fascinating traits about wildlife that only made my curiosity grow. I suspect this was the same for other armchair enthusiasts.

Click any image for a larger view.

Technology today is wonderful and has made huge advances forwards,but not even todays high tech HD screens can offer anything like being there. No screen can show you the width and depth or field of view that you will see whilst you watch a group of Hippo bathe in the Luvuvhu river, or the buzz you will feel as two Honey Badgers run across the road 20 metres in front of you.
No TV is capable of delivering the warmth of the sun on your back and the feel of a breeze in your face as  you watch a Martial Eagle soar overhead.

After picking up the hire car from Johannasberg airport I drove towards Bela Bela and Birdsong cottages. A good place to start and not far from Nylsvley NR. Once in my comfortable cottage I walked around the grounds and the two small lakes below the cottages. Southern masked Weavers, Southern black tits, and Streaky headed seedeaters flitted through bush. Whilst a pair of Little Grebes courted around the edge of one lake. Scanning the hillsides gave sightings of Jackal Buzzards and my first ever Zebra.
The next morning I set off early towards Nylsvley NR. I would love to see this area when the rains have started and the waders have arrived though I will not complain about what I did see through the day. Giraffes posed nicely from the dusty track and Magpie Shrikes seemed numerous. Meeting Jean and Suzaan  Vav Rooyen was a bonus and we tagged along together. African Jacana, Stonechat, fish eagles, Spoonbills, Great white and Little egrets, Blacksmith Plover and the first Martial eagle of the trip was great. Southern boubou, Brown crowned tchagra, African paradise flycatcher, Fork tailed drongo and a superb Crested barbet delighted us.

Crested Barbet

Bird of the day was seen whilst having coffee at the café  a superb Violet backed starling. Add to this Barn swollows, Cinnamon breasted bunting, Red billed queleas,  Grey heron and my first ever Ostrich the bird count was soaring. Spur winged geese, Meves starling and several Lilac breasted rollers kept us going. European rollers, and a Crimson breasted shrike added more good birds to the list.

On the Mammal list the day started on the dusty track towards the main road. Two young Impala bucks locked horns though not with any real conviction and a Common warthog drank from a nearby pond. At Nylsvley several good antelope showed well near the bird hide. A small herd of Black Wildebeest mingled with Zebra whilst Ostrich strutted just behind them. Blue Wildebeest were less numerous though they did come closer. The striking facial pattern of Roan antelope was easy to identify and their numbers were good. A single possible Puku gave brief views from the edge of a large bush and Common Reedbuck and Nyala were also seen. Back at Birdsong cottages a Grey Go Away bird was calling like a lost lamb on Helium one of the strangest calls I have ever heard. They are said to be saying "GO AWAY" but I have no idea in which language. A Pearl spotted owlet was also heard but not located.

Below is a sound clip of a Grey Go- Away bird ( Lourie)..you may agree with me that it is a very unusual call to hear from a bird.








My next move was to Magoebaskloof and a tree house in the jungle for 3 nights. I had booked 2 days out with David and a evenings stroll around the local area. I had really high hopes for this part of my journey northwards. I had sent a e-mail wish list to the Karisa Moya camp and I received a good response. The evening stroll shortly after I arrived was good with Forest Buzzard, Jackal Buzzard, Chorister robin chat and brief views of a Alpine Swift. The highlight of the evening was in a makeshift hide built by David. The construction was good and he had obviously put some effort into this project. He had built this hide in a area where he could tempt Green Twinspots close. The evening was successful and we had two female twinspots and one male visit the area, along with Red billed firefinch.The walk back from the hide was quite unproductive with brief views of Narina Trogan and a Pair of Blue- Manteled Crested Flycatchers.

 A A heart stopping moment came when 2 rampaging bush pigs ran across my path in the low light on my way back to my treehouse. The next morning was a 5.30 AM start and we set off in search of Cape Parrots , Verraux Eagles and Bat hawks. Joining the road just outside camp we spotted a male Pin tailed Whydah trying to entice a female with his courtship display and amorous advances. Along the way to the mountain road we spotted Jackal buzzard but nothing on the mammal front.

The mountain road was the best chance we had to see Cape Parrot and David knew of a nest site that we observed for awhile with no luck. Though we did catch views of Cardinal Woodpecker and Olive Woodpecker. David tried to call a Orange ground thrush in, but the brief views we had of it could not be classed as a true sighting. Though we did have good views of  Yellow streaked Greenbul and both Pale and Ashy Flycatchers. Whilst photographing the Ashy flycatcher several other birds flew along the edges of the trees and over the mountain road that we had parked upon. Obviously needing a guide in this part of the world I turned to David for advice but he had sat down on a rock several yards behind me and showed no indication of moving. A few minutes later whilst still sitting on his rock I shouted that two large raptors were circling overhead and towards us... this made him move. A pair of Verraux Eagles headed towards the higher ground way above our position .David had replied in his e-mail that we would visit this nest site whilst in this area. Walking back to the Cape Parrot nest site David sat down again whilst I checked to see if the Parrots had returned but no such luck at the nest hole. I hung around and luckily after several minutes I had a group of five Cape parrots fly just over the trees and past my position that gave me decent views. David then decided that we should go further down the mountain path towards Dengbi falls a well known spot for Mountain Wagtails. This came as a surprise as it meant us going away from the Verraux Eagles nest site that I had been promised we would visit. The falls are beautiful and the area is obviously well used by many visitors. The Wagtail flew past quickly and out of sight before flying back downstream onto a nearby pool edge just yards away from. Two adults and a juvenile. Comparing Mountain Wagtails to Cape Wagtails my first thought was how cleaner and crisper these birds are in adult plumage than Cape Wagtails. Moving on we headed towards Magoebaskloof Dam, this puzzled me. It seemed a strange choice with Tzaneen dam nature reserve being only another 10km further along the road and a much more rewarding area according to the books and trip reports. On our arrival though we did have Abdim's Stork flying over and on the far banking we scoped Little and Cattle egrets and a single Spoonbill. Along the edge of the Dam we picked up several Cape Wagtails and White Bellied Sunbirds both male and female. Along with Tawny flanked Prinia. After a drink and a bight to eat we moved to a residential garden in a posh part of town. Obviously a friend of Davids this lady was attracting Magpie Manakins to her garden feeder. Bronze Manakins seemed fairly common at the feeder but the Magpie Manakins seemed a little more cautious about coming down from the higher branches.

 After awhile though they did and I was able to take some decent photographs. We moved again a little further into town to what seemed a odd location. It was on the edge of a park where some new dwellings were being built. Still quite residential and quite busy. Behind some overgrown bushes and vegetation was a small stream and behind that new building plots and more open areas of land. Several small birds flitted through the undergrowth and I found it hard to get decent views of them but nearer the partially built homes a pair of Long tailed Widowbirds flew by, the male was stunning  with his long tail and beautiful plumage. Yellow Bishops and Yellow fronted Canary showed well for the camera. After a short stay here we moved to The Bat Hawk nesting site high above the town and back into the mountains. At the nest site the female Bat Hawk was sat tightly upon the nest, her head and rump barely visible above the collection of branches and twigs.  Several metres away in another tree the male was also sat tightly upon his chosen branch making photography from below near impossible though I did take some record shots. Not wanting to disturb the birds for the sake of a better photograph  we drove around the area only ticking off Ovambo Sparrowhawk and White necked Raven. After this David decided that the day was over and it was time to head back towards Kurisa Moya. Though the day had been fairly successful I had not been taken to the sites that I had been promised in the e-mails and this was a huge disappointment. In my opinion I had been taken around a well worn path and shown the areas that everyone else was shown. I was more annoyed by the lack of enthusiasm from David throughout the day than failing to be taken somewhere off the beaten track, so I rested and slept in my treehouse and left early to head towards Musina.

Quitting Karisa Moya early and moving to The Sandriver resort near Musina was far from a mistake. Stopping at a Steers restaurant for breakfast was worthwhile, a fully cooked hearty  breakfast with coffee and orange juice was about £3  The hotel just off the main N1 is next to a handy petrol station and supermarket and the rooms are good and clean. The restaurant is very good and the service is as good as any decent western place. Arriving around lunch time I visited Musina nature reserve, not a huge place but fairly close to the hotel and quite handy for a afternoons drive. First bird of note was a Western banded snake Eagle and several European Bee eaters feeding on the abundant insects. A lone Giraffe came quite close to the car and gave good views. One of the smallest and cutest mammals I came across was a Damara Dik Dik.

Also close by and giving good views. Lilac breasted rollers were now being seen at every place I visited along with  Southern Red and Yellow billed hornbills. Yellow billed Kites and Red billed Firefinch started to become common sightings now. A Bateleur Eagle proved hard to get close to with the camera and a soaring Martial Eagle stayed to high for me to photograph. The afternoon was pleasant but  held nothing rare or unusual. Around the hotel though was quite entertaining with Green Vervet Monkeys running over the chalet roofs and colony of Southern Masked Weavers nesting at the side of the bar area. Next door at the petrol station I noticed a large number of swallows constantly hunting insect above and around the canopy that shaded the pumps. Walking over I noticed Lesser and Greater stripped Swallows and a few Barn Swallows. In total around 100 birds hawking insects around the forecourt.   In this mix of birds I noticed 2 or 3 smaller Spinetail like birds with 4 white even spots on the undertail that I still have not identified. The evening meal of oxtail was worth the journey alone and the whole place was friendly and relaxing.

The next day the 12th I headed off to Mapungubwe NP. The road to the National park was a good drive but it held some good sightings along the way there and back. Yellow billed kites, White crested Helmetshrike and Natal Spurfowl to name a few.

Southern White Crowned Shrike.

A magnificent Greater Kudu gave good photographic poses and Warthogs and Baboons, the latter in large groups ran across the road as the car approached. Brown snake Eagles became numerous as did several species of Hirundies. Once in the park Giraffe Zebra and Elephants were seen regularly. Bee eaters and rollers also. Some distance  behind the entrance gates is a large rock face where Verraux Eagles could be seen soaring at distance, I later found out that 3 pairs use this area of the park. My first real new sighting was of a Kori Bustard as I drove along. We both noticed each other at the same time and though this large unusual bird kept a safe distance I did manage some decent shots. A cracking Male Southern Oryx gave good views for the camera and shortly after my first Martial eagle of the day soared overhead. Another Crimson breasted Shrike evaded my lens as I drove to the Limpopo river and the wooden walkway that was now broken by floods but still partly accessible. Zimbabwe boarders the Limpopo with South Africa at this point.The water level was low but along its banks Greenshanks, Black Crakes, Black winged Stilts and Sacred Ibis could be seen. In the trees above the walkway Vervet monkeys foraged and African Hoopoe, Green wood Hoopoe, and Grey Hornbill showed well. A Ovambo Sparrowhawk twisted through the trees and then dived into a bush below the monkeys and attacked some small finch type birds. Scoping the banks further down the river I was lucky to spot a Openbill stork and several other river dwelling birds. Fish Eagles perched whilst Elephants and hippos drank and wallowed in the river. Driving around the park gave more good views of the most regular birds again though Pale chanting Goshawk was a nice sight to watch for awhile. Mapungubwe was a good place to visit and I will visit again soon I hope.

 

Bird watching or  amateur wildlife photography  does not give you the views like the ones we are used to from our television and  armchair.... and you certainly don't get any help or commentary from Sir David. What we often get are views just beyond the reach of our lenses or a good animal or bird slightly obscured by foliage. Often the bird or animal will have a twig that you didn't notice in the viewfinder across its face or a leaf in the background that will make it look like it is wearing a tiara today. I do not know what percentage of keepers ( good quality photos worth keeping ) others achieve but I do know that I delete between 80% and 85%.

 

The next day after breakfast I set off towards Pafuri River camp just outside the Kruger National Park. It was a fair old drive but also a interesting road to drive along. A distance of 120 km the road was good and easy to navigate. The first bird of note was one of my favourites. Whilst in Gambia I had failed to get anywhere near close to this bird but as i had just got underway a  beautiful Black shouldered Kite flew slowly past and behind the car perching high upon a tree behind me.

I reversed slowly expecting the bird to slip away but it stayed focused at the ground below. Several minutes later it did move on but I had taken some great photos and admired the bird from close range. At the roadside nearby I was lucky to pick out Chinspot Batis and Scaly feathered finch to add to the start of a good day. The next bird I found soon afterwards was hard to identify a Marico Flycatcher. Only after studying the photos afterwards could I tell it from a Pale Flycatcher. All along the road Lesser and Greater Swallows perched upon the telegraph wires but Barn Swallows were less numerous but still quite evident. The road towards Pafuri is lush and green but in other parts it was also quite arid. Scanning over some arid places I picked up a male Chestnut backed sparrow lark. Driving on towards my new camp a stunning Steppe Buzzard stayed quite high above me but gave  decent photos. A pair of Hammerkops also graced the air above me later, looking in flight like a throwback to some prehistoric age. Close to Hek gate and Pafuri the road was quiet and very straight and at this point just before the final village a pair of harrier type birds drifted from one side of the road to the other, being fairly close to the birds as they headed forwards I sped off in front and parked up I could see the birds approach and I tried to hide myself behind the car. I was lucky to get fairly decent photos of these Harriers a Male and female Montagu's  Harrier. Great stuff !

The track down to Pafuri river camp was a little hard to find so I asked a park ranger at  Hek gate that leads into the Kruger NP. Whilst talking and taking directions from him another Englishman came from the offices asking if I was staying at Pafuri river camp. As we chatted he explained to me that a couple of hours earlier a South African man had been gored by a Buffalo right inside the camp. Later on the full story emerged that this Buffalo, one of a pair had been chased and hunted by the park rangers for 3 days and it was also injured. The park rangers had failed to warn anyone in the area or at the camp that a pair of Buffalo were being chased and that they could pose a significant threat towards humans . Also that this poor animal had not fed or rested for these 3 days.

The pair unaware to the rangers had doubled back from a nearby area and onto the side of the river that edges Pafuri river camp. The day that I arrived the man who was gored had taken breakfast and  with a friend decided to walk around the camp bird watching. At the river bank they must of come across the Buffalo at fairly close range. The Buffalo thinking they had found safety charged the pair of men hitting one of them head on and tossing him to the side breaking ribs and cutting his side open from below his armpit towards his waist. The other man another South African was permitted to carry a firearm and shot his pistol into the ground twice near the Buffalo. This was enough to scare the Buffalo away. The injured man was taken to a nearby mine where the medical facilities are first class I believe. Later we heard that he was poorly but not in danger. On top of that once I had been shown to my tree house lodgings very close to the river bank I noticed a small sign...Beware of Crocodiles !!

Welcome to Pafuri.

My Treehouse Home.

 

The injured Buffalo was shot dead that day by the rangers but its mate had vanished into thin air a few miles away from the camp.

After ample food and coffee from my hosts I walked down to the river and what a place it was. Goliath heron, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, and my first of many Three banded Plovers. Overhead a Martial eagle soared and a Puff back Shrike showed near the tree house. Helmeted Guineafowl trotted around in fairly large numbers and Golden tailed Woodpecker showed regularly within the camp. African Wattled Lapwing, Pied Kingfisher and Water Thick-knee occupied the edges of the shallow water and nearby pools.

In the afternoon I drove into the Kruger NP wanting to visit the Luvhuvhu bridge a mecca for birdwatchers. You are allowed to exit your car on the bridges but also advised to stay close within the marked lines on the bridges. My first thought was how wonderful this area was. The 20km drive had been fantastic with Bateleur Eagle, Warthog and Bushpig. At the bridge I had African fish Eagle, Giant Kingfisher, Green backed night Heron, Lesser and Greater striped swallow, Malachite and Pygmy Kingfisher and all the regular waders along with Baboons and Vervet monkeys. Vultures are in good numbers and Guineafowl, finches and spurfowl are not uncommon. I am sure I heard Corncrake rattling away on my way back. The whole area is just wonderful and I would say that 60 species could be spotted just around the bridge area alone. It is a truly fantastic area.. Outstanding!!!!

Back at camp for the evening I met with the man I had spoke with at Hek gate earlier. Andy Adcock a good birder from Nottingham and his Russian girlfriend Anastasia He was well travelled and offered good advice. He was also friendly with two of my local birding pals. After a few beers and good food I had a walk with Anastasia around the camp looking for Scorpions with her UV lamp. We spotted several glowing in the nooks of tree bark and then returned to Andy. Whilst we chatted away we could hear Bush baby crying around the camp. One regret I have is that I did not take a large lamp with me, I think if I had we could of lamped the river bank and camp at night. The camp did give us torches but they did not light up much more than 5 yards in front of us. We retired and lying in my bed I heard the most amazing sounds coming into my tree house. I truly felt that I was in the middle of the bush surrounded by wildlife. 5.30 AM I was wakened by thumping noises on my roof something was running amok just above my bed. Looking out as dawn was breaking I had a group of Samango monkeys using my roof as a trampoline, not the alarm clock I was used to using. I was due to meet my guide Frank Mabasa for the day at 6.30 at Pafuri picnic area. I made myself coffee and checked my equipment before driving 20km to meet him. Frank is laid back and quite cool and very knowledgeable we set off and with 5 minutes he was pointing out Retz's Helmetshrikes and Coucals along with Crested Guineafowl and Southern black tit. We  stopped at the side of Luvhuvhu where Frank pointed out a group of Hippo and some rather large Crocodiles along with a perching Fish Eagle and several waders. As I was taking photos Andy and Anastasia pulled up behind us, they had been with Frank the day before. We decided to move together and Frank wanted to show us Ground Hornbills near Crooks Corner , the confluence between 3 countries. No sign of the Hornbills but we did have a pair of large Elephants blocking our way into Crooks Corner parking area.We waited and waited but there was no way past so we turned around and looked at other places nearby. Back on the tarmac road near the border point with Mozambique we drove slowly looking around for sightings. Without warning a huge bull Elephant appeared on our left hand side making its way across the tarmac slowly only  yards in front of us. Frank advised me to stop and let it cross. This bull Elephant was massive, absolutely huge, its head alone was as big as the car that we were sat in. Never in my life have I ever felt so vulnerable, the Elephant was aware that we were there and he had one beady eye on us all the time as he moved slowly across to our right hand side. I would of backed further away from this beast because of the sheer size of the animal he was magnificent and towered way above us. In context he was as big as a double decker bus, his bulk and power was immense and I was certainly daunted by his presence.  Andy and Anastasia were  only a few feet behind us so reversing was not a option. As he moved across the road Frank told me to drive past him slowly keeping to the left. At the point when we came closest to him he turned and shook his mammoth sized head violently, shaking off a cloud of red dust and trumpeting louder than a fog horn  that some practical joker had let off behind you unaware....for one awful second I thought he was going to charge us and I was truly scared, and I think for that same moment Frank was as well. The one moment in Africa that will stay with me forever. Mike Watson had advised me before leaving England to pay the Elephants a lot of respect and back away if needed. Good advise and what a fantastic, scary, frightening, few moments he gave us all. Stopping further down the road Anastasia said to us both that she had never felt so scared in her life and she had also thought the Elephant was about to charge us. Cracking stuff !!!

Later we made it back towards Crooks Corner and the road was clear. The car park is enclosed and quite confined. We scoped the river picking up waders, Crocodile, Hippo and way off in the distance two Saddle billed Storks....superb stuff. One bird was wading from left to right across our field of view the other bird was wading, strutting, walking towards us whilst searching the shallow water for food. At this point the male bird was about 300 yards/metres away but was coming closer. I placed a 1.4X and a 2X converter onto my 300mm lens secured it on a tripod and rested the lens on a sturdy fence post just to get a record shot of these fantastic birds. Anastasia used her 500mm and a 2x converter and did the same. The bird was coming closer but at this rate we would need another 20 minutes to get good shots. Whilst Andy scoped and we took our photos a large rumble sound came from the bushes behind us. Frank said that we should move because he thought that Elephants were heading towards us and could trap us in the small car park and that would not be funny. We clambered into the cars and headed back to the picnic site slightly miffed but safe.

                              The view from Crooks Corner looking towards Mozambique.
Back at the picnic site we hung around just birding the car park and river bank. Great white Egrets, Egyptian Geese and Green backed Night herons showed well. Whilst Ret'z  Helmetshrikes, and a cracking female Red chested Cuckoo added to the days tally.

Back on the bridge on the way back to camp Marico Sunbird and 3 species of Kingfisher... Giant, Pied and Malachite along with Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank , Goliath Heron  waded along the banks. A White headed Vulture soared alone above me. Working my way back up the road slowly Crested Francolin scurried around the grasses and a possible Corncrake hid nearby to a shaded bush. A pair of Double Breasted Sandgrouse caught my eye, with the bare ring of yellow skin around the eye showing clearly. These two small birds added to the list around this rich area and showed just  why I found this place so fantastic.
Back at camp it was becoming dark and as we all sat down to eat Andy could hear a Freckled Nightjar  that he pointed out just behind the camp but viewing without a large was lamp it was going to be impossible. As the night darkened the night time animals could be heard around us. Bush baby being the easiest to identify. The highlight of the evening for me was walking back to the treehouse, on my way down through the camp a Spotted Genet tried to sneak across my path only yards in front of me. Its belly was almost scraping the ground and its shoulder blades protruded higher than its back as it stealthily made for cover only stopping to glance momentarily at the threat I may pose to it. As I stepped forwards another Spotted Genet followed the exact same path and with the same stealth also stopping and glancing at me before disappearing. Utterly Fantastic Stuff !!!
The next morning I was awake and making coffee as dawn was breaking, sitting at my picnic table I noted two large birds walking down towards the river quite a way off. I ran for the camera knowing that these birds could only be Southern Ground Hornbills. I managed to take some of the worst photographs that I have ever taken but I did get a second chance much later. Watching them for awhile I lost them after a few minutes but I was happy that I had seen them. Also at the same area and time I could here a deep hoot, a really deep from the belly sort of hoot from a obvious owl. Scanning the trees I scoped the back of a Verraux Eagle Owl in a lone tree across the river from the camp. This was great 20 minutes out of bed and two fantastic sightings. Sitting back at the table I enjoyed the coffee as a Sparrowhawk whizzed through the trees around me like a missle giving me little chance of a specific identification . Walking the river edge before breakfast I picked up Puffback Shrike and a Long Billed Crombec. At breakfast Andy told me that he had seen two Honey Badgers just half a mile from the gate into the Kruger, a place where Racket tailed rollers had been known to be seen the previous day. I had planned to look at this area anyway so on my way back to the bridge I slowed down and parked up. The Racket tailed Rollers have near myth status and are rarely seen. Five minutes scanning the trees was worth a shot though, as I scanned around two Honey Badgers scurried from cover on my right hand side ran down the tarmac road for a few yards and away into the grass on my left. What a sighting and what a animal. These things don't hang around or plod about, they knew exactly where they were heading and a few seconds was all I was treated to  sighting of them. Further down the road I noted a small pack of Spotted Hyenas, I have wanted to see wild Hyenas for decades.

The small head and powerful back end make this wedge shaped animal a true heavy weight in the animal kingdom. A mouth full of sharp teeth, the pack hunting instincts, allow these predators to tussle with a prides of Lions and sometimes relieve the pride of a kill.  . Though usually only through out numbering them. These Hyenas seemed to be wandering with no real purpose but still what a fantastic animal to witness. This was Africa.
I was trying my luck on my own today, Frank was busy so I thought I would try for better shots at some wildlife in this superb area. The day was cooler and a little rain fell, the Greater and Lesser striped swallows flew quite low around the bridge and a Yellow billed Kite dropped in for a drink. Whilst trying to photograph the Swallows in flight around the bridge I noticed Some smaller swallow type birds known as Spinetails. I knew they were not Mottled Spinetails because these show a serrated edge to the tail. I had seen these in Gambia. Though I knew a large colony of Mottled Spinetails famously roosted in a large Boabab tree a  couple of miles away. My guess was Bohms Spinetail judging by the size and markings. of these birds. Later Frank explained that when the temperature was high Bohms hawk insects high and are hard to find and see. When the temperature is cooler they come down  lower and hawk for insects... and yes they were Bohms Spinetails.

The Dentist in the Bush.

Taking a route away from the bridge I noted some small groups of Red billed Firefinch and larger flocks of Red billed Quelea than I had ever seen before. Zebra,Giraffe and Common Waterbuck fed in the quieter parts away from the tarmac road and  Greater Kudu stared as I drove past. On one of these quieter routes a bird that had never given me good shots perched and I drove towards it slowly with bated breath. Closing in I managed to get close to this beautiful Bateleur Eagle. I had not seen these birds perched often so this was a good chance of some decent shots, luckily it stayed perched for a few photos.

Moving on and taking another quiet route I picked up nothing of note until a Wahlbergs Eagle flew over but too high for a photograph. Somewhere between Punda Maria and Crooks Corner a raptor was perched high on a dead tree soaked from the rain but reluctant to fly away. I edged the car as close as I could and took a few shots. Only when the bird shook the rain from itself did I realise that this was another bird for my new species list... A Black chested snake Eagle. I felt for this raptor as it sat getting soaked by the fine drizzle but the bird seemed  happy just shaking itself every few minutes.

Making my way to Crooks Corner again I failed to spot the Saddle billed Stork or anything else really it was very quiet. Further down the river  a pod of hippo wollowed as the heat began to rise and the rain stopped. Whilst observing these magnificent beasts I noticed a large hole in a tree that looked a likely place for a nest. Several minutes later a Trumpeter Hornbill landed close by and made its way towards the hole...thinking that this bird had occupied the hole I watched as the bird showed obvious interest in this hole looking in several times but no more than that. No other bird was inside but this Hornbill was taking a good look at a possible nest site for itself and maybe a future partner. Back at the Hippos I took some decent pictures and noticed to my far left a Saddle billed Stork walking away from me.. I jumped in the car knowing that another pull in place was just beyond the bird. As I pulled in I could see the bird strutting towards me along the rivers edge. This gave me my best opportunity of decent shots of one of the best birds I have ever seen.

These birds are something special and I still can not decide what it is about them that I love. The bold markings of black and white plus the pink knees and ankles make it striking, but there is some sort of futuristic look about the head and bill. That make me think that these birds were made in a special effects studio and not by nature herself. The red bill with black band is unusual and the frontal shield ( the saddle) is also very catching. The bird in the photo is a male, note the small yellow wattles at the base of the bill and the brown/black eyes... the female has bright yellow eyes and no wattles. She is also slightly smaller. Both birds have a bare patch of skin showing upon the chest that becomes darker at breeding times. At first I thought this patch was a brooding pouch but both sexes are alike.
This was my last day in the area so I headed towards Punda Maria camp spotting the usual but still exciting birds and animals. In the Kruger you are advised not to step out of your vehicle unless
in a safe designated area. On my little drive I came across a elderly lady some yards away from her husband and car. Stopping by her side I asked her if she was ok and she replied she had seen two Dickinson's Kestrels , the first she had seen in nearly five years she added. Jumping from my car and leaving the door wide open I managed to pick the closer one out quickly, and another a little further behind. Enjoying a few minutes with this lady and these fairly rare birds she explained that they both lived nearby and she had become quite excited at seeing these birds perching as they drove past.
Returning to camp was bitter sweet knowing that this place would take some beating, even though I had missed Pel's Fishing Owl and several more species I was more than satisfied with the sightings that I had been treated too.
Hind sight is a wonderful thing, and moving was a mistake. Setting off early I headed south through the Kruger towards Balule river camp near Phalaborwa. Lots of sightings along the way but the first new bird of note was a Tawny Eagle.  As I drove along I noticed a  huge raptor being mobbed by two Spur winged Plovers. The size difference between them was epic. The Plovers calling franticly as the huge Eagle flew past only ten metres above the ground. The plovers flew around the Eagle  with ease harassing the great bird endlessly, suddenly one plover flew just below the Tawny Eagle and slightly ahead. Within the blink of a eye the Eagle twisted and stooped and grabbed the Plover falling to the ground with it's catch and out of view in the dry grass.

Tawny Eagle being mobbed by Plover

The other Plover circling and calling just above where the birds had fallen. Five minutes later the Eagle was airborne again and perching on top of a nearby tree. This was a impressive few minutes to witness and one of the things that is now clearly embedded in my memory. Along the road through the Kruger NP there are numerous  smaller loop roads, some are just elongated pull in spots, others are 20kms or longer. Along one of these such loop roads I was watching a Goliath Heron and some distant basking Crocodiles when 4 Southern Ground hornbills strutted onto the riverbank from nowhere. After taking the worst photographs ever of Southern Ground Hornbills back at Pafuri I was able to grab some more credible shots this time. The Southern Ground Hornbill is a unusual looking bird and this quartet was made up of two adults and two juveniles, these birds are now being monitored in the Kruger NP because the numbers of these birds have decreased by two thirds in the last century. Nomadic and scarce I had been more than fortunate to of seen these incredible birds  twice at two different locations and along with two juveniles made it very pleasing. My next detour from the main road onto another loop brought good sightings of Hippo. and like the Southern Ground Hornbill and the British Bulldog it is beautiful in it ugliness. To be able to sit and watch this Hippo and it's calf at close quarters even for a short while was a privilege. This is their home and we are visitors, we must ensure that these wonderful creatures remain  with plenty of suitable habitat and space to roam and breed uninterrupted. We as visitors we must view and observe from a safe distance and leave them in peace.

 The next part of my journey was a disaster, first of all the road was being worked on and I had to make detour after detour eventually arriving at the wrong Balule camp. Though after onwards at speed one of my most wanted birds appeared at the roadside. Tall and leggy a Secretarybird lifted and flew a short distance. This was bad timing, rushing to get back on track and one of my top 10 birds was strutting away from me in the long grass. Wishing for a pair of step ladders the bird flew up again and away, and away.
Stopping for fuel I found the right camp and was told by the owner that he had no record of payment or information about my arrival. Also the camp was fully booked by a group for several days. I had paid Agoda booking agents up front and showed him all the confirmation e- mails. The owner was superb and gave me great advise though I had to turn around and head to Phalaborwa.  On my way back towards the main road from the camp I was lucky to spot a beautiful African Wild cat as the light was fading. I saw the cat cross the dusty track as I drove closer towards her, she crouched close to the ground. I knew she would disappear if I took my eyes off her but she seemed to vanish as I was watching her.  I still have no idea how she vanished. But what a beautiful sighting and what a lucky few moments i had staring at her staring back at me. Luckily the hotel I was advised to try turned out to be better expected. The C U Hotel was modern and stylish and about £30 for a good room, good food and a hearty breakfast . After the day from hell it was good to sit and chat with  Kylie from Botswana who was the manageress of the restaurant and now lived locally. We spent awhile talking about wildlife and birds and it was surprising how knowledgeable she was on some  of the rarer birds that could be found around this area.
The next day i entered the Kruger NP again and headed towards lake Panic.  A  well known haunt for birders and a place with good reviews. The first new exciting sighting was a small pride of lions taking shade under some trees. Three females and two males puffed and panted and seemed unable to settle in the heat and it was still quite early in the day. Manoeuvring the car into a position where I could get shots was a little tough but I managed a few decent shots through the bushes and grasses, I came away happy...they are true big cats and taller than I realised at the shoulder.

A male Lion can stand 1.2 meters at the shoulder that is 4ft in old money. The female 1 metre at the shoulder or 3ft 3 inch.. it is very impressive. What a animal... what beast these cats are massive powerful and without doubt a true animal of the African bush !
The bird hide at Lake Panic gave limited views of the lake but was tucked away in a small corner but a good corner. One of the first birds of note  was a male Red chested Cuckoo calling high from a nearby tree. A large Crocodile was basking below the hide but facing away from me  and not offering any really good shots, but underneath the hide there was some commotion and obviously something was running around below the floor under the stilted legs of the hide. Looking down through the windows I glimpsed a  Black Crake step out and rush back under the hide like a cat with it's bum on fire. The bird was very skittish running back under the hide frequently but giving good views when it was out in the open. Other birds of note at the hide included Grey and Squacco heron a distant Green backed heron and Water thicknees.
Slowly driving through the Kruger stopping where I thought was a good spot and scanning around was ok but slightly frustrating. Being unable to step out of the car and set up the scope when I wanted spoiled things a little. One thing that did become clear was the lack of interest from others in anything apart from the big 5 or anything that was more than a few metres away. One such example was a soaring Martial eagle drifting in my direction . I was asked by a park guide what I had, he was carrying half a dozen punters in his high backed tourist truck and after explaining what was above us they moved on without a glance. Two or three kilometres down the road the same truck load of punters snapped away at Zebra at the edge of the road. Talking to some folks at the picnic spots and camps left me more frustrated at the lack of research they had done before entering the park. Why bother coming I kept thinking to myself.
One of the best things I found on my own was a mother White Rhino and her calf, distant but obviously a White Rhino. The White Rhino is separated from the Black Rhino by the shape of the upper lip. The  White Rhino has a straight flat upper lip that the animal uses for grazing . The word white may of come from the Dutch word "Weit " or wide in reference towards its wide muzzle.
The Black Rhino has a hooked upper lip, that it uses to feed on twigs or woody plants and herbaceous plants. Also the  white Rhino  has a more pronounced hump around the shoulders that the Black Rhino does not appear to have. Though a little distant I was happy to watch these two for awhile and this was one of the animals that was high on my list.

Ponds pools and streams seemed hard to find from the car, places where birds and animals may be seen wading and drinking . A lot of the smaller streams had dried up and finding waders was difficult. One small place I found was by the roadside, a pair of Turtles surfaced onto a fallen log and

copulated in front of my eyes. Above them a Pied Kingfisher showed absolutely no interest in the Turtles action and a Three Banded Plover ran along the waters edge looking for food. Egyptian Geese with young stayed close to the edge whilst a Squacco heron stalked fish a little further away.

A large Eagle perched nearby and surveyed the area. A little further along a young enthusiastic South African couple had spied another Rhino this time closer but the animal was in deep cover and reluctant to come out into the open. We jockeyed for better views but the animal moved deeper into the thickets feeding on the branches with its back to us. The brief views we got its head convinced us that this was not a White Rhino but the rarer Black Rhino. When I did catch a glimpse of its head I did see a little hooked upper lip  and the fact that it was feeding on the twigs and branches and not grazing the ground made up our minds for us on this identification.
Continuing through the NP Black shouldered Kites and Bateleur Eagle showed quite well. Zebra, Warthog and Bushpig also. Other  sightings included plenty of Rollers and Magpie Shrikes along with Woodland and Striped Kingfisher.

 Back in the hotel grounds Scarlet chested Sunbird and White browed Robin Chat foraged through the trees outside my room  and a single Hadeda Ibis ran across the Hotel lawn quite surprisingly.

 

 The next day I continued back towards Johannesburg deciding to stop near Marievale a place recommended by Jean and Suzanne who I had met at Nylsvley Nature reserve. The drive was long and it was mid afternoon before I arrived . The sky was bible black by the time I managed to get into the first hide . I didn't even get my scope set up before the heavens opened and the rain lashed the whole area making birding impossible. Soon after the rains had started I overheard two men talking and one stated that he was leaving before the roads leading to Marievale became flooded. I had noticed that roads close to the reserve were not great so I asked  the mans advice and he said they flooded quickly and easily making driving without a 4x4 very difficult. He was not wrong my hire car was struggling and at times the water must of been over the car cills.Staying any longer and I would of been in trouble. The rain was relentless and lasted for over two hours drenching the whole area.  When it did clear I managed a little birding just off the main R42 road. Stopping at a service area for coffee. Behind the service area restaurant was a small lake that was not visible from the road. Whilst drinking my coffee  I noticed a Reed Cormorant fly past and perch on fence post next to a African Darter on the far side of the lake. Moving outside with the weather improving I grabbed the camera and made my way towards some waterside reeds. A beautiful male Southern Red Bishop gave decent views whilst moving through the reeds. Across the water I could see two Tern like birds elegantly flying over the water and after looking through my guide book it was clear that they were Whiskered Terns. The birds didn't come close and I was reluctant to go closer towards the reeds because they could of hidden crocodiles.  Moving towards my new hotel I was lucky to catch a male Long tailed Widowbird at the roadside.