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Game Drive no 234 by Neil and Morag Hulett unit 45
Hi, Everyone,
Monday 12 am, Beautiful morning, our drive takes us up kudu, find a small herd of impala, then along the e/e and off at the top of the airstrip,we move down towards warthog, find plenty of impala, 3 jackal on the runway a giraffe & a lone wildebeest bull, find more impala on warthog, we decide to go along the RWLR and off along zozo hut road, again large herds of impala, on the open areas and under the single pylons, we continue along zozo ext. plenty of impala about, we cross the palm and take the road past Q's Corner and then onto sable, but we've hardly past the table when Shirleen spots some lion in that dry spruit that comes down from sable, after watching them for awhile we realize they have a kill hidden in the bushes, we never find out what it is, Eric, then unit 11, join us, we do get a reasonable view, and finally in dribs and drabs they make their way down to the palm loop, we count 12 in all, lion, 4 lioness's, the lone sub adult cub, and 2 sets of cubs, of 3 & 3, one lots quite a bit younger than the others, never know how to age these cubs accurately, so we spend sometime there, first T,C&R then we have our breakfast. While we are sitting there, spot a rhino going into drink at sable and 3 jackal keeping their distance, we move on past the wallows, across the palm and along Mashatu drive, then past rhino, up onto the 4 pylons and all the way along to sunset plains, we pass 2 large herds of impala, a herd of zebra and wildebeest before we turn down into the parking at sunset, impala dotted about. We continue upto star crossing then through jackal plains and down to hide, again we find 2 large herds of impala and a family of 5 warthog, and near the water, 2 giraffe, we take the road to nkhonkoni and on the open areas more impala and just before nkhonkoni we find 6 giraffe, plenty of impala on buff plains, and behind the hide we can see a large herd of elephant, more impala on warthog and then home.
This evening, we do a short drive, unpleasant wind blowing, so along to warthog, across to nkhonkoni, down to hide, then back to warthog and then home, a fair amount of impala about, 4 rhino behind the hide at nkhonkoni, and while having a drink at hide, under the knobthorn, a small herd of 10 ellies come in, at the spillway, but instead of having a drink, they walk all the way round the dam and then disappear up to jackal plains???? we take the road to warthog, and find a genet, hunting in a dead tree and finally a lion at the water on warthog, home.Tuesday 13, The morning starts with high overcast, the wind has died away and it's pretty cold, 10deg. on our deck, no sign of any of the big 5 this am but plenty of general game about. We hear lion calling, check out where they were yesterday, but no luck. So as usual impala in numbers, on warthog, buff plains, where we also find giraffe, wildebeest and zebra, we go south and around sable and sable plains, more impala and zebra, we cross the palm and then come back along the zozo ext, impala of course, back to sable for a cuppa and from being dead still, a cold wind starts to pick up from the south, anyway we continue past rhino and onto the 4 pylons, more impala, plus a family of 6 hogs, then all the way down the klaserie cut line, pass 4 large herds of impala in the woodlands, we take the engwe ext for big, Stop for breakfast and a very large herd of impala come into drink, then along to double, nothing about, up to star crossing and through jackal plains, once more impala, dotted about and near the dam, zebra and 5 giraffe, along to the RWLR, through the tunnel, short cut, kudu, home.
Birds, Pair of Bateleurs around big, & a martial eagle near the wallows.
No drive.Wednesday 14 am, Clear and very cold morning, 8 deg on the deck, very quiet to start but as it warms up a bit, more and more game appears. Plenty of impala about, we stop in at sunset parking for a cuppa, along the 4 pylons, zebra and a couple of giraffe, then we go down to hide, where we also find giraffe and wildebeest near the water, we also find a family of 7 warthogs, on hide loop, then across to sand along kudu loop and over to nkhonkoni, impala and zebra up on buff plains, beautiful kudu along snake alley, 2 very impressive bulls amongst the cows, more kudu along the RWLR, we stop at Geoff's table for our breakfast, watch impala and wildebeest on the runway, plus of course the jackal family. Then down to the office, petrol, post and home.
Along the river this evening, a few impala and waterbuck about, but the best spot.A Giant Eagle Owl, near the causeway.Thursday 15 am, We don't drive this am, a beautiful day but very cold, plus a cold and unpleasant breeze.
Friday 16 am, Warmer today, plenty of impala about, plus kudu, near double dam, a lone rhino bull on tamboti link, back past big and onto sand were we count 12 giraffe,we take the road to rhino, and then more kudu along mashatu drive. Zebra, wildebeest and giraffe, all on the plains near the wallows, we go round past sable and back past rhino, and along the 4 pylons, impala of course, we stay on the 4 pylons road all the way to the sunset turn off, impala dotted about down to hide, and in the woodlands to the north of hide, a herd of elephant, these small herds of elephant, when they all come together, say at hide, number about 60 or so strong and seem to be staying in the area between hide, nkhonkoni, sand the RWLR. We take the road to the RWLR. through the tunnel and at the house, we find a really fine bushbuck ram, just behind the car port.
This evening, on our way to hide, we find some of those elephant, about 30 in all, all feeding next to the RWLR in the clearing just before you turn off for hide, and thats as far as we go, some really small ones amongst them, and from the direction of warthog, a troop of 40 baboon, make their way through the elephant and up into the pylons, home.
Saturday 17 am. A clear and very cold morning, only 5 on our deck at 6am, our drive much the same as yesterday, impala everywhere, in the woodlands and open areas, added to that, 4 jackal on the runway, elephant close to hide, a couple of giraffe near big and then along the 4 pylons, more giraffe, zebra, warthog and a small herd of 6 kudu. We stop off at Q's corner for our champs breakfast before continueing on past sable, and sable plains, again impala everywhere and on the new section of the zozo hut road, a herd of 7 kudu, one of them an impressive bull, onto warthog and where we find the 2 old dagga bulls, just leaving the water. home.
Sunday 18 am. Thomas & Jacqui pop up for the day. We take a mid day drive, find a herd of ellies, just before hide dam, enjoy some really good viewing, then near nkhonkoni another herd of elephants, and again we have some great viewing, onto Q's Corner, for a delicious lunch, then back along the zozo hut road, RWLR, warthog pan and down along pels, plenty of impala about, and to end off a super day, a leopard on the river drive, near the causeway. Finally, Mario's Book, has now been published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. It has a new title." MAN-EATERS, MAMBAS and MARULA MADNESS". A Game Ranger's Life in the Lowveld. It includes 4 new chapters, 1 Rangers & Rifles, 2 Leaving a Bloodline, 3 Tracking, and 4, My way with Leopards, there are also a number of new photo's. So if you didn't get one of the first editions, nows your chance. It's available at all leading book stores.
You will notice this letter has taken 2 weeks, for some reason I have been unable to connect with Vodamail so will have to get that sorted out.Monday 19, Down to Nelspruit, Into Vodacom, an adjustment here a click there and hey presto, 100's. once more. We spend the night with our good friends, Ken & Lyn, at Skukuza, watch a herd of elephant moving down stream, their home right on the banks of the Sabie, wonderful.
Tuesday 20, Up through the Park and out at Orpen, no cats, but plenty of buff, ellies and a couple of rhino, mases of general game of course.
Wednesday 21 am, Pretty cold morning, the 2 dagga bulls at warthog, a lone lion, near the parking at hide, plenty of impala about and on phone clearing, 9 giraffe and about 15 zebra, plus of course impala, then while parked on the 4 pylons, near rhino we hear a couple of lion calling over towards that dam on klaserie, so we go up the cut line, hear alot of impala blowing, but no luck, we continue all the way along, down engwe drive, find plenty of impala & 3 giraffe at big, find a large herd of impala, between the 2 dams. We stop for breakfast on the wall, then up through star crossing, down through jackal plains, find the lion, which I have already mentioned, take the road to the RWLR, through the tunnel, home. We haven't been home long, when Graham, who went to see the lion, couldn't find him, but further on round hide loop came on 3 cheetah instead, great, see if we can find them tonight.
Very cold and unpleasant wind comes and it soon clouds over, we stay home.Thursday 22 am, Light rain during the night, actually measure 1mm. The morning is partly cloudy to start, but a cold wind gets up from the south and it slowly clouds over once more and it turns into a windy, cold and unpleasant day. There's a fair amount of general game about, especially impala, on the airstrip and at warthog, find a herd of 6 kudu on the palm at the start of the new section, and further on, 4 giraffe, and a couple of large herds of impala, we find a couple of dagga bulls close to sable. We move on past rhino and along the road to sand, where we find more kudu, at the parking at sunset, there are impala dotted all about and at the top of jackal plains a breeding herd of elephant, slowly moving down towards hide. the wind gets stronger so we end up having our champs breakfast down at the club house, on the way home it starts to spit once more.
It slowly clears up during the day, and turns into a mild evening, so we go in search of 5 lioness's, seen on the e/e near the top of the airstrip by one of the contractors, that morning. We have a look around the garages and the look out, before taking the road to the old ian's pan, no sign, so we continue on and take the Ian's loop, and bump into 2 lioness's, who come right up to the landy, walk round to the back, and the one makes to jump into the landy, we drive off and they both run after us for a short way, we have never seen these 2 before, anyway they cross the RWLR and sort of wander along, between and near the palm and zozo hut road, we lose them close to the single pylons, home.Friday 23, No drive, we take our daughter down to catch her plane for home.
Saturday 24 am, Absolutely beautiful day, as usual there are plenty of impala, we also find a large herd of elephant on the short cut from the e/e to the palm, seem to be quietly feeding all about, then across to hide, more impala, round hide loop, then kudu loop, and onto sand, then nkhonkoni, impala all about, so up through buff plains and snake alley, find a couple of rhino, across the palm and we stop off at sable for a cuppa. Now last night a cheetah made a kill on the plains near the wallows, but no sign this am, but we do find a herd of 8 kudu, 4 cows with 4 magnificent bulls. Past rhino, up the 4 pylons, again masses of impala, down to big and onto double, impala and a couple of giraffe, and at the dam the hippo, upto star crossing and through jackal plains and down to hide, the usual impala, we move on to Geoff's table, for our champs breaky, look down on plenty of game on both warthog and the airstrip, parallel clearing, impala, giraffe, zebra & wildebeest, plus a couple of jackal. home.
Birds, The tawny eagle on the nest on kudu loop and this morning we get a good view of the chick catching the early sun.Sunday 25, A beautiful day. Thats the lot for the week, You all take care now,
Roars & Trumpets, N&M
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