Bayala part 3

12 October

Returning from the morning game drive and while Sam and Tom were getting ready for breakfast I decided to try and photograph and identify some of the sunbirds in the grounds.

I started on the males as they were easier to identify. First up a male Marico Sunbird

here an adult male Scarlet-chested Sunbird

and a young Scarlet-chested Sunbird

another Marico

It was soon time for breakfast and as ever Tom had got a head start and was halfway through his first helpings and making his second order with "The Professor" who had got to know Tom's requirements.

Following breakfast I continued in the camp grounds....

A Lesser Striped Swallow was nesting behind our room.

A male Chinspot Batis

and here the female Chinspot

One of the commonest small birds in the grounds were the Yellow-fronted Canaries

We had been recommended the "Elephant Interaction" at Bayete Zulu Game Reserve- which was just a 20 minute drive away. This is home to two habituated elephants- Rambo & Rachel, who are free to roam the reserve as they wish. The story behind this is that they were rescued from a tourist attraction in another part of Africa. The attraction had shut down and these two majestic, beautiful creatures were scheduled to be culled! The guys at this reserve rescued them from their fate and brought them over to Bayete. Then the problems began- both Rachel and Rambo were so used to human interactions that they were constantly getting into trouble by seeking out that human contact. Roaming into villages, damaging fences and buildings to do so. The answer? A feed station was built for them, well away from where damage could be done. As people want to know more about elephants they can now go to the feeding station to learn about Rambo and Rachel and elephants in general from the reserve rangers. The guests pay an entrance fee which in turn covers the cost for their welfare and Rachel and Rambo get the human interaction that they long for.

Among many facts we learnt that there are 80,000 muscles in an elephants truck

inspecting the Jacobson's organ which helps the elephants in pheromone detection - their sixth sense.

Then back out on the game drive and more encounters with Zebra

I had noticed something strange happening over the past few days and that was Tom using binoculars !

Scanning across the hills it was amazing to see the distances these game animals moved. Here some distant Nyala.

Nothing like turning the corner to see a Rhino coming towards you along the road. Off goes the engine and with us making no noise or movement it came remarkably close.

Some very nice Leopard food standing at the side of the road. If only they would snort and run off in a panic, but no they were quite calm so no Leopards on the cards.......

A Hammerkop at one of the dams

We encountered a group of Giraffes fighting. The sound of them wacking their necks at one another and swishing their heads from side to side captivated Tom. If I knew how to upload video on this blog platform I would. These two were really going for it.

13 October

Becoming the norm our first animals of the day were Buffalo.

and on the backs of those Buffalo were Oxpeckers keeping them clean and having themselves a meal at the same time, a good commensal strategy.

More Rhinos - Garrick told us the way to tell Black from White Rhino was that the latter keep their heads down close to the ground for grazing. Black Rhinos are browsers and their pointed lip helps them feed on leaves from bushes and trees.

Ever present were Birchall's Coucals.

We were getting to know Garrick and he had another of those moments. A purposeful drive to a nearby dam where we encountered some Lions. We sat and watched them for a good while, a bit of interplay a lot of sleeping and some mating going on.

To be so close to these Apex predators with them taking so little notice was a real privelage. The game have got used to vehicles and don't seem to equate them to humans, but that would be a different matter if you jumped down from the Land Cruiser !

We left the Lions to their routines and stopped off at a couple more dams on our return to the lodge.

Yellow-billed Stork

Following breakfast and thanks to Derek Woodhouse's and David Fisher's contacts I had been invited to a hide for an hour's afternoon birding. On arrival I was surprised to see it was sunk into the ground and was on eye level with a drinking pool.

It was already hot and I was wondering how I'd cope with the increased heat, but no fear there as it was air conditioned ! A wonderful hide and I was extremely grateful to have been allowed to use it. Garrick accompanied me and he too was impressed.

Some of the sightings from this hide included......

Golden-breasted Bunting

Crested Barbet with Bulbuls

Spectacled Mousebird

Sombre Greenbul

Jameson's Firefinch

Green-winged Pytilia

Village Weaver

and in a show of horns..........

and then more Impala, females all looking a bit nervous..... must be a Leopard about I mused

Nope just a couple of Warthogs

I returned to the Lodge to find Sam and Tom by the pool.

It was our penultimate full day and as I swam in the pool my mind wandered onto thoughts of "you know what" What chance is there in the remaining time of seeing a Leopard. There had been reports of one but it was very elusive and apparently only seen briefly by another lodge disappearing into the bush to lie up all day. Hmmm it wouldn't be a disaster as the trip so far had exceeded all my expectations but it would be the icing on the cake to see one, or even part of one.

So with just three drives left, this pm and two on the last day I was excited/concerned/apprehensive............. would I catch up with this most wanted cat ?