We didn’t have high expectations after yesterday as we could not possibly see how we could have had another day like yesterday. As far as game & bird viewing were concerned we were right. It was very much a low-key day but then we also didn’t spend much time out game viewing today but spent more time in the camp.

Helen wanted to get another run in and she did that before we headed out this morning. That meant we left a little later than usual (probably around 6am).  We decided to do the same route as yesterday but exit out of the loop earlier (there are two places you can do that). We saw a reasonable amount of game and bird life but much of what we had seen previously. On the birding front we only managed to add two new birds in the morning.

We stopped for our morning coffee at one of the pull off spots around the dry river bed. There is very little water up here despite it being the rainy season. In fact, the Kanniedood Dam (which translated into English means Can’t Die) is Dood. Not a drop of water in it.  I never said it yesterday but that’s what makes the bird hide a little superfluous except to spot leopard (it seems). However, I digress. The point of me mentioning morning coffee was that we had just made our coffees (we travel prepared … I have Aeropress … google it if necessary) when a foreigner pulled up and asked what we saw.  We politely told him we were just having coffee and he wished us well drinking our coffee and pulled off.  Not 30 seconds later I see something walking across the riverbed, pull our my binoculars and sure enough – hyena. But that plus the 2 new birds for the trip were the highlight of the morning drive.

Helen tried out the pool facilities which were needed by midday when the sun was beating down. It got up to 37 degrees today (the hottest day so far for us). In the sun it is oppressively hot. In the shade it is just very hot.

We went out for a late afternoon drive at 5pm and it was still showing 36 degrees at that point. The highlight of the evening drive was seeing a Giant (Verreaux) Eagle Owl. We have seen them before but Helen and I had remarked earlier in the trip that we hadn’t seen one recently.  It was also the first owl we had seen this trip (we have been trying desperately see one but with no joy until now). Helen spotted it in a tree alongside the river and given it was on my side of the road I will have to promote her tonight on the blog side off.

Dinner was a steak salad (3rd time in the last 8 days!). Steak was perfectly cooked again (especially for you Stephen).

Until tomorrow … (a few extras are joining us)

H & P

PS: Picture of leopard from 2 days ago and cheetah from yesterday (just downloaded my photos from my decent camera) but the other picture is from just outside Shingwedzi as we drove back in tonight.