It was very hot yesterday and so we decided to do a short evening drive yesterday just to the nearby dam and back. It is only about 10 kms away. As we got near the dam there is a turn just before the dam and there were numerous cars parked off there. We turned off and immediately saw a two male lions lying and sleeping in the shade of the tree. They weren’t going anywhere and I doubt they were going to do anything until the sun went down and we had to be back in the camp. There was no point in hanging around especially since we had a much better sighting earlier in the day with the pride of 10 and they were active. We went to the dam, saw some of the usual game and so headed back to camp.

H went for a walk and came back saying she think she saw an injured Eastern Nicator. It was flapping around the bushes and given it would be a lifer for me, we headed back to have a look and I saw it doing the same thing. H later read that they can pretend to be injured to distract you away from their nest. We aren’t sure if it was genuinely injured or whether it was trying to distract us but either way we saw it and it was a lifer for me so that means I am now on 509 lifers. Braai (chicken wings and sausage) for dinner and then off to bed early.

We left Satara at 6am this morning as we were changing camps and heading for Pretoriouskop for the next 3 nights. It is a relative long drive (140kms) which you would think would only take a short time but given you drive at around 40 km/h and stop for sightings etc, it probably took 6 hours. It was much cooler today and overcast most of the day (though it never rained). More pleasant for driving but not good for bird watching. The birds were very quiet. We saw some hyena on the road (younger ones) and then we saw their parents a little further down the road as well. We saw the standard game – wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, impala, baboons etc. The only new addition to our animal list was that we saw nyala at one of the waterholes.

We stopped for breakfast at Tshokwane (it is a picnic spot as you head south) and then we stopped again at Skukuza for a leg stretch, toilet break and milshakes/ice cream. Our final stop was Pretoriouskop. We arrived just after 2pm (check in time is 2pm) and so we were able to get our chalet (it is actually a 3-bedroom chalet) immediately. Relaxing afternoon catching up on whatsapp and emails and a little birdwatching. We are now up to 82 birds so far for the trip.

B, S & H decided to do a late afternoon run (likely the coolest day for the rest of the week). We skipped the evening drive (given the length of the drive to get here). Chicken schnitzel and mushrooms on braai for dinner and then off to bed.

Until tomorrow!

P, H, S & B (S moved up because she pointed out she had been a help to me … usually asking to move up results in you moving down automatically but she did a worthy thing so I promoted her one spot only)