We were up and leaving at roughly the same time as yesterday around when the sun rose. The bushveld seemed even quieter this morning. It also didn’t help that there was a thin layer of cloud. Cloudy conditions is never conducive to birding. It was also quite cool at around 15 degrees C. We only added our first new bird at after 7am this morning.
We took a different route to yesterday and rather headed south down the main road and then turned west to a bird hide situated over a pan. There was a lot of elephant wreckage on the road to the hide and when we arrived at the hide we could hear the elephant in the bush though we never saw it. The path to the hide went on for what seemed forever. Probably felt much longer than it really was because one of us was carrying a toddler in either direction. It must have been at least 500 meters though. Unfortunately not a lot of action at the hide or on the pan.
We headed back to camp after the hide stop. On the way back, when we got cellphone signal, I got a message that our new car was waiting for us at the one entrance gate. They would not let the driver in to deliver the vehicle so we had to go to him so we could get it swapped. Fortunately the gate is only about 13 kms from the camp so we just headed off their to do the swap. We now have a much more decent car – VW Kombi. A minivan built as a minivan just is al-round a much better car. Everyone had taken a chance to comment on what aspects they prefer of the new car already. Once again, my PA did a great job of getting them to bring what was originally promised to us.
On the way back to camp, we encountered a large herd of buffalo who seemed intent to stand in the road and were seemingly unmoved by our car trying to get past them. I eventually managed to inch forward enough to get them to scatter a little and let us through. Z is clearly enjoying the animals. Her favourite are the ‘More-togs’ that she clearly wants to see more of :). She is remarkably good in the car and is quite content to just sit and look out of the window at the trees and the more-togs (when she sees them) or pressing the hazard button or cleaning the windscreen. The ability to roam between the front and the back seat seems to be particularly enticing and the occasional tug at the steering wheel also seems to keep her occupied. She was dozing off as we pulled back into camp this morning.
We spent the rest of the day in the camp today. SKZ all had a nap at the same time and H & I went for an hour 15 minute walk down to the gate and then back on the Forest Walk to do some birding. We managed to add 5 birds to the trip list and H got a lifer. Then back at the house we are staying in, S spotted a woodpecker and called us outside to see that and I ended up adding another lifer for a bird that S spotted but then wrongly identified but fortunately I ignored him and double checked and disagreed with his ID and then he corrected himself and corrected his ID. Part redemption for S. That did bring me to 590 lifers and 65 birds for the trip thus far. Disappointing day really for birding (despite the lifer) as we only added 11 birds today to the trip list.
Dinner this was again a braai. This time of chicken wings and chicken sausage with gem squash again in the fire. H complemented that with a salad of made of sauteed broccoli and zucchini with lettuce and feta.
At the moment I am the last one standing with everyone else have already migrated off to bed. Time to join them and maybe watch some golf (if the WiFi works well enough to allow me to do it!).
Until tomorrow …
P, Z (she is my grand daughter and she has been remarkably good in the car), H, S (he did spot the lifer at the least even though he almost made me miss it) and K (though she almost got a promotion because she was the only one to not criticize my blog – which seemingly is now a sport in the family)
