Despite the encouragement from Brett and other drinking neighbours to leave at 4:30am because we would see nightjars on the road, H and I got up slightly later than previous day but still managed to leave at around 5:15am. We have gotten more efficient and into our rhythm. It was overcast which is never great for birding and the bush was very quiet for the first few kilometers while the sun was coming up. The sunrise was spectacular though.
The plan was to head east again but to just visit the two dams on the road and then to turn back to camp again. Coffee stops at each dam. We had noticed yesterday on way back that the second dirt road in the area was now open down to the Transport Dam. The first dam though is the Shitlhave. Not much action there except some hippos have a morning argument. After finishing our coffee we headed off to the Transport Dam. On route though we noticed that one of the other dirt roads was open. It is basically a short cut off the tar road and we thought we should take it.
It started off somewhat rutted and we met one car coming in the opposite direction and so assumed he had come from the other side. We then got to a guy in a Toyota Urban Cruiser who started to reverse toward us so we let him reverse and assumed he didn’t want to go further because of the potholed road. When we got to where he was at, we realised why. This road was now a 4×4 route and not a standard road. No chance anyone without a proper 4×4 was going to make it through. Fortunately, we have Landy and this was really only a minor challenge. We really couldn’t understand how KNP could have opened the road because if this was what they considered passable for open, we would hate to know what the closed roads look like! But when we encountered the grader that we had to bushwhack to get around, we started to think that the road should not have been opened but someone must have moved the closure. When we got to the end of the loop, our conclusion was confirmed as that side was firmly closed and we had to drive around the closure to exit back onto the main road. Unexpected 4x4ing but probably the days highlight.
Onward we went to the Transport Dam which turned out to be very productive for birding in that we saw a rarity for the Kruger Park – a rufous-bellied heron. Was also a lifer for Helen – call it an anniversary present for her as today is a our 33rd wedding anniversary. Talking about lifers – H now has 6 lifers for the trip. She is now closing in on my son (S) as she is now on 529 lifers and he is on 540.
We headed back for a late breakfast and then spent the balance of the day in the camp until just after 4pm when we headed out again to the Mestel Dam which is north west from the camp and on one of the only open dirt roads in the area. This time it was definitely open and newly graded. The dam was a hive of activity with elephant and waterbuck there when we arrived and the birds kept coming and going as well. We have added significantly to our trip list and I am now on 174 unique birds for the trip.
Dinner of braai’d chicken wings, venison sausage, sweet potato and mushroom washed down with a nice Kudu lager, G&T for H and some pinot noir. The other good news for the day was that some more roads and bridges are being re-opened and so now Satara camp is accessible from Skukuza again. I went shortly after we got the news to see if we could change our reservation and luckily we have managed to do exactly that and now we have some nights at Satara camp as well.
Until tomorrow … P & H
PS: Unfortunately no entertaining neighbours tonight as both sets have left and no one took their place.
