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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Allan Hobbs" data-source="post: 1515542" data-attributes="member: 58367">I've heard Bay Hawk very near at Marloth Park (we have had bats in our thatch, so it was probably hunting them), but weren't lucky enough to see one.As a rule of thumb we estimate speed on the tar roads at an average of about 20kph, less on dirt roads. It can vary tremendously, either with sightings or mammalian roadblocks. Like Sal we have been held up several times by Buffalo herds, and once by a big tusker in musth - he was tearing up trees and throwing them at us :eek!: It has taken us 5 hours to get from Croc Bridge to Lower Sabie, but we did see an awful lot on that drive.As another aside on our first full day it took us an hour to get out of Lower Sabie camp - there were just so many new birds to look at. The aloes on the road by the gate can be particularly productive.As you will be looking for birds you do stand a good chance of seeing the small stuff that big mammal only spotters miss - mongoose (dwarf and slender mostly), small buck (Steenbok, bushbuck, duiker etc) and keep an eye open for tortoises and lizards. We take as much pleasure in spotting a leopard tortoise as a leopard.We have seen Carmine Bee-eaters twice in November, once from the deck in Lower Sabie, and once on the S25 Croc river road. It's all down to luck, so keep hoping!We may also be coming out again in late Oct/Nov as we have been invited to a wedding. It's a tough life but someone has to do it <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Allan</blockquote>

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