Mokola National Park.
The day to kill between the two nights at Marrick, I had not originally planned to visit this national park and thus had not done any research. Indeed, as I found out, I did not even know exactly where it was, eventually having to stop at a rural police station to ask where the entrance was! In the event however, Mokola was a revelation, truly an excellent locality – I was tempted there by the possibility of Black Wildebeest, I left with far more, 22 mammal species included!
A reserve of rolling grassland and acacia savannah, I picked up a map at the national park reception and then headed off, not before finding out that White Rhino also inhabited the reserve, a very pleasing surprise. Wary of potential poaching though, the reserve staff do not share information as to the best areas to find these mighty beasts, thus I would have to hope for luck. Fairly think bush in the first area I explored, Spotted Thick-knee roosting under an acacia, Acacia Pied Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide and Golden-breasted Bunting also seen, plus a range of common mammals such as Springbok, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest and Warthog. Also nice, both Tsessebe and Red Hartebeest seemed rather common, small herds of each ambling through the mixed grassland/bush environment.
Even better however was what I encountered a few kilometres further: rounding a corner, some rather unmistakable dollops aside the track, large fresh dollops almost elephant-like – it had to be rhino poop, I was in rhino country! And sure enough, in a grassy clearing not more than a few hundred metres further, there stood two most impressive White Rhinos. Two White Rhinos doing absolutely nothing, just standing back to back and appearing to largely snooze! No complaints from my car though, having not seen them in Kruger, I thought we had missed out on this trip, so this was really an unexpected bonus. But then the bonuses went on and on ...bumped into another three half an hour later, then a mother and youngster and then yet another three, these last ones trotting in to a waterhole. Ten White Rhinos in the space of an hour!
Still hadn't seen Black Wildebeest however, so began to traverse the national park to reach the northern end, an area far more open. Sickle-winged Chat and Wattled Starlings on route, so too Kudu, Vervet Monkeys and Baboons. And then I got to the open grasslands, a herd of Buffalo at the fringe and then a majestic swathe of golden grass stretching into the distance, nicely dotted with Burchell's Zebras and, just as I had hoped, Black Wildebeests! Zigzagged the area, counted at least 90 Black Wildebeest, all most distinctive with their shaggy white manes, plus encountered plenty more too – amongst the mammals, six Bat-eared Foxes, 18 Meerkats and, looking most resplendent, two elegant Sables. Good birding too, grassland species including two Small Buttonquails running along the track, two Ludwig's Bustards in the grass, one Northern Black Korhaan, a Three-banded Courser also beside a track and quite a number of passerines in good numbers, Southern Anteating Chats and Capped Wheatears included, plus African Pipit, Buffy Pipit, Shaft-tailed Whydahs and Yellow Canaries.
All in all, for a locality that I had not planned to visit, I was impressed no end. Departing, I also added Steenbok and Yellow Mongoose, as well as two Roan on neighbouring property, though these were likely stocked animals.
Then it was back to Marrick ...