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Vacational Trip Reports
South Africa 2017, On the Path of the Nocturnals.
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<blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 3647243" data-attributes="member: 12449"><p><strong><u>19 June. Kgalagadi & Augrabies Falls.</u></strong></p><p></p><p>Lions roaring in the pre-dawn, so started our last day in the Kgalagadi. No possibility to replace the tyre locally, the nearest option being Uppington, 250 km down the road. Debated the wisdom of heading back along the Nossob valley without a back-up tyre, the sandy tracks frequently strewn with acacia thorns. Still no Cheetah though, so we decided to take the risk – would just mean an expensive rescue if worst came to worst.</p><p></p><p>And what a good move it was, our final morning in the Kgalagadi proving most fine. As well as an impressive raptor haul, including six <strong>Secretary Birds</strong>, three <strong>Tawny Eagles</strong>, two <strong>Booted Eagles</strong>, a <strong>Bateleur</strong>, another <strong>Black-chested Snake-Eagle</strong> and three <strong>Lanner Falcons</strong>, mammals were also much in evidence – along with expected <strong>Gemsbok, Springbok</strong> and<strong> Blue Wildebeest</strong>, we encountered no less than 18 <strong>Black-backed Jackals</strong>, four <strong>Bat-eared Foxes</strong>, five <strong>Yellow Mongooses </strong>and eleven <strong>Meerkats</strong>.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, having ambled north for a couple of hours with the critical Cheetahs still remaining unseen, we decided it wise to begin our journey south, ensuring we'd get to Uppington for the tyre change in office hours. <strong>Greater Scimitarbill</strong> flitting between acacias, plenty more <strong>Kori Bustards</strong>, then midway back towards Twee Riverien, a movement towards the top of an adjacent ridge ...and there they were, just when we thought we were doomed in our quest, two most elegant <strong>Cheetahs</strong> walking up the slope, fantastic! Up the rocky slope they went, paused a while on rocks at the ridge top, then one stepped out of view, moments later the other. A classy way indeed to end our time in the Kgalagadi.</p><p></p><p>Exited the national park, made good time to Upington and changed the tyre, then headed west to stay the night at Augrabies Falls, arriving early evening. Spectacular landscapes of massive granite boulders and impressive gorge, the Orange River plunging over a precipitous drop. Abundant<strong> Rock Hyrax </strong>taking in the evening sunshine, <strong>Vervet Monkeys</strong> bouncing around the campsite and chalets adjacent. As dusk fell, large numbers of <strong>Alpine Swifts</strong> and <strong>Rock Martins</strong> over the gorge, then a surprise <strong>African Wild Cat </strong>found by spotlight just after dark. Thought I'd try to catch the cat on my night camera, succeeded in capturing a<strong> Small-spotted Genet</strong>!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jos Stratford, post: 3647243, member: 12449"] [B][U]19 June. Kgalagadi & Augrabies Falls.[/U][/B] Lions roaring in the pre-dawn, so started our last day in the Kgalagadi. No possibility to replace the tyre locally, the nearest option being Uppington, 250 km down the road. Debated the wisdom of heading back along the Nossob valley without a back-up tyre, the sandy tracks frequently strewn with acacia thorns. Still no Cheetah though, so we decided to take the risk – would just mean an expensive rescue if worst came to worst. And what a good move it was, our final morning in the Kgalagadi proving most fine. As well as an impressive raptor haul, including six [B]Secretary Birds[/B], three [B]Tawny Eagles[/B], two [B]Booted Eagles[/B], a [B]Bateleur[/B], another [B]Black-chested Snake-Eagle[/B] and three [B]Lanner Falcons[/B], mammals were also much in evidence – along with expected [B]Gemsbok, Springbok[/B] and[B] Blue Wildebeest[/B], we encountered no less than 18 [B]Black-backed Jackals[/B], four [B]Bat-eared Foxes[/B], five [B]Yellow Mongooses [/B]and eleven [B]Meerkats[/B]. Eventually, having ambled north for a couple of hours with the critical Cheetahs still remaining unseen, we decided it wise to begin our journey south, ensuring we'd get to Uppington for the tyre change in office hours. [B]Greater Scimitarbill[/B] flitting between acacias, plenty more [B]Kori Bustards[/B], then midway back towards Twee Riverien, a movement towards the top of an adjacent ridge ...and there they were, just when we thought we were doomed in our quest, two most elegant [B]Cheetahs[/B] walking up the slope, fantastic! Up the rocky slope they went, paused a while on rocks at the ridge top, then one stepped out of view, moments later the other. A classy way indeed to end our time in the Kgalagadi. Exited the national park, made good time to Upington and changed the tyre, then headed west to stay the night at Augrabies Falls, arriving early evening. Spectacular landscapes of massive granite boulders and impressive gorge, the Orange River plunging over a precipitous drop. Abundant[B] Rock Hyrax [/B]taking in the evening sunshine, [B]Vervet Monkeys[/B] bouncing around the campsite and chalets adjacent. As dusk fell, large numbers of [B]Alpine Swifts[/B] and [B]Rock Martins[/B] over the gorge, then a surprise [B]African Wild Cat [/B]found by spotlight just after dark. Thought I'd try to catch the cat on my night camera, succeeded in capturing a[B] Small-spotted Genet[/B]! [/QUOTE]
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South Africa 2017, On the Path of the Nocturnals.
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