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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Martin Hobbs" data-source="post: 1543412" data-attributes="member: 69991">Sal,Thanks Kruger (Letaba & Olifants)We spent a long day travelling from Crocodile Bridge to Letaba, and so not much time to stop for many birds. We did see a Lappet-faced Vulture sitting in a dead tree just contemplating the world just south of Lower Sabie, and at Lower Sabie we returned to our cars in the car park to see a Collared Sunbird beating its bill against my windscreen. It then moved on to beat the driver’s window of Allan’s car before finally moving on to beat the wing mirror of a bakkie parked close to our cars. We stopped at Satara for lunch and I went for a walk around to see what I could find. In the Fever trees near the fence near the restaurant I found Orange-breasted Bush Shrike, the unmistakable gurgling of a pair of Red-eyed Doves, a pair of Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers came down to the lawn area in front of the restaurant, and in a Fever tree a Common Scimitarbill checked each of the holes in the branches. A Chinspot Batis was rustling around in the undergrowth, and many Bulbuls, Black-headed Orioles, Cape Glossy Starlings and Masked Weavers were feeding on the many Aloes in the camp. Walking to a quieter area I found many Blue Waxbill, Red-billed Firefinches, Southern Grey-headed  Sparrows, Rock and Golden-breasted Buntings and White-browed Scrub Robins.Just as we were about to leave we heard the sound of Scops Owl, and this was lunch time! We moved towards where the calls were coming from, but as per usual they stopped. We were sure they came from the one tree and after a while a pair of them was spotted.   We got to Letaba late afternoon and after booking in I walked from my bungalow to Allan’s and on the way came across Helmeted Guineafowl, African Green Pigeon, Bennett’s Woodpecker,  Kurrichane Thrush,  Yellow-breasted Apalis, oh and two female Bushbuck which roam the camp!Whilst driving around Letaba area and down to Olifants on Wednesday notable spots Hooded Vulture, Three-banded Plover, Malachite Kingfisher, Green-backed Heron, Brown-throated Martins, Ground Hornbill (one with an adolescent), Black-bellied Korhaan, Kori Bustard, Yellow-spotted Nicator, On the way out down the S28, we spotted a Secretary Bird. I use to see them in Pilanesburg on a regular basis, but over the past few years I haven’t seen one in Pilanesburg or Kruger.  I am not sure if I have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or there are generally fewer sightings of this bird? Anyway, this sighting made my trip.  The one picture below is of the head of a Helmeted Guineafowl. I have looked at the size of this head and I am now not surprised they behave in such an erratic almost suicidal manner….. there is no room for any brain!  Kevin,The Collared Sunbird attacking the wing mirror is as close as I got to taking a picture of a bird in flight!</blockquote>

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