Sable Dam & Satara – Wild Dogs!

When we left the picnic site after breakfastWildDog_D__8743 veld on either side was dry and dusty and seemingly devoid of any life. Then, as it happens in the Kruger Park, we turned a corner and everything changed. A few cars were parked by the side of the road, and just off the road, under the trees, were the wild dog pack from the previous night, looking very sleepy and relaxed. We took a few quick snaps, but soon decided that sleepy dogs in harsh light will never make truly stunning photos.

Wild dogs usually sleep during the day. They wake up in the late afternoon, play for a few minutes, and then move off to hunt. Knowing this, we let the sleeping dogs lie (ha ha) and left, planning to return around 3 in the afternoon, and then wait for them to get up and start playing. We went back to the camp, freshened up, had some ice-cream, and then went back to the dogs. We waited about an hour, during which we at least got to photograph a rasp of guineafowl the moved past, briefly getting agitated when the saw the dogs.

The dog closest to the road briefly woke up, and stared at the guineafowl for a few minutes before falling back to sleep.

Then, one of the dogs sleeping further away from the road got up and went to wake up one of its fellows. Their activity seemed to rouse the other dogs, and suddenly the entire pack seemed to come alive..

We managed to get a few more shots before they moved off into the bushes and we left the area with broad smiles on our faces. On our way back to the camp, we passed the Nsmani dam, with the sun setting spectacularly through the smoke of distant velt-fires. A perfect end to a fabulous day!

Sable Dam & Satara – A very productive morning

Saturday morning, after oversleeping slightly, we drove North on the H1-4, in the direction from where we had heard the lions roar the night before. We passed the usual herds of Zebra and Wildebeest just outside Satara, and about half and hour after leaving the camp, came across a Bateleur perched on the dry stump, posing for the perfect photo, the way Bateleurs never seem to do, so we stopped and took a few shots.

When it flew away, it’s perched was almost immediately taken by a Tawney Eagle. We couldn’t believe our luck! As we sat photographing the Eagle, it was suddenly chased off it’s perched by another Tayney. Johan managed to get a shot of the action.

The Tawney flew a few metres and perched on the other side of the tree, almost looking sorry for itself…

When both Tawneys finally left, we drove on.

40 mintues after leaving the Eagles, we were stopped by another car, who told us that they had just caught a vague glimpse of a cat that could could be a cheatah, disappearing under the road. We scanned the opposite side of the road for a short while, and soon saw a beautiful leopard strolling away through the grass, towards a big tree some distance from the road. As we waited, if climbed the tree and draped itself over one of the lowed branches.

When we were satisfied that we had got the photos we wanted of the leopard, we drove further, turning off onto the S127, towards the Timbavati picnic spot. When we got the crossing of the S127 and S39, it was still only 9:15, and the light was still perfectly reasonably for photography, so we decided to turn right and go check out the Ratelpan hide before breakfast. As we turned into one of the lookout points over the Timbavati river, we saw a herd of elephants leaving the river bed, and going into the bush towards the road. We quickly turned around and drove towards where we hoped they would cross the road, and were just in time to turn and around again, and photograph then as the crossed the road behind us. It was quite a big herd, including several tiny babies, and at least one teenage bull full of attitude.

After that we briefly popped into the hide saw a few water birds bravely sharing the river bed with large crocodiles, and returned to the Timbavati picnic spot for breakfast.

Sable Dam & Satara – Elephant Memorial

On Friday, 30 May we took a leisurely drive down to Satara, where we would stay for the rest of the trip. On the way, we stopped at Letaba, where we had lunch at the temporary “Boskombuis”, with the most delicious home-made lemonade we have ever had! After lunch, we popped in at the Elephant hall – definitely worth a visit!

Driving down the H1-5 along the Olifants river, we came across a rather unique sighting – the carcass of of an adult elephant bull, still unopened and with ivory intact, lying on the river bank. As we sat watching the crocodiles and vultures trying to get through the thick skin, a breeding herd of elephants walked out of the bushes across the river and approached the carcass. The stood for a few minute, smelling the carcass without touching it. As we sat photographing the encounter, the emotion from the elephants were almost tangible. A young bull seemed particularly upset, shaking his head and stomping his feet.

Another interesting thing was that as soon as the herd appeared, all the crocodiles scattered, reappearing only when the herd walked away.

A short distance further, we happened upon a pair of fish-eagles in a dry tree – always an excellent photo opportunity!

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A few kilometers from Satara, we were welcomed by a pack of Wild dogs coming in our direction (followed by the expected convoy of tourist cars). Since we  were extremely tired and dirty after very little sleep and no showers at the hide and the sun had already gone, making photographing the very active dogs near impossible, we simply enjoyed watching them pass, and then moved on towards the camp.

SataraChalet_IMG_6878

Our allocated bungalow (no 14) was warm and inviting, and after unpacking and taking showers, we decided to skip the braai and have dinner at the new Mugg &Bean.

I will definitely recommend making use of the new restaurants! The staff, looking SataraChalet_IMG_6879smart in their crisp, new uniforms, were friendly and enthusiastic. The food was of the same high quality one expects from Mugg & Bean outlets in the city. Even the peppermint crist tart we had for dessert was great. All in all, a very pleasant experience!

Sable dam & Satara, 2014 – Sable Dam Hide

We entered through Phalaborwa gate just after 4pm. The very friendly gate staff supplied us with the keys to the enclosure around the hide, a braai grid and a rechargeable light. As is customary, we turned off the radio and opened the windows as we slowly drove the few kilometres to the hide.

SableDam_IMG_6842Sable dam was still very full after the heavy rains of March, and the bush around it lush and green. We pulled into the hide and unpacked our cameras just in time to photograph the spectacular sunset, reveling in the fact that we didn’t have to hurry away to get to another camp or gate in time.

The amenities at the hide is very basic, but sufficient. There are two braai-areas, complete with braai, some seating, and a table with a bench where one can sit if want to. Inside the hide are 9 beds with surprisingly decent mattresses. Both doors have sliding locks, and all the viewing opening inside the hides have mesh shutters that can also close with sliding locks, to keep unwanted “guests” out during the night.

SableDam_IMG_6876When the sun was gone, we built the braai fire and had dinner, followed by hot-chocolate, made with water boiled on the fire, while listening to the night sounds and marveling at the intensity of the stars. Lions, Hyaena and Jackal raised their voices above the background noises of insects and the bats that prey on them. Once, an amazingly loud lapping-sound turned out to be a spoon bill filtering through the shallows towards the right side of the hide.

Early the next morning, we re-stoked the fire, boiled water for coffee, and left the hide behind, hoping to find the owners of some of the voices we heard through the night. We found one – a lone Black-backed, that paused in the grass, lit by the early morning sun, just long enough for a few quick photos.

Sable dam & Satara, 2014

Trip Gallery

Having run out of ideas for birthday gifts for Johan, I decided to give him a trip to the bush. I spent hours on google, searching for private lodges that offer the bush-feel that I knew he would want (including at least some of the big 5) and yet fall inside the realms of affordability. There were none. So I went back to our national parks, and gave Johan a choice – Pilanesberg, Marakele, Mapongupwe, or Kruger. He picked Kruger, and specifically – Satara. In an attept to make the trip extra-special (it was his birthday gift, after all) we decided to start by spending the first night in the sleep-over hide at Sable Dam.

What an experience! Any trip that starts with a sunset as spectacular as the one from Sable Dam hide, can only be good!

I will start with the lists of species that we spotted:

Birds

1. Common Ostrich
2. Crested Francolin
3. Red-necked Spurfowl
4. Swainson’s Spurfowl
5. Helmeted Guineafowl
6. Egyptian Goose
7. Golden-tailed Woodpecker**
8. Southern Red-billed Hornbill
9. Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
10. African Grey Hornbill
11. Southern Ground-Hornbill
12. African Hoopoe
13. Green Wood-hoopoe
14. Lilac-breasted Roller
15. Purple Roller
16. Giant Kingfisher
17. Pied Kingfisher
18. Burchell’s Coucal
19. Grey Go-away-bird
20. Cape Turtle Dove
21. Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
22. Kori Bustard
23. Northern Black Korhaan
24. Black Crake
25. Double-banded Sandgrouse
26. African Jacana
27. Water Thick-knee
28. Black-winged Stilt**
29. Three-banded Plover
30. Blacksmith Lapwing
31. White-crowned Lapwing
32. Senegal Lapwing*
33. Crowned Lapwing
34. African Fish Eagle
35. Hooded Vulture
36. White-backed Vulture
37. Lappet-faced Vulture
38. Bateleur
39. Tawny Eagle
40. Martial Eagle
41. Secretarybird
42. Reed Cormorant
43. Grey Heron
44. Goliath Heron
45. Great Egret
46. Western Cattle Egret
47. Hamerkop
48. African Spoonbill
49. Yellow-billed Stork
50. African Openbill
51. Woolly-necked Stork
52. Saddle-billed Stork
53. Magpie Shrike
54. Southern White-crowned Shrike*
55. Fork-tailed Drongo
56. Brubru*
57. Black-backed Puffback
58. Black-crowned Tchagra
59. Orange-breasted Bushshrike
60. Grey-headed Bushshrike*
61. White-crested Helmet-Shrike
62. Chinspot Batis
63. African Stonechat**
64. Mocking Cliff Chat*
65. Cape Glossy Starling
66. Greater Blue-eared Starling
67. Burchell’s Starling
68. Red-billed Oxpecker
69. Rufous-winged Cisticola
70. Long-billed Crombec
71. Arrow-marked Babbler
72. Sabota Lark
73. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
74. Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
75. Blue Waxbill

Mammals

1. Impala
2. Bushbuck
3. Kudu
4. Waterbuck
5. Steenbok
6. Grey Duiker
7. Blue Wildebeest
8. African Buffalo
9. Plains Zebra
10. Common Warthog
11. Giraffe
12. African Elephant
13. White Rhinoceros
14. Hippopotamus<
15. Lion
16. Leopard
17. African Wild Cat
18. Spotted Hyaena
19. African Wild Dog
20. Black-backed Jackal
21. Slender Mongoose
22. Dwarf Mongoose
23. Tree Squirrel
24. Vervet Monkey
25. Baboon

* New species
** New species for Kruger National Park

More posts with photos to come…