Monday 13th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge

SUNRISE IN MADIKWE

The usual early start for the morning drive.  A spectacular sunrise at the airstrip was made even more so by the arrival of a large herd of African Buffalo.  As always they were very nervous and inquisitive but provided a great display as they moved South.

AFRICAN BUFFALO

As we left them behind we learned from the radio that the African Wild Dog were on the move and after a mad-cap chase we caught up with them and were once again treated to a repertoire of their intricate pack behaviour. Our last sight of them included a charming vignette as one by one the pups boldly approached the vehicle and stared us down, for all the world like young gunslingers in a Hollywood Western.

YOUNG GUNS

At a waterhole was a large Grey Heron and a striking Hammerkop collecting grass and twigs.  Blue Waxbill flitted to and fro across the front of the Land Cruiser and we came across a small herd of Giraffe.  After spending a quiet ten minutes watching them we burst into uncontrollable laughter as our Ranger Marc stopped the vehicle directly under a Lilac-breasted Roller, perched on a telephone wire, which duly “bombed” the truck and giving Dr Monica the luckiest of escapes.

HAMMERKOP

Returning to camp we passed Impala, Kudu and saw Red-billed Hornbill but our next spectacular surprise was just before we entered the Lodge when we came face to face with a large herd of Elephant complete with tiny babies.  The herd traced the Lodge fence before disappearing into the bush.

WHEN I GROW UP ....

Sitting on our veranda we were treated to Crimson-breasted Shrike, a Crested Barbet and African Red-eyed Bulbul, very different to our Red-vented and Yellow-vented Bulbul in the Emirates.

CRESTED BARBET

The evening drive saw us striving once again to find the elusive Leopard.  We struck out to the South-West to the area where we had viewed Baboon the previous evening.  Beneath the cliffs where the Baboon have their den we caught the fleeting glimpse of a lone Brown Hyena.  Climbing the ridge above the cliffs on an open plain we found Wildebeeste, Burchell’s Zebra and Impala grazing in harmony.

Frequent visits to various waterholes gave us White Rhino and a single bull Elephant but still no Leopard !  On our way home a Nightjar leapt into the sky casting an eerie shadow in the headlights of the truck.

Dinner of Ostrich steak followed by Amarula Tiramisu - henceforth known as Timarula !