Thursday 16th September - Phinda Mountain Lodge

We landed at Richards Bay at mid-day, under a low cloud base and drizzle after an eventless flight from Joburg.  Vervet Monkeys greeted us at the side of the road as we left the airport.  We drove through vast swathes of Eucalyptus Tree planted in serried ranks.

Entering the Phinda Reserve we were greeted (unwittingly) by Warthog, Burchell’s Zebra, Wildebeeste and Impala.  We had or first ever sighting of Nyala and arriving at Mountain Lodge found that they and Vervet Monkeys use it as both sanctuary and playground.

NYALA LAMB

After lunch we met our Ranger Bruce and our fellow guests Robin & Lynn, Garth & Veronica; all from South Africa. Under overcast skies we set out on the Evening drive.

LYNN DESCRIBES ROBIN'S COLLAR SIZE TO NOEL & VERONICA 

There had been an earlier sighting of a female Cheetah and her two cubs and we followed to find them on a patch of open ground.  By this time the drizzle had increased and the temperature started to drop.  Cape Glossy Starlings darted across the vista with flashes of iridescent blue.

CHEETAH & TWO CUBS

Our Eagle-eyed spotter Sifiso detected a sleeping male Lion at over 200 yards.  At a waterhole a Woolly-necked Stork stabbed the water to find crab and small fish whilst Great White Egret, Egyptian Goose, Water Thick-knee and Grey Heron prepared to roost.

SIFISO

The rain which had been drizzle at the start of the drive was now a steady downpour and after spending half an hour looking and listening for a Leopard and her cub.  We set off back to the Lodge and our path was temporarily blocked by a herd of docile African Buffalo and our last sighting of the night was of a Gennet scurrying away from the Sifiso’s spotlight.