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We Found Lions on Foot During Our 3 Day Kruger Walking Trail

Despite the torrential downpours and unpredictable weather bestowed upon us by moody Mother Nature, our scheduled 3 day walking trail in the Greater Kruger’s Maseke Game Reserve went ahead as planned. This weather is not atypical to the Kruger during the summer months and this time of year we’re at the tail end of summer, so the weather can be ominous at times. However, this certainly doesn’t deter our wildlife. We enjoyed an absolute highlight of a sighting – we discovered lions while on foot! Who cares about one day of bad weather when you get to observe lazy lions succumbing to their full stomachs from a recent kill.

Being on foot means we are constantly in the right place at the right time. Expert trails guide Luan set out on Thursday to lead the walking group through the undulating Maseke Game Reserve in search of wildlife. Many lessons were learnt en route and plenty of laughs were shared.

Photographer Em Gatland joined the intrepid crew to document their journey and share a few highlights from our bi-weekly 3 day walking trail. Tracking animals on foot while retiring to a different scenic location each night and being waited on hand-and-foot by qualified staff offers the best of three worlds – adventure, comfort and wildlife.

Day 1 : Hear Us Roar

The first day at camp included the standard arrival procedure. Arrive, kick back, unwind and relax. Depending on the group, weather conditions and general consensus; a choice is made to either walk or enjoy an evening game drive. The group opted for a game drive which proved to deliver ample wildlife sightings of elephants, crocodiles and bounding plains game.

The real excitement came when the adventurers returned to camp.

While discussing life in general around the crackling campfire and hungry embers, the lions began to contact call. When dinner was served an implausibility of wildebeest appeared to be disgruntled and were going mad around the outskirts of camp. In the early hours of the morning the group heard the unmistakeable sounds of a lion pride taking down prey. From the sounds it was clear the the incident was close to camp.

Day 2 : Getting Close to Slumbering Lions

At 5:30 the walkers headed out into the undiscovered bushveld. This was circa 2 hours since the lions had made the kill, so Luan decided to try locate them using his tracking skills combined with knowledge of the pride’s behaviour from the previous day. Luan headed straight for the thick bush ensuring great care and safety was taken at all times. Photographer Em said, “It was quite an adrenalin rush heading into the mopane woodlands to find the lions!”

Luan found fresh tracks and, lo and behold, the lions were found ! The cats were completely flat and had full bellies. Em couldn’t get the best visual while on foot because the lions were shrouded in greenery and refused to rise from their slumbering positions.

That evening after walking 6 – 8 km in the wild the evening game drive was a welcome relief. Yet again more wildlife was spotted proving that the Maseke Game Reserve truly has earned its social media hashtag, #MasekeMagic!

Day 3 : Spotting a Spitting Cobra

The second day of walking delivered even further interesting sightings with an unusual encounter with a Mozambique Spitting Cobra. Luckily Luan was leading the walkers and spotted this agitated youngster from a distance. Em was close enough to take a quick photo, but she avoided getting too close.

The day saw the group learning about the small things in the ‘veld. Old bones and skulls from recent big cat kills were discovered. Luan discussed the many uses of the surrounding vegetation and the group managed to spot four elephant herds frolicking in the deep waters.

Shortly before returning to camp the weather showed its more temperamental side and warned everyone that the following day might not go as planned (that’s what we call an adventure!).

Yet again, the lions were calling throughout the night.

Day 4 : The Wrath of Mother Nature

As predicted, Mother Nature decided that she’d had enough of our incredible sightings so she opened the thunderclouds and let the rains down in Africa replenish the landscape! It was all part of the adventure.

We hope this gives you a clearer understanding of what our 3 night, 4 day Africa on Foot walking trail in the Maseke Game Reserve entails. We can’t always guarantee the type of sightings we had last week because each trail is different. but we can guarantee a unique walking and wildlife experience deep in the heart of the Kruger!

Showcasing the Timbavati’s Pachyderms and Bovids

In conjunction with the prehistoric rhino, the Cape buffalo and African elephant are the big five’s colossal herbivores. Found in abundance in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, our buffalo and elephant sightings make up the bulk of our big game sightings on our traverse. Both buffalo and elephant have a penchant for pure water and are often found congregated around waterholes indulging their favourite past time – wallowing, swimming and replenishing their thirst.

The major waterholes on the Walkers Bush Villa traverse seem to be a favourite spot for buffalo. A recent sighting included a huge breeding herd of bovids casually lapping up water, and private guide Brett managed to get up close with the herd. Buffalo are bulk grazers and therefore need to drink on a daily basis. Together with the necessary water intake due to ingestion of rough vegetation, buffalo will also wallow in shallow waters to cool down their systems.

In order for the herds to travel from one area in an open plain towards a waterhole they need one of the herd members to lead them in the right direction. This appointed leader is called the pathfinder and isn’t necessarily the older more dominant one within the herd. While out on drive your private guide might follow the pathfinder while the buffalo are the move – it’s bound to end up somewhere exciting.

Brett managed to locate the herds and track them to the waterhole where many moments were spent observing the young bulls coating themselves with mud and the youngsters tentatively testing the water’s edge.

Elephants are a constant source of entertainment in the Timbavati and the huge herds are consistently spotted lumbering their way through the reserve in search of edible greens and unspoilt sources of water. They provide guests at Walkers with scenes of grey jumbos using their trunks as snorkels, calves stumbling at waterholes and young bulls constantly sparring with one another in an attempt for dominance. This particular morning game drive in the Timbavati delivered a fair share of pachyderm sightings and Brett managed to angle the vehicle so that guests could get up close and personal with elephants !

March Rangers Review : The Wild is Heaving with Cats and Dogs

We’re onto our second edition of the Rangers Review but we’ve have been somewhat delayed due to the interruption of holidays and the Easter weekend. We figure you don’t mind waiting, provided we supply a wealth of images and updates from our side! From our remote Botswana camps to our easily accessible Kruger camps, lions and wild dogs appear to be the common denominator throughout. This makes sense given that we are approaching the African wild dog’s sedentary denning period; and that the late summer brings plenty of new births into the wild which increases prey density.

Without further ado, here is our catch up session !

RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp

Motswiri camp hosted an educational with a number of agents that enjoyed a whirlwind journey into the Trails of Botswana route. Our videographer/photographer Rogan Kerr joined the journey and documented the safari. The height of emerald season is when the rains pelt down and replenish the landscape, creating carpets of greenery and overflowing waterholes. The educational tool place during this green season, and despite the thickets being dense, game viewing was at an all time high!

Here are Rogan’s favourite sightings from the month :

Wild dogs outside of camp.
A coalition of full bellied male lions sitting with their roan kill.
A pair of giraffe bulls engaging in a sparring match.
Witnessing the Selinda Spillway beginning to flow again !

Tuskers Bush Camp and Xobega Island Camp

Tuskers and Xobega also form part of our Trails of Botswana route, and agents enjoyed a stay at both camps. Yet again, Rogan was on hand to document the educational. There were quite a few dramatic landscape scenes in both the Okavango Delta and the Kwatale Conservancy.

Here are the highlights of the month :

Watching elephants from the comfort of camp at Tuskers. They tend to frequent the waterhole at camp and with the waterhole full to the brim from recent rains, it’s that much more attractive to the pachyderms.
Ample sightings of spoonbills and other wading birds, which makes sense given the increase in water in the Kwatale.
Xobega was the scene of many incredible sunsets due to looming thunderstorms and endless skies.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

We hop across the borders from Botswana and back to the Kruger. This lodge in the Balule has been bustling with activity over the past month. The River Lodge’s standard rooms have been revamped with new builds and new decor. While that was happening in the background, the wildlife was putting on quite a show in the Balule. Apart from the general plains game, it seems that the highlights really have been the sightings of lions.

Ranger and camp manager Angele called out these recent sightings as a favorite Ezulwini :

One of the Kudyela lionesses and her 3 cubs.
Regular sightings of the 2 Machaton males, which would make sense given that they have sired cubs with the Kudyelas.
Contact calling and witnessing the Machatons on patrol in the Balule.
The Kudyela lionesses have been spotted on a regular basis.
The lion sightings were interrupted with a leopard lazing and straddling in the fork of a tree
Sightings of two leopards, Thuli and Nkanye, proved to be an added bonus to the bounty of cat sightings in the Balule.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Our photographer/videographer Rogan is based at Africa on Foot, and when he’s not traveling to remote parts of Southern Africa on assignment, the Klaserie becomes his backyard. Ranger Chade has been quite active this month in terms of providing us with updates, and together with Rogan they’ve come across a number of remarkable sightings.

These are our ranger’s favorite sightings from the month :

Ranger Chade’s highlight was spotting the Sunset leopardess and her cub on more than one occasion.
The Mbiri male lions devouring an elephant kill after stealing it from the River Pride
Ross Pride lionesses feasting on a recent kill
Rogan mentioned the sighting of the wild dogs relaxing at the waterhole post a recent kill
Hyena arguing and causing a racket over who-gets-what at the site of a carcass
10 lions making a kill outside nThambo Tree Camp in the dead of the night

Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails

The wilderness trails have resumed and it’s all systems go for the walking team! Currently it’s pretty wet out there, but a plan is being made and it’s all part of the adventure of going on a walking safari. Photographer Em Gatland has joined the team and when she’s finished her trail, we will showcase her images.

In the meantime, here are the highlights :

Spotting lions hiding in the undergrowth. Guests and guide were at a safe distance and observed the cats from far.
Seeing an increase in snakes, and watching a cobra and boomslang seeking shelter from the rains.

Chacma Bush Camp

Lions are, once again, a dominant feature at Chacma. There’s certainly no shortage of elephant and other big game sightings but these are pretty much viewed on an almost daily basis.

Thus far, the general consensus is that the highlights for rangers have been the abundance of both big cats and wild dogs.

There were a few sightings of the African wild dog in the past month, and there appear to be a small pack of 3 that have crossed over from a neighbouring reserve.
A fleeting sighting of a leopard proved to be a highlight of the Easter weekend !
The Chacma are used to spotting 3 prides of lions, with the dominant males being the Maseke males. There are another 6 new males on the traverse that are smaller and younger than the dominant Maseke males.

Mutinous Mbiri Lions Tuck into Elephant Killed by Neighbouring Pride

The ruthless Mbiri boys are like mutinous soldiers that break rules, rebel against the status quo and push boundaries to occupy new territories. The Mbiris are covering a wide range on our traverse and certainly aren’t confining themselves to one section, despite other prides vigorously advertising and claiming their portion of land. That’s just the life of a coalition – to keep moving in search of females and potentially new home grounds.

The Mbiris don’t appear to have much fear. A few nights ago they were spotted tucking into a meat filled sub-adult elephant carcass that we believe was taken down by the River Pride of lions. It appears that the Mbiris displaced the mega-pride from the kill and began their banquet of bones and flesh without giving a second thought to the hungry River Pride.

A few days back the Mbiri’s guttural contact calling could be heard penetrating the night – it was a clear indication that this dynamic duo were on the move, aggressively advertising their whereabouts as they moved swiftly through the ‘veld. The night before this commotion ranger Chade and the khaki crew spotted the River Pride eyeing out a few sub-adult elephants. It became quite clear that the pride had spotted potential quarry, despite the colossal size of a young elephant being somewhat more challenging than a medium size impala. It was clear that older lioness had ear-marked one of the juvenile elephants for the taking.

The River Pride has a number of youngsters that need to be fed, so we speculate when the time was right the older lioness took down her prey. Unfortunate for the elephant and it’s emotional matriarchal herd but such is the food chain – heartless and necessary. The Klaserie camps didn’t see the events unfold but we can only assume there was plenty of dust clouds, flaying of trunks and billowing. It’s clear that the elephant calf became the River Pride’s next meal.

Enter the Mbiris.

The following day, after witnessing the River Pride stalking the elephants, the Mbiris were spotted headed in the general direction of where the River Pride were last seen. When the team arrived at the scene, the Mbiris were tucking into a hearty meal of elephant. And it wasn’t just the fragments.

There was plenty of meat and fleshy bits available for the taking. We can only assume that the Mbiris caught wind of the kill, eagerly advertised their presence and approached the scene with a clear tactic in mind. Lions are opportunistic and if there’s a free meal available they’ll pounce at the opportunity to feast.

There are a number of healthy, growing cubs in the River Pride that need protecting. The cubs in the pride aren’t sired by the Mbiris which means they may well have been under threat during a confrontation. Male coalitions have been known to commit infanticide to thwart the genetic line of cubs they haven’t fathered.

The Mbiris are dominating !

Refurb Alert : Ezulwini River Lodge Standard Rooms Have a New Look !

The team at Ezulwini have been hard at work reconstructing and redesigning the standard rooms at River Lodge. The results have exceeded our expectations and the laborious task of building has finally come to fruition. During the course of last year we shared a few images of the building progress, and today we deliver the finished product. Natural wooden balconies, a fresh lick of paint and gentle touches to the interior have ensured a space that’s open, light and airy. Ezulwini River Lodge now has standard rooms that take full advantage of the exquisite Balule bushveld.

The standard rooms needed to incorporate more light into their space, and soft furnishings moved from African prints to a more subtle muted colours reflecting the surrounds. To enhance the feeling of space the rooms were extended in size to incorporate relaxation areas and outdoor viewing points.

A couple of the rooms were extended with an upstairs area complete with a natural wooden balcony and lounge area housing a sleeper couch/sofa ideal for kids. A gentle winding staircase with strong ropes as banisters hug the staircase that snakes its way from the ground floor to a remote, private space ideal for birdwatching and a spot relaxation.

Other rooms were extended on the ground level and small lounges created to provide a small sanctuary. The rooms with the ground floor extensions also have private outside areas with views of the surrounding bushveld. There are 4 standard rooms and 4 exclusive luxury suites that cater for a variety of guests.

The al fresco dining area is another spot that enjoyed a bit of interior and architectural attention. Dining is always an experience and guests are either treated to boma sessions including a campfire and traditional dancing or a casual al fresco dining session under the canopy of trees.

Videographer Rogan and Ranger Chade Find the Klaserie Wild Dogs

The African wild dogs are quite prominent on the Klaserie traverse, and guests have been enjoying consistent sightings of these mottled dogs frolicking in waterholes and indulging in ceremonious greetings. Sightings of the dogs are considered rare, and packs tend to cover wide terrain which means it’s hard to track their movements. What we do know is that the African wild dogs are far more sedentary during the denning period which spans roughly 3 months.

The wild dogs have been known to return to the old den sites, and there appear to be quite a few on the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse. The dogs have been seen outside of their sedentary period, and currently the surrounds of both camps enjoy sightings of a small pack of 6, a pack of 14 and a mega-pack of 25 dogs.

The pack of 14 dogs are the dogs that have most commonly been spotted, and there are times when rangers will only see fragmented groups of the mega-packs. However, if you observe the dogs for lengthy periods of time you will notice how the packs re-group, socialise and enjoy a rather loud-mouthed greeting ceremony with a range of vocalisations coming to the fore.

Just recently ranger Elmar Van Niekerk stumbled across the dogs devouring a recent kill. The fluffy whites of their tails were wagging as they shredded pieces of flesh from their prey, and plenty of high pitched twittering could be heard during their meal time. Prior this event, the dogs were spotted again, bringing the wild dog sighting count even higher. Just when we thought the wild dog sightings might be waning, the dogs re-appeared – and this time it was Chade from Africa on Foot who led guests into the sighting.

One of the Africa on Foot rangers, Chade, found the large pack of African wild dogs while he was out in the game viewer with his guests. After he radio’ed through the sighting, resident videographer Rogan Kerr moved towards the dogs and began filming.

Rogan says, “After guests of nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot enjoyed a sighting with the Wild Dogs on the hunt during their morning drive, I found them post-kill lazing by a waterhole. The remains of the impala they had caught lay by the waterside, under the eyes of a dozen hungry vultures. A single dog on sentry duty worked hard to keep the scavengers off their prize, but the tenacious birds had the last laugh as they picked the bones clean!”

It’s all systems go for our admirable wild dog predators at the moment.

RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp : Hefty Male Lions Devour Kill in the Selinda

The Selinda Reserve is a remote destination linking two prime game viewing destinations in Botswana. In the east you have the famous Linyanti Swamps, home to the ferocious lions, and in the west you have the world-renowned Okavango Delta, a pristine water paradise. The major drawcard of the Selinda is the sheer abundance and variety of game. The reserve is a conservation area and in the heart of the reserve is the Selinda Spillway which is home to RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp.

Over the past couple of weeks Motswiri has really delivered in terms of game viewing, with the most recent sighting being that of two hefty male lions devouring a juvenile roan antelope kill. Photographer Rogan Kerr was on the scene to photograph these big boys in action. Game drives in the Selinda are always successful in terms of big game sightings, but not much will surpass seeing these supreme Selinda warriors guarding their turf and recent kill.

The Selinda Spillway is a pocket of game viewing paradise. Game viewing most certainly isn’t sparse, and when you aren’t seeing lions, elephants or even cheetah, there are plenty of smaller creatures that fill the gaps in between big predator sightings. This is birding, predator and herbivore paradise!

You probably already know that RAW Botswana, Motswiri camp is an activity based camp offering a sense of simple luxury in wild surrounds. There are plenty of opportunities to explore the wilderness on foot, horseback, game viewer and mokoro; but there are times when you don’t even need to leave the camp to witness wildlife in their finest moments.

Guests have seen wild dog kills outside of their tented suites, cheetah gracefully meandering through spears of grass; and huge herds of elephant lumbering down to feed off foliage in the lush surrounds. While Rogan was out on game drive with the RAW Botswana guides, they managed to successfully track two burly male lions that they heard contact calling in the night.

When photographer Rogan Kerr arrived at Motswiri, he was taken aback at the high concentration of game, and even remarked “This place is insane!”. One of the most recent highlights was observing a coalition of 2 massive male lions shredding a recent kill and devouring every morsel. The two golden-haired male lions had just recently killed a juvenile roan antelope, dragged it under a bush and decided to hang around on the periphery of the kill site while Rogan observed their antics.

After a heavy session of feasting on a juvenile roan antelope, the fat bellied lions decided to find a spot in the shade to recover from their dining extravaganza. Lions will gorge on their meal until they cannot move, and often their breathing might become laboured because of their expansive bellies pressing against their diaphragm. Lions do not know when they will get another opportunity to eat, which is why they will devour their meal in one dining session.

RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp forms part of our Trails of Botswana Route.

Ezulwini Game Lodges : Balule’s Machaton Male Lions to be Feared

With their hallmark swagger, burly presence and menacing incisors designed to shred meat with blade like precision; the Machaton male lions have certainly emerged the victors in terms of creating the much talked about “landscape of fear” here in the Balule. The Machaton boys make up the bulk of the male lion sightings at Ezulwini Game Lodges, and have been dubbed our resident Kings of the bushveld. They are here to stay, and have successfully ousted and dethroned previous Kings using their ruthless ways. Never fearing confrontation, actively indulging in aggressive warfare and ensuring other lions retreat into the lost pockets of the undiscovered bushveld; the Machatons have taken no prisoners in their pursuit of territorial dominance.

Last week our resident photographer Em Gatland, together with the eager team of rangers from Ezulwini, headed out in search of the notorious Machaton males, and their favourite females – the Kudyela lionesses. The recent game drives at Ezulwini have been pretty successful in terms of lion sightings, with guests enjoying sightings of the Kudyela lionesses conducting two hunts, and the Machaton males scent marking and contact calling.

It seems that the Machaton males have a close-knit bond with the Kudyelas, which would make sense given that they’ve recently sired cubs with these lionesses. It remains to be seen whether these cubs will survive, given the high mortality rate of cubs in the untamed wild. Hopefully we will catch a glimpse of the cubs in due course. In the meantime, we’re glad that Em was lucky enough to stumble across 3 of the Machaton males and photograph them in all their glory.

She observed two of them contact calling the third male who was in close proximity. Her photos clearly showcase an atmosphere of sheer power and desire to protect their land, females and recent brood.

Machaton and Mohlabetsi Low Down : The Machatons are revered and feared by their opposition, and we can confirm that they now dominate the traverse they initially sought to reign over. They were a coalition of 4 lions deeply entrenched in the history of the Timbavati Game Reserve, but now reside primarily in the Balule. It’s mainly the 3 boys that are spotted, and at times just two of them. Just over a year ago, the traverse was largely dominated by the Mohlabetsi coalition, but the bravado of the Machatons saw them challenging the previously dominant boys for their territory.

Over the past year there were a few scuffles, but it seemed the Mohlabetsi retreated for a while. If you recall, the Machaton’s confronted the large Mohlabetsi male and terrorised him for a while. At the beginning of last year the Mohlabetsi were 8, then dropped to 6; and now the coalition sits at 5 with speculation that the Machatons were responsible for the causality of the flaxen mane lion, Blondie.

You only have to delve back into our lion archives to notice the slow and subtle increase in Machaton sightings, and decrease in Mohlabetsi sightings. The 3/4 Machaton’s were born with an arsenal of tough attitudes and whatever they do in the wild, they certainly do with intent. Contact calling, roaring and displaying of power is enough to make the Mohlabetsi retreat further.

One of the sightings that stands out of recent weeks is that of the Kudyela Pride of lionesses conducting a kill. Ranger and camp manager Angele Rouillard spotted the Kudyela lionesses enjoying the spoils of a recent impala meal.

Angele said, “A few nights ago, guests were privileged to witness the Kudyela lionesses hunt using a blitz technique. From stalking to successfully taking down an impala, the entire scene was over in a matter of minutes. The lionesses have since hunted a zebra, of which the remaining spoils have gone to the Machaton males.”

The Machatons leave a cloud of dust where they roam, and there is simply no room for any burgeoning coalitions or intruders. They are fiercely protective of the Kudyela lioness litter, and the females within this pride. Of course, this could change when other males attempt to move in and prove to be equally as brazen as the Machaton leaders.

These lions are not quite the Mapagos, but they certainly boast the warrior gene that incites ferocity and fearlessness. Are they similar to the Mapogos or are these lions just being lions ?

One thing’s for certain, the Balule’s Machaton male lions are to be feared.

Chacma Lions Defeated After a Failed Attempt at Taking Down a Wildebeest

The intrepid khaki team spearheading the game drives at Chacma Bush Camp in the Maseke Game Reserve have certainly enjoyed their fair share of lion sightings of the past few weeks. There have definitely been leopard sightings breaking up the prolific lion sightings, but it’s a known fact that lions like to dominate turf and are innately designed to create a landscape of fear where they roam.

Their powerful presence makes the other more solitary felines retreat, and with coalitions and prides it’s best that the lone cats avoid confrontation. So, at the moment, the lions have decided to show our game rangers that they’re the dominant cats at the moment.

On Chacma’s traverse in the Maseke Game Reserve has 2 main prides/coalitions that have been spotted over recent months. It’s quite clear who the Maseke males are – they’re a group of 6 burly male lions easily identifiable due to their size, impressive manes and the fact that they always seen together.

Then there is a pride of 3 youngsters and one older female. The naming convention has begun, and we believe this pride is now called the Lamai Pride. A pride which is commonly spotted close to camp, and were recently spotted devouring a baby buffalo kill. The crew were a bit reluctant to be photographed, but our resident photographer Em managed to at least capture their journey from the natural meal table to the closest watering hole.

Michelle, one of Chacma’s rangers and camp managers, spotted the older lioness and her sub-adults attempting to take down a young wildebeest calf. Unfortunately, the pride left feeling rather defeated and the young wildebeest left with its life in tact. Michelle managed to photograph the whirlwind of dust and aggressive ambush tactic of the lioness attempting to smash a wildebeest.

The team at Chacma have been quite content with the numerous lion sightings that the Maseke have produced, but were rewarded with yet another lion sighting literally a stone’s throw away from the grounds. This time it was two lone lionesses chilling on the banks of the waterhole. Two lone lionesses and the virile Maseke males in the area – we can only hope what the next lion sighting will entail !

With so many neighbouring reserves, these two lionesses could have crosses boundaries from anywhere. Or are they locals that we just haven’t spotted or ID’d as of yet?

Stay tuned for our next instalment of the Chacma lion saga.

Walkers Bush Villa : Guests Go Birding in the Timbavati Game Reserve

There are over 500 species of bird fluttering about in the Timbavati Game Reserve, and birders can delight in knowing that among the olde world prehistoric birds and raptors there dwell some delicate light footed passerines and graceful water-loving waders. There are those with colourful plumes that add bursts of colours to the grey-green and taupe colours of the bushveld, and then there are those that only seek to say hello to the lucky few. Whether you’re a birder or a bird watcher, the Timbavati most certainly has a few winged species just waiting to be photographed.

Avid birders will migrate to remote areas of the Kruger or known regions where opportunities of spotting lifers and rare birds present themselves. A few of the rare ones might include the endangered ground hornbill, Pel’s fishing-owl and more. Walker’s Bush Villa, our exclusive Timbavati villa, offers private daily game drives and if there’s a group of twitches staying at the villa, game drives will be focuses on bird watching. Recently we’ve seen abundant birdlife. With the change in season and the downpour of rains, it always delivers new sightings and emergence of interesting birdlife.

The Timbavati habitat accommodates a complete smorgasbord of birder’s delights. Water birds such as herons, storks, plovers, spoonbills, and sandpipers are common along dam edges; kingfishers, orioles, robins, chats, larks, cisticolas, and coucals are some of the veld and woodland birds around; while birds of prey are seen and heard throughout the day.

Don’t forget to bring the essential tool for Twitchers – binoculars !

Here are a few images from our most recent bird sightings at Walkers Bush Villa.

African Hawk Eagle

This large and regal raptor is a striking bird, and is easily identifiable by it’s white plumage flecked with brown spots. Amateur birders might mistake this looming bird for a marital eagle; but the martial has more of a white head. These birds of prey thrive on a diet of medium sized birds, which would include the guinea fowl.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

The brown-hooded kingfisher has similar markings to the woodland kingfisher, but has a plume of brown on top of its head. This is not a migrant species and is actually a resident bushveld bird with a wide distribution. It is mainly found in marshy and wetland areas where they have easy access to prey – but interestingly enough, only rarely eats fish.

Pearl-spotted Owlet

The pearl-spotted owlet is a small and adorable bird with no ear tufts. It has a distinct call that starts off quiet and slow; and ends up being loud and fast. They have a false set of eyes on the back of their heads which confuses potential predators.

Spotted Eagle-owl

This commonly spotted owl generally watches over the landscape below in the dead of night. The large eyes are normally yellow in colour and they’re perfectly adapted to see in the nocturnal hours. These owls have a roost where they spend their daylight hours, and emerge at dusk to perch themselves on branches to survey their landscape.

White-backed Vultures

Vultures are prevalent in reserves where there is a high predator count. This means there are plenty of decaying carcasses lying around for these scavengers to feed on, and feeding time is always an affair. There are normally a number of different vulture species at a kill site, but the white-backed vultures are the loudest and certainly most comical.