Krugernationalpark

We were visited by this toad that came to eat our bugs.

We’re in Pretoriuskop after a bit of an exhausting day yesterday. Got up to go driving around at 4 AM and didn’t settled down in our new place here until 5 PM.

The first success of camp day. This Violet-Backed Starling appeared in the tree next to where I was sewing a button and @withoutaleaf was preparing breakfast. I’ve wanted to photograph one of these since forever. A jewel of the bushveld.

We’re taking a camp day today. No driving out. Just seeing what wildlife’s in Skukuza and the river and checking out some of the old exhibits.

We took it pretty easy yesterday after our early starts. We haven’t really had time to really just relax since we left Cape Town. Aparna spotted this orchid growing in one of the bushveld trees - which we thought was pretty amazing. And just right for my 1970s 105mm lens.

I hate to brag… actually I love to brag about stuff that’s inconsequential… but this was lion sighting 4 out of 8 so far since Wednesday. Four of those were today. First up was a set of heavy boys who were shaking up the morning bush with their calls. Photographically speaking, not the best day. But I used some 19th Century style photo printing techniques to make the most of this. Only it’s a lot easier on digital where you don’t have to wave bits of card under enlargers for set numbers of carefully planned seconds.

The Sabie River just after daybreak.

“Hail the jewel at the heart of the lotus.” We saw a lot of amazing bird behaviors today. Dancing Mourning Doves. This African Jacana bowing to this water lily while its mate looked for twigs as presents. And rollers bobbing and squawking at each other. None of the pics I took of this extraordinary behavior were any good though. Naturally.

A damp vulture. You probably can’t see on instagram, but the heat finally broke this morning and the rain came down. From 30C at dawn it’s now a comfy 23C with the delicious sizzle of rain with occasional thunder.

We got up at 4 this morning to go look for these lions in the hopes that they’d be doing something in la crepescule du matin. Well, at least they weren’t hiding under a bush.