Our itinerary while in the park was as follows:
16 Sept - Arrived midday at Nelspruit airport, picked up hire car and drove into the park entering at the Phabeni Gate. Birded Phabeni Gate to Pretoriouskop. Night at Pretoriouskop rest camp
17 Sept - Birded Fayi Loop and Pretorouskop to Ber-en-dal. Night at Berg-en-dal rest camp
18 Sept - Birded Berg-en-dal to Skukuza. Night at Skukuza rest camp
19 Sept - Morning game drive from Skukuza. Birded Skukuza area including Lake Panic. Night at Skukuza rest camp
20 Sept - Birded Skukuza rest camp, Mlondozi and Skukuza to Lower Sabie. Night at Lower Sabie rest camp
21 Sept - Birded Lower Sabie to Satara including Sweni Hide and Orpen Dam. Night at Satara rest camp
22 Sept - Birded areas to N, NW & E of Satara including Sweni Hide. Night at Satara rest camp
23 Sept - Birded Olifants River and area. Night at Olifants rest camp
24 Sept - Birded Olifants River and Olifants to Phalaborwa Gate where we exited the park. Drove west to Magoebaskloof area
Without going into each and every detail of each day the bird highlights were a total of 14 Southern Ground Hornbills, Cape Vultures, White-backed Vultures, Lappet-faced Vultures, White-headed Vultures, several Red-crested Koorhan and Kori Bustards, Purple-crested Turacos at Berg-en-dal, Yellow-billed Storks, African Openbills, 2 immense Saddle-billed Storks on the Olifants River after much much searching, 3 Senegal Lapwings, a single White-crowned Lapwing, Secretarybird, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Bennett's, Golden-tailed and Bearded Woodpeckers, White-throated, Red-capped and White-browed Robin-chats, Mocking Cliff Chat, Mariqua Sunbird, Jameson's Firefinch, Green-winged Pytillia, Golden-breasted Buntings and African Quailfinch.
Into the bargain, other new birds I managed to score with were Blue Waxbill, Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Flycatcher, Grey Go-away Bird, Southern Yellow-billed, Southern Red-billed, Trumpeter and Crowned Hornbills, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Brown-headed Parrot, Lazy Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Dark-capped Bulbul, Arrow-marked Babbler, Red-billed Oxpecker, White-bellied Sunbird, Swainson's and Crested Francolins, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Grey-breasted Green Pigeon, Burchell's Coucal, Water Thick-knee, White-fronted Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Acacia Pied and Black-collared Barbet, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Chinspot Batis, Grey-headed and Orange-breasted Bush-shrikes, Black-backed Puffback, Magpie Shrike, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Southern Black Tit, Sabota Lark, Rattling Cisticola, Lesser-striped, Rufous-chested and Grey-rumped Swallows, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Burchell's Starling, Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, White-winged Widowbird, Lesser Masked Weaver, Red-headed Weaver and African Firefinch. Phew, I'd have taken that lot before I went!
The numerous photos that follow are at least in chronological order! Scroll past them for details of the mammal action we experienced...
Red-billed Oxpecker
Arrow-marked Babbler
Blue Waxbill
Crested Barbet
Southern Black Tit
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
Green-winged Pytilia
African Hoopoe
Wahlberg's Eagle
Black-collared Barbet
Croaking Cisticola
Lilac-breasted Roller
African Quailfinch
Southern Ground Hornbill
Bataleur
Magpie Shrike
Kurrichane Thrush
Grey-headed Bush Shrike
Natal Spurfowl
Long-billed Crombec
Red-billed Firefinch
White-browed Robin-chat
Terrestrial Brownbul
Purple-crested Turaco
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Orange-breasted Bush Shrike
Greater Honeyguide
Southern Red-billed Hornbill
White-fronted Bee-eater
Red-billed Buffalo-weaver
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Cape Vulture
Golden-breasted Bunting
Swainson's Spurfowl
Tawny Eagle
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Red-billed Oxpecker on Impala
Bearded Woodpecker
White-backed Vulture
Lappet-faced Vulture and White-backed Vulture
Goliath Heron
Hooded Vulture
White-backed Vulture
Marabou Stork
Striated Heron
White-bellied Sunbird
African Pied Wagtail
Hammerkop
Blacksmith Plover
African Fish Eagle
Dark-capped Bulbul
White-throated Robin-chat
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Village Weaver
Pied Kingfisher
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Cape Turtle Dove
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
White-crowned Plover
Yellow-billed Stork
Yellow-billed Kite
African Jacana
Jameson's Firefinch
Dark-capped Bulbul
Mocking Cliff Chat
Sabota Lark
White-crested Helmet Shrike
African Openbill
Lizard Buzzard
Acacia Pied Barbet
Brown-hooded Parrot
Kori Bustard
Bataleur
Black-backed Puffback
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Crested Barbet
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Red-billed Buffalo-weaver
Burchell's Starling
Red-crested Koorhan
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
African Grey Hornbill
Red-billed Quelea
Blue Waxbill
Cape Glossy Starling
Red-crested Koorhan
Grey Go-away Bird
Blue Waxbill
White-winged Widowbird
Yellow-billed Stork
Water Thick-knee
African Mourning Dove
Southern Ground Hornbill
White-headed Vulture
Lesser Striped Swallow
Giant Kingfisher
Brown Snake Eagle
Tawny Eagle
Bataleur
Black-headed Oriole
Mariqua Sunbird
White-bellied Sunbird
Chinspot Batis
Mocking Cliff Chat
Martial Eagle
African Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Stork
Saddle-billed Stork
Lesser Masked Weaver
Of course, animals were the other big reason to visit Kruger and they didn't disappoint. In fact I was surprised by the volume of animals as well and being well and truly blown away by the views we got of all the ones I wanted. The commonest antelopes are without a doubt Impala followed by Greater Kudu with smaller numbers of Waterbuck, Nyala, Steenbok, Bushbuck and just one small group of Sable Antelopes. The numbers of Plains Zebra (300+), Giraffe (100+), Elephant (300+) were astounding with numerous Hippos, c25 White Rhinos, loads of African Savannah Buffalo and Blue Wildebeest. It was the predators that stole the show with c20 Lions (including males, females, cubs and even a family on a Wildebeest kill) and 2 Leopards plus 1 Brown Hyaena, several Spotted Hyaenas including a family party, Warthogs, 1 Black-backed Jackal, Chacma Baboons and Green Vervet Monkeys. The latter raided our car and nicked a bag of bananas at one point! Smaller mammals included Slender Mongoose, Common Dwarf Mongoose, Savannah Hare, Tree Squirrel and Single-striped Grass Mouse. We finished the whole trip with 42 mammal sp!
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