08th September: It's Like Playing Pin The Tail On the Striped Donkey, You First Have to Find The Donkey!

Pic of the Day.

Morning Drive.

( Grant, Godfrey & Petros.)

Buffalo ( Dagha Boys) / Motswari – Motswari Northern Access.

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Motswari – The Wedge.

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Motswari – The Wedge.

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Vielmieter – Blue Waxbill

Elephant ( Kambaku's) / Karans – Bottom Rd.

Afternoon Drive.

( Grant, Godfrey, Petros & Herold.)

Lion ( Machaton Pride) / Tanda Tula – Tortilla's Plains.

Buffalo ( Dagha Boys) / Vielmieter – Argyle Rd.

Buffalo ( Dagha Boys) / Motswari – Motswari Camp.

Leopard ( Young Male) / Motswari – Motsawri Reception Rd.

Daily Synopsis.

We headed out this morning with two new guests that arrived late the previous evening, so everything for them would be new. Wanting to find Buffalo to wrap up our other guests “ Big Five”, which we technically had done the previous evening when returning from dinner to their chalet we walked into a Dagha Boy who was feeding on the grass in front of their deck. As it was dark it did not provide the best photographic opportunities so we wanted to find them once again. Finding tracks soon after leaving camp it was not long before we were sitting with two Dagha Boys that were busy resting and ruminating not far from where they had been the previous evening.

Another request of yet other guests of ours was to see Elephants drinking. Not wanting to leave anyone feeling left out we headed to a number of water spotss in and around Motswari and when Godfrey let me know he had found a herd moving North along the Sohobele Riverbed and in the direction of a small pumped drinking hole we took our chances and headed straight to its banks. We arrived as one herd finished off drinking and another began approaching. Being a small waterhole they all took a quick turn in drinking and then made space for each successively bigger Elephant. Watching until they all had moved on through we also set about looking for our next target, Zebra.

Checking all the areas of broken veld and plains of long grass where we normally find our Zebra, we found nothing, well except our new bird species of the day, a Kori Bustard, the worlds heaviest flying bird. They too also are to be found in open grassland, but are not seen that often here. Giving in to the fact that we would have to look for our Zebra this afternoon we headed back to camp for brunch. Along the way we did find ourselves a nice group of Bull Elephants that required at least a little of our time and attention.

There is very little to say about our afternoon, it was just one of those drives, lets call it peaceful. Herold also had himself a very quiet drive but as it was his guests first drive there is lots of the smaller things that he could cover. Godfrey and Petros headed South, as their guests were not heading out on morning drive and had not yet seen any cats. Tanda Tula once again came to our rescue with the Machaton Pride sleeping out on Tortilla's Plain. They also picked up on a young male Leopard while closing down at reception which they followed behind camp as it made it's way East into the Sohobele Riverbed. That wrapped up their guests evening very nicely.

After our day it leaves us with a fair amount of work for the morning as we are yet to find Zebra and a Leopard in lighter conditions. Here's hoping the animals play along tomorrow, preferably in the morning!