 |
| Giant Kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima |
On 13th September I arrived at Durban Airport, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Tommy met four of us to begin a safari trip organised by Ina Turner. Tommy's expertise as driver and guide ensured a great trip. After a couple of hours we arrived at Umkhumbi Lodge, 300km north of Durban. Ina and husband Graham met us with the Lodge staff. The hospitality, facilities and food at Umkhumbi Lodge were excellent.
We set off on Thursday 14th for the St Lucia estuary. We enjoyed a walk by the shore, then boarded a boat where many hippos were seen plus a Giant Kingfisher, a Fish Eagle and other animals and birds. Afterwards we visited the Eastern shores.
 |
| African Jacana, Actophilornis africanus |
 |
| Natal Lightfoot Crab, Grapsus tenuicrustatus |
 |
| Eastern shores |
 |
| St Lucia estuary |
 |
| Warthog, Phacochoerus africanus |
 |
| Warthog |
 |
| White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata |
 |
| Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus |
 |
| Yellow-throated Longclaw, Macronyx croceus |
 |
| Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis |
 |
| Samango Monkey, Cercopithecus mitus |
The Samango Monkey is rare and only found in a few places in this area
 |
| Samango Monkey |
 |
| Vervet Monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus |
 |
| Cape Buffalo, Syncerus caffer |
 |
| Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni |
 |
| Burchell's Zebra, Equus quagga burchellii |
 |
| Citrus Swallowtail, Papilio demodocus |
 |
| Citrus Swallowtail |
 |
| Eastern shores |
 |
| Vervet Monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus |
 |
| Vervet Monkeys |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus aegyptius |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite |
 |
| African Striped Skink, Trachylepsis striata |
 |
| African Striped Skink |
 |
| African Striped Skink |
 |
| African Striped Skink |
 |
| Banded Mongoose, Mungos mungo |
 |
| Banded Mongoose |
 |
| Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus |
 |
| Burchell's Zebra, Equus quagga burchellii |
 |
| Burchell's Zebra |
 |
| Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros and Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus |
 |
| African Fish Eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer |
 |
| Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia |
 |
| Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus |
 |
| Hippos, Hippopotamus amphibius |
 |
| baby Hippo |
 |
| Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus |
 |
| Nile Crocodile |
 |
| Reed Cormorant, Phalacrocorax africanus, aka Long-tailed Cormorant |
 |
| Reed Cormorant |
 |
| Weaver Bird nest |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite, Milvus aegyptius |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite |
 |
| Yellow-billed Kite |
 |
| African Fish Eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer |
 |
| African Fish Eagle |
 |
| African Fish Eagle |
 |
| Giant Kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima |
 |
| Giant Kingfisher |
 |
| baby Hippo |
 |
| baby hitches ride on Mum |
 |
| baby hippos frolicking |
 |
| Big Daddy yawning |
 |
| Some local lads did an energetic dance for the tourists coming off the boat and Vanessa joined them |
 |
| Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus |
 |
| Yellow-billed Egret, Egretta intermedia |
 |
| Yellow-billed Egrets, Egretta intermedia |
 |
| Yellow-billed Egrets |
Many moths and other insects were attracted to the lights at our lodge and I'm going to have a fun time identifying them! I never saw the bushbabies (Galagos) that scampered over some of the lodge roofs.
Night visitors:
 |
| Antlion, Cueta species |
 |
| Large Brown Longhorn Beetle |
 |
| Madagascan Marbled Mantis, Polyspilota aeruginosa |
 |
| wasp, Belonogaster species |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please select 'Name/URL' from 'Comment as' drop down box and add your name, thanks.