KRUGER BIRDING PHOTO SAFARI October 2013

This ten night photo safari focused on the Birds of Northern Kruger which is well know for its great diversity and unique sightings. We were not disappointed and our visits to the Northern Camps of Letaba, Shingwedzi and Punda Maria proved to be very successful and a tour with the same focus will be running next year starting in mid October when the migrant birds are arriving and nesting activity will have begun.

A visit to the far north, an area well know in the birding circles (Pafuri) is one of the highlights of the trip. A mecca for birds, this area is unique with some unique species.

The focus was on birds of course but there are very few people who can pass up an opportunity to photograph the larger animals too. We were treated to good sightings of Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Kudu, Nyala, Tsessebe (also found mainly in the Northern parts of Kruger) Elephant, White Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and a special encounter with three Cape Hunting Dogs !!!

In total we saw 131 different bird species and got photographs of many of them.

A birding photo safari takes on a very different pace and we actually spent a lot of time walking around the camps shooting from Tripods as the camps provide excellent opportunities for getting close to birds.

Here are a few photos from the trip, please let us know if you are interested in this birding photo safari for October 2014.

Many thanks to Sharron for joining us on the photo safari, great to have you back on yet another trip with us and for wanting to go up to Northern Kruger..

Warm regards

Stu

Pearl Spotted Owlet

Emerald Spotted Wood dove

Ground Scraper Thrush

Black Headed Oriole

Goliath Heron and Crocodiles in the Shingwedzi River

African Green Pigeon

White-browed Robin Chat

African Grey Hornbill

Green Wood-Hoopoe

Brown Headed Parrot

Grey Headed Bush Shrike

Black-Backed Puffback

African Mourning Dove

Crested Barbet

Brown Hooded Kingfisher

Southern Ground Hornbills

Southern Black Tit

Saddlebilled Stork & Blacksmith Lapwing

Laughing Doves

Yellow Bellied Greenbul

Dark Chanting Goshawk

Steppe Eagle

White-crested Helmetshrike

Meve's Starling

Crested Guineafowl

Black-throated Wattle-Eye

Orange-Breasted Bushshrike

African Hawk Eagle

Black Collared Barbet

White-throated Robin-Chat

Dark-capped Bulbul

Village Weaver

Blue Waxbill

Yellow-fronted Canary

Female White Bellied Sunbird

Broad-billed Roller

Golden-breasted Bunting

Egyptian Goose

Yellow Billed Kite

Little Swift

White-fronted Bee-eater

Helmeted Guineafowl

Trumpeter Hornbill

Verreaux's Eagle Owl

Red-Billed Quelea

Lilac Breasted Roller

Male Chinspot Batis

Female Red-winged Starling

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Male Red-winged Starling

Female Chinspot Batis

Palm Swift

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Arrow Marked Babbler

Green-winged Pytilia and Blue Waxbill

Kurrichane Thrush

African Hoopoe

Ashy Flycatcher

Female Black Cuckooshrike

Female Golden Tailed Woodpecker

Southern Black Flycatcher

Violet-backed Starling

Giant Kingfisher

Green Backed heron

Sabota Lark

Kori Bustard 

Red Billed Oxpecker

White Headed Vulture

Chacma baboon

Mopani Leaves

Impala Lily flower - Shingwedzi Camp

Spotted Bush snake

Male Elephant

Young Leopard - Pafuri

Elephant eating leaves from the Nyala Tree - Pafuri

Impala running - Pafuri

Elephant throwing dust - Pafuri

Male Nyaya Bull with two Red Billed Oxpeckers - Pafuri

Big Male Elephant - Shingwedzi

Tsessebe - Shingwedzi

Cape Hunting Dogs playing - Main road between Letaba and Olifants

Cape Hunting Dog

Large Male Kudu - Roodewal Road - Timbavati

Aloe Sunset - Letaba Camp