Bayala continued

11 October - pm

Afternoon game drive and our first stop was at a water hole where we saw African Fish Eagle, Darters, Weavers (below) and some Herons.

Hearing a rather strange sound from the water I turned to find myself looking directly at a Hippo ! This was a new animal for me and long awaited after missing them in Northern Namibia.

We had a late afternoon snack as we watched the various visitors to the waterhole. A Giant Kingfisher put in an appearance

and for Herons we saw Striated (Green-backed)

and just as we left a Yellow-billed Stork joined the party. The light was fading and we departed to the snorts and bellows from the group of Hippos as they prepared for their move out of the water and onto land for the night.

Some spotlighting on the way back to the lodge gave us two sightings of Gennet and a Flap necked Chameleon.

The end of day 1 and what a day it had been. A superb evening meal followed and then a reasonably early night - because yup Game Drive no 3 tomorrow. Little did I know..........

12 October

Up early in preparation for the game drive and after coffee and rusks we departed.

At the first dam there were a pair of White-faced Whistling Ducks

then an African Wattled Lapwing

Garrick looked a little restless as I was scanning for birds and quickly said there was a change of plan. The engine fired up and off we went. I asked him to stop so I could photograph some passing Nyala (below) but clearly something was up. I didn't know whether to raise my hopes for something with spots or consign my thoughts to some logistical problem. We were heading back to camp !

and as we neared the camp entrance there is was, the cause of Garrick's quick about turn

a Cheetah ! Lying in the road wagging it's tail and looking from side to side. Garrick had been tipped of by one of his colleagues ..........

Unlike some safari experiences where big cats get surrounded by many vehicles we were fortunate enough to be just one of two vehicles. After watching this perfectly honed killing machine for five minutes the other vehicle left and we sat just the four of us watching one of my all time "most wanted animals" as it looked around, stretched and stood up. Blooming excellent ! Changing our position occasionally gave different light settings.

Reluctantly we left as the Cheetah seemed to be settling in for a prolonged rest. As it turned out this was the only Cheetah sighting of our trip but what a experience. I was truly made up. Now we just needed the next one with spots please ----- but with 30 thousand hectares to hide in I knew this was a big ask. Bayala and many surrounding lodges/reserves had taken their fences down many years ago to provide a huge reserve.

Continuing the drive we stopped to look at the diminutive Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove

Barbets are a favourite of mine and this Crested Barbet didn't disappoint even if it didn't raise it's shaggy crest for the camera.

Nearby another, this time a Black-collared Barbet

Next up was Lilac-breasted Roller sporting just about every colour in the paint box

Then it was back to the mammals with Black Rhino and White Rhino, Nyala and of course more Giraffes.

The final bird of the morning drive was a Black-crowned Tchagra

Breakfast awaited. Next up sunbirds, zebras up close and very personal with an Elephant plus a Giraffe road block.

Bayala Safari - finally

We were due to go on safari to The Bayala Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal three years ago but covid put an end to that and then again later the following year when travel was not advised we still didn’t make it. 2022 however was different so on the 10th of October, Sam Tom and I found ourselves on a flight to Africa. Excited was an understatement.

We decided on Bayala as Tom had a close connection with the people who own and run the reserve. It was our first visit as a family to Africa and while we had an idea of what to expect we were soon to have our expectations surpassed.

After a transfer from Jo’berg to Durban and then a three hour drive to Bayala; we arrived in the dark, down the long dirt track to the lodge - seeing a large black snake slithering across the road which was difficult to identify as it was in the headlights. It was black so must have been a black mamba !

We woke early and prepared for our first game drive. Up at 5am and ready in the lobby at 5.50am where we met our guide Garrick, who was to be with us for the whole trip - four full days and so eight game drives.

Our first encounter was one of the big five “Cape Buffalo”

And my first proper bird sighting Birchall’s Coucal, typically noisy.

It wasn’t long before we encountered the animals Sam most wanted to see, a group of Giraffes on a distant ridge.

We were confident of closer views and headed in their general direction, stopping to look at a group of Gazelles pristine in the early morning sun.

Garrick manoeuvred us into position.......

Sam's target sorted, just mine for Cheetah and Leopard to go, and well, we were not sure what Tom's target animal was, though we were soon to find out!

Driving the tracks; Garrick suddenly stopped the truck to avoid running over a Crowned Lapwing which was nesting either side of the tyre tracks. Three eggs in a small hollow right in the middle of the road. She held her nerve to the last minute and then flew off from the road into the nearby scrub. Garrick marked the spot with stones at the side of the track to alert other trucks.

An immature Fiscal Shrike posed nicely by the side of the track and then the crowd pleaser - Warthog, which quickly became Tom’s favourite animal of the trip.

while watching them drinking at a small water hole another movement caught my attention and we saw a Leopard Tortoise swimming. With surprising speed it left the water, with an ant on it’s back and headed back to the bush.

Another water hole and another of the big five - Rhino. Odd to see it in the company of Egyptian Geese. Bayala play a big part in the de horning Rhino programme which has helped protect these fabulous animals for poaching.

The three hours seemed to whiz past and we headed back for breakfast. I was counting the hours to the afternoon game drive and decided to try and familiarise myself with the birds in the camp grounds.

White-browed Scrub Robins common around the grounds

single Pale Flycatcher

Mocking Chat

Not to mention the local Warthogs ! Tom missed these as he was still having his second breakfast, sussing out the towel situation for the pool and ordering just a little more food.

Having got to grips with a few of the birds in the grounds it was time for lunch. Then more bird familiarisation and suddenly it was nearing 3.30pm and time to prepare for the second game drive. We were all very excited as we boarded Garrick's trusted Land Cruiser.

the afternoon game drive write up to follow shortly, which included a new and much wanted (not a Cheetah or a Leopard) animal for me - it was now my turn......................

Tern Island ........

15 June 2022

I have been meaning to go on a trip to Scolt Head for ages and luckily Jon Brown from Branta Cruises was in the shop with the offer of a visit. A big high tide and after work I was climbing aboard John's boat and heading out to Scolt.

En route John was checking all the remaining Ringed Plovers nest as this was a very high tide and he feared some may get washed away. As we approached Scolt the noise of terns and gulls was near deafening. Up to 4000 pairs of Sandwich Terns nest on the island in a good year along with Common Terns and Little Terns. Some pics of Sandwich Terns with Sand Eels and a small fish.

We did unfortunately see a few dead adult birds which were feared to have died from bird flu. More on that later. Black-headed Gulls were busy harassing the terns to give up their catch and here they managed to get the tern to drop it's prey and then swoop to get it.

My main quarry on this trip was Mediterranean Gull which breed on the island. Their numbers fluctuate and they change breeding sites. Last year they were breeding at Titchwell for the first time since 1992

Well there were quite a few birds here at Scolt this year. The adults are quite unmistakable with their black hood and blood red legs and bills, the white eye crescents standing out against the black head and of course their pure white wing tips.

Close up on the water and the size and colour of the bill was so striking I thought I was looking at a Puffin !

While the adults are quite straight forward younger birds can be a little trickier. These 2nd year birds lack many of the features of the adults with darker legs, black in the wings and a sub terminal bar on the tail.

Much smaller numbers of Common Terns also breed on Scolt

A great few hours amid the ever hectic mass of terns on "the island". There is a sad foot note - that bird flu had taken hold and just days after our visit thousands of adult birds had died along with all the chicks. Let's hope they recover for a successful and bird flu free breeding season next year. My thanks to Jon for the trip and his knowledgeable commentary. If you're in Norfolk and fancy a trip out of Brancaster I'd highly recommend Branta Cruises.