Spellbound

bound by or as if by a spell; enchanted, entranced, or fascinated:

Changing of  season makes going to the bush or on a game drive so much more interesting, appreciate also the small things & time is not on your side

Birding

First sighting of the Pin-tailed Whydah at Xombana for this season on Sunday 19 October 2014. They are resident birds that move locally with the season.

On Sunday's sunset game drive we sighted a Klaas's Cuckoo/Meitjie.

So many returning calls to the bushveld hours of fun identifying those sounds.

At Xombana we took our first photo of the Yellow-fronted Canary only about 11-13cm  in size.


Yellow-fronted Canary

Mammals & other

We were fortunate again to find two lionesses behind the Xombana dam and this sighting delayed the morning chores as the chatter around the cofi table (coffee) lasted much longer than normally.



The cubs are very vulnerable when the lioness goes out to hunt and needs to leave the cubs behind.




 Lionesses on the prowl


It is fascinating to live so close to nature and wildlife and if you are blessed with a life in a city then you have the opportunity to appreciate nature when you visit one of the many conservancies in our country. Even more fortunate are you when you call Pretoria or Johannesburg home because the Dinokeng Game Reserve is only a stones throw away from these hubs.

Raindrops

Normally October is the time of year when our rainy season starts.

We had 1mm of rain on the 9th of October and another drizzle with no reading on the 11th.

Then some more droplets on 15 October also not measured but a few drops at least some of the dust has settled down and there is a fresh rainy smell in the air.....

and guess what.....

we heard the first call from the Piet-my-vrou at 5:30 this morning, 16 October 2014.

Believed to be calling the rain, lets keep our fingers crossed that it will come soon.

Warthog playful in the drizzle

Impala, Wildebeest & Zebra collection in the drizzle

Overcast cool and smelling the rain

Beautiful October

Beautiful build up of Charlie Bravo Clouds behind the Xombana Theatre

We are still experiencing very hot days with cloud activity. Promises of rain almost daily makes you super excited as the bright sky turns into a dull grey of overcast, and although some areas had good downpours we are desperate for the first real storm.

Had 1mm of rain on Thursday the 9th of October and the feeling of rain on your face makes you feel like a child again.. The sound of  thunder  and the smell of wet soil made us all excited.

Crested Barbet courtship and mating

While we all sit in anticipation there are lots of activity around us nesting, laying breeding and mommies with bellies

Hatched egg

Giraffe mommy to be

Groundscraper Thrush chick last summers Xombana stock photo

  Some lapwing chicks have been sighted on some game drives during the last three weeks

Is there something in that belly?

We noticed this Spotted Thick-knee nest one afternoon on a game drive and hope to get photo's as soon as the eggs hatch.

Nature's amazing camouflage

 

...the weather is changing again...

 

cloud build up...

the wind is blowing, it is a little overcast

Who knows what it will do....

Returning to summer

New Beginnings - New Live

looking around and finding lots of nests big and small



Grey-go-away bird on a nest

During the last couple of months of a year and the first couple of month of the next the new additions in the animal kingdom reminds one just how precious life is and the animal young sightings everywhere is a good source of endless cuteness.

But before we get there we can see many changes all around

dull to green
cold to warmer
dry to wet
wallows filling up with water
blossoms

returning species breeding in the warmer hemispheres

Swallows returning to their old nests

nesting

Collecting material for the nest

growing bellies

little calves

Nyala and her calf

Once you start looking around you again realize how precious life is, how sensitive our environment is and just how important it is to create conservation awareness!