Final Game Drive – Pretoriuskop To Malelane Gate

We got a pretty late start since the birds were so engaging at Pretoriuskop restcamp, but luckily we didn’t have far to go.  In a pinch, we could have simply exited at Numbi Gate and driven back to JNB at normal speed.  But I didn’t want to miss one last chance to see more birds and animals in Kruger so we took the scenic route!  In the map below, a red road is paved and a yellow road is a dirt road but well-maintained.  Our route is in blue.

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We saw lots of Fork-tailed Drongos but not close to each other.  They seem to be pretty territorial.

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There are also a lot of these “Jock of the Bushveld” plaques.

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I really wanted to get a decent shot of a Lilac-breasted Roller in flight.  I had to wait a bit but this little guy finally obliged!

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European Bee-eaters come here to escape the cold in Europe.

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Vervet monkeys are always amusing.

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Combining this with the map, you can see distances aren’t that great.

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G’waaaayyyyyyy!

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Greater Blue-eared Starling

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Weaver birds are also everywhere.

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This Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill was at a picnic spot.

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An elegant Pin-tailed Whydah.

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The quintessential African photo.

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Red-breasted Swallow

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Red-billed Ox-pecker, apparently near-sighted as he is pecking a giraffe!

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Jacobin Cuckoo

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Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus)

The Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus) is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family.   It is the National Bird of the Kingdom of Swaziland.  According to Wikipedia, sadly the crimson flight feathers of this and related turaco species are important in the ceremonial regalia of the Swazi royal family.  I really hate when birds are killed so their feathers can provide decoration.  Especially when the bird is as stunning as this one!

IMG_4350 IMG_4349 IMG_4254 IMG_4260 IMG_4128aThey have a very large range which is great news for African safari enthusiasts!  They can be found in It is found in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Their southernmost occurrence is at the Mtamvuna River on the KwaZulu-Natal-Eastern Cape border.

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I found them easily in the Pretoriuskop Restcamp in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE-CRESTED TURACOS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Biodiversity Explorer

Swaziland National Trust Commission

VIDEO

Not live action but a great sound clip of this bird’s call.

I can’t tell if this is filmed in a bird park or in a restcamp but it’s excellent quality.

The Birds Of Pretoriuskop Restcamp

As promised, here are some of the amazing birds of Pretoriuskop Restcamp.  I was thrilled to see so many Brown-headed Parrots which were my main target bird, but there were lots of other great birds too!

This first batch of photos was taken near the laundry room in the late afternoon.

Helmeted Guinea-fowl

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African Green Pigeon

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Purple-crested Turaco – stunning bird, photos don’t do them justice!

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Black-collared Barbet

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These remaining photos were taken early in the morning.  We were up around 5:30 and we spent a good 3 hours just wandering around following the birds (especially the parrots) as they went about their daily activities.

Grey-headed Bush-shrike

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Finally!  A flock of Brown-headed Parrots!

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They really like the trees just outside cabin 124!

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African Mourning Dove

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Scarlet-chested Sunbird

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Meanwhile back at the cabin, Ina was watching the Crested Guinea-fowls who came right up to us and the monkeys who were trying to rob some campers of breakfast.

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The Brown-headed Parrots beckoned again and we were off chasing them as they flew from tree to tree.

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We also saw several Purple-headed Turacos!

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The Grey Go-away Bird told me to g’wayyyyyyyy……………so I did and kept following the parrots.

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Black-collared Barbet

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G’waaayyyyyyyyyy!

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Crested Barbet

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Dark-capped Bulbul

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Blue Waxbill

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Southern Black Flycatcher

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Red-headed Weaver

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Black-backed Puffback

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Yellow-fronted Canary

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As we were pulling out of the camp, I spotted this Purple Crested Turaco and anther Bulbul in the trees outside reception.

IMG_4343 IMG_4344 IMG_4349 IMG_4350 IMG_4351 IMG_4352Obviously this is not a complete list of all the birds you can find here, this is just what we saw on one particular early November morning.

Lodge Review: Pretoriuskop Restcamp, Kruger National Park

Pretoriuskop Restcamp has it all!  It’s one of the easiest Kruger Restcamps to get to if you can only spare a few days from a Jo-burg business trip.  They have accommodation to suit all budgets from tent campers to fully furnished cabins.  But from my point of view, this is what really attracted me!

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Brown-headed Parrots!  But more about them tomorrow in the Birds of Pretoriuskop post.  Let’s focus on the facilities for now.

It’s about a 4-5 hour drive from Jo-burg if you enter at the nearest gate which is Numbi Gate, then you have at least 20 minutes more to reach the camp.  If you are coming from elsewhere inside Kruger then make sure you leave enough time considering the 50 kph speed limit and the fact that you will be stopping to watch birds and animals frequently.

IMG_4101 IMG_4102On the camp map below, I highlighted the location of our cabin #103, the ablution blocks (showers & toilets), retaurant, laundry and areas I found good for birding as we walked around the camp.

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Each cabin has a car space next to it and are surrounded by trees.

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The cheapest cabins don’t have ensuites but there are always ablution blocks nearby.  You will need a torch/flashlight for night time visits.

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Although small, they do have decent sized fridges with a spare power point for charging batteries.  You won’t get wifi here, possibly mobile phone reception though we didn’t use phones while we were in South Africa.

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This would be our last chance to do laundry before leaving for Mauritius.  My husband was happy to watch the machines while I wandered off to find birds.

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The restaurant is run by South African chain Wimpy and has mostly comfort food – hamburgers, steaks, ribs and such.  Prices are reasonable so there really isn’t a need to self-cater unless you prefer cooking and doing dishes to watching birds!

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The next morning, Ina just hung out watching monkeys while I was listening for the parrots.

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There are the usual maps with game viewing sightings posted near reception.

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Here’s a view of Wimpy’s in the morning.  You can have an al-fresco breakfast and watch birds!

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The camp store is next to Wimpy’s though I wasn’t thrilled to see animal skins on offer.

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They also have a wide variety of biltong (like jerky but harder).  I just didn’t want to be eating the beautiful animals we’d come halfway across the world to see!

IMG_4334Tune in tomorrow to meet the birds of Pretoriuskop!

 

Lunch At Skukuza & Road To Pretoriuskop

Skukuza Restcamp is one of the largest ones so I wanted to have a quick look at it just in case we come back to South Africa (meaning getting more miles).  The restaurant is called Cattle Baron Grill & Bistro and has both a sit-down service and a fast food outlet.  We went for the fast food so we could get back to the safari asap.

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Heading off, we passed another waterhole.  Given that it was now the heat of the day, there wasn’t a whole lot to look at.

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Not sure what this lizard with the blue head is but he looked pretty cool!

IMG_4086 IMG_4088 IMG_4089 IMG_4090 IMG_4093 IMG_4094 IMG_4096 IMG_4099 IMG_4100That was pretty much it up to the Pretoriuskop gate.

How To Design Your Own Self-Driving Safari In Kruger National Park

If you are planning to visit Kruger right after Magoebaskloof I want to point out a better route.  I usually rely on Google maps and they will recommend the route I outlined in red.  However David Letsoalo said the road was in poor condition and slow going and it was much better to go via Gravelotte and Hoedspruit as shown below.

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Kruger National Park is HUGE and there is so much to see there.  It’s impossible to see it all in one trip and odds are that you will make several trips there over your lifetime.  On previous trips going back to the 90’s I have been to Lower Sabie, Olifants, Pretoriuskop and Skukuza.  In 2009, my husband and I went to Punda Maria in the north since it was recommended for birding.  What I really love about Kruger is that is is soooo easy to DIY your own safari in your own car!  The roads are very well maintained and although it can get crowded in peak season, if you go in the off season you won’t have to deal with crowds.  You don’t need a 4WD, a sedan car will do just fine.  Look here for how to find the best deal on a rental car.

Since this trip was just a whistle-stop tour as part of a major trip all over Africa, we only had 2 days to spare so I had to choose wisely.  Here’s how to make the most of your time in Kruger, no matter how little it is!

1.  Use the SANPARKS website to study the park.  Make sure the driving time is realistic if you will be leaving the park and going straight to the airport.  I decided Orpen Gate was a good entry point from Magoebaskloof and leaving via Malalane Gate would give us a nice safari on the way out of the park and back to JNB.

2.  If you know what species you are targeting, see if any camps are known for that species.  You will probably have to look at each camp individually so make the time to do your homework!  I was targeting Brown-headed Parrots (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) in particular, then just birding in general and of course any mammals in the area.  Voila, there they are, right in the top 5 for Pretoriuskop!

We had 2 days and Pretoriuskop was too far to drive considering a half day of birding in Magoebaskloof first so we needed one night a bit closer.  After spending some time on Google and reading birding trip reports I saw that several people reported seeing the parrots in Satara Restcamp which was an easy drive from Orpen Gate.  Satara is also known for lion and even the most devoted birder likes to see lions in Kruger!

3.  Book everything in advance on SANPARKS website.  You can even pay the conservation fees in advance so you can just breeze right through the gate.  Bring your printout to show the rangers.

4.  Never pass by a public restroom!  You will find them at all restcamps, entry gates and picnic areas but they can be 2 hours away in some areas and you are not allowed to leave your car outside of picnic areas.

5.  Fill up your car before entering the park, also stock up on supermarket goods such as snacks and drinks.  You can either self cater in the camp kitchens or braais (BBQ) or eat in restaurants which turned out to be pretty reasonably priced.  I will review camp facilities later.

6.  Do at least one night safari with the camp rangers!  We did one at Satara and it was awesome!  What I liked about Satara’s safari is that it left at 8pm whereas some camps only have sunset drives which leave around 6pm.

Here’s a teaser shot of what’s to come on my night safari post!

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