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| The resident bull of Nxai are a feature of the park |
A freezing cold morning that definitely dipped below zero overnight, it took a while for us to get going but nevertheless we were on our morning game drive just after opening time still in the dark. We were hoping for a night time creature but there was nothing to be seen. In fact, it was pretty quiet with no sign of cats.
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| Black Backed Jackal the ultimate generalist has a strong presence on the pan |
We went around the whole pan without seeing predators and even the general game was sparse and not a soul at the main waterhole. But we did catch a black backed jackal feasting on an old kill while some vultures, including 4 Lappet-faced vultures, watched on.
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| The endangered Lappet Faced Vulture is always a good sighting |
The waterhole at the campsite didn't have any animals but plenty of guineafowl and a few other birds so we had our morning coffee with them, surprised by a jackal that came to drink. More driving and we found a herd of impala on the alert. Setting the bar high, we were hoping for a hunting leopard but that turned to nothing when the impala finally relaxed and started eating.
Eventually at mid-morning it was back to the main waterhole where we found a big herd of springbok drinking. We spent the next couple of hours entertained by the zebra, springbok, kudu and the ever clownish wildebeest.
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| Springbok taking a turn at the waterhole |
A Botswana birding first for us was an African Hawk Eagle that came to drink at the water and some notable littlies were also spotted - the cutthroat finch and the red-headed finch were highlights as were the paradise and shaft-tailed whydahs, both in late season breeding plumage.
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| Didn't expect to see the African Hawk Eagle out here |
After a productive waterhole session we were back to camp for a lunch of leftover stew, chicken rolls and apple pies. The lack of elephant sightings was made up for in the campsite where 4 bulls were hanging around trying to suck up the water overflow from the ablutions blocks. When we'd last been at Nxai Pan we'd been lucky enough to catch a hornbill nesting with the mother and chicks still ensconced in the walled up hole in a tree. Now 2 months later the 2 youngsters were feathered and flying around with their parents looking for any lunch scraps you may accidentally drop.
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| The Cut Throat Finch |
After lunch and out dessert of homemade apple pies with coffee we headed off for our evening drive. Bat-eared foxes abounded - there were plenty around up and hunting for their preferred diet of ants and termites and its amusing to watch them putting their massive ears to use. They would run around d with their ears pointed down until they could hear ants and then dig for the meal. Plenty of black-backed jackals were around as usual, but the big cats were definitely hiding.
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| Bat Eared Fox are common in Nxai |
After driving the various roads around the pan we ended up back at the main waterhole for sundowners where a herd of bull elephants were enjoying the water as the sun set - a nice peaceful scene to end the day.
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| The younger like all youngsters tend to get excited |
Back to a full campsite we quickly got the fire going and then headed for showers, having to bypass a few elephants that were drinking from the soak well next to the ablutions. A good braai of steak, potatoes and salad and we were in the tent by the time the campsite was quiet with only the screeching of the barn owl and the soft hooting of the white-faced scops owl to lull us to sleep.
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| Sunset at the waterhole |
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