Out of the African continent comes a potpourri of ancient sights, sounds and smells. Kruger National Park, vast, exciting; one of the largest reserves in the world. What will we experience? Giraffes carefully stripping leaves with their long tongues around the many sharp thorns. Three zebra bottoms in a row with tails switching, drinking at the waterhole. Warthogs kneeling on front legs, bums in the air, or running with tails straight up. Herds of dainty impala with thin matchstick legs - a plentiful food source for the carnivores. Hippos rising out of the water bedecked with green water hyacinth.
Crocodiles and terrapins sunning on a bank. Oxpeckers busily extracting ticks, red bills methodically working through the animal's hair. Bateleurs soaring and dipping their wings as if to steady themselves. Piles of elephant dung on the road, but where are the elephants? There - a small herd in the dry riverbed, digging for water. Baboons sitting on their bottoms holding their feet, peering at us. Three Spotted Hyenas gnawing on fleshy bones. A warthog head wedged in the tree branches - evidence of leopard. Mist in the valleys at 6.00am. Spider webs galore, glistening with dew in the early morning sun. Iridescent rollers and glossy starlings breathtaking in the sunshine. Diurnal Pearl-spotted Owls sitting on branches in broad daylight. The strong smell of sage, and of the potato plant, and of glowing fires sweeping through the bush, leaving blackened ash and a burnt tortoise that made it to the road, but perished there. Keeping pace with the Lion King, beside him in the open truck at night - those amber eyes as he turned to look up at us. Glowing eyes of a Bushbaby on a night drive and a Spotted Eagle Owl on the road ahead. The bare branches of deciduous trees silhouetted against a red sunset sky.
Bundles of long, dried grass lying along the road awaiting pick up - to be used in rethatching worn roofs of the rondavels we stay in. Huge rhino dung heaps and leopard scats on the road, plus huge footprints and paw prints - but where are they both?? Big bull Cape Buffalo in the spotlight -there's a few steaks in those massive haunches. Weavers' nests hanging from trees. Two Hammerkops gathering wet roots and grasses and flying off to start the 6-8 month process of enormous nest building. Wire-tailed Swallows building their dainty mud nest under the eaves of the bird hide.
Klipspringers skittering down a rock face. A Slender Mongoose sunning on a log. Young Francolins in a line behind mum. Majestic twisted horns on the Kudu. Aloe and Impala Lilies in blossom in the Camp gardens. At night the roaring of lions, laughing of hyenas, clicking of bats in the trees, Grey Go-away birds voicing a wheezy twang, Trumpeter Hornbills crying "waah" like a baby doll, Purple-crested Louries croaking like a frog. We have seen three of the African Big Five - Elephant, Lion, Buffalo. The Rhino and Leopard have eluded us. We must come back again.
Some collective nouns which apply to our Aug 2001 "Pelican Safari" trip in S. Africa
A basket of weavers
A stare of owls
A kaleidoscope of kingfishers
A comb of oxpeckers
A vortex of vultures
A file of francolins
A trunk of elephants
A pad of lions
A mischief of monkeys
A sparkle of spider webs
Ten seconds of sandgrouse
A speckle of guineafowl
A gurgle of crows
A charm of cheetahs
A bounce of spring hares
An illusion of leopards
A benediction of bishops
A duster of ostriches
A high-rise of hyraxes
A sentry of suricates
A feast of flowers
Acres of asters
Drifts of daisies
A shimmer of sunbirds
A haze of mountains
A herd of elephant beetles
A quill of porcupines
Postfuls of pipits
A gathering of grebes
A flick of cisticolas
A largess of Leucodendrons
A feeding of flamingos
A wallow of whales
A beach of baboons
A gutful of geese (Egyptian)
A laundry of liaisons !?!
A reflection of memories
Kay Hahne