Deception Valley - Stalking Lions and Waterholes

This morning the temperature is a little ‘milder’ than it was yesterday, at 9 °C. I slept well last night, but wake up this morning with my sprained sacroiliac joint giving me a lot of pain. Thank goodness I packed plenty of painkillers.

Breakfast

We enjoy fruit, muesli, and yogurt, followed by egg and bacon.

Lovely fresh fruit

The bacon has an odd colour and texture but is still quite enjoyable

What we don’t enjoy as much is one of the other guests violently coughing at the dining table. I understand that the guy obviously has a chest infection, but if you wish to bring up all the phlegm from your lungs, please go somewhere more private! To say it is gross is an understatement, I have to make my excuses and leave the table as it makes me feel physically sick.

Instead, I wander down to the terrace to photograph this morning’s visitors – a couple of gemsbok.

Gemsbok (AKA Oryx) at the waterhole

Morning Game Drive

I dress up against the cold and protect myself against all the dust being thrown up from the tracks by the vehicles.

As we are making our way along the tracks, Moscow takes a call on the radio, and suddenly we find ourselves racing across the bush, having to duck to avoid branches and hold on to anything loose on the seats.

Kisse, our spotter, ducks out of the way of a nasty branch

Lots of debris left in the car after the adventurous jaunt

Moscow explains to us that when he drives off track like this, he makes a point of making sure that the wheels do not run over the shrubs, that way they will just spring back up again after being ‘flattened’ under our car.

Lions

This is what we are aiming for – three lions stalking a kudu.

As is often the case in the bush, a bird -this time a guineafowl – issues warning calls to unsuspecting prey, scaring the kudu into making a run for it. The lionesses follow, but when we catch up with them, we realise their hunt was unsuccesful – the kudu lived for another day, and the lions are still hungry.

When the hungry cats scatter deeper into the jungle, we leave them be to catch their breakfast and continue on our way to see what else nature has to offer us today.

A new waterhole with a photographer's hide being constructed overlooking it. Shame it is not finished yet

Lion prints - Moscow tells us they are from last night

There are a number of natural and man-made waterholes trhoughout the conservancy, and we see some kudu at one of them.

When they spot us they run off.

Our first sighting of Hartebeest on this trip

Tawny Eagle flying

White Browed Sparrow Weaver

We stop for a while at another man-made waterholes, spending some quality time watching the comings and goings in and around the pond.

Burchell's Sandgrouse

Helmeted Guineafowl

Black Faced Waxbill

Cape Glossy Starling and Red Eyed Bulbul

African Red Eyed Bulbul

Kudu

Warthogs

We return to the lodge in time for lunch:

Cheeses and salads on the table to help yourself, followed by lasagne

The lasagne is disappointing in that the pasta at the bottom is undercooked while the sheets at the top are overdone to the point they are crispy. I am also left with a greasy feeling in my mouth.

We spend some time photographing the animals at the lodge’s own waterholes, before retiring to the room to chill for a while.

Kudu and warthogs juggle for a position at the large waterhole

There are Burchell's Zebra and Impala at the smaller pond

Mummy Kudu nursing her youngster

Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations and their local teams for arranging this incredible Great Africa Trip 2024