Monday 9th October
Camp Moremi
Just an oversight on my part from the previous day’s blog. I forgot to mention that as we arrived at what I will call the ‘Hippo’ lake for our sundowner we met up with another small group, travelling around under the guidance of Grass’s brother, who, rather than being based at a camp such as Moremi, offers a more nomadic style of safari under canvas and travelling from camp to camp. This probably accounts for his tall, lean build in comparison to Grass who is ‘ well-covered’ !
The usual display of bird life is on display as we set off on a clear morning and we are soon treated to a hippo which for once is out of the water. This has been a fairly rare sight during our trip.
We have become accustomed to frequent sightings of the Red Lechwe antelopes but the harem that we encounter this morning is very large and Grass points out the single male who must be kept a very busy fellow indeed.
Jackals have been rather thin on the ground so it’s a pleasant surprise to see one at close quarters. It’s now easy to see why it’s a case of safety in numbers when such as the larger hyena is around.
Grass is full of surprises and he soon brings us to an area where a flock of the beautifully coloured Red Carmine Bee Eaters are enjoying their usual diet of ants and bees.
After considerable experience as a guide in this area it comes as no surprise that Grass is quick to recognise a couple of male lion brothers, familiar to him who are enjoying a mid-morning snooze and from the safety of the vehicle we are able to spend an extended period observing their admittedly limited movements, although the larger of the two eventually gets up to take very short stroll. I make the most of the moment to take a short video and record Gail’s exasperated voice saying ” he’s deliberately ignoring us!” as she tries to take a photo. As far as I’m concerned when there’s only an iron bar and 10 metres between me and the King of the Jungle the apathy towards us is very welcome!
We have noticed an antelope not far away and ask Grass why the lion seemingly holds no fear for this animal. He explains that in such an open area the stealth which is critical for a lion kill is more difficult to achieve and moreover the antelope has a speed advantage over its would-be predator.
We round off the morning with some close-ups of Kudu and return to Camp Moremi for brunch and siesta.
As we are due to leave Moremi the following day Grass has organised an evening boat trip and as always this proves to be a very tranquil, relaxing experience enhanced by the wide array of bird life including Cormorants, Pied Kingfishers,African Darters, Squacco Heron and last but not least the remarkable African Jacana which can appear to be walking on water although it is in fact wading on floating vegetation.
Another magnificent African sunset to provide us with a lasting impression of this superb location.
Cheers
The Obese Ferret.
Leave a comment