A later start today, after breakfast,at 8.00am, we left for a hike through the quiet streets and one of the trails along the waters edge ostensibly looking for birds.
We saw the trumpeter hornbill, olive backed shrike, natal robin, cape turtle dove, green pigeon, crested guinea fowl,grey headed flycatcher, collared sunbird, white eyed barbet,tinker bird, green backed bleating warbler, an apalis, the purple crested turaco and glimpsed the shy knysna turaco. We did see some mammals - another large troop of foraging banded mongooses, red duiker and a very relaxed squirrel - we stopped absolutely still and he came right up and investigated my shoe - indeed he nibbled it and a small piece is now missing he also sat on the guides shoe - amazing!
We got back about 10.30am and had a nice relax before 1500 when we went on the Eastern shores tour, a late afternoon and evening drive which combines both daylight and nighttime viewing opportunities.
Another excellent drive - we spent a long time with a male and female white rhino, who were grazing with buffalo nearby. The female had the longest horn I have ever seen - today's photo- the male was accompanying her in the hope/ expectation of a mating! As we passed the wetland areas we saw hippo, jacana, spoonbill and woolly necked stork. Then as the sun was going down we found the male black rhino browsing his way back to a wooded area where he would spend the night. With him a safe distance away but still in view we had sundowners and watched both him and the sunset.
After sunset the world changed to night and our viewing changed with it; now we saw a side striped jackal, a genet, a porcupine, water thick knee and three small and very fluffed up apalis( birds) sleeping on a branch. Tonight John had one of the spotlights and on one of his backward sweeps he shouted 'leopard' - the vehicle quickly backed and enabled us to see a beautiful male leopard sitting behind a bush, you would only have seen him by looking backwards because the bush sheltered him as we had driven past. The French family we were with were so grateful to John for his spot, they had been to Kruger and were unlucky, this was their last chance - a brilliant spot,if I do say so myself!
Finally as we left the park we saw one last new species - a bush pig.
I, however,was now minus one glove - during a camera battery change in the dark it must have exited stage right off the truck. Consequently my left hand had to stay under the blanket to keep warm!