Today started with our wake up call and tea and wondering what we would see on our morning drive. All was soon revealed - today was a cheetah and elephant day! We watched a cheetah mum and two cubs who were continually playing ( today's photo) except when mum was hunting a Thompson's gazelle when they instinctively sat still and watched - sadly no breakfast as the gazelles were too alert!
We then watched an old male elephant as he slowly walked, rested seemingly to stretch his old muscles. His two broken tusks were testament to a long and no doubt adventurous life for which his tired arthritic limbs were now paying the price!
Next sighting was of a more active male in musth with secretions from a gland near his head and dribbling urine - these males are not to be trifled with and its no doubt he was searching for a breeding herd even though having only one tusk might put him at a disadvantage if it came to a push and shove with a rival male.
The other new sighting we had was of a very attractive rosy patched bush shrike; we also regularly saw chestnut chested sand grouse.
Enroute back to camp Jonathan spotted a partially eaten Thompson's Gazelle with not far away a lone wild dog - a rare sighting - it was thought to have come all the way from the Serengeti but without its pack mates.
Back at camp elephants were at the watering hole and we had good views from our tent.
Again I braved the cold pool for my mandatory 100 lengths before lunch and afternoon siesta.
The afternoon drive was focused around the the marsh area in the national park - and we filled our boots with reed buck, probably the most we have ever seen, a marsh mongoose, elephants up to their shoulders in water eating the vegetation,3 banded plover, beeater, golden weaver, jacana, fiscal shrike and crowned cranes.
We ended with sundowners on the top of a windy ridge and as the cloud predominated, a fleeting small gap with a red light in it was all we saw of the sunset!