Monday, 4 March 2013

25 January 2013 - Lagoon camp at Linyanti

Up at 5. Out in the jeep at 6. 

Spencer wanted to find cheetahs and buffalo. Along the way not far out of camp we came across a python (snake) swallowing a goose, whole. We watched this amazing feat for an hour. The snake still hadn't finished swallowing the goose, it was a big bird and the snake wasn't that big maybe 3m long. A monitor lizard was sunning itself in a bush not far from where we'd stopped. We left to return later as the snake was still trying to digest the goose.


Python swallowing a goose 

Some time later, still trying to ingest the goose


We went through a lot of bush avoiding tree branches (just) and long grass out to the west of the concession. Unfortunately after 4 hours we hadn't sighted cheetahs or buffalo even though there were signs they'd been in various spots not that long ago. We should have been back at camp by 11 and it was now noon. We headed back to camp took 2 hours back through the bush, we saw general animals and a few rare ones - rona antelope and sables along with giraffe, zebra, elephant, warthog, impala, steenbok, chameleon and birds.


 Zebra

 Baboon

 Chameleon

Purple roller

 Tsessebe

 Tsessebe

Elephant

We checked where we'd seen the snake earlier and the dead goose was on the ground. Spencer said the snake must have been disturbed and regurgitated the goose quickly to get out of harms way. Not a pretty sight... 


Regurgitated goose

Back to camp, late lunch, rested for an hour then we went out on a boat at 4.30.
The boat trip was very relaxing and smooth. We sighted hippos and birds and motored slowly along the lagoon for an hour. There was a storm brewing not too far away so they turned the boat back to camp. Lighting and thunder dotted the sky. We got back to camp about 5 minutes before the downpour.

 Hippos

 Storm on the way

 Hippo yawning

 Waterlily

 Hippo's watching us very closely

 Storm clouds getting closer

Beautiful sunset to the west

Dinner around 8, bed at 9.30, exhausted.

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