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The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP)


Panthera Pardus

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Penolva- why can't you ring yourself from the UK?

It's very expensive and if you are left on hold it's stressful cause you can see all your money dripping down that telephone wire! Pen

 

You can easily buy a phone card for calling overseas- for South Africa, calls this way would probably cost 2-3p per minute. BT have an international friends and family option for about £1 a month- if you add that to your plan, calls to South Africa are 2.7p a minute.

 

There are loads of ways these days to make cheap calls overseas. Here's another option-

http://www.cherry-call.co.uk/africa.jsp

 

2p a minute to South Africa.

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Penolva- why can't you ring yourself from the UK?

 

It's very expensive and if you are left on hold it's stressful cause you can see all your money dripping down that telephone wire! Pen

Yep Pen, you can be on hold for about 15 minutes. For August, you should still be OK to get what you want if you send email the evening before.

Thanks for your help. It's going to be a great trip. Pen

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Penolva- why can't you ring yourself from the UK?

 

It's very expensive and if you are left on hold it's stressful cause you can see all your money dripping down that telephone wire! Pen

You can easily buy a phone card for calling overseas- for South Africa, calls this way would probably cost 2-3p per minute. BT have an international friends and family option for about £1 a month- if you add that to your plan, calls to South Africa are 2.7p a minute.

 

I will get that BT deal probably and make the call early on the 1st of the month. Overall it's not going to be a big part of the cost of the trip. It's just I am so used to booking everything by email. Thanks again Pen

 

There are loads of ways these days to make cheap calls overseas. Here's another option-

http://www.cherry-call.co.uk/africa.jsp

 

2p a minute to South Africa.

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@@penolva, I see you want to enter at Mata Mata. Book for Kalahari Tented Camp, move on to Urikaruus. Next at Nossob where you will get electricity from 5.30am to 9.30pm so you can charge camera batteries and transfer photos to your laptop, hard drive. Move on to Grootkolk and Gharagab and then head south to Kieliekramkie and Twee Rivieren.

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Panthera Pardus

Thank you Kavita for liking the cheetah post. I did say that the KTP is arguably the best Park for raptor and cat sightings for the price you pay. Next up raptors which include eagles, owls, falcons, kites., goshawks and more

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Panthera Pardus

One of my favourite raptors is the Balck Shouldered Kite, those enchanting ruby red eyes B) so I will start with that one

 

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Tawny Eagle

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Black Chested Snake Eagle

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Bateleur Eagle

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Immature bateleur eagle

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kittykat23uk

Hi @@Panthera Pardus are these birds resident or are there particular times of the year when they are more plentiful?

 

What are the areas around Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata like for predators and birds etc during August and September time? The prices for a guided trip, staying in chalets presumably at the main rest camps seem pretty reasonable. So it might be another idea for combining with Moz, though would require a flight from Johannesburg. At the moment it's a toss up between that or Kruger and Sabi sand, but open to exploring other ideas.

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Panthera Pardus

@@kittykat23uk The black shouldered kite is resident, so are the tawny, bateleur and martial eagles. All the owls and goshawks, most of the falcons are resident as are the vultures - will be posting pics in next few installments. The best time though for raptors is March/April as all the migratory ones will also be in the KTP - red footed falcon, booted eagle, steppe buzzard, black kite, yellow billed kite, to name a few.

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Panthera Pardus

Cubitje Quap waterhole just north of Nossob is great for Raptor sightings so is the road from Mata Mata to Urikaruus. Generally you could see them in any area of the Park.

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kittykat23uk

Thanks for the info! :)

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PP - this report gets better and better as the days go on... Delighted to hear that May was a great month for you at KTP. I am very encouraged and have hopefully convinced a fellow STer to do this trip together in 2014. I have not been to Etosha or other places where one waits at waterholes for the wildlife to come in but had always thought that waterholes would limit the range of behaviors you could see. Evidently not, as illustrated so beautifully by your photos :)

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Panthera Pardus

You welcome kk23uk.

 

@@Sangeeta, the waterholes are about 10km apart from each other. You can see some spectacular action near the waterholes, we have seen a Lanner Falcon take out a dove, a cheetah kill, a Pale chanting Goshawk kill a dove. Some of the action, you will pick up driving from one waterhole to the next. Please always bear in mind that nothing is guaranteed and there will be days that will be slow.

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Panthera Pardus

More raptors - let us do some of the owls you are likely to see. These can be in the camps, just ask the shop assistants at Nossob and Mata Mata where the white face scops owl and Pearl spotted owlets were last seen and they will point you to the tree you have to search for them. Scan the trees carefully when you driving around.

 

The white faced scops owl

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The giant eagle owl (Verreaux's eagle owl)

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Spotted eagle owl chicks - these usually are seen on the floor before sunset about 15km south of Mata Mata

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Barn owls - these normally take over the nest of socaible weavers but also ask at camps if there are barn owls around

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Pearl spotted owlet

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africapurohit

@@Panthera Pardus thank you for the great information and wonderful photos - the diversity of animals seems incredible.

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Hi Sharifa thanks that's exactly what we will try to do. Any problems bringing meat etc from Namibia? Can we do SA immigration at Mata Mata or can it wait until we leave from Twee R? Pen

 

uote name="Sharifa" post="95745" timestamp="1367140746"]@@penolva, I see you want to enter at Mata Mata. Book for Kalahari Tented Camp, move on to Urikaruus. Next at Nossob where you will get electricity from 5.30am to 9.30pm so you can charge camera batteries and transfer photos to your laptop, hard drive. Move on to Grootkolk and Gharagab and then head south to Kieliekramkie and Twee Rivieren.

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Panthera Pardus

you welcome @@africapurohit and I think you will love the installment about little critters coming up soon

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Panthera Pardus


@@penolva - there is a shop on the Namibia side just before you enter Mata Mata where you can stock up. Carrying meat through Botswana is a problem but not Namibia. You just have to spend two nights in the Park which is not an issue for you - this is to prevent the Park being used as a throughway. Your immigration will be done at TR when you leave.

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Panthera Pardus

Final episode on Raptors

 

Pygmy Falcon

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Cape, lappet faced and white back vulture - seen frequently at Cubije Quap waterhole

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Lanner Falcon

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Brown Snake Eagle

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Seretary Bird

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Red Necked Falcon

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Immature Gabar Goshawk raidung a nest

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Melanistic Gabar Goshawk

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Greate Kestrel

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Immature Martial Eagle

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The signature bird of the KTP - Pale Chanting Goshawk

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Panthera Pardus

Thank you Dam2810 and Sverker

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Panthera Pardus

Carrying on our drive south from Lijersdraai waterhole, Polentswa waterhole is always worth a stop for both predators and raptors. Another good spot to see a Lanner Falcon on the hunt.

 

Langklaas and Kousant are usually not productive but Bedinkt, Kwang and Cubitje Quap are all very good. We were delighted to find these two one morning at Bedinkt and had 30 minutes with them.

 

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madaboutcheetah

Your report gets better and better with each post - enjoying this report very very much!!!

 

We have the Black shouldered Kite here in India too ....... looks exactly alike. I wonder if they migrate here in the winter?

Edited by madaboutcheetah
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africapurohit

@@Panthera Pardus, 30 minutes with the most awesome animal in Africa (and two of them) - you are very lucky :) . They are fabulous photos as I know how hard it is to get good HB photos. These two seem quite relaxed with your presence?

 

I love the multi-vulture image with all three looking in the right direction.

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Panthera Pardus

@@madaboutcheetah - thank you. The BSK is resident to Africa and Eurasia off the top of my head

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madaboutcheetah

@@madaboutcheetah - thank you. The BSK is resident to Africa and Eurasia off the top of my head

 

Cool - thanks for the info! Around here in Coimbatore, I mainly see them during our winter months.

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