Off to town to shop…My weird voice may to irritating to some…

Cattle egrets often stay close to wildlife.  From this site: “Being an opportunistic feeder, the cattle egret is most often seen in the company of animals such as buffaloes, plains zebra, and wildebeest in the wild. During grazing activities, the large beasts churn up the ground to a degree, exposing organisms and insects in the soil below, which are eagerly snapped up by the waiting birds. They are sometimes seen perched on top of these animals, helping themselves to any ticks they find. The presence of the birds does nothing to harm its hosts, and it is even believed that cattle egrets reduce the number of flies found around these ungulates.”

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A mom waterbuck and her calf.

We’re late posting today after deciding to head to Komatipoort and Lebombo to shop for groceries earlier in the day rather than our usual time after uploading the day’s post. Sorry for the delay!

We’ve rarely observed this many waterbucks lying down.

After several cloudy days, the sun is shining, and we wanted to get back after it warms up a little to enjoy this gorgeous weather. Perhaps, later in the day after we return, put everything away and do a little prep for dinner, we’ll embark on one more of our exciting drives in Marloth Park on the never-ending search for the unique and the unusual.

There were a few dozen waterbucks.  We’ve seldom seen so many at once.

There’s no word yet regarding the status of the lions-on-the-loose and if they’re still in the park, but we can’t help but continue our search, just in case we get lucky once again. One never knows or can estimate how long it takes for wildlife to relocate from one location to the next.

They are nice-looking animals with circular markings on their backsides.

Last night was great fun on the veranda. With the outdoor heater on low, we stayed comfortable, and much to our delight, we had no less than ten warthogs, including Little Wart Face, Tusker, Mom and Tiny Baby, Mom, Auntie, and Two Babies, Medium Wart Face, and a few we didn’t recognize. 

From this site: “The waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. The thirteen subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or Ellisprymnus waterbuck and the Defassa waterbuck. The head-and-body length is typically between 177–235 cm (70–93 in), and the average height is between 120 and 136 cm (47 and 54 in). A sexually dimorphic antelope, males are taller as well as heavier than females. Males reach approximately 127 cm (50 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 119 cm (47 in). Males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb). The coat color varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward and are 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.”

In addition, nine female kudus stopped by for pellets and veg, Frank and the Mrs. enjoyed some seeds before “making their noise” at dusk, and Noisy Frog was at it all evening long. 

Just before we packed it in for the night, Wildebeest Willie and three friends stopped by. Willie has this way of making eye contact that lets us know exactly what he’d like on the menu for him and his friends. Of course, we always comply. 

Elephants on the Crocodile River.

We laugh out loud when we think of how other residents of Marloth Park each have their own names for “our” favorite animals. Our only permanent resident who appears to stay in and around our garden day and night are Frank and the Mrs.

It’s astounding how they pick up their heads and make eye contact with us when we call them by the names we chose for them. Can you imagine how many names they’re called as they wander from property to property? And, how smart are they to respond to all of them?

A fish eagle was watching the elephant’s activities.

Not every animal enthusiast may use a similarly annoying sound in their voice as I do, embarrassing that it could be, that may inspire the animals to look toward the source of this weird sound coming from a human. 

I’m not ashamed by this high-pitched voice I’ve used with all of our dogs over the years and nowhere in Marloth Park. In this regard, I have no modesty in spewing out the most peculiar sounds that seem to elicit an enthusiastic response from our wildlife friends.

This parade of elephants consisted of no less than 30.

No doubt, my voice may irritate any neighbors within earshot, but I do tone it down in the evening or when I see people outdoors on their verandas. I certainly don’t want to be one of those “noisy tourists” to which I’m so vehemently opposed.

Finally, back from shopping, I still have lots to put away and items to prepare for tonight’s dinner. We purchased pellets at the Obara store, carrots and apples at the Lebombo market, a much-needed plastic cutting board from the Crazy Store, meat from the Butchery, groceries from Spar Supermarket, and refilled my prescription meds (without a prescription needed) at the local pharmacy. (More on that later).

Obstructed by the fence, we capture this mom and baby.

We accomplished all of the above in less than two hours, including driving time. We have a great system down where we waste no time since we’re always anxious to be on our way back to our holiday home in the bush, just in case someone comes to call.

We’ll wrap it up for today to get on with other projects at hand for the remainder of the day, hoping to get everything accomplished, leaving us ample time for our drive in the park in search of whatever treasures come our way.