Where to Find Owls in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

With the December holidays approaching, many people will flock to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Bird watchers will be delighted to know that there are several spots in the park where different species of owls reside on a regular basis.

Twee Riviere and Vicinity

Exit the gate at Twee Riviere in the direction of Nossob. The Nossob River bed is on your right and dunes on your left. Small trees line the road on the left. Practically within a kilometer from the gate and well before you reach the Confluence lookout point, a small tree on the left plays host to at least two Spotted Eagle Owls.

Further along the road, just before the Melkvlei picnic area there is a fallen tree on the right hand side of the road. Despite the road works during December 2008, the Spotted Eagle Owls were not disturbed and rested during the heat of the day both on the thick branch of the fallen tree and in the foliage of the tree above.

Owls in the Nossob Area

 At the gate of the Nossob camp where your exit towards Twee Riviere, an unassuming smallish tree on your right hand side usually yields a threesome of Southern White-faced Scops-Owl. These owls rest in the precious little shade of the tree during the day and at night you can hear their calls echo through the camp.

Mata Mata and Vicinity

Inside the Mata Mata camp, right in front of the small tuck shop, a huge tree provides shade to humans and animals alike.  At least two Southern White -faced Scops-Owls will stare at you from the branches of the tree. Keep checking for them as they sometimes settle down on the lower branches of the tree and affords tourists wonderful photo opportunities.

After the turn-off to the Kalahari tented camp, the road turns to the left from Mata Mata side. On the left hand side of the road, tree partially overhangs the road. A pair of Spotted Eagle Owls resides inside the tree during the day and they are easy to spot. You will have a shady spot to stand in as well, which is a bargain during the hot summer months in the Kgalagadi.

These are only a few of the locations inside the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park where owls are seen at regular intervals. You will mostly hear the African Scops- Owl, but find it difficult to see one as they are small birds and very well camouflaged.

Also, look for Barn Owls inside Sociable Weaver nests as they utilize these huge nests to raise their own young.

Campsties Where You Can Flyfish for Trout

Do a search on the internet and you will find few places that cater for fly fishermen (especially trout anglers) who wish to camp. Lodges are in abundance and you fill find thousands of hits in the Cape Province and Mpumalanga with places offering self- catering to fully catered accommodation. So why are the campers left out in the cold?
One reason might be that fly fishing for trout in South Africa is predominantly a winter sport and that most establishments probably feel campsite wouldn't generate enough income to make it economically viable. I don't agree and here is why:

The world-wide recession is pinching at everyone's purses. Self-catering accommodation at trout lodges tend to be expensive for the average man in the street.

More tourists are visiting Africa on a shoestring budget and plan their whole holiday around campsites that offers them a unique experience of Africa.

Lodge owners will dramatically increase their bookings when implementing one or two exclusive campsites close to the trout dams with adequate facilities - if the lodge has a restaurant even better - the turnover will definitely improve.

So all the lodge owners out there - make some campsites or tell me why you are not doing it.

Carnivorous Animals at Mabuasehube/Kgalagadi

As stated in the previous post, carnivores in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Mabuasehube Reserve are not just limited to lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. Smaller carnivores include the caracal, wildcat, bat eared fox, aardwolf, banded mongoose, black-footed cat, small-spotted cat, small-spotted genet, honey badger, black backed jackal, cape fox, striped polecat, suricate, slender mongoose, African wildcat and yellow mongoose. All of the above belong to the genus of Carnivora.

An interesting fact about the Black backed Jackal is that it can smell carrion, which it is not above eating, from a distance of 11 kilometers down wind. These jackals will also accost brown hyenas in an attempt to rob them of their prey, but not the cheetah, as they seem to fear the speed of the cheetah.

The Aardwolf eats up to 300 000 termites per night. As termites make out their whole diet they need to stay in areas where there are at least 3000 termite mounts to survive. In die winter, when termites are active during the day, the Aardwolf adapts its habits from nocturnal to diurnal.

One way to find a honey badger in the Kgalagadi is to look for two or more Southern Pale Chanting Goshawks (Bleeksingvalke) resting in the lower branches of the trees as you will often find the honey badger in the vicinity.