LISTS

CHECKLISTS

For purposes of tracking what I did/seen I have produced this post of CHECKLISTS: which I shall update as I go along.
Other lists will follow such as:
Poos I have had to lift
Animals that have peed on/bitten me


BEERS I HAVE DRUNK: (Obviously the most important one!)

Castle Lager: South African: 5% 6pack 29Rand (£2)
A cheap crap lager but very very refreshing after working on the Fence in the Monkey Sanctuary

Sterling Light Lager: South African: 2.5% 6pack 29Rand
This was a complete mistake – who the hell brews 2.5% beer! This was one of the ones I picked up quickly when first going to Enkosini – I did not see the light bit – as but as useful as a lager shandy.

Windhoek Lager: Namibian: 4% 6pack 29 Rand
Supposedly the best lager you can get here – definitely better then the others

(I have also been drinking some Heineken)
Beers so far are average. But very refreshing!

THINGS I HAVE LOST/BROKE:
(this will be of interest to my sister as she thinks I lose everything)

Platypus Water bag: 5th Aug
I got this free with my tent and it proceeded to leak in my small rucksack on the very first walk I did – all over my books!

Sunglasses: 8th Aug
An incident involving a hammer and a rather rubbery fence post combined to break my first sunglasses. Still it was better then the black eye I would have gotten without them on!

Trousers: 5th Aug
Probably due to the amount of stuff I had in my pockets but really due to the fact that the trousers were slightly too small. Large tears down the front of both legs – which got progressively bigger (even after a bad sewing attempt) until I was doing a good impression of David Banner after turning back from the incredible hulk.

Tent pole: 12th Aug
Due to hasty camp pack I may have left one of my tent poles in the Vervet monkey sanctuary. This means that my tent will have one end basically lying on the ground when I go to Kruger park.

Nikon camera: 15th Aug
Due to me trying to clean the actual digital part of camera I have managed to effectively destroy my good camera! I will still use it for Kruger park but its got it will have a big scratch mark on all the photos!



ANIMALS I HAVE SEEN:

This post will probably be of no interest to anyone but me and Phil but hey its my blog!

I am only going to include animals that I have positively identified for myself – not ones pointed out to me by other people that they seen or heard.

Pied Kingfisher – Bird, Seen on roadside on way to Ranger Station 4th Aug

Blue waxbill – Bird, Seen at Vervet Monkey Sanctuary, 7th Aug
Lovely small sparrow-like bird with blue breast which I foraged around at dawn and dusk.

White throated robin chat – Bird, (fatty!) Seen at Ranger station, 14th Aug
Fatty as the rangers call him is a cheeky thrush like bird with a white throat and red behind. He eats all the crumbs left around the station. I have even caught him in my hut looking for food.

Cape Robin Chat – Bird, Seen at Rangers station, 14th Aug.
Another cheeky bird that lives on the scraps from the ranger station. More robin like with red breast.

Common Bulbul – Bird, Seen at Ranger station, 14th Aug
Black head with slight crest and yellow tail flanks. Also feeds of scraps from the station.

Amethyst sunbird – Bird, Seen at Ranger station , 16th Aug
Almost black small bird.

Commoun Duiker – Antelope, Seen near Ranger Station 15th Aug
My first proper mammal! Only glimpsed but apparently quite common here at Enkosini

Cape Weaver – Bird, Seen at Ranger Station 16th Aug
All Yellow bird – bastard to check against all the other Yellow weavers but I am pretty sure its this one (good views)

African FIsh Eagle - Bird: Seen on walk to eucalyptus forest 16th Aug
Bloddy great big bird seen at a distance with distinctive white head and tail

Warthog - mammal: Two females seen on walk to eucalyptus forest 16th Aug

Greater Kestrel (i think!) - bird - seen on walk to eucalyptus forest 16th Aug#
Hoovering bird in distance with light underwings - larger than normal kestrel

Bearded Woodpeaker - Bird: At ranger station 17th Aug
Annoying hammering which woke me up - got pretty close to it (should have thrown a stone at the bloody thing!)

Brown Scrub Robin - Bird: At ranger station 17th Aug

Yellow-fronted tinkerbird: At ranger station 17th Aug
Small bird - like a mottled gold creast

Cape batis: At Ranger Station 17th Aug
I think this is the bird doing the annoying three blind mice

Blue Billed firefinch: At ranger station 17th Aug

Baboon: Near Ranger station 18th Aug