A Magical Time to be in the Bush

Aliveness and Wonder in the Greater Kruger

There is a palpable sense of purpose in the wilderness as spring merges into summer, and everyone becomes a part of nature’s greater plan. Whether it’s an early morning walking safari or a magnificent sunset, the vibrant energy of the bush makes itself known.

November marks the beginning of the impala birthing season and within just a few weeks, the impala population swells, transforming the herds into nurseries of shy, spindly-legged youngsters. The little ones bleat and so do the adults when looking for their lambs – it’s a noisy time out in the bush! These fragile newcomers stay close to their mothers, quickly learning the rhythms of the world around them. In addition to impala lambs, there are baby warthogs, wildebeest, and zebra, along with many young birds adding to this lively playlist of new life.

Left: Impala Lamb; Right: Wildebeest Calf

A Long Way From Home

Migratory birds complete extraordinary journeys from far-off lands to breed and feast, and they’re not shy to let their presence be known. Mating season is in full swing across dozens of species, and the air fills with territorial declarations and unapologetic courtship songs. None announces their arrival more distinctively than the woodland kingfisher, whose iconic trilling call soon becomes the soundtrack of summer. The red-chested cuckoo is a noisy imposter of sorts, hailing from more northerly regions of the continent. Their “Piet-my-vrou” call (Afrikaans) is a trusted messenger that the rains are coming.

The warblers, flycatchers and bulbuls form a background chorus to the louder, deeper calls of swifts, tchagras, cisticolas, larks, buntings, babblers, waxbills, finches, barbets, robins and swallows – sometimes all of the above are outdone by the clear, bell-like notes of shrikes.

Wahlberg’s eagles also visit in summer. They have quite a presence as large birds of prey, arriving in pairs and settling on nests for the season, while they are bold and imposing it is the electric blue woodland kingfishers with their bold red bills and kohl-rimmed eyes that are the most striking in appearance.

Left: Woodlands Kingfisher; Right: Whalberg’s Eagle

A Busy Time, Being Busy

Post-winter, dramatic changes occur in the flora; wildflowers emerge from the rain-soaked soil and plants are in a rush to bloom, their petals attracting insects and nectar-seeking birds. It’s an active time for dragonflies, grasshoppers, and pontificating dung beetles that you’ll find along the sandy tracks, unless they’ve decided to flap their wings and fly from A to B. On early morning game drives, the light slants at a perfect angle to emphasise the artistry of the golden orb spiders and their intricate webs. Come daybreak and nightfall, the crickets and cicadas provide a beautiful ambient sound to mark the beginning and end of days.

Meanwhile, elephants and other herbivores abandon their dry-season diet of woody browse, turning instead to the nutrient-rich grasses that carpet the softening landscape. Frogs emerge, filling the night air with croaking choruses as they call for mates. Foam nest frogs, bubbling kassinas, banded rubber frogs, ornate toads, red-backed toads, stream/river frogs and the mottled shovel nose variety all make their declarations of love loud and clear, and at Waterside, the most notable is the high-pitched “wheep” of the painted reed frogs.

Left: Painted Reed Frog; Right: String of Stars; Bottom: Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Like Night and Day

Every moment in the bush is different. Morning coffee stops reveal birdsong layered over the rustle of feeding herbivores, while sundowners bring the transition hour: that magical hour when daytime creatures quieten and nocturnal hunters begin to prowl. Dinner beneath the giant marula tree at Royal Malewane offers yet another soundscape: the rumbling of distant lions, the cackling of hyenas, the sharp bark of baboons settling for the night, and the grounding sound of owls hooting under luminous skies.

Of course, you don’t want to miss out on a spectacular summer afternoon thunderstorm – when the skies growl almost as loudly as the Monwana pride as the clouds unleash, breaking the humidity of the day, leaving behind the fresh cool earth and a momentary silence before the sounds of nature rise once again.

Herd of Impala at Sunset