Spring makes a spectacular entrance...
The start of September marked the beginning of spring and somehow, something in the African bush that surrounds Baobab Ridge understood that it was time to switch seasons, in spite of a week of unseasonably cold and damp weather that seemed to be winter's last gasp for 2020!
In spite of the cold snap that kicked off the month, and the season, the game appeared to sense the change in the air and the sightings came in thick and fast, from amazing painted wolf (African wild dog) sightings to leopards, hyenas and lion... Which was wonderful because we finally welcomed our first guests to the lodge after the easing of lockdown restrictions that allowed South Africans to finally travel in their own country.
As the weather warmed up, the knob thorns began to bloom, along with the sjambok pod, and the otherwise drab, brown and sparse bush was suddenly punctuated with shades of bright yellow thanks to these trees' beautiful flowers. The soft tufts of the catkin-like knob thorn blossom and the sweet smell of the sjambok pod blooms now fills the air around the lodge and out on game drives...
Giraffe are everywhere feeding on the flowering trees and are regular around the lodge, making game viewing from the suite decks and the pool deck truly special!
The plains game is having to move constantly to find enough food to eat as the bush is very dry and thinned out at this time of the year. With the temperatures increasing each day the build up to the rainy season is under way, and the battle to stay alive until the life-giving rains come is in full swing.
For the grazers like zebra, buffalo and wildebeest it's hard to find enough to keep going each day, but thanks to our late rains earlier this year they are still in good condition. Browsers like the magnificent kudu are also challenged, but hanging out around our dams and waterholes always offers some respite as the presence of water offers up some small patches of greenery here and there...
Of course, predators don't need to worry about greenery! Our leopards and lions have plenty to eat and often hang around at water sources to ambush animals coming to drink. With the bush being so open, sometimes cover is a bit of an issue when stalking, but the long, dry, tawny coloured grass offers some respite, especially for lions whose coats are exactly the same shade!
Some of our migrant bird species have also begun to appear - from the Wahlberg's eagle to the yellow-billed kite and the various swallow and swift species that are slowly making their way from other parts of Africa, Europe and beyond.
So don't forget to bring your binoculars with you when you come to visit, which we hope you will do very soon!
