This is the last post from our Pafuri trip in May 2025. Unfortunately the camp was affected by the recent heavy rains in the Kruger Park in January 2026 and it had to be closed. According to Return Africa, the Pafuri Camp will reopen on 1 June 2026, allowing sufficient time to complete repairs and ensure that all infrastructure is restored to their high standards. Return Africa’s CEO reported that as the waters of the Luvuvhu continue to recede and the floodplain is recovering. New growth is visible everywhere, reminding us that renewal is intrinsic to this landscape.

“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself.” ~ Paramahansa Yoganandar

The view that greeted us each morning around 6h00 after we had finished a cup of coffee and made our way to the game vehicle for our next adventure brimming with expectation.

“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.“ ~ Louis Armstrong

The morning game drive and breakfast usually finished around 10h30-11h00 depending on what we had seen or encountered on the drive. Back at our tented room it was time to relax and download the morning’s images. There was always wildlife activity along and in the river during the day. On this occasion a lone old buffalo bull was slowly making his way up the section of the Luvuvhu river in front of the camp. We knew there were plenty of massive crocodiles in the river, we had seen them, but it did not seem to faze this ‘old bull’.

Having located something worth eating he eventually walked onto a sandbank, across a narrow channel of water and up the bank to start grazing on the other bank. These ‘old dagga boys’ usually move around with a few companions for protection but for some reason this character was on his own and seemed to stay close to the camp.

Each day, looking down the Luvuvhu river from camp we saw a herd of elephants drinking down at the bend in the river. Sometimes they crossed and sometimes they just played in the water for a while. Then just as quickly as they appeared the herd disappeared back into the bush to feed.

I am not sure whether it was always the same herd as the numbers varied from day to day but there were plenty of youngsters which is always a good sign.

“Spending money on travel is not an expense but an investment in experiences that yield joy, growth, and lasting memories.” ~ Anonymous

At night, if you are lucky, you may hear a Pels Fishing owl call from the huge trees on the far side bank of the Luvuvhu river but during the day you are assured to see the resident pairs of fish eagles. They often called from the large trees on the far bank. In my view, the Luvuvhu river provides an iconic African vista, which combined with fish eagles calling will send shivers down your spine.

Often we would see one of the pair of resident Fish eagles perched in a prominent position overlooking the river while the other member of the pair was climbing in a thermal very high above the river. They would often call to each other too.

Generally, the adult male Nile crocodile is between 3.5m and 5 m in length and weighs 225 to 750 kg. However, specimens exceeding 6.1 m in length and 1,000 kg in weight have been recorded. The largest accurately measured male, shot near Mwanza, Tanzania, measured 6.45 m and weighed about 1,043–1,089 kg. The largest living Nile crocodile seen is Gustave who lives on the Burundi shore section of Lake Tanganyika and is estimated to be around 6.1 m in length.

The Nile crocodiles, of which there were many, often climbed onto a sandbank to warm themselves. The croc in front was massive. During the first three to four years, the young increase in length by about 30 cm per year. The growth rate then gradually decreases, but growth can continue throughout life.

The Nile Crocodile can live up to between 40 – 60 years in the wild. The sex of crocodile hatchlings is determined by the temperature at which the eggs incubate. At 30^oC or less they will be mostly female; at 31^oC they will be mixed; and at 32^oC, they will be mostly male.

Some of the best reasons why it is not a good idea to try and wade across the water channels in the Luvuvhu river.

Nile monitors grow to about 100–140 cm (maximum 200 cm) in length (including tail); they have a stout body and powerful limbs and strong claws. Like all monitors they have a forked tongue. Their skin is tough and covered with small, bead-like scales.

This species of monitor prefers to lay its eggs in termite mounds, the female tears open the nest, particularly in the rainy season when the walls are soft, and deposits up to 60 eggs without attempting to cover them. The ants quickly seal up the nest. Under fairly constant temperature (around 25^oC ) and humidity, the unattended eggs are incubated over a period of 6 to 9 months before hatching. (Source: Science Direct.com).

According to SANBI, Nile monitors are carnivores with an almost insatiable appetite, they are renowned for eating just about anything they can overpower or find as carrion. Consequently, their diet includes everything from arthropods, amphibians and fish, to birds, small mammals and other reptiles. Hunting strategies vary, but it is rare for the Nile monitor to shy away from a challenge.

At around 6h00 one morning while having coffee just before going out on a morning game drive some guests came running to tell us that a Pel Fishing owl was perched in full view on a low branch overhanging the river on the opposite side of the river to their tent.

“We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory.” ~ Georges Duhamel

I have seen Pels Fishing owls each time I have been to Pafuri but never seen them in full view like this. It was at least 100 metres away but wonderful to see it in the open. This is the second largest owl species in southern Africa. Its ginger-rufous plumage and large round head make it instantly recognisable. It lives near rivers and lakes, and feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs foraged from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers to roost in and hunt from large trees with branches overhanging trees a slow-moving river.

Back in camp after a productive afternoon’s game drive we would have a drink on the deck overlooking the Luvuvhu river to enjoy the beauty of the last rays of sunlight over the riverine scene. This image was taken looking west up the Luvuvhu river towards the sun just after it had dipped below the horizon.

“Life is short. Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly.” ~ Paulo Coelho

One evening after the day faded and darkness fell and we had finished our drinks on the deck and were just on our way to dinner, the staff called us to come over and see a pair of Thick-tailed bushbabies in the tree above the buffet area. They seemed quite relaxed and not perturbed by the human activity below them.

After dinner we usually stopped next to the fire for a cup of coffee to listen to all the night sounds. Lions roaring in the south in Kruger Park, hyaenas whopping and Wood owls in the trees among the tents. If you are lucky you might even hear a Pels Fishing owl calling from the far side river bank. There was the occasional jackal yelping, cackling and barking, and baboons creating a raucous as they were settling into arboreal bedrooms for the night.

“Our lives are composed of a finite set of moments that we choose how to spend.” ~ John Green

Pafuri Tented Camp is one of our favourite places to stay in South Africa. The camp, being located on the banks of the Luvuvhu river, offers wonderful views of the river and the massive trees that line its banks during the daylight hours. The camp is very comfortable and the staff friendly and hospitable. The two game drives a day, in the morning and afternoon, provide iconic scenes all the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers, baobabs, diverse ecosystems and the birding is excellent. It does not offer the big five but we have long ago moved beyond that marketing catch phrase. This is considered one of the three top birding locations in South Africa.

“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” ~ Napoleon Hill

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

We spent three mornings at Reedbuck Pan in the Maluleke Concession in the Pafuri section in the north of the Kruger Park. Each morning provided unexpected opportunities for different types of wildlife photographs from great bird interactions to wonderful saturated colours across the pan to dazzling reflections on the pan’s water surface.

“The vibration of being who you are and doing what you love is magnetic. You will align everything you need in your life with that energy.” ~ Maryam Hasnaa

As is normally the case on South African game drives, the morning drive has an early start preferably heading out at first light after a cup of hot coffee and a rusk. On the east side of the Pafuri Tented Camp is a rocky ridge with a few baobab trees. They make a wonderful silhouette with the saturated pre-dawn sky in the background.

It takes about an hour to drive east from the camp to the Reeduck Pan. By the time we arrived the sun had risen but the low angle of light cast long reflections of the fever trees across the mirror-like water surface of the pan. Early in the morning the quality of the light is superb. The direction of the light was just right, the colour of the light saturated with the sparkle from the early morning golden colours and light was soft with no specular harshness.

The pan by its nature is shallow and the banks relatively flat which gives plenty of room for waders to wander along the waterline. It also gives us ample opportunity to see crocodiles trying to sneak up on us while we are distracted taking photographs.

The intriguing aspect about this pan is that there is so much birdlife it is hard to focus on one thing. On the bend in the bank closest to where we stopped for coffee there was a Goliath heron, Grey heron, Yellow-billed stork and Three-banded plover all close to each other and quite relaxed.

“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave on the ocean.” ~ Alan Watts

As I showed in two previous posts, a pair of African fish eagles were aggressively territorial taking on a lone Goliath heron and solitary Great white pelican. The attacks were just intimidation and no one got injured.

I found it quite amazing that the Fish eagle would take on a large bird like a Great white pelican especially with its long beak and extended reach. The Fish eagles harassed herons, storks and pelicans alike.

“Do you have the patience to wait until the mud settles and the water is clear?” ~ Lao Tzu

A quiet moment for the lone Goliath heron the far side of the pan. This heron wisely decided to hunt close to fallen tree trunks which he could duck to avert a Fish eagle attack. Whilst I am sure the crocs do try to catch the herons, on this occasion a small croc was content to warm up in the morning sun on the fallen tree trunk.

There were plenty of Nile crocodiles in the pan and at times we got see a few basking in the morning sun on the far side of the pan. This was a good reminder to be alert and not get to close to the water’s edge.

Surprisingly, we saw a medium size croc try to bite into a terrapin but with little luck. Eventually, the croc dropped the terrapin into the water after trying numerous times to bite and try and crack its shell. The terrapin seemed none the worse for wear after its abuse.

We were joined one morning, while we were enjoying a cup of coffee and a muffin, by this juvenile Kittlitz’s plover which was hunting for insects at the water’s edge.

The adult Kittlitz’s plover in breeding colours has a more distinctive plumage with a peach coloured breast black band across its forehead down behind its eyes onto its nape.

We saw numerous Three-banded plovers dashing along the water’s edge hunting for small insects. Its two black bands across its breast are diagnostic as are its red eye rings and red beak with a black tip. It was a little more difficult to get good reflections of these small plovers.

A Blacksmith lapwing was also very busy looking for food. This species will feed on a wide variety of small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, including insects (beetles, ants, larvae), worms, molluscs, and crustaceans.

“Water is the mirror of nature.” ~ Francis of Assisi

The main reason for this post was to show familiar waders in unfamiliar light and colour created by the light reflected off the fever trees.

Although the reflections do create an element of distraction, the colours and in the patterns in the water were fascinating. This Grey heron stood motionless in the shallow water of the pan for quite a while. It must have seen a fish and waited for it to swim within striking range.

The crocs showed no appetite for the herons in the pan. At this point the croc was in very shallow water so could not submerge for a stealthy attack. The only time I have seen crocodiles try to catch water birds was in the Salamat river in Zakouma National Park in Chad.

There was plenty of food in the pan for everyone which is why there were colonies of breeding herons and storks in the fever trees in the pan. The pink tinge in the Yellow-billed stork’s secondaries indicated that it was in full breeding plumage.

“No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” ~ Taoist Proverb

A small flock of African spoonbills flew in to scour the pan for food. They frantically swept their unusual spoonbills through the water trying to catch edibles such as small fish, crustaceans (like shrimp), mollusks, aquatic insects, larvae, and frogs.

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” ~ Khalil Gibran

The inside of the spoon-shaped bill is packed with nerve endings and vibration-sensitive receptors, often referred to as papillae. Instead of relying on sight, spoonbills locate prey by touch. They sweep their partially opened bills from side to side through shallow water and mud to detect movement. When a Spoonbill feels a creature—such as a small fish, crustacean, or insect—touch its bill, the beak snaps shut in milliseconds. This extreme sensitivity allows them to feed effectively in murky, dark, or deep, muddy water where visibility is low.

One of the pair of African fish eagles that seemed to delight in harassing waders in the shallows of the pan. The Fish eagle’s tactics did not deter the waders, the latter just moved to another area of the pan.

Another example of a familiar wader in unfamiliar light. A Little egret foraging in the shallows of the pan bathed in a kaleidoscope of soft reflected colours.

A silhouette of a Little egret foraging in the golden morning light reflected on the water’s surface.

Same subject with a different angle and different light.

The colours reflected on the water’s surface of the pan changed the familiar into a magical wonderland of colour.

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” ~ William Wordsworth

This post was designed to show similar wader birds in unusual early morning reflected light. Such is the magical time based quality of photography. The quality of light, the low angle and reflections are ever changing. The stillness of the water enhanced the quality of the reflections and the vivid colours of the fever trees in the background illuminated the reflections.

“We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us.” ~ Rumi

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike