We started our last day at Umkhumbi Lodge with a morning walk around the camp finding a few more birds.

Crested Guineafowl

Then we went to False Bay

where there was no water in the bay.  We did find a Fire-billed Finch, Olive Sunbird and Crowned Eagle. (these are links to images I found on google, not Denny’s pictures as he couldn’t get good ones.)

We went back to the lodge for breakfast out on the porch of the restaurant.  We hadn’t gotten very far when someone looked up at the ceiling, which was made up of strips of bamboo, and saw a Green Mamba there.  This little guy just happens to be quite venomous so we all stepped back while the owner called in the snake guy. Actually one of the managers of the lodge happens to be a herpetologist.  He came in with his snake hook and they got the snake into a bucket and temporarily put it in the terrarium upstairs in the bar where there was already another one.  He will probably release it later into the wild away from the guests of the lodge.  It certainly made for an exciting breakfast.

As we packed up the van to leave we were next to the manager’s house where we got to see his collection of 2 baby Spectacled Caimen, 1 baby Nile Crocodile, 2 Boas and a Monitor Lizard right outside his door.

We moved on the St. Lucia where we stopped by the river.

The little park there had a nice information building and some very interesting sculptures.

There were lots of reeds along the river next to a bridge we could walk out on where we found 2 new Weaver species.

Eastern Golden or Yellow Weaver

There were also Hippos in the water and it was wonderful to see them with so much water and food here.

From here we went to another amazing lodging–The Kingfisher Lodge.

Our room was in the main lodge which is what the above 2 pictures show.

This is our bedroom.  I think we got the honeymoon suite!

The grounds around the lodge were very lush.

with blooming Trumpet Vines climbing all over.

There were Crested Guineafowl roaming around as well as antelope such as Common Duiker and this

beautiful Bushbuck.

You had to be careful where you were walking around especially at night because:

This was no joke.  They liked to graze on the grass outside the lodge.

We went for another night drive which was much more fun than the first one.  The guide was quite entertaining and informative.  We found 3 species of Nightjar, a Spotted Eagle Owl, a Water Thick-knee and I got to hold a Flap-necked Chameleon.

As the guide said, “I bet you never dreamed you’d be a Chameleon model.”

We also saw a number of animals including this

Cape Buffalo.

And this strange

Ant Nest.

We didn’t get back until 11:20 and were held up a bit with Hippos grazing on the road outside the Lodge.  Greg wisely decided that they had the right of way.