Namibia and Botswana December 2015

Namibia and Botswana December 2015.

Manchester via Frankfurt and then onto Windhoek Namibia with Lufthansa was a long flight. Though grabbing a few hours sleep was a blessing thankfully.

Windhoek airport is small and neat and in the middle of what looked like a desert. The heat was obvious as we walked from the plane across the tarmac towards passport control even at 7.30 am.One small hitch on arrival was a 90 minute wait for our luggage but that was the only hitch throughout the whole trip.Everything else went rather smoothly and I arrived in Walvis Bay around 2pm in my hired Chevrolet Cruze motor.

The Oysterbox guesthouse was a cracking start, clean, comfy, and with a stunning view of  the lagoon from my room. Positioned within walking distance of the boat tour companies and the well known Rafts bar and restaurant i was pleased with this choice of hotel. The famous salt pans are less than 2 miles from here as well. Walvis bay is a nice town,with nice clean streets and easy shopping areas. Swakomund further along the coast road is larger and a little tatty in places, the Blackpool of Namibia i believe.

Lesser Flamingo.

A quick look around the lagoon gave views of Greater and Lesser Flamingo in massive numbers. Waders dotted the tideline, Curlew sandpiper being the most numerous. Though Turnstones, Sand plover,White fronted plover and Little stints were not scarce. Terns and gulls seemed abundant and Herons and Egrets also.My journey had been long that day so i visited Rafts restaurant and grabbed a early night.

Bright and early i was scoping from the balcony before breakfast, with flamingos flying over from a nearby roost and Cape fur seals breaking the lagoon water in the distance. Bottlenosed dolphins could also be seen but only in the deeper water. Avocets stood in groups along the foreshore preening,some still sleeping.Joggers ran along the prom and occasionally a car passed by ....but not many and not often. Walvis bay is a quiet town without much traffic.
After breakfast i walked over to Mola Mola harbour cruises and set off to see the Cape fur seal colony. White pelicans were plentiful and a Black egret stood out amongst the large numbers of Blacksmith plovers and Bank cormorants. Black oystercatcher, Whimbrel and Little egrets now became common.Hartlaub's, Kelp and Sabine's gull added to the growing numbers list and Greyheaded gull seemed to be everywhere. The cruise was aimed at tourists and not a specific birdwatching cruise, though it was fun throughout. The seals chased the boats and Pelicans landed on board. The colony was huge with masses of Cape fur seals everywhere, fighting and bickering between themselves. Dolphins where less numerous though Heavyside and Bottlenosed made apperances. A single Pomerine skua chased a Tern around a oil platform that was anchored offshore. A look at the local oyster farm was educating and interesting and a free oyster buffet with drinks was a nice touch. The whole trip was 3 hours and worth every dollar.

Seal colony Walvis bay.

The afternoon was spent around the salt pans with something around every corner. A Black backed jackal was out and about in the afternoon heat and a group of about 20 Blacknecked grebes gave great views and made my day. The jackal appeared again closer this time but vanished behind a banking on the side of the road, whilst in pursuit of the Jackal i noticed 5 small birds spinning around on a pond behind it. Rednecked phalaropes feeding, the day was getting better.The salt pans are a tremendous birding hot spot and worth visiting. Later on i drove to Walvis bay bird paradise just out of town. I had read that this was a good spot for birding but unfortunately the gates were closed and padlocked. Driving back towards the lagoon and salt pans i decided to call in at a supermarket for a few bits as i was looking for a parking space a Black harrier drifted towards my hotel and the lagoon area.

Black backed Jackal

The next morning i headed towards Rooibank the Dune lark site. It is about 8 mile from the main road and a very isolated spot. A good look around gave views of Dideric cuckoo and Stonechat. Willow warbler and Blackheaded canary also. The Dune lark was difficult and evasive and i had several glimpses of the bird but no clear or lasting views. On my way back i decided to call in at the bird paradise site again but it was still closed and padlocked. I walked the perimeter fence for awhile spotting Hottentot teal through the wires and as i walked back to the car i noticed another Black harrier drifting towards Walvis bay town. Another drive around the salt pans produced more of the same but by now the tide was pushing the flamingos closer. with a huge flock in excess of 20 000 birds.

Black necked Grebes

Next day was a quick run along the coast and into Swakopmund with the sea looking choppy and the wind picking up i saw nothing new of note. Around the lagoon and salt pans the wind was keeping the birds down and by lunchtime the wind had become so strong it was hard to even walk anywhere.
The wind surfers had packed up and gone home, and the sea started to look rough. I made a brief visit to the pans again but the whole place seemed deserted with the weather taking a turn for the worse. One animal did catch my eye on the way back, a Brown hyena heading over one of the dunes.
The next day was one that i dreaded, the long drive north to Etosha National Park. I had read that it was a 7.5 hour drive and i did not fancy being in the car that long, but it was a price i needed to pay for visiting Walvis bay. I rushed breakfast and was on the road before 7am. My plan was to reach Otjiwarongo for about 12 and stop for a rest and a decent lunch break. I drove hard and reached Outjo further north by 12. The roads allowed me to average 120km per hour and  even with a few Police road checks and toilet breaks i was in Etosha by sometime around 2pm. Not  much was sighted on the road to my surprise except Kori bustard near Etosha and a distant Secretary bird . A group of  vultures soared high near the camp also.
Okaukuejo was the first camp and a good place. The camp was clean tidy and well set out. The waterhole was easy to view with a covered platform and benches with more benches near the perimeter wall.  One guy i met from Holland called George was a keen birder and  a good help. We picked out African cuckoo,Red eyed bulbul, and Shaft tailed whydah. Springbok, Southern Oryx and Blue wildebest hung around the waterhole. We had good sightings of Rhino, lions and a Gennet here.

Black Rhino ( note the hooked lip ).

The animal numbers are good. The camp holds good numbers of Swallows, Starlings, Weavers and Babblers. We picked up African Hoopoe and Rock Kestrel and Groundscraper Thrush. On the road from camp to camp there are detour roads that will bring you back out onto the same road, some are short and some longer. I like these roads because they are quieter and the wildlife seems more relaxed and closer. The first detour i took gave great views of  2 Blue Cranes that i expected to see further east and Secretary bird.

Blue Crane

Red breasted Swallows and Pale chanting Goshawk also. At the waterhole later we had Double breasted Sandgrouse fly in at last light and we could hear Lions close by. Rhino appeared and as the floodlights came on Fiery necked and Mozambique nightjars gathered insects from around the lights. A Gennet sneaked past the rocks and stones in front of us and Jackals came out in numbers. The next morning a single Little grebe sat on the water and Sandgrouse came in again before the light dawned. Zebra .Ostrich and Wildebeest hung around . Pied Barbet and Whitecrowned shrike were spotted in the camp trees. Outside camp i found Kori bustard, European bee eaters, Purple and Lilac breasted rollers, and Crowned Lapwing. 
Halali camp was ok. This camp offers nothing new but is a better place for spotting Leopards. The weather stopped us doing a evening safari but the waterholes here gave good views of Rhino, Lions and Red Hartebeest. Tawny eagle was spotted and a possible Steppe eagle.I think there is not a huge differance between Halali and Okaukeujo camp though Halali has a lot more tree cover.
Numatoni is slightly tired but the staff are good and the service and food are good. I enjoyed this camp more because the landscape was now changing from that further west. Though the heat was still a problem this camp was busier with wildlife.

The waterhole was small but had some cover nearby and within 5 minutes of being in the camp i had Black Crake, along with Red billed Teal and Common Moorhen. Outside the camp was a busy and i found a detour road that held Caspian Plover, Greenshank, and Wood Sandpiper. Nearby i found a small lake that had both Lesser and Greater Flamingo. Back at the waterhole later i met some Dutch birders who i stayed with for awhile. 4pm saw a thunderstorm that was violent but only lasted a hour. The evening brought lots of Sandgrouse in and 5 lions that halted anything else coming close.Though we did notice that turtles lived in this waterhole.Early morning was good with the first bird of note being a Marabou Stork that walked through the masses of Cattle Egrets and Blacksmith Plovers. Afer a few minutes it flew 300m to join another 4 Marabou Storks. The only Battleur eagle of the trip was seen here and after breakfast i was lucky to stumble on a African Crake that was alongside a small scrape in camp.

African Crake

Outside was great with several lions seen resting along the road and Red crested and Northern black Korhaans photographed.

Northern black Korhaan male

I spent awhile chasing a Temminck's courser around and saw 2 more Kori Bustards. Swallows, Bee eaters and Rollers seemed more evident and the animal numbers were high.The next day i found a Giraffe carcass that was decayed but Red billed Spurfowl picked ants from around it. A huge Martial eagle perched in a tree gave good views and for some reason the same area held huge numbers of Namaqua, Cape turtle and Laughing doves. A single Blue spotted wood dove was a bonus.Distant elephants and Ground squirrel kept me busy and Jackals seemed plentiful.The highlight of the day though was a Greater Kestrel shading at the side of road giving me superb views and photographs.

Greater Kestrel.

Roy's rest camp is quirky and should only be used as a stopover if you are travelling towards Caprivi or Botswana. I was not taken by the camp the staff seemed unhelpful and didn't even tell us that they had waterholes and a hide. Everything we found here was by our own doing. I met a family from London who now lived in Durban and they made the stay better with good chat and fun chasing a Lesser bush baby around. A German couple who i had some birding time with and a Man from Henley on Thames who i tried to avoid. Walking around the camp i noticed that it was surrounded by a electric fence and had a waterhole just on the other side with a screen on the camp side. I stayed awhile and had Red billed Quelia, Shaft tailed and Paradise Whydah and several Golden breasted Buntings.  A superb warthog came for a quick bath before noticing me. Around the camp i picked up Scimitarbill,Crimson breasted shrike and Red billed  Buffalo weavers. Brubru Shrikes and Hornbills also. At the bar area i chatted with the family from Durban when one of the young girls shouted out bush baby pointing to the main roof of bar and restaurant area. The hand sized creature lept from the ridge of the roof into the nearby trees with ease a distance of about 5 metre.We stood amazed at this acrobatic stunt.Grabbing the camera we chased it around but it was far too quick and only poor shots were taken. The next day i walked towards the outside waterhole and spotted a huge Elland but it also saw me and ran away quickly. Impala were in the camp and at breakfast i noticed a Tree Squirrel playing nearby. Grey go away birds seemed everywhere and a small group of Whydah, Buntings, and Weavers had come to a puddle made by a dripping outside tap. Whilst watching them i heard a obvious parrot like call and after some searching a Rosy faced Lovebird came onto the dripping tap.

Rosy faced Lovebird.

Chasing it around i eventually caught up with 7 of these birds. The day was spent around the camp and resting and trying to regain some energy from the previous few days. Black kites and Yellow billed kites seemed to be the only birds flying between 11am and 4pm everything else was shading i imagine.I had a good idea that Bush babies had a habit of using the same path each night-evening and i decided to stalk this one. It appeared at last light leaping from the roof again and giving decent photos though not award winning ones, these are fast and very mobile little beggers.
I drove to Rundu to buy some Pula for Botswana and can only describe Rundu as colourful, right on the border with Angola it is quite large and busy and it has a reputation for trouble. I wasted a couple of hours looking for exchange bureaus and came away with a handful of Pula and a tank full of petrol. Crossing the border into Botswana took about 20 minutes without fuss.

Botswana.

This must be the best place i have visited, unlike Namibia, Botswana seems more laid back and relaxed. Namibia is good but Botswana just seems easier and slower. The first thing i noticed was the number of Kites and Swallows as i drove towards Shakawe. Magpie shrikes and Rollers also. I stayed at Drotsky's cabins on the Okovango river and it was perfect. The main building is superb, the chalets are immaculate and the guy Steve who runs the place is a knowledgeable birder. The lawns attract a variety  of birds and Vervet monkeys are cheeky and bold. One of the first birds i saw as i unpacked was a Woodland Kingfisher from my balcony and Francolins were scattered around the place. The edge of the river was a stones throw from my balcony. A quick walk around  in the afternoon produced Wire tailed Swallows and Little bee eaters. Giant Kingfishers and White faced Whistling ducks flew by. Chatting with Steve i asked about the local bird population and he mentioned that several good birds could be seen at dusk and dawn from the riverbank. At dusk i was set up with scope and camera the river in front of me was horseshoe shaped so i had views to the left and right. This area is known for the Pel's fishing owl and at last light i noticed a large owl shaped bird standing on a branch over some slow flowing water at the edge. Not a great view but evidence was that it probably was one.i Had a couple of sightings that said owl but the light faded quickly and i packed up.

Dawn breaks over the Okovango river.

The next morning i was on the riverbank early and was amazed when i saw 3 White backed night herons fly past, also Pied Kingfisher and African Hobby. One raptor caught me out as it flew to my far right and i didn't chase it up until the next day. I was in a boat going up river straight after breakfast and my guide Ray was very keen and sharp eyed. We had Black crowned night Herons, Squacco and Green backed herons quickly. A little bittern was seen and Goliath heron along with Purple Heron and African fish eagles. He wanted to head to a large sand bank in search of Skimmer but also to stop at a military camp were he said we would have the best chance of Pel's fishing owl. We had good numbers of birds along the way as well as pods of Hippo and several crocodiles.
We reached the military camp and Ray had to do some negotiating with 4 soldiers before we were allowed to climb from the boat. I was told that i was not allowed to photograph anything that was below head height and   that we only had a short time to visit this patch of riverbank. Ray started searching and ages later i started to worry that our time would soon be at a end. The soldiers watched us as we searched and then Ray found one high in the canopy. Impossible to photograph being so high and well hidden i was gutted but we kept moving around and searching. A few minutes later he shouted my name and pointed he had found one that was close. Giving perfect views i shot away and thanked Ray endlessly.

Pel's fishing owl

Moving back towards the boat i glanced up and saw another owl partly hidden but still giving reasonable views. I clicked away again. The soldiers walked towards us and it was obvious we had had our time. We moved on and passed a large banking full of Carmine bee eater nests that had moved on the week before. Further down the river Ray stopped again looking for Pel's and we saw another 2 birds again but high in the canopy. Heading towards the large sand bank and the hope of Skimmer we had 3 Wattled cranes fly over and a Slaty egret that we caught better views of later.The Skimmer numbers had dropped and Ray told me that they must of started moving on, we did see several but not many of them. Still i was pleased with what we saw.

African Skimmer

Openbill storks are superb birds and we saw quite a lot of them, some flying over and some feeding at the edge. We turned  the boat around and found another Skimmer but with it was a small group of Collared Pratincoles. Heading back we picked up Long toed Plover and White fronted bee eaters along with the Slaty egret again. Black winged stilt, Pied Kingfisher and Hammerkop showed and  Great white egrets and even a couple of Ruff as well. Ray pulled up onto a sandbank and we walked towards a scrape where he knew Slaty egret maybe we got close but the bird was shy and mobile and didn't give us any better views than we had before. Pushing the boat into the water we had just set  set off  when a huge Hippo appeared just behind the boat intent on attacking us, the beast moved quickly and with purpose towards us and luckily Ray noticed it and sped the boat forwards. We had seen Hippo close by when we pushed the boat into the water but we had no idea that one had closed up on so quickly. The few moments when the Hippo came close to the back of the  boat, ears pinned back, eyes wide open and Nostrils flared was terrifying. If we had been 2 or 3 seconds slower it would of been in the boat with us. The most amazing thing about this incident was the speed this huge animal could move, twice as fast as a man easily, I have thought about this over and over and i think it was a stern warning from the Hippo i now believe that if it had wanted to harm us it could of quite easily and quickly. These animals kill more people in Africa then any other animal and i now understand why people probably underestimate how big, fast and quietly they move before it is probably too late.

One very angry Hippo.

After the shock we picked up more Pratincoles and Black crowned herons and Blue cheeked bee eaters.
After lunch i sat on the balcony avoiding the heat but later in the afternoon i went searching for a Narina Trogon that was heard near the campsite just outside of Drotsky's. It was now late afternoon and i heard a  owl type call. A Barred Owlett was also around the area, struggling to get onto it i had the shortest of views of the bird flying deeper into cover.The Narina Trogon was even more elusive.
At dusk  i stayed on the riverbank with Bennett and Wesley two men from South Africa who were soaking in the views and photographing the sunset, i was scoping for any Pel's activity.Wesley pointed to something in the water a dark shape that was moving in the distance, at first we thought it maybe a otter but when it became clear it was the top of a leopards head that we had seen. The large cat had swam across the Okovango and walked into the long grasses, now you don't see that  everyday ! Evening was spent dining with Wesley, Bennett and their wives.
Before first light i was stood on the banking again with Bennett. Openbills passed over and Kingfishers perched nearby. The raptor i had seen the day before flew past giving slightly better views. It perched to my far right before circling around the area again and heading towards the camp site. When i asked Steve at breakfast he confirmed that it was a African Cuckoo hawk, They had 2 pairs in the area and one pair successfully bred the previous year . The rest of the day was spent on a shorter boat ride looking for more birds we had  Pel's fishing owls again but at distance, Little bittern, Slaty egret and Dwarf bittern. After a quick chat with Steve he informed me that most of the Carmine bee eaters had only moved from the nest sites the week before and had not migrated yet. He told me to look around the bush as they would be around. Outside Shakawe i noticed a few upon a telegraph wire and chased them for awhile. They are as fast as Swallows in flight and i struggled with capturing them flying.

Carmine bee eater.

Whilst chasing these beauties around there was also lots of Yellow billed kites around that i had more success with. At the same time i had a huge flock of large birds fly high and over me,200 plus Openbills after studying the photos.Magpie shrikes seemed plentiful and  I had another look for the Barred Owlett later in the afternoon but with no luck. Drotsky's is a fantastic place, not just beautiful but also a fascinating place full of wildlife. If i had known i would of stayed longer.

Nunda river lodge back over the border into Namibia about 30km was the next stop. I was not expecting anything special after Drotsky's but this place matched it on many fronts. The whole place is well set out and the view from the main balcony was stunning.The chalets are comfy and clean. The staff friendly and the host a man named Cameron was a gem. He was more than  helpful with ideas and tips for me. He invited me onto his family table for the evening meal and was talkative and friendly with all his guests. 

Steenbok

Within minutes of arriving i had a fly past Osprey, Hippos at distance and several Plovers and Darters on the far side of the river. After unpacking i sat on the balcony waiting to meet the bird guide Bassi that i was going to spend some time with.Looking around i noted something swimming between the moared boats just below the balcony. A African spotted otter weaving about under my feet. When i mentioned this to a French fisherman close by he said that they had seen 2 of them fairly regularly around the edges of the river. Around the camp i noted African paradise flycatcher, Pied Kingfisher and Coppery tailed coucal. The weather broke violently again late afternoon but i was quite excited about looking around this new area.

Goliath Heron

The next day we set off early in a small aluminium boat and head off to find Rock Pratincole for starters . A couple of adults and one Juvenile gave good views on some nearby rocks. Moving up river we spotted more of the same again , White backed night herons, Water thicknees, Egrets and more. We stoppped at a place where we could walk away from the river but the wet areas known for good wader sightings had dried up. We tried a area know as Buffalo park with some luck getting good views of Slaty egret and a distant Rufous bellied heron and lots of Jacanas. Lesser grey shrike and Greenshank also. At one point we had 30 plus kites circling overhead and Bassi pointed out a Black chested snake eagle in the midst of them but at the critical moment my camera decided to freeze messing up what would of been superb photos. We made our way further up river to a place where Lesser Jacana were known to show but Bassi seemed to be getting confused with Juvenile Jacanas and i am not convinced that we saw the lesser Jacana. We did get more Skimmers and Pratincoles and better views of the Rufous bellied heron and Dwarf bittern.Getting the boat stuck on one sand bank and trying for 90 minutes with Bassi to free it proved costly the next day. The rear of the boat had sunk into the mud and sand whilst we had  walked around . Freeing it was near impossible between us. We tried and tried in the midday heat and only when a French couple passed did we get the helping hand we needed to lift the back of the boat and push it backwards.The whole episode left us without water and baking in near 40 degree heat. The next day i had peeling skin a cracking headache and  felt very lethargic. It was one step to far for me and no amount of water, fruit juice and staying in the shade would help me cool down.

Rock Praticoles

The next day we headed into Mahango game park though it was hot we went looking for the Souza's  shrikes known to be seen but we kept seeing Red backed shrikes and no clear views of any shrikes with the clear white wingbars that seperate the birds. The park is good and we headed towards the famous Boabab trees one of these huge monsters has now fallen over and the sheer size of this fantastic specimen can be appreciated as it lays on the ground. The other tree is healthy and splendid and stands like a mountain as you approach it. The girth of the trunk is enormous and the whole structure of this tree must be viewed with some awe. Verraux eagle owls are known to roost in the area but a good look around failed to produce anything. Animal sighting are good here with Impala, Kudu,Giraffe and many Hartebeest.  A  family of  Savanna Baboons picked at the ground with the new born youngster clinging to it's mothers underside. Warthog showed and a large Montior lizard scratched at the ground furiously for a minute before noticing our car and moving into bushes quickly. This area is worthy of further investigation it is one place that i would visit again and again.
Moving south towards Groofontein the weather became cooler and duller.By the end of the day the rain was in command and a whole day was lost.This was a blessing for me and a good meal and a early night helped after the endless heat. The next day i moved towards Waterberg plateau driving through some good mountain areas around Groofontein and Otjiwarongo . Several high peaks and lots of fresh green fields produced Steppe buzzards, Tawny eagles and a possible Steppe eagle.

Steppe Buzzard

Staying just outside Otjiwarongo the mist and rain started to descend and the afternoon was washed out. The next morning was similar and at Waterberg plateau my vision was awful. A short break and coffee and the mist started to lift giving views of European roller,Paradise flycatcher and a small group of what i will say where Cape vulture at distance. One hour later the rain came back and i moved closer to the capital Windhoek. I had 2 sites to visit here and i chose a good hotel for my last night. Daan Viljoen was the first of these and although not huge it was easy to drive around and quite high in the hills overlooking part of Windhoek. It was quiet for birds but a Red crested korhaan at the side of a path was a great find. Lesser grey shrike , distant buzzards and a variety of animals made this place worthy of visiting, though nothing exceptional was seen i am quite sure that this area would hold some species. The last place i visited en route to the airport was Avis dam.The dam wall was as dry as dust, the area that should of held water was also dry and very barren. I tried to imagine the place with water and with its location being so close to the airport i thought this would be a superb starting point along with Daan Viljoen game park if i was to revisit Namibia. I walked around watching White browed sparrow weavers nest building and several Red bishops in the bush. A Ovambo sparrowhawk circled overhead sending everything into cover for awhile. Rock martins fed young on the dam wall and obviously nested in the craggy sides of the small hillocks. The small puddles between the rocks on the river bed brought in Whydahs, waxbills and Weavers in good numbers. Crimson breasted shrikes and a cracking Black chested Prinia gave good photographs.

Black chested Prinia

Making my way towards the airport i noted a Tawny eagle perched high in a tree,a big bird  to end a big trip and a fantastic adventure.