Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls Birding Safari

Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls Birding Safari 2 – 19 November 2013 By Steve Braine Firstly, thanks to Jim Preston for the great pictures, which compliment the report immensely. All in all we had a very successful trip, seeing all of the big five, plus some other unusual sightings such as aardwolf, honey badger, and a beautiful female leopard in Etosha. We also had superb views of sable antelope in Mahango National Park and the Kwando area. Surprisingly for this time of year, the migrants had not arrived in numbers yet, and the country was in the grip of a bad drought. This made birding rather difficult, as no birds were responding to playback. However, we were fortunate to see three of the nightjars, but very few cuckoos. We managed to clean up on all the babblers and bee-eaters and also had luck with a perched Bat Hawk, good views of Lesser Black-backed Gull (a vagrant in southern Africa), and a few other interesting birds. We managed to see most of the specials and had spectacular views of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters at two separate colonies. We travelled a total of 4360 km (including game drives in the parks) and saw a total of 409 avian species. We also recorded 54 different mammals, including two species of fruit bat. The group all seemed to get on well, and, besides a little dust and having to drag a trailer behind us, the birding and game viewing was great. Dayne, my son, looked after the group for the first day and a half and managed to get all the coastal specials for all, even though this meant travelling back and forth from the dune belt because of flight hitches, delays, and subsequent transfers from Windhoek. Day 1. Birding around Walvis Bay From the airport Dayne took part of the group to the Rooibank area on the banks of the Kuiseb riverbed. After a short walk in the riverbed they had sightings of Cape Sparrow, Black-chested Prinia, the western race of Southern Fiscal with a snow-white supercilium, Tractrac and Familiar Chats, Dusky Sunbird, and good views of Black-chested Snake Eagle. Dune Lark The Dune Lark seen by some of the group on the first day was searched for again, and eventually all had good views of the bird; later on good views were also obtained of Gray’s Lark on the gravel plains. Other species seen at the Swakopmund Saltworks and the evaporation pans around Walvis Bay included both Greater and Lesser Flamingos in the thousands, Swift, Sandwich, Common, Caspian, and Damara Terns, Hartlaub’s and Kelp Gulls, Bar-tailed Godwit, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Heron, Little Egret, White-fronted, Chestnut-banded, Common Ringed, and Grey Plovers, and also great numbers of Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Ruff, and the highlight of the day, 19 Red-necked Phalaropes. Day 2. Optional catamaran cruise and birding around Walvis Bay The optional catamaran cruise (done by most of the party) the following morning proved to be very productive, with Great White Pelican, Cape Gannet, White-breasted, Cape, and Crowned Cormorants, large flocks of ‘Comic’ Terns (Common or Arctic), as well as many Sandwich, Greater Crested, and Caspian Terns. The same afternoon the group spent its time catching up with birds missed the previous day. Black-necked Grebe and Marsh Sandpiper were added to the list, and near Rooibank Laughing and Namaqua Doves. Day 3. Swakopmund to Damaraland, birding on the way Day three had Dayne deliver the folks and vehicle in Swakopmund. From here we left for the Spitzkoppe area to look for the elusive Herero Chat. After getting the trailer for all the luggage we set off at nine for Huab Lodge in Damaraland, where we arrived at 19:00h after a good day’s birding. Just before the Spitzkoppe we encountered a pair of Tawny Eagle, Rüppell’s Korhaan, and several Sabota Larks. After searching for Karoo Long-billed Lark we eventually found one shading under a bush about 50 meters off the road; this bird allowed us very close-up views. We then spotted the first of several Karoo Chats and then drove further on to the Spitzkoppe area. Fortunately we did not have to wait long before we managed to get good scope views of a pair of Herero Chat. At the same locality we found Yellow-bellied Eremomela and Pale Chanting Goshawk. We then proceeded towards Uis, where we refuelled. We had our packed lunches en route and caught up with Mountain Wheatear, Dusky Sunbird, Chat Flycatcher, Marico Flycatcher, Helmeted Guineafowl, Fork-tailed Drongo, Crimson- breasted Shrike, and Benguela Long-billed Lark. At a storage dam along the way we saw Red-billed and Cape Teals, Egyptian Goose, South African Shelduck, Little Grebe, Blacksmith Lapwing, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, and Red-crested Korhaan. The wind picked up, and after having a good look at a group of Bare-cheeked Babbler we moved on to Huab. Olive Bee-eater Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl Day 4. Birding around Huab Lodge The following morning we went for an early morning walk with Jan, the proprietor, and had excellent views of Olive Bee-eater. Later around the lodge we had good Bare-cheeked Babbler, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Great Sparrow, Pale-winged Starling, Red- headed Finch, Black-throated Canary, African Hoopoe, Grey Go-away-bird, and a brief Rüppell’s Parrot. The afternoon game/bird drive delivered some of the first game sightings, including gemsbok, common duiker, greater kudu, steenbok, and springbok. We also had good views of Violet Wood Hoopoe and African Hoopoe, as well as Damara Red-billed Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Helmeted Guineafowl, Red-billed Spurfowl, better Rüppell’s Parrot, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Black-backed Puffback, African Hawk-Eagle, African Palm Swift, Rock Martin, Short-toed Rock Thrush, and Monteiro’s Hornbill. Day 5. Damaraland to the Kunene River, birding on the way The following morning during an early morning walk we managed to find the elusive Rockrunner, and we were all treated to good views of the bird. We then completed a hearty breakfast and left the lovely Huab Lodge for Kunene River Lodge. Birds we encountered en route were Brown Snake Eagle, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Steppe Buzzard, more Monteiro’s Hornbill, Yellow- bellied Eremomela, and Kalahari Scrub Robin. At lunch along the way we had good views of Cape Penduline Tit, Ashy Tit, and Brubru. On arrival at the lodge we saw Bare-cheeked Babbler and enjoyed the antics of the vervet monkeys. From the deck we watched Goliath Heron, Black Crake, Reed Cormorant, Pied Kingfisher, Holub’s Golden Weaver, and various egrets. Day 6. Birding along the Kunene River The following morning we took a walk along the river and had good views of Red-necked Spurfowl and Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush, as well as White-browed Coucal, Black-faced Waxbill, Red-billed Firefinch, Rattling Cisticola, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Lesser Grey Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher, Meves’s Starling, Blacksmith Lapwing, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Reed Cormorant, African Darter, Yellow- breasted Apalis, African Grey Hornbill, Pied Kingfisher, Scarlet-chested and White- bellied Sunbirds, Ashy Flycatcher, White-tailed Shrike, and, to end off, four confiding Cinderella Waxbills, as well as roosting Angola fruit bats and many more vervet monkeys. Cinderella Waxbill The afternoon boat ride was tremendous with some spectacular birds, including a perched Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, a perched Bat Hawk at dusk, African Pied Wagtail, Bearded Woodpecker, Square-tailed Nightjar, and close White-backed Night Heron. On the banks we had klipspringer, greater kudu, and black-faced impala. Day 7. Kunene River to Etosha National Park On day seven we travelled via Opuwo and backtracked to enter the western gate, Galton Gate, of Etosha National Park. We travelled via Renostervlei, where we had views of the first Vultures of the trip, both Lappet-faced and White-backed. Here we also saw Crowned Lapwing, Chat Flycatcher, a couple of Bateleurs, and Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark. In the park we also had our first two African elephants, giraffe, and both Hartmann’s mountain and plains zebra. We then checked in at the Dolomite Lodge and did a short walk in the area. Here we had brief views of Cinnamon- breasted and Lark-like Buntings, White-throated Canary, Brubru, and Carp’s Tit. Day 8. Etosha National Park The following morning early we searched for the elusive Hartlaub’s Spurfowl without success, but just before departing two confiding males were spotted just below the reception area! Other species here were Rock Martin, Greater Striped Swallows, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Carp’s Tit, Green-winged Pytilia, Marico Sunbird, and White-tailed Shrike. Northern Black Korhaan Kori Bustard En-route to Okaukuejo we encountered our first (of many) Kori Bustard, Northern Black Korhaan, Desert Cisticola, and many Eurasian Bee-eaters. At the Duineveld waterhole we enjoyed huge numbers of Burchell’s Sandgrouse coming in to drink; amongst them were also a handful of Namaqua Sandgrouse. Along the way we also saw many springbok, gemsbok, hartebeest, blue wildebeest, southern giraffe, black-faced impala, and greater kudu. We stopped at several waterholes along the way and saw a couple of big bull elephants, and eventually at m’Bari hundreds of animals around the waterhole. On arriving closer to the waterhole the reason for all the animals became apparent: lying at the edge of the water were a coalition of three huge male lions. The sheer numbers of animals here was truly an unforgettable experience for everyone. Rufous-eared Warbler Burchell’s Sandgrouse We arrived at Okaukuejo and booked into our accommodation, and then left on an afternoon drive to the Gemsbokvlakte waterhole.

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