MALAWI: MIOMBO MAGIC SEPTEMBER 1-18, 2020 ©2019 Sable Antelope © Dion Hobcroft Malawi: Miombo Magic, Page 2 This little-known country is emerging as one of the birding and wildlife gems of the amazing African continent. Best known for the great lake that dominates the east of the country, Malawi, with its low population and relatively large areas of varied habitats, ensures a spectacular list of many African birds difficult to see in more familiar African tourist destinations like South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania. Combined with some amazing conservation efforts and the development of superb accommodations and national park infrastructure the tourists are starting to arrive in numbers. It is a good opportunity to visit before this well-kept secret becomes widely known. On this tour we will visit the montane Nyika National Park, Dzalanyama Forest, the lush lowlands of Liwonde National Park, Lake Malawi itself in the region of Chintheche and both the Viphya Plateau and Zomba Massif. All of these locations offer different habitats from the famously bird rich Miombo and Mopane woodlands, cloud forest, stunning wetlands, floodplains and excellent rolling montane grasslands. Birding is outstanding and we expect a list of between 300-350 species including several Southern Rift endemics. Some of the special birds we will be searching for include Denham’s Bustard, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Boehm’s Bee-eater, Schalow’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing-owl, Rwenzori Nightjar, Montane Blue Swallow, Babbling Starling, Boulder Chat, Yellow-throated Apalis, Red-tufted Sunbird, Locust Finch and Peter’s Twinspot to mention a few. Beyond the birds we can expect to see a good cross-section of mammals: African Elephant, Crayshaw’s Zebra, Eland, Roan and Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Klipspringer Grey Duiker, Cape Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Yellow Baboon, Samango Monkey, Thick-tailed Galago, Spotted Hyaena, Lion, Serval and leopard are all possible. September 1-2, Days 1 & 2: Travel to Malawi. Tour participants should make plans to arrive in Lilongwe (airport code LLW) no later than 1:00 p.m. on September 3. We suggest that you connect through Johannesburg which may require an overnight layover. Those wishing to arrive early will have plenty of birds to keep them occupied until the start of the tour. Upon request, the VENT office will be happy to assist with any additional lodging and transfer arrangements. NIGHTS: In transit September 3, Day 3: Arrival in Lilongwe. After clearing customs at the airport we will head to our lodge to check in. Kumbali Lodge is very comfortable and set in great gardens on the edge of a patch of Miombo woodland. After getting settled in we will explore this area where we can hope to find a good cross-section of birds including Red-eyed Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, African Palm-Swift,, Speckled Mousebird, Green Woodhoopoe, Malawi: Miombo Magic, Page 3 African Gray Hornbill, Brown-hooded and Striped kingfishers, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-collared Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Cardinal and Golden-tailed woodpeckers, White Helmetshrike, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Gray-headed Bushshrike, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Red-backed Scrub-Robin, Kurrichane Thrush, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Collared, Olive, Scarlet-chested and Variable sunbirds, Village Weaver and Southern Cordonbleu. At dusk we have a good chance to see the Fiery-necked Nightjar and Thick- tailed Galago. NIGHT: Kumbali Lodge, Lilongwe September 4, Day 4: Dzalanyama Forest Reserve. We will make a full day (and an early start) for exploring the Miombo (Brachystegia ) woodlands that are fabulously diverse and home to a bunch of regional endemics. Unfortunately, the woodlands are under intense pressure from woodcutters although the situation seems to be better managed currently. Birds we will be on the lookout for today include Pale-billed Hornbill, Brown-necked Parrot, Green-backed and with luck Brown-backed honeybird, Scaly-throated and with luck Pallid honeyguide Pearl-breasted Swallow, Miombo Wren-warbler, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Retz’s and White helmet- shrikes, Sousa’s Shrike, Greencap Eremomela, Red-capped Crombec, Yellow-bellied and Southern Hyliota, African Spotted Creeper, Rufous-bellied and with luck Miombo tit, Amethyst, Miombo Double-collared, Western Violet-backed and the scarce Anchieta’s Sunbirds, hopefully the elusive Shelley’s Sunbird, Boulder Chat, Striped Pipit, Miombo Scrub-Robin and Miombo Rock-Thrush. The forest can be productive for raptors including Lizard Buzzard, Augur Buzzard, Banded Snake-Eagle and Black Goshawk. NIGHT: Kumbali Lodge, Lilongwe September 5, Day 5: Luwawa. After breakfast we will head north on a good highway making certain stops at dambos and wetlands as time and seasonality dictate. Kasungu Dam has been reliable on occasion for both Lesser Jacana and a good variety of African ducks including occasionally White-backed Duck and Southern Pochard. We will begin making our way up the Viphya Plateau to an elevation of 6000 feet. Although much of the area has been converted to farmland and plantation forest, there are still good pockets of mixed woodlands, wetlands and some forest at our ultimate destination for the day, Luwawa. We can expect to see a good cross-section of birds including Schalow’s Turaco, Olive Woodpecker, Whyte’s Barbet, with luck Fulleborn’s Boubou, Red-rumped Swallow, Black Sawwing, Chapin’s and Bar-throated apalises, Red-winged Prinia, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, African Stonechat, Bronzed and Forest Double-collared sunbirds, Bertram’s Weaver and the Red-backed Mannikin. We can try our luck to see some particularly skulking birds like Evergreen Forest Warbler and the Red-chested Flufftail. It can be cold here at night so will need warm clothes. NIGHT: Luwawa Forest Lodge, between Lilongwe and Mzuzu September 6, Day 6: Nyika National Park. After a morning walk around the forest edge and reservoir at Luwawa targeting everything we still hope to see we will drive towards Nyika National Park, arguably Malawi’s premier attraction. En route we will make a stop at Mzuzu for any last minute shopping requirements before we head out on a lengthy drive on increasingly poor road. We will ascend the Nyika plateau to an altitude of 8000 feet where several large rivers begin their headwaters to feed Lake Malawi. The drive will be punctuated with various birding stops in different habitats like palm savanna, rolling grasslands and wooded streams. Birds we will be on the lookout for include Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Common Quail, Brown Parisoma and Yellow-browed Seedeater. We will arrive at the delightful Chelinda Lodge, nestled in some Hagenia woodland, to settle in for a three-night stay. NIGHT: Chelinda Lodge, Nyika National Park Malawi: Miombo Magic, Page 4 Red-winged Francolin at Nyika © Dion Hobcroft September 7-8, Days 7-8: Nyika National Park. There is a varied assemblage of habitats to explore in this spectacular montane national park close to the border of Zambia. The park is dominated by moorlands, rocky outcrops and pockets of forest. The cool mountain air is delicious and at night we can recap our adventures next to a fire. As mentioned at Luwawa it can be cold at night, especially if it is windy, so you will definitely need some warm clothes. Mammals are conspicuous in the vicinity of the lodge. We should definitely see Zebra (Crayshaw’s is the subspecies here), Eland, the spectacular Roan Antelope and the occasional Bush Duiker. With luck we may encounter the delightful Serval as it hunts in the grassland, Leopard, Side-striped Jackal or the unusual Honey Badger. Last year, even a Lion had moved into the vicinity of the lodge from Zambia, but we did not see or hear it during our stay. Elephants also occur but are typically secretive, hiding in the forest patches. Large birds found in the grassland include Denham’s Bustard, Red-winged Francolin and Red-necked Spurfowl. Smaller grassland birds include the spectacular Montane Blue Swallow, both Rufous-naped and Red-capped larks, showy Buff-shouldered Widowbird, African Pipit, Black-lored, Wailing, Wing-snapping and Churring cisticolas. Forest pockets are home to Lemon Dove, Dusky Turtle-Dove, African Olive Pigeon, Crowned Hornbill, Bar- tailed Trogon, Moustached Tinkerbird, Olive Woodpecker, Black-browed Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked (Sharpe’s) Greenbul, Fulleborn’s Boubou, White-chested Alethe (very shy), Olive-flanked Robin-chat, Sharpe’s Akalat, Mountain Yellow-Warbler, Forest Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Mountain Thrush, Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler, Cape (Malawi) Batis, Slender-billed Starling and Waller’s Starling. Other birds we Malawi: Miombo Magic, Page 5 hope to see include the high altitude endemic Red-tufted Sunbird (scarce), Montane Double-collared Sunbird and White-winged Black-Tit. More widespread species we may encounter include Angola Swallow, Dusky-brown Flycatcher Cape Robin-Chat, Yellow-crowned Canary, Baglafecht Weaver, and Yellow-bellied Waxbill with chances for a variety of raptors like Black-winged Kite, the scarce Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk or the enormous Martial Eagle. At night we can go for a drive where we hope to spot nocturnal mammals and there is a reasonable chance to see some night birds such as the Rwenzori (Usambara) Nightjar, Marsh Owl, Spotted Eagle-Owl and with luck African Grass Owl. NIGHTS: Chelinda Lodge, Nyika National Park African Golden-Weaver at Chintheche © Dion Hobcroft September 9, Day 9: Nyika National Park to Lake Malawi. After a final morning exploring Nyika National Park and hopefully tracking down anything we may have missed, we will move towards Lake Malawi for a two- night stay at Chintheche Inn. This hotel is set on a quite beautiful white sand beach on one of Africa’s great lakes. Between Nyika and the Lake we will make stops to explore more patches of Miombo close to the area called Vwaza Marsh.