Zambia & Malawi

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa

Naturetrek Tour Report 4 - 11 October 2015

Palm-nut Vulture pair on the nest at North Ntangai White-winged Apalis

After enjoying White-winged Apalis Departing Mvuu camp & lodge

Report and images by Samuel Lenard Chihana

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa

Tour participants: Samuel Lenard Chihana (Local Guide) with eight Naturetrek Clients

Please note that this tour report only covers the first part of the tour, in Malawi, that was led by Samuel Lenard Chihana. We do not have reports from the other Local Guides.

Day 1 Sunday 4th October

In flight to Kamuzu International Airport.

Day 2 Monday 5th October

Weather: sunny with partial clouds. We met at Kamuzu International Airport and managed to load all the luggage into the vehicle. After the long flight, we set out immediately for the four – five-hour drive to Mvuu Camp-Liwonde National Park. We stopped at Linthipe along a Forest Reserve, giving the group opportunity to spot some birds while having their packed lunch from Heuglin’s Lodge, without being disturbed by street kids. They were all happy I gave them that chance to stretch their legs.

An African Hawk-Eagle was soaring around a bush fire on top of a mountain to our left in the Forest reserve; before this we had spotted Black-headed Herons, Fork-tailed Drongos and Pied Crows at the Airport and just before stopping.

After passing Dedza and before reaching Ncheu, we had another stop, before continuing the journey to Mvuu Camp, arriving at around 6.30pm. I gave them a brief check in to keep them safe as they were having dinner and finished the rest at the end of dinner. This evening I offered them an early morning boat safari for them to recover from the long drive from Lilongwe. They were all very happy with this some even forgot I was still waiting for them to show them their rooms. Feeling relaxed, we retired after the long day.

Day 3 Tuesday 6th October

Weather: hot with clouds. We started our sunrise boat safari at 5.30am and we came back at 9.30am as the sightings of African Skimmers and Elephants coming to drink and play with their small calves in the Shire River waters made everyone ask for some more time on this sighting. I had to send a radio message to Mvuu Camp to adjust our breakfast time. We also saw a Palm-nut Vulture pair on the nest at North Ntangai.

After breakfast, six of the guests came for 10.30-12 midday game drive. Among the birds were White-backed Night Herons, African Darter, Western Osprey, Hadada Ibis, African Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Palm-nut Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Yellow-billed Kite, Black-winged Stilts, Blacksmith’s Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwings, some with chicks, a big flock around 200 African Skimmers, Gull-billed Terns, Whiskered Terns flying together with White-winged Terns, a very big flock of Laughing Doves (I have never seen more than 60 doves near the IFAWS water pump), Lillian’s Lovebirds and a Klaas’s Cuckoo on a bird bath at Camp during lunchtime.

Other birds were African Black Swifts flying together with African Palm Swifts at North Ntanagi, Red-faced Mousebirds, Malachite Kingfishers, Giant Kingfishers, Bohm’s Bee-eaters, a Southern Ground Hornbill with a

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

Stripe-bellied Sand Snake struggling for its life which the Hornbill did not want to share with its mate who was following, Speckle-throated Woodpecker, African Paradise Flycatcher, Southern Black Tit, Sombre Greenbul, Terrestrial Brownbul, Barn Swallows, Mosque Swallows, Red-faced Crombec, Rattling Cisticola, Green-capped Eremomela, Arrow-marked Babblers, Greater Blue-eared Starlings, Red-billed Oxpeckers on the backs of Hippos, Collared Palm Thrushes, Arnot’s Chats, White-browed Sparrow-Weavers, Yellow-throated Petronia, Red-headed Weavers, Yellow-throated Longclaws calling and displaying, just to mention a few!

On the mammal front, we had one Sable Antelope just before Sundown on the Masanje road north of the Air Strip, so special as this was on the high on our wanted list; about four Buffaloes, all males; Thick tailed Greater Galago, Smith’s Bush Squirrel, Scrub Hare, African Civet, Large Spotted Genet, Marsh Mongoose, White-tailed Mongoose, Meller’s Mongoose, Common Warthogs, Greater Kudus, also on the ‘wanted’ list, and Common Waterbucks. We also saw about four Southern Reedbucks, a species not commonly seen in Liwonde National Park; this was at Mwalasi river mouth, just before seeing Skimmers.

Day 4 Wednesday 7th October

Weather: hot. We started with a walking safari at 5.30am until 8.30am and a drive from 10.45am until 12.30. In the afternoon, we had a boat safari from 3pm to 6.30pm. Before dinner we had a Powerpoint Presentation on crossbreeding Blacksmith and Spur-winged Lapwings, from eggs to hybrids growing up, and some special sightings such as a leucistic Emerald-spotted Wood Dove etc. After dinner I offered them a short night drive with star gazing.

On the night drive after dinner I had four guests. There were only a few stars due to clouds, but that meant we spent most of our time on looking for animals and birds. We spotted four Spotted Hyenas, one with a collar round its neck, at the entrance to South Ntanagi, the others were young ones, plus Southern Lesser Galago, Thick-tailed Galago, a very big Porcupine and Meller’s Mongoose.

Other animals seen today were Banded Mongoose, Bush Pig in the morning under a Tamarind tree, close to some Warthogs which gave us a very good opportunity to compare and contrast these species, and Common Duiker.

Among birds seen were Knob-billed Ducks, Yellow-billed Storks, Squacco Herons, Goliath Herons, Black Heron, a Bat Hawk catching a Bat opposite the old hide, North Ntangai, Lizard Buzzards, African Goshawk, Common Ringed Plover (one of the bird with recorded longest migrating distance of about 10,000km - imagine some from near-Arctic Tundra where they breed, migrating all the way to Malawi and Zimbabwe), Little Stint, Namaqua Dove, Brown-headed Parrots, Green Malkoha (all the guests took photos at very close range), Spotted Eagle-Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, in day light in a Jackal Berry Tree at South Ntanagi and Square-tailed Nightjar. Narina Trogon was a very good sighting; for many of the group this was a target species, especially for two members who had waited a long time to see it, and with photos taken everyone was very satisfied. Other birds included Broad-billed Roller at the old Cormorant colony on the Mvera Road, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Green Camaroptera, Violet-backed Starling, Kurrichane Thrush, Bearded Scrub Robin, Arnot’s Chat, and Green- winged Pytilia, just to mention a few.

2 © Naturetrek April 18

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

Day 5 Thursday 8th October

Weather: a hot day. Our last Safari Activity at Mvuu Camp was a 5.30am-8.30am Rhino Drive to look for more Sable Antelopes and other mammals to add on our mammal list, not forgetting some birds. After breakfast we left at 10.30am to drive to Zomba Ku-Chawe Inn for two nights.

In the Sanctuary we had a juvenile Walberg’s Eagle and an adult on its nest, and a very good sighting of about eight bull Elephants eating a very big baobab tree which they had made fall down. We filmed and took photos of this close encounter. We also saw African Hawk-Eagle, Southern Ground Hornbills, Black-headed Oriole and Meve’s Starlings. Mammal sightings included Zebra families, Sharpe’s Grysbok, a breeding herd of Roan Antelopes drinking, and a few sightings of very close Sable Antelopes.

In Zomba on the afternoon bird walk at Forest Camp Site we saw Livingstone’s Turaco, White-necked Raven, a juvenile Forest Double-collared Sunbird perched for a long time, Southern Citrils and Crowned Hornbills. For mammals, we had a good sighting of a Blue Monkey slowly walking across the Camping grounds before climbing a tree and starting to jump tree to tree, going downhill to look for his sleeping place.

Day 6 Friday 9th October

Weather: a warm to hot day. From 5.30am to 9.30 we were birding at the Botanical Gardens and the adjacent gardens of Dr. John Wilson; our target species was White-winged Apalis, and we managed to see both male and female feeding chicks in the nest. From 10.30am until 4.30pm we birded at the Trout Farm, the William Falls, and the Queen’s and Emperor’s Views.

Birds seen included an African Goshawk perched very low in Pine trees for a long time; a Peregrine Falcon flying past us and perched in grassland between Chagwa Dam and Williams Falls; in the same location we saw Yellow- bellied Waxbills and Common Waxbills. Livingstone’s Turaco this time gave a good photographic opportunity at the Botanical Gardens; African Emerald Cuckoo and Red-chested Cuckoo were heard, and we also recorded African Black Swifts and African Palm Swifts and White-necked Raven. We had two good sightings of White- tailed Crested Flycatcher (Elminia): one at Williams Falls during lunch while sitting on beautiful rocks and another at Chagwa Dam where everyone took photos.

We left the Forest at Chagwa Dam and I offered a little challenge to those who could manage to go down to the Falls: I gave them an assignment to keep looking for some birds and they enjoyed watching and taking photos of White-starred Robins and Yellow-throated Apalis which we all enjoyed, among other birds. Today we also recorded Red-throated Twinspots, Little Greenbul and juvenile Grey-olive Greenbul in Botanical Gardens, and Olive Sunbird and a pair of White-winged Aplalis feeding the chicks in the nest in Dr John Wilson’s Gardens. When we were driving downhill before we reached the Gardens, we saw Black Saw-wing swallows, and driving uphill we saw African Pipit.

I would like to say thank-you to Dr John Wilson for giving us a chance to do some birding in his garden.

Some of specials seen in the afternoon were Yellow-throated Apalis, Mountain Wagtail, seen a few times at the Trout Farm and Williams Falls, Black-headed Apalis, and we enjoyed a Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

which we all photographed. Evergreen Forest Warblers were heard in every forest we went in but were just seen in flushes.

Day 7 Saturday 10th October

Weather: hot. This morning we were driving from Ku Chawe Inn to Kayak Africa Base from 7am. Sadly, there was not enough time to much birding. However, we took a short city tour in Zomba to see the Memorial Pillar. We then drove to Lake Malawi, arriving at the Kayak Africa Base at 11am. As we drove though Cape Maclear in Lake Malawi National Park, I was able to show the group the ‘Mwala Wa Mphini’, a large rock marked with erosion scars, considered by some local people to be sacred.

The group then transferred to Mumbo Island for two nights before continuing on to Zambia, and I said good- bye to them.

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Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

Malawi Species Lists

Birds (=recorded but not counted; H = heard only; F = female) October Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris    2 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer  3 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis    4 Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos   5 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca  6 Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis    7 African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus    8 Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis  9 Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer  10 African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus   11 Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash    12 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus  13 White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus   14 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax   15 Striated Heron Butorides striata  16 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides   17 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis    18 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea    19 Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala  20 Goliath Heron Ardea goliath   21 Great Egret Ardea alba    22 Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca  23 Little Egret Egretta garzetta   24 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta   25 Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus   26 White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus    27 African Darter Anhinga rufa   28 Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus  29 African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus   30 Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis   31 White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus  32 Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens   33 Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus  34 Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus  35 Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus  36 Wahlberg's Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi  37 African Hawk-Eagle Aquila spilogaster    38 Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus    39 African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro   40 Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius  41 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer    42 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus  43 Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra    44 Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus   45 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus   46 Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus  47 Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus  

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

October Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 48 African Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus   49 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula  50 African Jacana Actophilornis africanus  51 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia  52 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola   53 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos  54 Little Stint Calidris minuta  55 African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris  56 Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus    57 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica   58 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida   59 White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus   60 Mourning Collared Dove Streptopelia decipiens    61 Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola    62 Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis   63 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove Turtur chalcospilos   64 Namaqua Dove Oena capensis  65 Lilian's Lovebird Agapornis lilianae    66 Brown-headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus  67 Livingstone's Turaco Tauraco livingstonii   68 Grey Go-away-bird Corythaixoides concolor   69 Green Malkoha Ceuthmochares australis  70 Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas  71 African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus H 72 Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius H 73 Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus  74 Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Bubo lacteus  75 Square-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus fossii  76 African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus    77 African Black Swift Apus barbatus    78 Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus   79 Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina  80 Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus  81 Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus  82 Brown-hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris    83 Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti   84 Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus    85 Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima  86 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis   87 Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus   88 Böhm's Bee-eater Merops boehmi   89 African Hoopoe Upupa africana   H  90 Green Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus H  91 Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas H 92 Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus   93 African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus    94 Southern Red-billed Hornbill Tockus rufirostris    95 Trumpeter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator    96 Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri    97 Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus H 98 Speckle-throated Woodpecker Campethera scriptoricauda  

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

October Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 99 Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens F 100 African Broadbill Smithornis capensis  101 Chinspot Batis Batis molitor   102 Black-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira peltata     103 White-crested Helmetshrike Prionops plumatus   104 Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis   105 Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus  106 Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla     107 Tropical Boubou Laniarius major   108 Brubru Nilaus afer  109 Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus  110 Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis      111 African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis   112 Pied Crow Corvus albus     113 White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis   114 White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Elminia albonotata  115 Southern Black Tit Parus niger    116 Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor     117 Little Greenbul Eurillas virens  118 Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus   119 Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris  120 Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus terrestris   121 Grey-olive Greenbul Phyllastrephus cerviniventris  122 Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera  123 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica  124 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii    125 Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis    126 Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii  127 Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla  128 Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus lopezi H 129 Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana   130 Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava  131 Yellow-throated Apalis Apalis flavigularis  132 Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida   133 White-winged Apalis Apalis chariessa  134 Black-headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala  135 Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura  136 Stierling's Wren-Warbler Calamonastes stierlingi H 137 Green-capped Eremomela Eremomela scotops  138 Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii   139 African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis  140 Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus   141 Meves's Starling Lamprotornis mevesii   142 Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster  143 Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus    144 Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana  145 White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata  146 Cape Robin-Chat Cossypha caffra   147 White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini    148 Collared Palm Thrush Cichladusa arquata    149 Bearded Scrub Robin Erythropygia quadrivirgata 

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

October Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 150 African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus  151 Arnot's Chat Myrmecocichla arnotti    152 Mocking Cliff Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris H 153 Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens    154 Grey Tit-Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus  155 Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris   156 Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea  157 Forest Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris fuelleborni   158 Variable Sunbird Cinnyris venustus   159 White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali    160 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus    161 Yellow-throated Petronia Gymnoris superciliaris  162 Bertram's Weaver Ploceus bertrandi  163 Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis  164 Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus    165 Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius   166 Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor  167 Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps  168 Orange-winged Pytilia Pytilia afra  169 Red-throated Twinspot Hypargos niveoguttatus  170 Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala    171 Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis    172 Yellow-bellied Waxbill Coccopygia quartinia  173 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild  174 Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara  175 African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp    176 Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus  177 African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus  178 Southern Citril Crithagra hyposticta  179 Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica  

Mammals 1 Southern Lesser Galago Galago moholi  2 Thick-tailed Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus   3 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis   4 Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalus     5 Mutable Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus mutabilis  6 Smith's Bush Squirrel Paraxerus cepapi    7 Cape Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis  8 Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis   9 African Civet Civettictis civetta  10 Large-spotted Genet Genetta maculata    11 Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus  12 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus  13 White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda   14 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo  15 Meller’s Mongoose Rhynchogale melleri   16 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta  17 Plains (Crawshay's) Zebra Equus quagga crawshayi  18 Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus    19 Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus 

Zambia & Malawi - The Best of Africa Tour Report

October Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius    21 Impala Aepyceros melampus melampus    22 Sharpe's Grysbok Raphicerus sharpei  23 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus  24 Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros    25 Common (Grey) Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia  26 Roan Antelope Hippotragus equinus  27 Sable Antelope Hippotragus niger   28 Common Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus    29 Southern Reedbuck Redunca arundinum 

Additional species recorded

Dickenson’s Kestrel Burchell's Coucal White-eared Barbet

Square-tailed Drongo Streaked Cheeked Greenbul Greater Flamingo

Vervet Monkey

Memorial Pillar of Kings African Rifles