Holiday Highlights Namibia 25 July ––– 8 August 2015 The Splendour of the Namib Desert; Flamingos and Fur Seals of Walvis Bay; and the Wonder of Etosha. Africa Without Tears Leaders: Joe Grosel and Darren Rees Guests: Marilyn Pritchard and Mark Bridges, Lynn and Steve Osborne, Marilyn Peterkin, Jayne Behenna, Christine and Max Maughan, Sarah Sharland, Anne Seebeck, Pat Gurling and Hilary Rolton. Day 1: We meet up at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 for our big African adventure. We’ve an evening flight to Johnannesburg to negotiate before onwards travel to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Introductions first, then straight through to the duty free for some retail therapy. Day 2: After an uneventful and comfortable flight we land in a cool Johannesburg, passing through immigration to wait for our connecting flight to Namibia. We meet our Birding Africa guide Joe Grosel at the gate for the flight to Windhoek and board. The flight takes us across endless scrub and semi-desert before finally desending into Windhoek airport. Walking to the terminal we see our first bird – a Cape Wagtail followed by a curious Grey Hornbill while we queue for immigration. It’s a bit of a wait for bags but finally they get through and we get our vehicles for the holiday ahead. It’s only a twenty minute drive to our first hotel and enroute we see baboons! (And a Cape Vulture.) We check in and have a short walk before it gets dark. White-backed Mousebirds, Red-eyed Bulbul and Laughing Dove are in the garden along with lots of Helmeted Guineafowl and a Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler. We take a short walk to open ground where we see three delightful Yellow Mongeese, or is that Mongooses! Also, there’s a Gabar Goshawk in a treetop and some small birds that include Black-chested Prinia, Pririt Batis and Palm Swifts. Then Marilyn picks up a fantastic Blacksmith’s Lapwing. We are watching this when we spot a group of Black-tailed Tree Rats in a tree. What a good start to the list. We end the day at a fun restaurant in Windhoek that’s been tippeed off that Max and Christine are celebrating their 40 th wedding anniverasry – they’ve decorated the table and made a cake – shame its outside as it’s a tad chilly. Day 3: We have a pre-breakfast wander to nearby Avis Dam, a short five minute drive away. The sun is strong but its still cool in the shade at 6.30am. We park and immediately note new birds: a stunning Crimson-breasted Shrike is at the top of a bush and in a tree above the vans are smaller birds: both Yellow-bellied and Burt-necked Eremomola with Black-chested Prinia. Joe spots two Black-faced Waxbills roosting, huddling together for warmth. It’s a short walk to view the dam and there is still some water though most of the reservoir floor is cracked mud. Common Waxbills are in the short grass. In the water are lots of South African Shelduck and both Cape and Red-billed Teal. Egyptian geese are close to a solitary African Spoonbill. Big numbers of Pied Avocets are wading up to their bellies in the water as are Black-winged Stilts, and behind on rocks Lynn finds a perched Hamerkop. Along the near shore are several Three-banded Plovers and Joe finds us our first Kittlitz’s Plovers. Small birds include Cape Wagtails, African Pipit and Marilyn finds a Golden-bresated Bunting. Jayne finds a lovely Black-shouldered Kite in a tree then we get a superb fly-over from a Fish Eagle that puts the birds into a panic. A great start to the day and we even get endemic Carp’s Tits before we get inside the breakfast room! After breakfast we get the vans loaded up then venture into Windhoek stopping at an ultra-modern supermarket for lunches – an eye-opener into middle-class Namibians. We hit the road south and west from the city that winds through the highlands. New birds come thick and fast with endemic Monteiro’s Hornbill in the acacia trees. A huge group of Marabou Storks are in one clearing looking like a group of unkempt old men. Next are Glossy Starlings then a Short-toed Rock Thrush. At our first leg-stretch we can look over extensive views of rolling acacia scrub and we see our first superb Oryx; a lso Black-chested Snake Eagle soaring. Further along the road a water tank attracts many small birds and we park and set up scopes: Great Sparrows, Black -throated Canaries, Red-headed Finch and Lark-like Buntings are at the water, and around about in trees are Yellow-billed Hornbill, Marico Flycatcher and Acacia Pied Barbet. A short drive further we see a large troop of baboons wandering close to another water tank. It’s delightful watching their antics with one adult grooming a young animal, two parents carrying even smaller younger baboons and one resting in a rusty trough as if he’s taking a bath – great fun to watch. Next stop is at a bridge that crosses a dried up river course where there are several huge ostriches in a clearing – fantastic! Seems like a good place for lunch. After sandwiches and fruit we continue driving along the winding gravel track stopping for birds here and there: Two giant Lappet-faced Vultures soar overhead; Spike-heeled Larks and Namaqua Sandgrouse are by the roadside. Red-crested Korhaan in the road; Pale-chanting Goshawks atop trees and posts. We stop and get out to look at two glossy Scimitarbills, with Cape Sparrow in the bushes. On some trees are large communal nests, looking like thatched roofs, that belong to Sociable Weavers – some are on the ground with Scaly-feathered Finches. As the road drops in altitude we enter larger areas of grassy openings and see our first large groups of delightful Springbok (with a Black Korhaan in same view). The road then winds through mountains and the spectacular Remhoogte Pass. We watch our first groups of smartly marked Greater Kudu and Joe finds a delightful Steenbok close to the road sat by a fence - Klipspringers are more obvious in the rocky slopes of a nearby narrow ravine. After more bends and lots of dust we finally drop to the plains around Solitaire where we pause to admire the last of the days sun colouring the spectacular natural amphithreatre of rugged mountains. In the open sparse vegetated plain are Springbok, Oryx and a roosting Lappet-faced Vulture. Closer to are some Dusky Sunbirds and Joe finds us our first Sabota Lark. The final drive takes us south in the fading light that colours the landscape of receding mountaind ridges and plains – finally at 6pm we check in at the delightful Weltevrede Guest House surrounded by Springbok! After smartening up we enjoy a lovely meal and an impromptu birthday song for Jayne from the waitresses – sung in their native tongue with lots of clicks and popping noises! And so to the late night vigil at the water hole…. most can view from the comfort of their rooms but some don hats and fleeces and sit out. Animals wander in and out: Oryx and Springbok take in in turns to drink, a Cape Fox scrurries around on the edge of the darkness and a Spotted Thick-knee makes an appearance. Day 4: We met up at 6.30 am for a quick coffee and bowl of cereal before loading the vans and heading off for the day. The grounds are really birdy with Acacia Pied Barbet, Red-headed Finch and Sociable Weavers at the water hole. Close to the buildings are Mountain Chat, Rosy-faced Lovebirds, Yellow and White-throated Canary. Driving along the approach road we see Springbok, Secretary Bird and our first Blue Wildebeeste. We even see a one-horned oryx – a genuine unicorn. What a great start. The road in the early morning light is truly spectacular with rugged mountains, stony plains and grassy hollows. Already the desert air is distorting the views in the far distance with a row of trees stretched tall. A large group of zebras crosses the road infront and stop on the stony slope so we can check out their stripes – broad black and white flanks and a grid iron rump points to Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra – another new mammal. Further along there are perched raptors: first a large Black-chested Snake Eagle then two White-backed Vultures waiting for the days thermals to start. The final bumpy section of the track leads to Sossus Oases and the gateway to the Namib Naukluft National Park. We stop and check the facilities, including the impressive Sociable Weaver nests. Entering the park the road changes from gravel to tarmac and we enjoy some welcome comfort. We stop at a couple of points where we can photograph oryx and ostrich with the beautiful backdrop of red dunes – a wondeful natural amphitheatre. Stony plains stretch to the base of the dunes and hillsides and birds are catching the eye. First Burchell’s Coursers are running around and stopping abruptly, then Ruppell’s Korhaans walk furtively across. At the 45km mark the road skirts the base of one of the huge red sand dunes – Dune 45 no less – yes they number the dunes in the National Park! It’s a chance to walk one of the dunes and already some folk are climbing the steep red slope. We decide to have a late breakfast first, accompanied by Pied Crows and a Fiscal Shrike.