Namibia, Botswana and Zambia Birding tour (March 2024)
Guide: Marc Cronje
Day 1: Arrival in Walvis Bay – The group of 6 South Africans who I know well, arrived on a short flight from Cape Town all excited for their birding adventure. We soon found ourselves watching hundreds of Lesser and Greater Flamingos in the lagoon across from our wonderful accommodation. A walk along the lagoon gave us sightings of, Hartlaub’s Gull, Kelp Gull, the small and compact Damara Tern, Pied Avocet, Little Stint and Common Greenshank. With the late afternoon wind getting cooler we retired to our lodge to settle in and enjoyed a wonderful first meal together at one of the local restaurants. We chatted away and caught up on news- it is so nice guiding previous clients as now it feels like one is taking friends out guiding. We had a good night’s rest.
Day 2: Exploring Walvis Bay – Our morning started with a delicious breakfast as we watched the Flamingos feeding in the lagoon- what a treat to have breakfast watching these beautiful birds. We then made our way to Rooibank just inland from Walvis Bay to look for Namibia’s only true endemic bird- the Dune Lark. Searching in the scenic Kuiseb riverbed at the base of the impressive dunes made for an incredible scene as we enjoyed great views of four of these special birds. Other good birds seen included, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lark-like Bunting and Acacia Pied Barbet.
We then made our way to the impressive Walvis Bay lagoon and salt works for some birding after a delicious lunch. The lagoon covers an area of about 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) and stretches over 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) in length. It is a shallow body of water, with depths ranging from 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) depending on the tides. The lagoon is particularly significant as a stopover point for migratory birds along the African-Eurasian flyways. Thousands of birds use the lagoon as a resting and feeding site during their long-distance journeys. The shallow waters and abundant food resources make it an ideal habitat for these birds. One of main targets was the Damara Tern- which gave us excellent views. Other birds seen included Great White Pelican, Ruff, Little Stint, Sanderling, Curlew and Terek Sandpiper, Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Eurasian Curlew. We did well on tern species and enjoyed good views of Swift, Common, Sandwich, and Caspian Tern. Along the salt works we enjoyed good views of Common Ringed, Chestnut-banded, Grey and Three-banded Plover, Hartlaub’s and Grey-headed Gull, Greater and Lesser Flamingos in their thousands and huge flocks of Cape Cormorants with a few Crowned and White-breasted Cormorants.
After such an exciting day we enjoyed a tasty meal at one of the local restaurants along the lagoon. We chatted away about the exciting birds we had seen, the new lifers and enjoyed catching up with each other.
Day 3: Walvis Bay to Erongo mountains – We started our morning with a delicious breakfast before saying our goodbyes and heading inland to the Erongo region. A quick search in the garden gave us great views of Orange-river White-eye. We made a strategic stop at the gravel plans north of Swakopmund and with some searching had good views of Gray’s Lark and the desert race of Tractrac Chat.
Our drive to the Erongo area gave us a look at the Namibia’s ever-changing scenery and we had excellent views of Pale-chanting Goshawk. The Erongo region of Namibia is known for its stunning natural landscapes. It is home to the Erongo Mountains, a rugged range characterized by granite peaks, deep valleys, and impressive rock formations. The area is visually striking and offers some fantastic birding. Our afternoon walk around the lodge gave us good views of the sought after Rockrunner- a very striking and pretty Warbler. Other good birds seen on the walk were, Carp’s Tit, White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Pale-winged Staring, Red-billed Spurfowl and African Hawk Eagle. We also had good views of Dassie Rat and Common Rock Hyrax.
The resident Freckled Nightjars gave us excellent views while we enjoyed a tasty dinner under the African stars. We all chatted away and had a good few laughs as we finished our lists and enjoyed a wonderful evening
Day 4: Birding Erongo mountains and transfer to Brandberg – Our morning started with coffee and rusks before we had a walk around the lodge. Rosy-faced Lovebirds are present in massive numbers and we had views of the birds flying over us and perching for photographs. We had good views of White-throated Canary, Green-winged Pytilia, Blue Waxbill, Barred Wren-warbler, Rattling Cisticola, Pririt Batis, Shaft-tailed Whydah, African Red-eyed Bulbul, White-backed Mousebird, Cape Starling, and Mountain Wheatear.
Our drive was uneventful and we chatted about conservation in Namibia and the incredible geology of the Brandberg area. Roadside birds included: Booted Eagle, Lesser Grey Shrike, Black-chested Prinia, Purple Roller, Northern Black Korhaan and Namaqua Sandgrouse.
We arrived at our wonderful lodge as the base of the Brandberg. The Brandberg Mountain (literally “fire mountain” in Afrikaans), Namibia’s highest mountain (2,573 m/ 8,442 ft above sea level). The Brandberg holds spiritual and mystical significance for the local Damara and Herero communities. Many believe that the mountain is a sacred site with supernatural powers. The natural formations and serene environment contribute to the aura of spirituality, attracting visitors interested in exploring the mystical side of the region.
The birding is excellent in the area and our afternoon drive rewarded us with good views on a pair of Ruppell’s Korhaan feeding close to the road. A spectacular sunset was enjoyed overlooking the vast area and we enjoyed a traditional Namibian dinner back at our lodge. The local singing of the lodge staff was a welcome surprise and enjoyed by all. We enjoyed another fabulous evening chatting about birds and birding and on our way to our rooms had a great sighting of a Spotted Eagle-Owl posing for us. The night sky was spectacular and we could see the common constellations like Orion’s Belt and the Southern Cross- the resident African Scops Owl also put in an appearance- you got to love Namibia.
Day 5: Exploring the area around Brandberg – We had an early start this morning to head out to the gravel plains for some birding but also to head into the Ugab river to try and find the Desert adapted Elephants that call the area home. These amazing elephants have adapted to living in this harsh environment and live in North-eastern Namibia in the riverbeds. The population is estimated to be about 300 and it is one of only two places in the world to see these special mammals- the other being in Mali.
Our drive across the plains north of the mountain rewarded us with views of Rüppell’s Korhaan, Burchell’s Courser, Fawn-coloured Lark, Booted Eagle, Sabota Lark, Ludwig’s Bustard, Bokmakierie and Benguela Long-billed Lark.
After some searching, we had the most amazing sighting of the Elephants feeding in the river bed and even had a calf and mom resting in the shade close to our vehicle. This was a very special sighting for the group and everyone said it was a bucket list experience and something that will stay with us for a long time.
We also had a close sighting of a Martial Eagle, Kori Bustard and Rock Kestrel while tracking the Elephants.
A relaxed lunch was enjoyed back at the lodge as we all shared photos and videos of our awesome morning. We really had an amazing experience. A bit of down time was enjoyed by some during the heat of the day.
Our afternoon walk yielded sightings of, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Bokmakierie, Violet-backed Starling, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Gabar Goshawk and Ruppell’s Parrot what a great afternoon of birding to top off an excellent day in Namibia.
Another breathtaking sunset was enjoyed as we chatted away over a cold one about our fabulous day. A tasty meal was enjoyed by all before we retired to bed for a good night’s rest.
Day 6: Brandberg to Southern Etosha
Our morning begun nice and early as we headed off to view the White Lady Rock paintings- Brandberg is a spiritual site of great significance to the San (Bushman) tribes. The main tourist attraction, apart from the peak, is the White Lady rock painting (one of over 45,000 paintings), located on a rock face with other artwork, under a small rock overhang, in the Tsisab ravine at the foot of the mountain. The group loved the excursion and we also had good views of Red-faced Mousebird, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Mountain Wheatear and Greater Kestrel.
Our drive to Etosha went well and we had roadside sightings of Pale-chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Black-faced Waxbill, Cape Bunting and Bare-cheeked Babbler.
We arrived at the world famous Etosha National Park- in my opinion one of Africa’s greatest parks. Etosha National Park covers more than 22,300 km2 (8,620 sq mi) and is synonymous with big game and wide-open spaces. The name Etosha means “great white place” referring to the huge dry pan in the middle of the park, believed to have been formed over 100 million years ago and visible from space. It is a dry lakebed, covered in salt and minerals (much like the Bonneville salt flats in the USA). The pan is 130km long and up to 50km wide, totally inaccessible to humans, and covers a quarter of the whole park.
We arrived at Okaukuejo, late in the afternoon and checked in to our rooms. The camp grounds were productive and we had views of Crimson-breasted Shrike, Groundscraper Thrush, Pririt Batis, Cape Crow, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Red-headed Finch, Acacia Pied Barbet and South African Ground Squirrel.
We had an amazing sunset at the waterhole with Namaqua Sandgrouse coming in to drink.
We enjoyed dinner in the restaurant, updated our lists, and chatted away about Etosha and the plans for tomorrow. A walk to the waterhole gave us views of Rufous-cheeked Nightjar. A thunderstorm rolled and gave much needed rain to the dry arid park. A good rest was had by all after an excellent day in Namibia.
Day 7: Birding Southern Etosha – Our morning started with a glorious sunrise over the plains of southern Etosha- everything looked clean and fresh after the rain last night. Our morning was productive and we had an excellent sighting of a pair of Red-necked Falcon hunting joined by a Gabar Goshawk trying to steal the prey. Some other good birds included, Northern Black Korhaan displaying, Kalahari Scrub Robin, Willow Warbler, Desert Cisticola, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Capped Wheatear, South African Shelduck, Rufous-eared Warbler and a stunning sighting of a Martial Eagle flying over our vehicle giving some amazing photo opportunities.
The mammal viewing was good too and we had good views of Springbok, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Yellow Mongoose and Black-faced Impala all close to our Safari vehicle.
Lunch was enjoyed back in camp and the group enjoyed some downtime during the heat of the day. As part of our Nature Travel Active safaris- some enjoyed a run in the camp and we also saw, Acacia Pied Barbet, Long-billed Crombec, Cape Penduline Tit, Violet-eared Waxbill and Chestnut-vented Warbler
On our afternoon drive saw us heading to Okondeka plains north of the camp where we had good sightings of Spike-heeled, Red-capped and Sabota Lark as well as Grey-backed Sparrow-lark, Capped Wheatear, Double-banded Courser, Ant-eating Chat, and Desert Cisticola .
The day ended with a glorious sunset and a critically endangered Black Rhino crossing right next to our vehicle.
Another delicious meal was had by all as we chatted about conservation in Africa and some of the continents amazing park. A downpour of rain added to a splendid atmosphere as we enjoyed our meal and some good wine. A good night’s rest was had by all.
Day 8: Birding through Etosha to Eastern side of the park – Our morning started with an early breakfast as today we headed through the park to the eastern side of Etosha. After a scrumptious breakfast we hit the road. The park lived up to its reputation of being a photographers dream and we had such great photo opportunities during the day. A mammal highlight was having a family of Bat-eared Foxes feeding in the open for us to enjoy. The birding was great and we had good sightings of Lanner Falcon, Double-banded Courser, Secretarybird, Red-capped Lark and Blue Crane.
We arrived at our wonderful accommodation right on the eastern doorstep of Etosha, situated in the mopane woodland of the region. We all freshened up and met for a wonderful dinner under the starts as we updated our lists and chatted about the day’s sightings. We all enjoyed a good sleep after the busy day and had the resident Pearl-spotted Owlet calling as we went to bed.
Day 9: Birding Eastern Etosha – Another early morning was on the cards as we made our way into Etosha to explore the western side of the park. Soon of entering we had the most incredible sighting of a Cheetah lying close to the road watching a herd of Springbok- she gave us some amazing views and the photographers got some excellent shots. The birding was also good, with us getting good views of Crimson-breasted Shrike, White-backed Vulture, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Kori Bustard, Secretarybird, African Hawk Eagle and a stunning close sighting on a pair of Blue Cranes.
Our breakfast was enjoyed at Namutoni camp- as we unpacked the breakfast the Cape Glossy Starling started to alarm call and this alerted us to an African Rock Python lying in the tree- the birds tried to mob the snake to no avail- some of the species in the mobbing party included, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Willow Warbler, Acacia Pied Barbet, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver and Violet-eared Waxbill. What a busy breakfast stop.
With the day warming up we checked Tsumcor waterhole and had an awesome sighting of about 40 Elephants with small babies drinking and crossing the road in front of us- what a way to end off a fabulous morning.
We headed back to a wonderful lodge for some downtime and lunch before heading out in the afternoon- a bit of searching lodge grounds rewarded us with a great sighting of the resident Black-faced Babblers who posed for the group.
Our afternoon drive was a success and we enjoyed a breeding herd of Elephants drinking water at Klein Namutoni waterhole. A few good birds for the afternoon included, Plain-backed Pipit, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Red-capped Lark, Cardinal Woodpecker, Lanner Falcon, Little Sparrowhawk and a unique and out of place sighting of a Greater Painted Snipe feeding in the open next to a pool of water for us to enjoy- the bird posed so wonderfully for the photographers. As we made our way to the exit of the Park we had a the most spectacular sunset and then a female Leopard crossed our path and gave us a wonderful sighting- what a great way to end the day in Etosha. We started with a Cheetah and ended with a Leopard.
Dinner was once enjoyed under the African stars as we chatted away about our trip so far and the adventure that awaits tomorrow as we head north to the Caprivi.
Day 10: Eastern Etosha to Caprivi Strip – A slightly later start and relaxed breakfast was enjoyed before making our way north to the Caprivi strip of Namibia. The Caprivi strip is a long, narrow extension of Namibia, running about 450 km from the northeast corner of the main block of the country eastward to the Zambezi River. Its width varies from about 32 to 105 km. The physical geography of the region is an extremely flat plain, about 950 m in elevation lying on the swampy northern margin of the Kalahari, mostly between the Zambezi River on the northeast (beyond which is Zambia) and the Kwando–Linyandi– (Mashi–Linyanti–) Chobe River system on the south and southwest (beyond which, for the most part, is Botswana). Angola borders the area on the north, and the Okavango River traverses the strip in the west.
A few garden birds seen included, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Pearl-spotted Owlet.
Our drive took us southeast, travelling through Tsumeb and Grootfontein, before heading northeast towards the town of Rundu our home for the night. A few roadside birds included, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Striped Kingfisher, Martial Eagle, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, Bateleur, Dusky Lark and Meyer’s Parrot.
We arrived at our wonderful lodge along the banks of the Kavango River checked in and took a slight break before heading out on an afternoon walk. Our walk was our introduction to the Caprivi birding and we enjoyed good sightings of, Swamp Boubou, African Crake, Hartlaub’s Babbler, stunning Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Woodland Kingfisher, roosting Spotted Eagle-Owl, African Openbill, African Jacana, and a pair of Swamp Nightjar in the open during the day was a special sighting to end the day.
Another excellent dinner was enjoyed along the river as we caught up on our lists and chatted about future birding destinations and trips, we all hope to do. A Western Barn Owl on the way back to the rooms was a fitting end to an excellent day.
Day 11: Rundu to Mahangu National Park – We started our morning with coffee overlooking the Kavango River. A few good birds flew by with highlights being Little Bittern, Rufous-bellied Heron, White-faced Whistling Duck, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Giant Kingfisher, African Goshawk, Whiskered Tern, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Sand Martin, White-browed Robin-Chat, Hartlaub’s Babbler and Southern Masked Weaver. Our delicious breakfast was well deserved after a successful walk.
We hit the road, moving further along the Caprivi Strip towards Mahangu National Park. A few roadside birds included, White Stork, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Black-winged Kite, Shikra, Bearded and Bennett’s Woodpecker, Magpie Shrike and Southern Brown-throated Weaver. A tasty picnic lunch was enjoyed under the shade of a great Jackalberry tree.
Our lodge for the evening offered great views over the Okavango River and into Buffalo National Park. After a short siesta we enjoyed an afternoon walk onto the floodplain and had good views of Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Slaty Egret, African Snipe.
Another glorious sunset was enjoyed over Okavango River as we enjoyed our sundowner drinks. After a tasty dinner we enjoyed some stargazing and retired after another exciting day. The resident Wood Owls showed up as we walked back to our rooms- the perfect end to the day.
Day 12: Mahangu NP to Okavango Pan Handle(Botswana)
Our morning begun with an early walk around the extensive floodplain near the lodge. Our walk was a productive one and some of the specials seen included, Sharp-tailed Starling, Bradfield’s Hornbill, African Snipe, Purple-banded Sunbird, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose and a stunning view of a Bathawk- some amazing birding for the area. A well-deserved breakfast was enjoyed on the deck overlooking the Okavango River, a herd of Sable also came down to drink and the resident Hippopotamus went about their antics.
Our mid-morning boat trip was also a success. A few noteworthy birds included, Dwarf Bittern, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-toed Lapwing, Lesser Moorhen and two great sightings of White-backed Night Heron.
A bit of down time and a relaxed lunch was enjoyed before we said our goodbyes and headed for the Okavango Pan handle in Botswana. The border crossing went well and we had sightings of Impala, Greater Kudu, African Buffalo and Red Lechwe on our drive. A few roadside birds included, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Magpie Shrike, Meyer’s Parrot.
We arrived at our wonderful camp along the river checked in and had some down time before our afternoon walk in the woodland nearby. Our afternoon walk was a major success and after getting word that the resident Pel’s fishing Owls are nearby we set off to see this major target for the trip. After some searching, we enjoyed exceptional views of these amazing birds- a major highlight for some who have been trying to see this bird for over 50 years- what a wonderful moment. Other good birds seen included African Golden Oriole, African Paradise Flycatcher and African Wood Owl on a day roost.
We freshened up and enjoyed a tasty dinner chatting away about the incredible Pel’s fishing Owl sighting and all the amazing birds we have seen. A celebratory toast was in order and we all had a wonderful evening under the African stars.
Day 13: Exploring the Okavango Pan Handle (Botswana) – Our morning started with a pre breakfast walk, and we saw A few Hartlaub’s Babblers feeding in the early morning light. We had a brief view of a Little Sparrowhawk as is shot through the trees. Other birds we saw were: Pied Kingfisher, White-fronted Bee-eater and Swamp Boubou.
Our boat trip on the Okavango River started with great views of a pair of Malachite Kingfishers perched on the bank. We were lucky enough to get Great Swamp Warbler and Chirping Cisticola this morning, two of our target birds. We also had very good views of Willow Warbler, Little Rush Warbler, Brown Throated Martin, African Marsh Harrier and Allen’s Gallinule. A black Sparrowhawk gave us a fly-by just before the highlight of our boat trip. There in the top of the tree was a Pel’s Fishing Owl, Our second sighting of this amazing bird. The group was ecstatic, we spent a good 15 min watching a photographing this magnificent bird.
We returned to the lodge with full hearts. A bit of R&R was needed after our exciting morning. We met for lunch and watched African Mourning Dove, African Golden and Brown-throated Weavers come and go. In the late afternoon we went for a walk on the lodge grounds. A pair of African Golden Oriole were sitting high up if the tree. We had a great sighting of a Swamp Boubou feeding a Black Cuckoo. Ashy Flycatchers were calling in the tops of the trees. Collared Sunbird was also a lifer for some of the group.
Our afternoon boat cruise produced some good birds as well. As it started getting to dusk, the Black-crowned Night Herons begin to fly. Other good birds were: African Fish Eagle, Giant Kingfisher, African Harrier-Hawk and Whiskered Tern.
After a great day on the Okavango, we met for a well-deserved dinner on the deck. The group chatted about our great sightings and were thankful for sharing these special moments. We all retired to bed for a good night’s sleep.
Day 14: Okavango Pan Handle(Botswana) to Mahangu National Park – After another hearty breakfast we set off on our final boat cruise on the Okavango River. As we left the lodge, we noticed a Raptor flying, the bird was trying to hunt the White-fronted Be-eaters. To our surprise it perched on a dead tree, and there it was… a Juvenile Ayres’s Hawk Eagle. Our target this morning was Luapula Cisticola, we had great sightings of the bird. We also had great sightings of Coppery-tailed Coucal, Great Egret, African Stonechat and Wire-tailed Swallow.
We had to unfortunately say goodbye to Botswana as we were on our way back to Namibia. After an easy border crossing, we headed back to Mahangu for lunch at the lodge. On arrival we were told there was a Green Water Snake in the garden, a nice reptile to see. We had a lovely lunch on the deck, watching the water birds fly by. There were hundreds of Spurwinged Geese flying in formation, quite a spectacular sight.
After lunch we had some down time as we were heading into Mahangu National Park for an afternoon drive. These floodplains were very productive, we had great sightings of Black Heron, African Spoonbill, Marabou Stork, White-winged and Whiskered Tern, Goliath Heron, Knob-billed Duck and Long-toed Lapwing. Our mammal sightings were great, including Red Lechwe, Giraffe, Kudu and Warthog. The highlight was a Black Heron fishing under its “umbrella”.
After a great game drive, we returned to the lodge for dinner and a good night’s rest. We fell asleep to the call of African Wood Owl.
Day 15: : Mahangu National Park to Katima Mulilo – Our morning started with a quick walk to the floodplain before breakfast. We were lucky enough to see a flock of Sharp-tailed Starlings fly over. Other sightings were: Long-toed and Blacksmith Lapwing, African Openbill, Lesser Jacana, Black-throated Canary and Black Cuckooshrike.
After another lovely breakfast looking out over the river, we did a quick walk in the garden to look for Brown Firefinch, we were lucky enough to find a small group feeding in the trees. What a great way to end our stay. We loaded up and set off to our next stop in Katima Mulilo.
We headed out east along the “Caprivi Strip.” Along the way we made a quick stop to connect with Bronzy Sunbird, we were lucky enough to get great views of the female. On our way to our overnight accommodation, we stopped in Katima Mulilo to find the Northern Grey Headed Sparrow, which showed well. Katima is on the banks of the Zambezi River and is the main town in the Caprivi.
We arrived at our lodge just in time for lunch and to our surprise we found the Schalow’s Turaco feeding in a fig tree just next to the deck area. What a beautiful and special bird to see. After lunch we went for a drive to the wetlands along the Zambezi River. Our bird list kept growing and we added Brown-hooded Kingfisher, White-crowned Lapwing, and Southern Black Flycatcher. We had an early night as we had to cross two borders tomorrow.
Day 16: Katima Mulilo to Camp Nkwazi- Zambia – This morning, we had a quick breakfast and got on the road. A roadside stop for Racket-tailed Roller was very successful, as we got great views of two birds and the photographers managed to get great shots in the early morning light. Our next stop was for Yellow-throated Leaflove, what busy birds these are. We followed them around the garden, while they were scooting around in the tops of the trees, we all had great views of this special bird. Driving through the Chobe National we had a great sighting of Southern Ground Hornbill, our first for the trip. We also saw a Dark Chanting Goshawk perched.
Crossing the new bridge at the Kazungula Border Post into Zambia was quite exciting. This bridge is a rail and road bridge which is 923m long that crosses the Zambezi River and connects Botswana and Zambia. Roadside birding at the border added some birds to the list. They were: Bronze Mannikin, Blue Waxbill, Barn Swallow and Fork tailed Drongo
Arriving at our stunning lodge on the Zambezi River in Zambia we were greeted by African Fish Eagle and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. We marvelled at the view from the deck and were looking forward to our boat cruise later in the afternoon. As we were getting ready to get on the boat, some Trumpeter Hornbills flew over. The boat trip was fantastic, we saw Hippo and big Crocodiles on the banks of the river. The following birds were seen from the boat: Reed Cormorant, Little Egret, African Darter, Water Thick-knee, White-backed Vulture, Green-backed Heron and a Grey-headed Gull. Perched in the Palm Trees were Pink-backed Pelicans. Arriving back at the lodge we had a Bat Hawk fly over, what a fitting way to end the day.
Dinner was served and we all chatted about visiting Victoria Fall the next day. The African Wood Owls that nest in the garden called us to bed.
Day 17: Zambezi birding and Vic Falls trip – Our morning begun with some birding overlooking the Zambezi River and a cup of coffee. A flock of Trumpeter Hornbills got our birding going. Our walk in the camp and along the river gave us views of Collared Palm Thrush, Bearded Scrub Robin, Bearded Woodpecker, Scarlet-chested Sunbird and Yellow-bellied Greenbul.
Our breakfast was on the deck looking out over the Zambezi River, watching the birds fly by. Our transfer picked us up and we were on our way to the Falls. Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-tunya(The Smoke that Thunders) is the largest waterfall in the world by volume and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. What a sight to behold. No words can describe it adequately. After spending the morning at the Falls we had lunch in Livinstone before returning to the lodge.
Today was our last full day and finished our birding off with a walk on the logde grounds. We were lucky enough to get views of a Green-backed Honeybird. We watched a Tropical Boubou feeding in the trees. Two Woodpeckers put in an appearance, those being Cardinal and Bearded Woodpecker. We also got visuals of Grey-headed Parrots, our first for this trip. We ended our day off with Western Osprey and a Caspian Tern flying over the river.
Sitting down to a beautifully set table for dinner was an apt end to out tour. We chatted about all the highlights of the trip and started planning where our next destination could be.
Day 18: Am birding and departure – This morning, we had our breakfast on the deck and added the last few birds to our list before return home. Wire-tailed Swallow and African Sacred Ibis were some of our last birds.
It was time wish this amazing place farewell.