Private guided Namibia and Okavango Panhandle birding trip report
Guide: Marc Cronje
During the tour the temperature ranged from º19C to 34ºC. We recorded 52 mammal species, over 280 species of birds and 11 species of reptiles. The species mentioned in the daily summaries are only some of those seen.
Day 1: Okaukuejo Resort, Etosha South
Our birding trip started with breakfast in our comfortable hotel on the outskirts of Windhoek. All rested from international flights we made our way towards Etosha National Park, one of the great parks of Africa where we will be spending the next 4 nights. A few highlights from the hotel gardens included Rosy-faced Lovebird, Cape Sparrow, African Hawk Eagle, Chestnut Weaver and Bradfield’s Swift. Our drive heading up to Etosha was uneventful with us having a enjoyable lunch and seeing our first Monteiro’s Hornbill and Grey-go-away birds in the garden. Other notable road side sightings included Shikra posing well, Lilac-breasted Roller, Tawny Eagle, the migrant Lesser Grey Shrike and Common Buzzard, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Brown Snake Eagle, perched Martial Eagle and a flock of 50 plus Marabou Storks feeding next to the road. Our first mammals for the trip were Chacma Baboon, Warthog and Oryx.
We arrived at Etosha in time for a short drive to camp and we enjoyed our first sightings of Burchell’s Zebra, the endemic, Black-faced Impala, Springbok and Banded Mongoose. A sighting of a huge Elephant bull crossing the road and drinking at Ombika waterhole was a highlight for the group, who are first time visitors to Africa- what a great start and it brought a few tears to some out of sheer joy and pleasure. Some of the birding highlights included: African Harrier Hawk, Northern Black Korhaan, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Violet-eared Waxbill, Green-winged Pytilia posing for the photographers, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Red-billed Spurfowl and Acacia Pied Barbet.
Our first dinner was enjoyed at the camp’s restaurant as we got to know each other and go through the plans and what to expect of the trip. It was great chatting about birding in different parts of the world and hearing about everyone’s adventures. We made our way down to the flood lit waterhole at Okaukuejo and had the most amazing sighting of a Black Rhino drinking and walking right past the camp’s fence- we must have been less than 5 meters away from this critically endangered mammal. A spotted Hyena also joined in for a drink. We enjoyed watching a Rufous-cheeked Nightjar hawk insects at the waterholes light.
A good night’s rest was had by all after an exciting first day and we fell asleep to the sound of Spotted Hyena contact calling.
Day 2: Okaukuejo Resort, Etosha South
After a hearty breakfast we headed out to explore the area around Okaukuejo. Our first birds included: Sociable weavers coming out of their impressive nests with an amazing Namibian sunrise. The species builds large, compound, community nests, a rarity in the avian world. A few noteworthy bird sightings included: Cape Starling, Temminck’s and Double-banded Courser, Spike-heeled, Sabota and Red-capped Larks, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Capped Wheatear, Great Sparrow, Red-headed Finch, Amur Falcon, Groundscraper Thrush, Secretary bird hunting and Greater Kestrel.
On the mammal front we enjoyed a wonderful sighting of a pride of lions with two small cubs that entertained us for the reminder of the morning. The multiple sightings of Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok, Oryx, Giraffe, endemic Black-faced Impala, Blue Wilderbeest and South African Ground Squirrel kept our mammal list growing.
A visit to the waterhole at Okaukuejo camp before lunch rewarded us with an incredible scene of over 500 Abdim’s Storks bathing and drinking. These intra-African migrants visit Namibia and Southern Africa from November and leave for their breeding grounds north of the equator in April. The species breed colonially in trees, on cliffs or rooftops. The huge herds of Zebra, Springbok, Oryx, Giraffe also added to the atmosphere. As we were about to leave three big Elephant bulls joined the party.
In the afternoon we headed for Ombika waterhole as we had heard of a herd of Elephants heading that way. Luck was on our side, and we enjoyed a fabulous sighting of over 30 Elephants crossing the road in front of us and then playing, drinking and splashing in the water. We got to observe some fascinating behaviour between two bull elephants in musth. It was a mammal afternoon and before gate closing, we had a pride of seven lioness and 3 cubs walk in the open close to our vehicle- what an incredible sighting and a highlight from for the trip.
On the birding front we enjoyed views of Dusky Sunbird, Red-crested Korhaan, Pale-chanting Goshawk, Secretarybird, Common Ostrich, Pygmy Falcon, Rufous-eared Warbler and Scaly-feathered Weaver.
Another excellent dinner was enjoyed at the camp’s restaurant as we updated our lists and chatted away about all the new birds we had seen. It was enjoyable to see the group getting so excited about the new species and bird families they have seen.
Our night stint at the water hole rewarded us with a sighting of two Rhino bulls charging around the waterhole in a territorial dispute- very interesting to witness from a behaviour point of view. A Western Barn Owl was a new addition to the trip.
Day 3: Mushara Outpost, Etosha East
This morning we made our way towards the eastern part of the park and we enjoyed sightings of Double-banded Courser Common Ostrich, Red-necked Falcon, Blue Crane, African Grey Hornbill, Lappet-faced Vulture, Booted Eagle, Desert and Zitting Cisticola.
We had lunch at Hilali and a sighting of the endemic Violet Wood Hoopoe was a highlight for trip- soon after that we also had a Spotted Eagle Owl on a day roost close to the road that posed wonderfully for the group. As we reached Springbokfontein- the pan had filled with water from the rain a few days ago and this led to us enjoying sightings of Ruff, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Wood, Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper, Red-billed and Cape Teal. We also enjoyed multiple sightings of Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok, Hartebeest, Giraffe, Oryx, Black-faced Impala and Kudu.
Upon reaching Namutoni and exploring the area we came upon an incredible sighting of three male Cheetah sleeping in the open, under a bush, we spent some time with them, and our patience paid off and we had an amazing scene of them walking and climbing onto a termite mound next to us. It was a truly breath-taking sight.
Just before exiting the gate, we had a pride of lions next to the pan staring down a herd of Wildebeest- we really enjoyed a wonderful day in the great white place known as Etosha. A few last birds for the day included: Purple Roller, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Carp’s Tit, Common Scimitarbill, Southern White-crowned Shrike and Red-faced Mousebird.
We checked in to our lovely lodge to relax and unwind and all met to complete our lists and enjoyed chatting about our great day. The group was in great spirits, all joking and laughing, and this makes it very rewarding for me as a guide. We enjoyed another wonderful dinner at the lodge as we discussed tomorrow’s plans; spoke about species hybridizing and species splits. We all retired to bed after another exciting day in the great white place known as Etosha and fell asleep to the sound of Fiery-necked Nightjar and Pearl-spotted Owlet calling.
Red-necked Falcon
Day 4: Mushara Outpost, Etosha East
This morning we spent time exploring the eastern section of the vast Etosha National Park. Our morning started with a great party of birds at the lodge with the following seen: Pearl-spotted Owlet, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Long-billed Crombec, Cape Starling, Lesser Masked Weaver, Blue Waxbill and African Paradise Flycatcher.
Our morning in the park rewarded us with some great bird and mammal sightings. A highlight on the mammal front, was having the rare and hard to see Aardwolf next to the safari vehicle and crossing the road in-front of us in broad day light- what a memorable sighting. Other mammals spotted included the endemic Kirk’s Dik-dik (Namibian subspecies), African Elephant, Giraffe, Black-backed Jackal, Black-faced Impala (another endemic subspecies), Hartebeest (Red subspecies), Gemsbok (Namibia’s national animal), Greater Kudu and Springbok.
A few of the birding highlights included: Tawny Eagle, African Jacana, African Grey Hornbill, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Wahlberg’s Eagle, European Bee-eater, Red-breasted Swallow, Acacia Pied Barbet and Black-faced Waxbill.
We also had a great sighting of a pair of Blue Cranes crossing the road in-front if us- seeing the majestic birds so close was incredible. The Etosha population of Blue Cranes is a separate sub population with the rest of the population being endemic to South Africa. The Etosha population and consists of about 60 birds- so it’s a great bird for the trip. A booted Eagle was also a welcome addition to our trip.
We had a relaxing lunch back at our lodge and enjoyed some down time in the heat of the day. The camp’s bird bath was hive of activity and we enjoyed top views of Emerald Spotted Wood Dove, Blue Waxbill, Red-faced Mousebird, Grey-go-away-bird and Violet-eared Waxbill. A few of us as part of our Nature Travel Active Safaris enjoyed a run around the property.
A highlight for the group on our afternoon trip was having amazing close up views of the Greater and Lesser flamingos at Fisher’s Pan. A slow drive along the pan delivered: Cape Shoveler, Red-billed Teal, Wood and Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Yellow-billed Stork, Pied Avocet posing wonderfully, Glossy Ibis, Desert Cisticola, Ant-eating Chat, Woolly-necked Stork and Black-winged Stilt.
We headed back to our comfortable lodge to enjoy another wonderful meal prepared by the friendly staff. A glorious red sunset bid us farewell from the park.
We chatted about conservation issues and conservation programs in Namibia and how eco-tourism is so important in conservation. With our lists updated we headed off to bed for a good night’s sleep after an incredible day in Africa. The sound of a distant Spotted Hyena was heard as we fell asleep.
Day 5: Kaisosi River Lodge, Rundu
Our morning started with a slightly later and relaxed breakfast as we enjoyed the wonderful gardens and atmosphere at our lodge. A few birds seen in the gardens included: Yellow-billed Hornbill, Common Scimitarbill, Western Barn Owl, White-crested Helmetshrike, Brubru and Southern Pied Babbler.
We said our goodbyes to Etosha and started making our way to the Caprivi area. Our lunch stop rewarded us with excellent views of the near-endemic, Black-faced Babbler and excellent views of Crimson-breasted Shrike, Green-winged Pytilia, Violet-eared and Black-faced Waxbills, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah and Rosy-faced Lovebird all posing for the photographers in the group.
We arrived at our lodge on the banks of the river overlooking Angola, checked in and refreshed up before dinner. A few garden birds included White-browed Robin Chat, Hartlaub’s Babbler, Pied Kingfisher, Red-backed Shrike, Brown-hooded Kingfisher and a flock of Openbill storks flying above the river.
We enjoyed another meal as we chatted away about the trip, the new birds and updated our lists. A few clients and I chatted about other birding trips in Africa and the incredible avian diversity the continent has.
A short night stint rewarded us with excellent views of Western Barn Owl, Fiery-necked and Square tailed Nightjars. We all retired for a good night’s sleep.
Day 6: Drotsky’s Cabins Okavango Panhandle
We started our morning with a walk around our lodge Some of the species seen included African Golden Weaver, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Green Pigeon, Violet-backed and Greater Blue-eared Starling, Swamp Boubou, Woodland Kingfisher, Meyer’s Parrot, Hartlaub’s Babbler, Black-collared Barbet, African Paradise Flycathcer, Little Sparrowhawk, White-winged Tern, Marico, Scarlet-chested and Amethyst Sunbird. The wetland in front of the restaurant was the perfect introduction to the wetland birds of northern Namibia with us seeing Giant and Pied Kingfishers, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Squacco and Green-backed Heron, African Pygmy Goose, Hamerkop, African Darter, and Reed Cormorant.
Our drive along the strip towards Botswana was used to chat about bird conservation in Southern Africa, conservation issues and success stories. It was an enjoyable drive just getting to know each other. A few birding highlights included Dark Chanting Goshawk, migratory Common House Martin and a stunning sighting of Racket-tailed Roller.
Lunch was enjoyed overlooking the Okavango River before we made the super convenient and relaxed border crossing into Botswana and onto our lodge located in the Middel of the Okavango Panhandle- a protected RAMSAR sight.
On our short transit drive through Mahangu National Park which we visited in detail later in the trip yielded a wonderfully sighting of a breeding herd of Elephants crossing the road and Buffalo in the flood plain. We arrived at our lovely accommodation to a friendly welcome and checked in. A walk around the gardens yielded sightings of Pied Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked, Little and White-fronted Bee-eater, Fish Eagle, African Pygmy Goose, Lizard Buzzard, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Green Wood Hoopoe and Golden-tailed Woodpecker.
An exceptional dinner was served as we socialised and went through the plans for our next two days in the amazing Okavango Panhandle. A session of stargazing from the jetty was educational before heading off to bed, falling asleep to the granting of the resident Hippopotamus- you got to love Africa.
Day 7: Drotsky’s Cabins, Okavango Panhandle
Our morning begun with a scrumptious breakfast before heading out on our boat trip to explore this birding paradise that is the Okavango. The big special here is the highly sought after Pel’s Fishing Owl and this area must be one of the best spots in the world to find this beautiful bird. With some hard work and searching we enjoyed an incredible sighting of this orange mythical owl staring at us with its big black eyes.
Other special birds seen on our morning and afternoon boat trips included White-backed Night-heron, Brown Firefinch, Luapula Cisticola, Chirping Cisticola, Coppery-tailed and White-browed Coucal, Long-crested Eagle, Greater Swamp Warbler, Diederik Cuckoo, Mosque Swallow, Sand Martin, African Pygmy Goose, Allen’s Gallinule, Fish Eagle, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Swamp Boubou, Brown- throated, Spectacled and Holub’s Golden Weavers. What an incredible day
Another fabulous sunset and meal were enjoyed by the group next to the river as we chatted about our favourite sightings and updated our lists. We chatted about how special birding is and the amazing places it takes one. A short night walk produced Fiery-necked Nightjar and a stunning Southern White-faced Owl. A good night’s sleep was enjoyed by all.
Day 8: Mahangu Safari Lodge, Divundu
Our morning begun with a walk around the lodge. Some of the highlights from our walk were: African Green Pigeon, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Terrestrial Brownbul, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Ashy Flycatcher, exceptional views of Chirping Cisticola, Greater Swamp Warbler, White-browed Robin Chat, Green Wood Hoopoe, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Laupula Cisticola and African Cuckoo Hawk.
We said our goodbyes to the wonderful staff and headed back to Namibian soil and onto Mahangu. Our drive rewarded us with sightings of Burchell’s Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, African Buffalo, African Elephant, Chacma Baboon, Waterbuck and Southern Lechwe. The birding was great with highlights being Wattled Crane, Meves’s Starling, White-browed Scrub Robin, Dusky Lark, White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Meyer’s Parrot, Brown Firefinch, African Pygmy Kingfisher and African Harrier Hawk.
Lunch was enjoyed overlooking the river and the playful hippopotamus. An afternoon walk around the lodge and on the floodplain rewarded us with sightings of White-backed Night Heron posing in the open, Whiskered Tern, Rufous-bellied Heron, Slaty Egret, Lesser Jacana, Glossy Ibis, African Snipe, Quilfinch, African Openbill, Dwarf Bittern, Long-toed Lapwing, Temminck’s Courser and Plain-backed Pipit.
Another great meal was enjoyed along the banks of the Okavango River as we updated our lists and chatted about our great birding adventure. We celebrated a birthday and chatted about the vast birding on offer in the States. It was also so fantastic to hear the group being so enthusiastic and excited about the experience and excellent birds in Namibia.
A short stint of night birding gave us an incredible sighting of an African Wood Owl posing in the open. We also enjoyed sightings of Spotted Thick-knee, Square-tailed and Swamp Nightjar.
Day 9: Mahangu Safari Lodge, Divundu
We enjoyed breakfast overlooking the river before heading into Mahangu National Park for the morning and afternoon. We had sightings of Africa buffalo, Roan antelope, plenty of Hippo. Burchell’s Zebra, Impala, Topi, Waterbuck, Sable, Common Duiker, Greater Kudu, Giraffe and Warthog. A highlight was having a breeding herd of Elephants drinking and playing in the floodplain before lunch. A few of the special birds seen along the riverine woodland and Acacia savanna included Lesser Honeyguide, Meyer’s Parrot, White-browed Scrub-robin, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey-headed, and Woodland Kingfishers, African Mourning Dove, Lizard Buzzard, Black-crowned Tchagra, Bateleur, Collared Pratincole, Buffy Pipit, Fawn-coloured Lark, Olive Tree Warbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela, White-banded and Hooded Vultures.
The floodplain delivered an incredible sighting of three critically endangered Wattled Crane. We also enjoyed sightings of White-faced Duck, Great White, Yellow-billed and Little Egret, Squacco, Black and Goliath Herons, African Spoonbill, African Sacred, Hadeda and Glossy Ibis, Long-toed and Wattled Lapwing. We came across a herd of Buffalo and had close sightings of Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers.
Our dinner boat trip was most enjoyable, and we chatted away about birding across the world and all the places we hope to go and bird. Having dinner with hippopotamus grunting in the river is an experience the group will remember for a long time.
Day 10: Roy’s Rest Camp, Grootfontein
Our morning started with a cup of coffee or tea overlooking the Okavango River. Our breakfast boat cruise was a highlight, with the group enjoying every moment on the water. A few birding highlights included: Giant Kingfisher, Goliath Heron, Long-toed Lapwing, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Slaty Egret and White-backed Night Heron. A mammal highlight was mating lions along the riverbank.
With the reminder of the day mostly being a travelling day, we left the tropical Caprivi and Okavango regions behind us and made our way back south to the Grootfontein area. As we headed south you will notice how the habitat will be changed from Broadleaf Woodland to mixed Woodland and later Acacia Savannah with the species changing with the habitat. A few roadside stops yielded: Racket-tailed Roller, African Golden Oriole, Golden-breasted Bunting, Lizard Buzzard, Cocqui Francolin and Tinkling Cisticola.
We arrived at our accommodation, freshened up and enjoyed a wonderfully prepared local Afrikaans meal as we chatted away and updated our lists and plotted on a map our route. A good night’s sleep was had by all after another excellent and exciting day birding in Namibia.
Day 11: Olive Grove Guesthouse, Windhoek
An early morning walk before breakfast yielded sightings of Bradfield’s Hornbill, Black-faced Babbler, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Violet-eared Waxbill and Accacia Pied Barbet.
We made our south towards Windhoek chatting about our great trip, birding and destinations we want to bird and visit. A great road side sighting of over 50 Marabou Storks feeding and bathing was a highlight. We also added African Spoonbill to our growing list.
The group enjoyed a wonderful final meal together celebrating a successful and enjoyable trip. I had a great time and really enjoyed the groups company and I thank the group for the great time we had, the sightings we enjoyed and the good times we shared. It was enjoyable to learn from the group and to gain an insight into the birds and birding taking place in the States. The amazing conservation work the Grassland Bird Trust does is exceptional and it was most enjoyable being part of this trip to raise money for this worthy cause. It’s always sad saying goodbye, especially when it’s been such a successful and enjoyable trip. Thanks for being such great travel companions and for the good laughs we had on the trip. Thanks must go to the Nature Travel Birding office team for a well-run and planned Trip and for all the hard work that goes into planning a trip. I can’t wait to welcome my next guests to Namibia to enjoy the countries amazing birds and wildlife.
