The Trekkie's Forum

Oarsome stuff Vanga. The Bustards are smiling! Which species have you missed out on?

The last morning in Windhoek saw us give a try at finding Orange River Francolin and a covey was found in the mountains above Klein Windhoek. A good bird to add!

The 18th to 20th Nov saw us birding the Xigera area of the central Okavango Delta. The list got some new momentum again with additions such as Slaty Egret, Swamp Boubou, Senegal Coucal, Meyer’s Parrot, Hartlaub’s Babbler, and even African Green Pigeon that had been eluding us until now! Further boating trips around Xigera Lagoon and drives on the small Xigera Island added Coppery-tailed Coucal, Black Coucal, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Lesser Honeyguide, Retz’s Helmet-shrike, Chirping Cisticola, Plain-backed Pipit, Black-bellied Bustard, Wattled Crane, Purple Heron, Pink-backed Pelican, Temminck’s Courser, Yellow-billed Duck, Collared Pratincole, African Skimmer, Marsh Owl, African Barred Owlet and Dickinson’s Kestrel. One mokoro trip was also done to try find better views of Pel’s Fishing-Owl and after quite a search we managed to track down an adult bird and sub-adult. Brown Firefinch also made it onto the list.

From the 21st to 23rd November we moved up to the Linyanti Region of Botswana, birding the now-flowing Savute Channel, the Linyanti Marsh and the adjoining mopane and riverine woodland communities. The game viewing while birding was amazing and a big emphasis was also to try find wild dogs here. We managed to track them down several times and one pack even made three kills on hapless impala over our stay! Lion, leopard, elephant, roan and other general game were all par for the course while birding. Birding this area added Arnot’s Chat, African Pygmy-Goose, Yellow Wagtail, Black Cuckooshrike, Goliath Heron, Red-necked Falcon, Luapula Cisticola, Wattled Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Bennet’s Woodpecker, African Scops-Owl and Rufous-bellied Heron. A Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony also rated as one of the guest highlights of the trip.

We still have one afternoon and a short morning trip tomorrow before our flight home. Hopefully we can add a few more

ah wow, well done, Vanga...shoo some birds in that list I would love to see best of luck adding those last few!!!

Thanks Niall, Jay and Ramkat. Added Western Banded Snake-Eagle and Grey-headed Parrot on our last day! takes the final total to 504.

Will try post some of the images this week but things just a tad manic as off to Malawi again on Sunday! Busy times indeed. Good to be home for a few days...

It was a good trip and I will deposit R504 accordingly. Thanks to all those who have followed our travels and also contributing.

Well done, Vanga, your efforts are truly spectacular.
R504 will be deposited as soon as Ramkat comes up for air at work 

Great stuff, Vanga, will do pay up today