We set out
at 7.15am for the drive up the coast to Swakopmund, where we quickly scored
with several Gray’s
Larks scrubbing around the desert.
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| Gray's Lark |
We spent a little time looking unsuccessfully for Bank Cormorant before heading inland to Spitzkoppe. It took until
early afternoon to get there, only for our trailer to lose a wheel brace and it
took some time for us to load the luggage into the minibus and some imaginative
seating for the last few miles drive to the rocky escarpment.
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| White-tailed Shrike - just a record shot... |
After our
picnic lunch in the local bar and some cold drinks we birded the area and found
many people’s bird of the trip in a pair of White-tailed Shrikes – what a bird!
Currently a taxonomic conundrum, it is presently placed in the batis family.
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| We birded the rugged scenery at Spitzkoppe |
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| A distant view of the Spizkoppe hills |
At
the same spot we had Ashy Tit, Barred Wren-Warbler, and several Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters. We also had Karoo Long-billed Lark a little later,
whilst Charly was getting the trailer fixed with some locals.
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| Lanner |
A nearby waterhole
held tons of Lark-like Buntings and
5 Namaqua Sandgrouse came down to
drink, and a Lanner
was spotted perched in a large tree. We reached our lovely little guest house
at around 6pm and thoroughly enjoyed the oryx steaks!
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