A quick check of the lodge’s gardens began with a
perched African Goshawk above our
cabins, followed by Violet-eared Waxbill,
Brown-crowned Tchagra, Southern Black Tit, Chinspot Batis, a showy Terrestrial Brownbul, as well as some
previously seen species.
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| Brown-crowned Tchagra |
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| Terrestrial Brownbul - stunner isn't it...? |
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| Yellow-bellied Greenbul |
After breakfast we loaded the luggage into the trailer
and set off along the Caprivi Strip for some 340kms, making a few stops along
the way during which we found Green-capped
Eremomela, a cracking little Cape
Penduline-Tit, our first Shikra,
and Lesser Grey Shrike.
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| Cape Penduline-Tit |
However, our
best find was a pair of Racket-tailed
Rollers that Charly called in and we watched them in a dazzling display
flight with one bird flying high up into the sky before closing their wings and
plummeting down to earth like a bullet. Simply stunning. With temperatures in
the high 30’s we had a picnic lunch before continuing along the Caprivi Strip
to our excellent lodge situated on the banks of the Zambezi River.
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| Racket-tailed Roller |
Birding here was superb with a pair of Brown-hooded Kingfishers showing really
well in the trees below the decking overlooking the river and a few White-crowned Lapwings inhabiting the
sandbank on the Zambia side of the river.
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| Brown-hooded Kingfisher |
In the front garden a pair of Olive Woodpeckers was a big surprise
and a lifer for me.
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| Olive Woodpecker |
We walked across a field to some large trees where at least
4 Schalow’s Turacos were busy
flying around and we had excellent views as they came right towards us and pounced around in the canopy above us.
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| Schalow's Turaco - what a stunner! |
A Crested Barbet also put in an appearance despite the attentions of
a Black-collared Barbet that kept
trying to chase it away and a Golden-tailed Woodpecker also showed well.
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| Golden-tailed Woodpecker |
And after dinner we spotlighted an African Wood Owl
that flew in and landed on some telegraph wires right above our heads.
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