2019 September 09-24 Namibia to Okavango

Namibia to Okavango, September 09 - 24, 2019

(Scroll down to link to animal videos of Yolanda's posted to YouTube.)

Up with the birds! Rather, an hour before the birds on many days of our two weeks with Birding Africa in Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip and onto the Okavango River in Botswana.

We were usually up by 5:30am and as early as 4:45am to start our day by sunrise. By noon the day was hot and the birds hidden away. A late afternoon and evening walk were also times we went out birding at or near to our park lodge accommodation for the night.

Our group consisted of four pairs of guests (UK Judith & Alan, AU Lucille & Kim, USA Deborah & Richard and us from Canada Bob and Yolanda) plus the South African birding specialist and extraordinary naturalist, Joe Grosel. Most guests were experienced birders and Bob did well and Yolanda managed fine with her 1.5 years of birding experience.

During our 16 days with Birding Africa, we not only saw over 300 bird species (and Bob photographed about 95%, see images below), we also saw 47 mammals and 11 reptiles/arachnids, and learned out local flora. Joe Grosel knew where to look for the species he sought. At some locations we hiked for a few hours to see endemic and migratory birds of the area, and other times they were seen from our "mobile bird hide", a converted Land Rover. On the Okavango River we went out by boat in the morning, and again for the two hours before sunset.

The big surprise in addition to seeing the anticipated birds was seeing herds of many big animals: giraffe, lion, elephant, rhinoceros, zebra, hippopotamus, buffalo and quite a few antelope species.

Due to a 16-month drought, the queues of animals were sharing the watering holes in astounding numbers. Joe noted the lack of juveniles as the previous year's new mothers were not able to produce enough milk for their babies. This year's babies are due in mid-October, and the locals are hoping they can delay delivery until the anticipated rain in early November. This worse-drought-in-48 years impacts grass growth, so it is not only the large animals who are suffering and rib-bare. The lack of grass means insect populations and mice are low, and so the big populations of ground and bush birds as well as raptors have moved elsewhere.

No grass, insects, mice to hide

few birds, no babies
worst white dust winter in years.

Each day after sunset and a half hour evening break we gathered for a birding debrief, group dinner and a brief for the following day. We usually were asleep before 10pm in order to get about seven hours sleep, to be rested for the next day's birding and gravel road driving.

The "mobile bird hide" Land Rover could seat 10 plus the driver/host/birder/naturalist Joe Grosel, so there were two spare seats (though, one back seat had luggage overflow from the rear storage area). The roof popped up easily, so at times we could stand in the aisle or kneel on our seats for a broader view of the moment's subject. Each half-day we rotated the seating arrangement clockwise, so we eight guests could share the seat next to Joe for an opportunity to chat one-on-one and ask questions.

Bob recalls chatting about the value and ethics of zoos; and Yolanda was fortunate to enjoy the final day in the front and covered many subjects: termite mound vs. tree growth near the mounds, which came first? (turns out to be the termites, and the tree grows in the nutrient-rich soil at the base); community borders vs. free-flow of peoples (resource-sharing limits an open approach and climate change will require a shift in this); nomenclature and repatriation; and Joe's annual May trip to Kruger NP with his 1933 mom and aunt. We also heard about and saw evidence of the current or recent challenges faced by Namibia's two million people from a crush of tourist expectations, and immigrants from Angola attempting to make a life in the drought conditions without a full understanding of how to cultivate the dust into fertile soil and with a growing number of mouths to feed from circumstances resulting in teen pregnancy.

Goats ravage the few tufts in the dust and buckets convey water long distances to failing crops. Trees seemed burnt from the inside-out and within two years large tracts will be gone for decades before they can provide shade again.

We travelled from our lush Oak Bay gardens mid-day on September 7th via Seattle, London and Johannesburg to Windhoek, Namibia by the evening of September 9th. It was a total of 44 hours in transit, and we did well, as during the stopover at London's Heathrow airport we slept five hours in the terminal 5 Sofatel Hotel. We were none-the-less tired from the travel and so pleased that the Birding Africa accomodation choices were excellent, with good breakfasts and delicious dinners. We mostly stayed at park lodges with a small cabin or 1/2 duplex for each couple. Most had paired single beds, and a few were netted. However, there were very few bugs due to the heat and lack of moisture, so bed nets were not necessary.

The two weeks flew by as we were busy almost all the time. There was very little down time, unless one opted out of an early morning or evening birding walk, which Bob never missed. Yolanda missed two of the final morning walks: one to sleep; one to pack for the day's transition to new accommodations.

Overall, upon reflection over Bob's bird photos and the general landscape shots, we agreed that we thoroughly enjoyed our first 16 days in Southern Africa with Birding Africa. Our next three weeks touring together in our rental car in the south of South Africa will be followed by a second Birding Africa trip. October 13-27 we will be birding with four other guests and a guide in and near Cape Town and in Kruger National Park in the north of South Africa.
  
Some fauna from the September 09 - 24 Birding Africa trip in Namibia and Okavango:

Additional photos from the September 09 - 24 Birding Africa trip in Namibia and Okavango:

 

September 09 - Leaving our Oak Bay garden for 44 hours to Windhoek, Namibia (with our Espresso pot!).

September 10 - Walking at Arebbusch Lodge in the morning and at Hohenstein Lodge in the evening.

September 11 - On the River Kahn dry bed.

September 12 - Morning at Hohenstein Lodge and evening back at the sea side at Walvis Bay.

September 13 - Morning at Kuiseb River sand dunes, Roibank, breakfast eggs, and Walvis Bay salt works.

September 14 - Lichen beds dessert, Swakacpmont shore at the Skeleton Coast and en route to Brandburg White Lady Lodge.

September 15 - Arrival at Okaukuejo in Etosha NP.

September 16 - Otasha NP.

September 17 - Otasha NP watering holes and camp pool.

September 18 - Otasha NP watering holes.

September 19 - 540 kilometer transition to N'Kwazi Lodge on the Kavango River.

September 20 - Transition to Botswana via the Mahango border to Shakawe Lodge on the Okavango River.

September 21 - At the Shakawe Lodge on the Okavango River.

September 22 - Return day to Namibia.

September 23 - N'Kwazi morning "sausage tree" and evening arrival at the Waterberg Plateau NP.

September 24 - Transition to Cape Town, South Africa.

Yolanda's animal VIDEOS posted on YouTube:
   0.5 min Elephant through bus
   1.0 min Giraffe drinking
   1.2 min Giraffe eating
   3.5 min Baby elephant foraging
   5.0 min Lions walking to waterhole

Hyperlinks to some of the places we visited on the September 09 - 24 Birding Africa trip in Namibia and Okavango:
   Arebbusch Lodge, Windhoek
   Hohenstein Lodge
   Drybed River Kahn
   Spitzkoppe Hills
   Walvis Bay
   Drybed Kuiseb River sand dunes
   Walvis Bay salt works
   Swakopmund
   Doreb NP and Namibian Desert
   Henties Bay
   Drybed Ugab River
   White Lady Lodge, Brandberg, Uis
   Outjo
   Okaukuejo, Anderson Gate
   Etosha NP watering holes
   Mokuti Lodge grounds
   N'Kwazi Lodge grounds, Kavango River
   Botswana Mahango border crossing
     - Mahango NP
   Shakawe River Lodge grounds
   Okavango River
   Rundu sewage works
   Waterberg Plateau NP