The recent Wilderness Safaris ‘Essential Namibia’ birding trip was a resounding success. The group had a phenomenal time travelling through this amazing country, with the itinerary offering stunning scenery coupled with exceptional birds and wildlife. Every location was marvellous and complementary, each with unique highlights.
Group Photo
Sossusvlei was magical, with ever-changing dunes and dune lark of course, and the sublime Kulala Desert Lodge the perfect base to explore the area. Walvis Bay featured a most memorable boat ride with great white pelicans and Cape fur seals just metres away! The sheer number of terns, cormorants, and shorebirds was a definite spectacle at Swakopmund Salt Works. Highlights here included Damara tern, chestnut-banded plover and even a vagrant common redshank.
Damara Tern
Damara Hornbill
Pink billed Lark
Doro Nawas Camp, with its elevated vantage and 360-degree views, showcased what a spectacular setting Damaraland is. Here we explored the ephemeral river systems of the Huab and Aba-Huab as well as visiting the Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site, known for its rock engravings. Hobatere, adjoining western Etosha, was wonderful, with a remarkable night drive spotlighting genets, springhare, several owl species, chameleons and a banded spitting cobra predating on a rock monitor; and by day, watching two lioness call their seven cubs out of the brush, and lead them down the track!
Hartlaub's Spurfowl
Violet Wood-hoopoe
Some rain had arrived in Etosha National Park itself too, which we traversed from west to east. Here we enjoyed wonderful herds of impala, giraffe, wildebeest, gemsbok, and springbok around waterholes and natural springs. Elephants, multiple lion sightings and both black and white rhinoceros were also a treat. It was a joy to see so many different larks and sandgrouse too, patiently identified and explained by Wilderness Explorations guide, Martin Benadie.
Group photo with Wilderness Safaris Guide Martin Benadie (far right)
The Erongo Massif was a wonderful place to end this trip – the camp nestled among towering granite boulders. Here we enjoyed incredible views of Hartlaub’s spurfowl, white-tailed shrike, Carp’s tit and many more with freckled nightjar calling in the evenings while we enjoyed open-air dinners. An exciting treat here too was to see an African wild cat catching marbled emperor moths down at the camp waterhole after sunset!
Rüppell's Korhaan
“Everywhere we travelled, the lodges, food, and people were wonderful, making for an excellent all-around experience.” On this trip we tallied 275 birds, 40 mammals, 15 reptiles and a handful of dragonflies and butterflies.
We cannot wait for the 2020 departure!
Rosy-faced Lovebird
Images by Adrian Binns | Wildside Nature Tours | December 2019
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