Namibia, Botswana and Zambia Tour Report 2015

14th October - 29th october 2015

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite. 

Orange River Francolin Natal Spurfowl Slaty Egret Rufous-bellied Heron White-backed Night-Heron Secretarybird African Goshawk Red-crested Korhaan African Rail African Finfoot Blue Crane Wattled Crane White-crowned Lapwing Caspian Plover Lesser Jacana Burchell’s Courser Double-banded Courser African Skimmer Burchell’s Sandgrouse Schalow’s Turaco Coppery-tailed Coucal Pel’s Fishing Owl African Barred Owlet Fiery-necked Nightjar Rufous-cheeked Nightjar

Brown-hooded Kingfisher Southern Carmine Bee-eater Racket-tailed Roller Violet Woodhoopoe Trumpeter Hornbill Monteiro’s Hornbill Crested Barbet Black-collared Barbet Bennett’s Woodpecker Olive Woodpecker Meyer’s Parrot Ruppell’s Parrot Swamp Boubou Magpie Shrike Eastern Nicator Cape Penduline-Tit Rockrunner Rufous-eared Warbler Green-capped Eremomela Collared Palm-Thrush Kurrichane Thrush Purple-banded Sunbird Violet-eared Waxbill Brown Firefinch 50 species of mammal

SUMMARY:

Our Namibia, Botswana & Zambia tour provided a kaleidoscope of wonderful sightings and on reflection this really was the perfect African safari experience. We had come for the birds, of course, but the 50 species of mammal included all of those iconic animals you would expect. But apart from some amazing encounters with Lions, Leopard, Black Rhino, Hippos & Sable, it was the sheer numbers of mammals observed that were quite literally mind-blowing. The moment we drove down to the riverplain at Chobe NP and counted 1000+ African Elephants in front of us was positively spine-tingling. However,  no trip to this part of the world would be complete without an encounter with Pel’s Fishing Owl and our views of two birds in a large tree were superb. It doesn’t get much better than watching a nesting colony of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters just a few metres away from your boat along the Okavango River, a Schalow’s Turaco literally glowing in the evening sunlight or a Fiery-necked Nightjar hovering in front of your face.  From Etosha, through the Caprivi Strip, Okavango Panhandle and ending up at Victoria Falls this truly was the trip of a lifetime. 

 

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