19 December
Based in Windhoek for the first few days, we explored some great birding spots in and around the vibrant Capital.  After a late morning start we made our way directly to the water treatment works on the outskirts of town. Within the first few minutes we had listed Dabchick, Reed Cormorant, African Darter, Squacco Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron. Our first Southern African endemic, South African Shelduck, was well represented with good numbers of both sexes. This was followed soon after by our second endemic duck, Cape Shoveler, followed by Hottentot and Red-billed Teals, Southern Pochard and White-throated Swallow. Both Common and Wood Sandpiper were seen along the dam’s edge as well as good numbers of Ruff and Three-banded Plovers. A fair number of the breeding endemic Greater Striped-Swallow were picked up in a dead tree and good views of Diederik Cuckoo and Marico Sunbird followed.  African Marsh Warbler was teased out of its reedy domain and good views of African Sedge Warbler were enjoyed a few minutes later. African Marsh Harrier quartered over the reedbeds drawing our attention away from a dazzling Red Bishop. Marico Flycatcher, Pririt Batis, Groundscraper Thrush and Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler were among some of the commoner passerines in the surrounding bushveld.

After lunch and a short siesta we headed off to Avis Dam. Before we reached the dam a Cape Penduline Tit nest was spotted. We soon had our quarry as the adult returned, avoiding the false entrance designed to fool snakes and other predators. On the dam itself we added Egyptian Goose and a lonely Eastern White Pelican to the list. In the bushveld around the dam we encountered commoner bushveld birds including migrant European Bee-eater, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes, as well as resident Bearded Woodpecker, Dusky Sunbird, Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, Monteiro’s Hornbill and Acacia Pied Barbet. A very obliging Gabar Goshawk awaited us around the corner. Swifts were well represented and within a few minutes had Bradfield’s, White-rumped, Little and Palm Swifts. After adding several birds to the list, we were taking in the beautiful sunset and starting to think it was all over. It was just about then that a Lanner Falcon swooped in and snatched a Little Swift out of the air for dinner!

20 December
We kicked the day off with a visit to Daan Viljoen Game Reserve. Our first of many Purple Rollers was seen on the way in. The small detour road was productive and among others we picked up Greater Scimitarbill, Long-billed Pipit, Kalahari Robin, Mountain Wheatear, Familiar Chat, Barred Wren-Warbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela and Spotted Flycatcher. Crimson-breasted Shrike and Brubru were seen shortly afterwards and a spectacular pair of Violet-eared Waxbills delighted all. Black-cheeked Waxbill and Short-toed Rock Thrush were spotted just before a walk around the dam which produced Lesser Masked Weaver, Booted Eagle, White-backed Vulture, Blacksmith Plover and Pale-winged Starling as well as a bizarre Dassie Rat. We took another brief walk into the ‘veld’ to follow a journey of Giraffe. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Southern Oryx, Hartebeest, Springbok and Blue Wildebeest (Gnu) were some other notable mammals. We headed back to town for lunch and a rest and then made our way back to Avis Dam in the late afternoon.

A short walk in the grassland next to the dam gave us good views of the spectacular Pin-tailed and Shaft-tailed Whydahs. Zitting Cisticolas displayed in the grassland and a little further on we flushed a small flock of Common Waxbills. ‘Ooh’s’ and ‘Aah’s’ were the reactions to our first Melba Finch as a male showed off all his brightest patches for us. Moving into the bush again we picked up Barred Wren-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Rattling Cisticola and one of the Namib escarpment’s most restricted range birds, the Rockrunner. Great Sparrow, Black-throated Canary and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting were all seen drinking at the edge of the dam. We called it a day and headed for a hearty meal at the legendary Joe’s Beer House. Where else can you combine a spectacular day’s birding with a plate of Springbok Pie or Gemsbok Ribs and a pint of Windhoek Lager on tap?

21 December
After packing up early we were on the road to Walvis Bay. An obligatory final trip was made to Avis Dam to have a last attempt at the Orange River Francolin. After much walking and a few near misses we eventually got great views of a covey of four perched on a rock. Our trip to Walvis involved overnighting near the Spreetshoogte Pass. This was a great detour and an isolated dam near the pass gave us several new birds.  Highlights included Cape Teal, Maccoa Duck, Lappet-faced Vulture, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Gabar Goshawk (a spectacular melanistic form), the diminutive Pygmy Falcon (a shrike in eagle’s clothing?), Red-crested and Northern Black Korhaans, Kittlitz’s Plover, Rufous-eared Warbler and Chat Flycatcher. The heat of the day kept us indoors till the late afternoon, but once it cooled of a little we enjoyed a short drive in the areas below the pass and saw several groups of Rüppell’s Korhaan, Speckled Pigeon, White-backed Mousebird, Long-billed Crombec, Yellow Canary and Larklike Bunting. A troop of Chacma Baboon, a charismatic group of Suricate and a Steenbok were mammal highlights.

22 December
Before the drive to Walvis we decided on a short walk around the farmhouse. An enormous nest full of noisy Sociable Weavers housed our first flock of Rosy-faced Lovebirds, and a nearby calling Bokmakierie was located. A small flock of Stark’s Larks, Red-headed and Scaly-feathered Finches and a deluge of Namaqua Sandgrouse coming in to drink were started the day off perfectly. Our route took us through the Namib Naukluft National Park to Walvis Bay. While not particularly species rich, this area hosts truly spectacular scenery and is a hotspot for endemism, and the birds are no exception. Our two main targets, the coastal form of the Tractrac Chat and the amazing Gray’s Lark were both picked up in the park. Striding across the miraged plains were also our first truly wild Ostriches. We dropped our luggage in our hotel in Walvis and then continued up to Cape Cross Seal Colony. The very impressive size of the colony of Cape Fur Seals amazed us and there were a lot of young seal pups around and some entertaining territorial disputes. The desire to photograph the vast lichen fields (they are the largest in the world!) and the thought of dinner had us on the move again. On our way we managed to include a stop at a massive guano platform to marvel at the thousands of Cape Cormorants coming in to roost. A pair of globally near-threatened Crowned Cormorant was picked up and White-fronted and Grey Plovers darted around on the shore. A delicious seafood dinner was enjoyed overlooking the lagoon.

23 December
Before first light we were on the road to reach some impressive red dunes where our target was Namibia’s endemic Dune Lark. The surreal landscape of towering red dunes combined with silence that is audible is a strange place to look for a bird, but within an hour we had found and watched several pairs. Other birds included the newly split Orange River White-eye, African Hoopoe, Fiscal Shrike, Bokmakierie and Ashy Tit. We dedicated the rest of the day to exploring the vast lagoon and saltworks. A slow drive towards the saltworks produced Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ringed Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Common and Sandwich Terns. The saltworks themselves were good for both the breeding endemic Damara Tern and Chestnut-banded Plover. We had a gate key then got us into a normally out-of-bounds area of the lagoon. This was a major highlight as we saw incredible numbers of birds. Flocks of thousands of Common Tern wheeled in the sky (we saw around 30 000 terns at least on this day!) and thousands of flamingos of both species turned the waterscape pink. Both African Black and vagrant European Oystercatcher were seen here and we got great views of a flock of Eurasian Curlew. After lunch the group’s desire to do a little shopping led us away from the lagoon to Swakopmund. This made stopping in at the saltworks here convenient where the highlight was undoubtedly a group of four Red-necked Phalarope. With a carload of curios we then returned to Walvis for another mouth-watering seafood dinner.

24 December
A super-early start was made this morning in order to get to the imposing Spitzkoppe before the heat set in. This amazing rock outcrop is home to the endemic Herero Chat. After searching for an hour and a half we got great views of a pair. A Layard’s Titbabbler kindly alighted in the same tree to the delight of all. In our search for the chat we also found White-throated Canary, endemic and bizarre White-tailed Shrike (the taxonomists still can’t decide if it is a terrestrial batis or not), Klaas’s Cuckoo, Ashy Tit, Red-faced Mousebird, Yellow-bellied Ermomela, Cape Bunting, Alpine Swift and a striking male Plum-coloured Starling. As the day began to heat up so the raptors came out. We got great views of two Peregrine Falcons, two pairs of Verreaux’s Eagle and a pair of stunning Augur Buzzard. Klipsringer was the undoubted mammal highlight, we had a pair bouncing around the rocky slopes below our circling Augur Buzzards! On our way out of Spitzkoppe we picked up Spike-heeled Lark and Capped Wheatear. After a two-hour drive we arrived at our hotel in the small town of Omaruru for lunch. Our search for this afternoon was dedicated to finding Hartlaub’s Francolin. We searched a wonderful series of rocky outcrops on private land and were rewarded with very close views of a covey of five birds. A few minutes later while we were scrutinising a Three-streaked Tchagra we were surprised by very quick views of a big male Leopard! We then took our bottle of ice-cold Champagne, scrambled up an outcrop and watched the sun go down on a most special Christmas Eve.

25 December
After an early breakfast we made our way to Twyvelfontein with some birding en-route. Black Cuckoo, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Burchell’s Starling, Pearl-spotted Owlet and two real Namib specials – Violet Woodhoopoe and Carp’s Black Tit. A short walk investigating the amazing collection of rock engravings at Twyvelfontein was enough as the heat had kicked in. We had to ward off the begging Pale-winged Starlings and a Bokmakierie while we had our lunch and then started our longish drive to Hobatere on the western edge of the great Etosha Pan. Lilac-breasted Rollers and the ubiquitous Pale Chanting Goshawks lined the telephone poles. A brief stop produced our first Pied Babblers and another Layard’s Titbabbler. As we drove into Hobatere new birds included Striped Cuckoo, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Golden-breasted Bunting, a shabby looking Chestnut Weaver and Meve’s Long-tailed Starling. We settled into our accommodation and relaxed briefly before dinner. The short night drive after dinner was not too productive (it was very windy) but we still had wonderful views of Giant Eagle-Owl, Cape Fox, Black-backed Jackal and the bizarre kangaroo-like Springhare.

26 December
Soon after waking we had an African Cuckoo in the scope and headed out for a walk. Our first mammal was a Spotted Hyena, and while taking a detour to get better looks we encountered a flock of Chestnut Weavers. The recently split damarensis race of the Red-billed Hornbill, Damara Hornbill, was seen along with a pair of African Hawk Eagles, Shikra and Olive Bee-Eater. After breakfast we walked to the staff accommodation where an amazingly well camouflaged Scops Owl was roosting. Steve (the owner of the lodge) offered to take us on a short drive and we got great views of Burchell’s Courser, Southern Ant-eating Chat, Desert Cisticola, Willow Warbler and lots of Stark’s and the large-billed Bradfield’s form (ripe for a split) of the Sabota Lark. We then spent a couple of hours at the lodge waterhole and the undoubted highlight was an African Wildcat making attempts at catching Larklike Buntings. A Banded Martin made a flyby as scores of seedeaters and other thirsty passerines came down for a midday drink. A pair of Secretarybirds wandered around the waterhole allowing for incredible views. After lunch we took a short drive which did not give us any new birds save Double-banded Sandgrouse, great views of African Elephant, and herds of plains game. After dinner we went on another night drive. This time it was much more productive with awesome views of Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, Cape Fox, Spotted Hyena, Small Spotted Genet and three African Wildcat.

27 December
We needed both Rüppell’s Parrot and Bare-cheeked Babbler before breakfast this morning and I was a little nervous we wouldn’t get them - time was really running out! Luck was on our side however, and while looking at some seedeaters drinking I heard the familiar Rüppell’s Parrot screech behind me. We found them in a nearby tree and managed to get scope views just before they took flight. A few minutes later the rasping call of the babbler was heard and they were found fairly easily with everyone getting great looks. With the babbler and parrot ‘in the bag’ and loads of other memorable sightings we left Hobatere most satisfied. The three-hour drive to Etosha was fairly uneventful and we made our way into Okakujo Camp bristling for birds.

After checking in and settling down we took a short drive up the western edge of the pan to look for a Lion pride that had been stalking the area. No Lion were found but we picked up Red-necked Falcon, Greater Kestrel, Double-banded Courser, Kori Bustard, both Black and Pied Crows, Spotted Thick-knee and a Wattled Plover.  For most first-time visitors, Etosha is an amazing wildlife spectacle. Having been regaled with tales of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, most visitors are surprised that Etosha does not have the same reputation as its northern cousins. Quite simply, none of the northern parks provides an opportunity to watch animals the way Etosha does! Each camp has a dedicated waterhole, which is a serious attractant in an otherwise arid environment. Furthermore, what better way to spend an evening than in the front seat of a real-life “Imax theatre”, with a cold version of your favourite drink in your hand, watching a real version of the latest BBC documentary? So we returned to camp to freshen up, have some dinner, and dash out to the waterhole to see what would come in to drink. A Black Rhino both drinking and bathing was the highlight. Rufous-cheeked Nightjars fed on moths attracted to the waterhole spotlight. Water Thick-knee was seen scuttling around the edge of the pan. After 90 minutes of waterhole watching, the eyelids became too heavy to stay up any longer so we wandered off to bed.
 

28 December
The quest for birds and big cats had us on the road early. Again we dipped on cats but had some great birds to keep us entertained. Highlights were Pink-billed and Red-capped Larks, Chestnut-backed and Grey-backed Finchlarks, close-up views of Red-necked Falcon, Lanner Falcon and a feeding Fiscal Shrike. We then had breakfast and headed for Halali. Two highlights of the route were Tawny Eagle and an elegant pair of Blue Crane on the edge of the pan. Less than 100 individuals of this globally threatened bird remain in Namibia (mostly at Etosha), so we were well-pleased with this sighting. A wonderful group of Yellow Mongoose were seen playing around their den and a Slender Mongoose dashed across the road. Splendid herds of Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Southern Oryx and a few solitary Giraffe were also seen. One of the waterholes was also visited by a large herd of Elephant with young and they provided superb entertainment for the half-hour that they stayed. As we arrived in Halali a Little Sparrowhawk, White-crowned Shrike and a flock of White Helmetshrikes were seen. A short walk around camp produced  Black-backed Puffback and Grey-backed Camaroptera and close encounters with Bare-cheeked Babbler, Carp’s Tit, Pearl-spotted Owlet and African Cuckoo. We spent time at the waterhole after dinner and saw amazing interaction between six Black Rhino and several Spotted Hyena. As dusk arrived the heavens opened up. However, it was not rain but Double-banded Sandgrouse that fell from the sky, calling plaintively, as they came in to drink. This marvelous sandgrouse spectacle is one Africa's most amazing! The sandgrouse were joined by Swainson’s Spurfowl and Rufous-cheeked Nightjar were hunting over the pan with an unusual Square-tailed Nightjar.

29 December
With still no lions sighted to date, the only solution was to visit Goas waterhole. This is one of Etosha's best waterholes and our hopes were pinned on it. Fortunately our luck held, and we found three young male Lion dozing about 100 meters from the Goas Pan. We picked up a few commoner waders and some seedeaters coming in to drink. European Bee-eaters circled around and, just when we thought nothing new was about, a Steppe Eagle came in. This impressive raptor stayed for about 20 minutes before taking off and was replaced by a Lanner Falcon. This day really belonged to the mammals, however! Herds of plains game just poured into the waterhole seemingly unaffected by the presence of the three sleeping cats. A large herd of Elephant came in to drink with many little ones in tow. We had decided to return to Goas that afternoon to see if the Lions would get active. The flood of game continued unabated and the Lions remained sprawled out in the shade unwilling to bat an eyelid.

The Halali waterhole was very active that night. On arrival a breeding herd of Elephant greeted us. Shortly afterwards, four Black Rhino crashed in, followed by another three (one with a tiny four month old calf). Several Spotted Hyenas came in followed by a pride of four Lionesses. Why on earth go for a night drive when you can sit and drink beer while the game comes to you? Our Lion luck had certainly changed, and we watched in anticipation for an hour to see if they would get up and do something, but alas, they did what lions do best – sleep!

30 December
A short pre-breakfast walk around camp was refreshing but not too productive. A visit to the waterhole, however, was a real treat! We hadn’t been there 10 minutes when two very impressive male Lion came in to drink and then they flopped down on top of each other right next to the waterhole. A Little Sparrowhawk was flying from one side of the pan to the other hunting doves but failed to make a successful ‘hit’. With a full compliment of lion sightings we ate breakfast, packed up and headed for our last camp in the park – Namutoni. The drive across the park took us into new habitat, giving us a few interesting sightings. Highlights included Blue Crane, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Red-breasted Swallow, Eastern Paradise Whydah and another Tawny Eagle.  Lappet-faced and White-backed Vultures were seen riding thermals and we had fantastic views of a low circling White-headed Vulture. A desire for Cheetah in the afternoon had us heading out to Fisher’s Pan. We made a brief detour to follow up on a report of Lesser Gallinule at a nearby waterhole. Sure enough, there it was in the open desert on the edge of a sparsely vegetated waterhole feeding with Cape Turtle and Laughing Doves. This bizarre sighting left us inspired as we headed out to the pan. A Caspian Plover was picked up on the way. Luckily, it had been raining recently on the pan, so we were treated to one of the most remarkable sights in the park. In the middle of this incredibly dry region we saw hundreds of Greater and Lesser Flamingos and scores of waders decorating the usually parched landscape. Avocets, Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank, Ruff, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Stint and South African Shelduck were amongst them. After loads of photographs it was time to head back to camp.

31 December
We decided to drive Fischer’s Pan again this morning as a leopard had been reported on a kill there. I managed to convince the others that we should investigate a patch of woodland to see what we could find before we visited the pan. We picked up a few new birds including Great-spotted Cuckoo, White-browed Scrub-Robin and Wattled Starling. No luck with the leopard but a Marabou Stork materialised instead. Time then to head up to the Kunene River for our next two nights. On our way out we picked up Eastern Clapper Lark and another Pink-billed Lark. Two stops were made en-route. The first was an artesian well that can be quite productive. We found Kittlitz’s, Chesnut-banded and Caspian Plovers as well as a flock of Black-winged Pratincole. Yellow-billed Kite and Wahlberg’s Eagle added to the list on the way to the second stop. This spot produced Squacco and Purple Herons, African Jacana, Purple Swamphen, Little Rush Warbler and Golden-crowned Bishop (it really does look like a giant bumblebee!). Shortly afterwards we found ourselves in the monotypic Mopane 'veld' so typical of the area. After a failed attempt at Cinderella Waxbill (I had seen it a few weeks previously in the same place!) we made our way west along the Kunene River. Driving in off the main road to some palm groves we located the highly localised Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush easily, and also saw White-bellied Sunbird, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Blue Waxbill. The drive along the river at that time of day was quiet, but we found Ashy Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Red-billed Firefinch and Hamerkop. After settling in at the lodge we took our drinks to the river’s edge and watched dozens of Olive Bee-eaters and Rosy-faced Lovebirds settling into the vegetation to roost for the night. A stately Goliath Heron hunted fish on the river edge and Pied Kingfishers jetted up and down river. Behind us in the camp Paradise Flycatcher, Golden Weaver, African Mourning Dove and Swamp Boubou popped into view before dusk. A quiet New Year’s eve dinner was had in the lodge and we wished each other a happy New Year and were all happily in bed before the clock struck ten!

1 January
Our New Year’s surprise was a flat tyre that limited our wanderings for the day so we took a short walk in the riverine bush instead. White-browed Coucal was seen in camp prior to the walk. Our first flock of noisy Meyer’s Parrots was found as a Green-backed Heron flushed nearby. Red-eyed Doves were everywhere, as were Black-backed Puffback, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Woodland Kingfisher. The spectacular kunene form of Red-necked Spurfowl, yet another potential split, was located in the understorey and in the taller forest itself we found Red-billed Woodhoopoe, Grey-hooded Kingfisher and African Golden Oriole. Cardinal Woodpecker tapped away in the lighter wooded areas. A long siesta today meant a short boat ride in the afternoon. The boat trip was spectacular as rain crashed down everywhere but on us, but with so much rain having fallen in the region, the river failed to be the bird-magnet it sometimes is. New species included Malachite Kingfisher, Little Bee-eater, Wire-tailed Swallow and Spectacled Weaver.

2 January
Our destination today was the distant town of Rundu so we made a really early start. After nearly getting stuck several times we left the rugged Kunene region behind us and motored on towards Caprivi. Today was not a day for lots of birds since we had so much distance to cover. However, Hooded Vulture was seen near Etosha. After checking in at the hotel in Rundu we went to the local sewerage works. The acacias just to the east of the ponds had two interesting birds for us, namely Coppery-tailed Coucal and Jacobin Cuckoo. The ponds themselves were not terribly busy but we did have two real highlights. Scope views of both sexes of Greater Painted-Snipe really blew our hair back and then a very obliging Marsh Owl settled down nearby allowing for good scope views as well. Other birds included Black-crowned Night Heron, Intermediate Egret, Common Buzzard, African Marsh Harrier, African Snipe, Lesser Moorhen, Black Crake, Knob-billed Duck and Hottentot Teal.

3 January
With our next destination, Popa Falls, only a few hundred kilometres away we made no rush of the journey. Before we left Rundu we nailed Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Village Indigobird, Heuglin’s Robin-Chat and Common House Martin. About half-way there we were stopped in our tracks by a flock of about 1500 Black and Yellow-billed Kites. In any given direction the sky was peppered with the circling kettles of kites. This dramatic sighting kept us enthralled for over an hour as we marvelled at the massive number of birds. The tall broad-leaved woodland proved to be anther worthwhile distraction with good views of Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Bennett’s and Bearded Woodpeckers, Yellow White-Eye, Arrow-marked Babbler, Chinspot Batis, Southern Black Tit, Striped Kingfisher and Kurrichane Thrush. A stop in at a beautiful camp on the Okavango River proved as special as ever. A home-prepared lunch, great story-telling and a superb boat ride on the Okavango River were recipe to one of the major highlights of the trip. Great Reed Warbler welcomed us onto the river craft but poor views left us on the look out for a better view. On the ride we saw Crocodile up close in a shallow bend of the river and the various sandbanks gave us views of African Openbill, Collared Pratincole, White-faced Duck, Spurwing Goose, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Little Stint, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper and Ruff. On the lush river islands and in the riverine vegetation we found Rufous-bellied Heron, Thick-billed Weaver, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Stonechat, Giant Kingfisher and African Fish Eagle. Good views of a White-backed Night-Heron was a real bonus. The few exposed rocks housed a few Rock Pratincoles and backwaters rewarded us with African Pygmy Goose and Lesser Gallinule. Four Hippo made appearances adding adrenaline to the excitement. We managed to use most of our day up in this glorious place and made it into Popa Falls with light already failing. A short night drive before bed rewarded us with a Spotted Eagle Owl and a Springhare.

4 January
Our day began with Terrestrial Bulbul, Black-collared Barbet, Black-eyed Bulbul, Red-billed Oxpecker and Purple-banded Sunbird close to our cabins. We then made our way into Mahango Game Reserve. With two different habitats, often on either side of the road, Mahango dishes up both bushveld and wetland birds with great game as a bonus. Some highlights this morning included Icterine Warbler, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Fawn-coloured Lark, Wattled and Long-toed Lapwing, Blue-cheeked, Carmine and Little Bee-eaters, Grey-hooded Kingfisher, Buffy Pipit, Wattled Crane and the globally threatened Slaty Egret. Red Lechwe, Roan Antelope, Southern Reedbuck, Hippo and Elephant were all seen in the lush green grasses of the floodplain. It was a pity we had to move on from this small but first rate reserve but we knew we would be back! Our lodge in the eastern Caprivi was fantastic and it held more new birds for us with a good combination of riverine bush and bushveld. Broad-billed Roller on the way there brought us closer to our “all possible Rollers and Bee-eaters” target. Around the cabins we saw African Green Pigeon, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Hadeda Ibis, Fiery-necked Nightjar (flushed from grass), Heuglin’s Robin-Chat, White-fronted Bee-eater, Dark-capped Bulbul and Jacobin Cuckoo. A short walk after dinner rewarded us with great views of a pair of Wood Owl and Water Thick-knee.

5 January
Today we combined both land- and water-based activities. A morning walk rewarded us with Lesser Honeyguide, Brown Firefinch, Chirping Cisticola, Little Rush-Warbler, Bearded and Golden-tailed Woodpeckers, Banded Martin, Hartlaub’s Babbler and Purple-banded and Collared Sunbirds. The boat trip was good for Brown-throated Weaver, Rufous-bellied and Purple Herons, African Pygmy Goose and Lesser Gallinule. A leisurely drive into the magnificent East Caprivi National Park was the best way to spend the afternoon. We saw an abundance of good game and massive numbers of Elephant. This park boasts awesome floodplains and is covered mostly by a mosaic of acacia bushveld broad-leaved woodland and grassland. We spent a great deal of time watching elephants pour in to drink at a particularly active bend in the river. Bird highlights here included Kurrichane Buttonquail, Black-bellied Korhaan, Slaty Egret (best views yet), Knob-billed Duck and Bataleur. The day ended with a speedy boat ride back to camp with the last rays of the days sun disappearing over this most impressive marshland.

6 January
The day kicked off with a pre-dawn start in order to get to a patch of good woodland about 20 kilometres away. We were held up by a calling African Barred Owlet on the way out. A short walk and a bit of taping and we had the bird in the spotlight for all to see. Our main target for the day was Racket-tailed Roller but a short visit down to a wetland area on the edge of the woodland gave us good views of Lesser Jacana and frustrating views by guide only of a calling Black Coucal. Great Egret and Brown-throated Martin were seen on the way in. The woodland served up some great birds among them was Crested Francolin, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Crested Barbet, Southern Black Flycatcher, Amethyst Sunbird and Jameson’s Firefinch. Just when we thought we had dipped on the Racquet-tailed Roller a pair flew across the road and landed in plain view. A small wetland patch served up three more Wattled Crane. We then made our way back into Mahango Game Reserve. With the weather all over the show (windy, stormy and hot all at the same time) we did not expect to see much. We did pick up Mosque Swallow, Yellow-eyed Canary and Gymnogene (African Harrier Hawk) as new birds and had a further five Wattled Cranes, Slaty Egret and Long-toed Lapwing as bonuses. We had good views of more Elephant, Roan Antelope and Red Lechwe. The star of the show, however, was the magnificent Sable Antelope. We had two separate sightings, one was a breeding unit of five and the other was a very large and healthy looking male at very close range. Deciding to avoid the brunt of the storm on dirt roads we headed back along the Caprivi for Rundu.

7 - 9 January
These few days were really dedicated to relaxing and curio shopping. The general group consensus was to slow down on the birding and have a bit of down time. We spent two nights at the Waterberg Plateau Park and took some short walks around the camp. Without much effort we added European Golden Oriole and Bradfield’s Hornbill and, aside from that, there was very little new for us here so all could relax guilt-free! The Damara Dikdik, as confiding as ever, was a real treat as nowhere are they approachable as they are here in the camp. We also had great views of Lesser Bushbaby in the Acacias around the cabins. A spectacular sunset was had on the top of the sandstone cliffs on the last night. We watched the birds settle down into the forest below the cliffs for the night and had a pair of African Hawk Eagles fly past our noses providing the perfect farewell.

MAMMALS

The nomenclature and taxonomy for mammals follows The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Jonathan Kingdon. 1997. Academic Press.

Chacma Baboon
Lesser Galago
Dassie Rat
Giraffe
Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
Burchell’s Plains Zebra
Black Rhino
Southern Oryx
Hartebeest
Springbok
Blue Wildebeest (Gnu)
Steenbok
Klipspringer
Red Lechwe
Roan Antelope
Southern Reedbuck
Damara Dik-Dik
Sable Antelope
Cape Fox
Black-backed Jackal
Spotted Hyena
Cape Fur Seals
Springhare
Small Spotted Genet
African Wildcat
Yellow Mongoose
Slender Mongoose
Suricate
Leopard
Lions
Elephant
Hippo

BIRDS

The nomenclature and taxonomy follows The Birds of Southern Africa, 3rd edition by Sinclair, J.C., Hockey, P.A.R. and Tarboton, W.R. 2002. Struik.

Namibian escarpment endemics in bold. Other regional specialities in italics.

Ostrich
Little Grebe
Great White Pelican
Cape Gannet
Great Cormorant
Cape Cormorant
Bank Cormorant
Long-tailed Cormorant
Crowned Cormorant
Darter
Gray Heron
Black-headed Heron
Goliath Heron
Purple Heron
Great Egret
Slaty Egret
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Rufous-bellied Heron
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White-backed Night-Heron
Hamerkop
African Openbill
Marabou Stork
Hadada Ibis
Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Egyptian Goose
South African Shelduck
Spur-winged Goose
Comb Duck
African Pygmy-goose
Cape Teal
Red-billed Duck
Hottentot Teal
Cape Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
Southern Pochard
Maccoa Duck
Osprey
Black-shouldered Kite
Black Kite
African Fish-Eagle
Hooded Vulture
White-backed Vulture
Lappet-faced Vulture
White-headed Vulture
Black-breasted Snake-Eagle
Bateleur
African Marsh-Harrier
African Harrier-Hawk
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Pale Chanting-Goshawk
Gabar Goshawk
Shikra
Little Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Buzzard
Augur Buzzard
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Tawny Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Verreaux's Eagle
African Hawk-Eagle
Booted Eagle
Secretary-bird
Pygmy Falcon
Eurasian Kestrel
Greater Kestrel
Red-necked Falcon
Lanner Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Crested Francolin
Orange River Francolin
Hartlaub's Francolin
Red-billed Francolin
Red-necked Francolin
Swainson's Francolin
Helmeted Guineafowl
Small Buttonquail
Blue Crane
Wattled Crane
Black Crake
Purple Swamphen
Allen's Gallinule
Common Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Red-knobbed Coot
Kori Bustard
Rueppell's Bustard
Red-crested Bustard
White-quilled Bustard
Black-bellied Bustard
Lesser Jacana
African Jacana
Greater Painted-snipe
African Oystercatcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Water Thick-knee
Spotted Thick-knee
Burchell's Courser
Double-banded Courser
Collared Pratincole
Black-winged Pratincole
Rock Pratincole
Long-toed Lapwing
Blacksmith Plover
Crowned Lapwing
Wattled Lapwing
Black-bellied Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Kittlitz's Plover
Three-banded Plover
White-fronted Plover
Chestnut-banded Plover
Caspian Plover
African Snipe
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Little Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Ruff
Red-necked Phalarope
Kelp Gull
Hartlaub's Gull
Caspian Tern
Sandwich Tern
Great Crested Tern
Common Tern
Damara Tern
White-winged Tern
Black Tern
Namaqua Sandgrouse
Double-banded Sandgrouse
Rock Dove
Speckled Pigeon
African Mourning Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Ring-necked Dove
Laughing Dove
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Namaqua Dove
African Green-Pigeon
Rosy-faced Lovebird
Meyer's Parrot
Rueppell's Parrot
Gray Go-away-bird
Pied Cuckoo
Levaillant's Cuckoo
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
African Cuckoo
Klaas' Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Black Coucal
Coppery-tailed Coucal
White-browed Coucal
African Scops-Owl
Southern White-faced Owl
Spotted Eagle-Owl
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
African Wood-Owl
Pearl-spotted Owlet
African Barred Owlet
Marsh Owl
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Square-tailed Nightjar
African Palm-Swift
Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Bradfield's Swift
Little Swift
White-rumped Swift
White-backed Mousebird
Red-faced Mousebird
Malachite Kingfisher
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
White-fronted Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Madagascar Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Lilac-breasted Roller
Racket-tailed Roller
Rufous-crowned Roller
Broad-billed Roller
Eurasian Hoopoe
Green Woodhoopoe
Violet Woodhoopoe
Common Scimitar-bill
Monteiro's Hornbill
Red-billed Hornbill
Damara Hornbill
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Bradfield's Hornbill
African Gray Hornbill
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Pied Barbet
Black-collared Barbet
Crested Barbet
Lesser Honeyguide
Bennett's Woodpecker
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker
Rufous-naped Lark
Flappet Lark
E. Clapper Lark
Fawn-colored Lark
Sabota Lark
Dune Lark
Spike-heeled Lark
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
Gray-backed Sparrow-Lark
Gray's Lark
Red-capped Lark
Pink-billed Lark
Stark's Lark
Plain Martin
Banded Martin
Rock Martin
Barn Swallow
White-throated Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Greater Striped-Swallow
Lesser Striped-Swallow
Rufous-chested Swallow
Mosque Swallow
House Martin
Cape Wagtail
Buffy Pipit
African Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Black Cuckoo-shrike
Common Bulbul
Black-fronted Bulbul
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Terrestrial Brownbul
Short-toed Rock-Thrush
Groundscraper Thrush
Kurrichane Thrush
Rattling Cisticola
Chirping Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Desert Cisticola
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Black-chested Prinia
Rufous-eared Warbler
Green-backed Camaroptera
Barred Camaroptera
Damara Rockrunner
Sedge Warbler
African Reed-Warbler
Great Reed-Warbler
Greater Swamp-Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Burnt-neck Eremomela
Cape Crombec
Willow Warbler
Layard's Warbler
Rufous-vented Warbler
Chat Flycatcher
Mariqua Flycatcher
Southern Black-Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
Ashy Flycatcher
White-browed Robin-Chat
Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush
Red-backed Scrub-Robin
Kalahari Scrub-Robin
Herero Chat
Mountain Wheatear
Capped Wheatear
Tractrac Chat
Familiar Chat
Southern Anteater-Chat
Chinspot Batis
Pririt Batis
White-tailed Shrike
African Paradise-Flycatcher
Black-lored Babbler
White-rumped Babbler
Southern Pied-Babbler
Arrow-marked Babbler
Bare-cheeked Babbler
Southern Black-Tit
Carp's Tit
Ashy Tit
Southern Penduline-Tit
Collared Sunbird
Amethyst Sunbird
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Mariqua Sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
White-breasted Sunbird
Dusky Sunbird
African Yellow White-eye
Orange River White-eye
Eurasian Golden Oriole
African Golden Oriole
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Gray Shrike
Common Fiscal
Magpie Shrike
White-crowned Shrike
Brubru
Black-backed Puffback
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Tropical Boubou
Gabon Boubou
Crimson-breasted Gonolek
Bokmakierie
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
White Helmetshrike
Fork-tailed Drongo
Cape Crow
Pied Crow
White-necked Raven
Wattled Starling
Cape Glossy-Starling
Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling
Meves' Glossy-Starling
Burchell's Glossy-Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Pale-winged Starling
Red-billed Oxpecker
House Sparrow
Rufous Sparrow
S. Grey-headed Sparrow
Cape Sparrow
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Scaly-feathered Finch-weaver
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Social Weaver
Lesser Masked-Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Holub's Golden-Weaver
Southern Brown-throated Weaver
African Masked-Weaver
Chestnut Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Red Bishop
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Grosbeak Weaver
Green-winged Pytilia
Brown Firefinch
Red-billed Firefinch
Jameson's Firefinch
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
Violet-eared Waxbill
Common Waxbill
Black-cheeked Waxbill
Red-headed Finch
Village Indigobird
Shaft-tailed Whydah
Pin-tailed Whydah
Eastern Paradise-Whydah
Black-throated Canary
Yellow-fronted Canary
Yellow Canary
White-throated Canary
Lark-like Bunting
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Cape Bunting
Golden-breasted Bunting