Complete Namibia: From Coast to Caprivi Birding Tour

Complete Namibia: From Coast to Caprivi Birding Tour
November  

We are now offering this brand new tour in alternate years, while running our ever-popular Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls tour in the other years. Both are amazing and the choice is tough! This new and exciting Complete Namibia Birding Tour has everything available that the Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls tour has, from birds and mammals to scenery and so much more.

All the many Namibian specials and near-endemics, as well as its only country endemic, will still be sought, and are indeed all likely on this tour. These range from desert specials such as Rüppell’s Korhaan and Dune and Gray’s Larks, to coastal specials such as Damara Tern and Chestnut-banded Plover. Sossusvlei offers the best landscapes and vistas of the Namib Desert, and we will indeed make the worthwhile journey into the heart of the Namib for this magical experience! The Namib Escarpment will be thoroughly explored as we search for the likes of Herero Chat, Rockrunner, White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, and many more.

Bare-cheeked Babbler is one of the many sought-after Namibian near-endemics this tour targets.

One of Africa’s greatest game parks, Etosha National Park, is also a strong feature. This must surely rank as one of the world’s best places for seeing Black Rhinoceros and big cats, along with most of the other African megafauna. It is also excellent for a good range of very special birds, such as Namibia’s dazzling national bird, Crimson-breasted Shrike, the world’s heaviest flying bird, Kori Bustard, the diminutive Pygmy Falcon, and stacks more.

A typical scene in the world-renowned Etosha National Park – a ‘white’ African Elephant.

After Etosha we head into an incredibly bird-diverse tropical corner of Namibia, the Caprivi Strip, and the adjacent Namibian side of the panhandle of the Okavango Delta. The magnificent wetlands and woodlands in these parts support Pel’s Fishing Owl, White-backed Night Heron, Slaty Egret, African Skimmer, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, and literally hundreds of other species, a rather large proportion of them spectacularly colored.

Journeying back towards our starting point, Windhoek – Namibia’s capital city, our final port of call, is the incomparable Okonjima Nature Reserve. Home to the AfriCat Foundation, this reserve offers us one of the ultimate wildlife experiences out there – as we attempt to track Leopard and Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, with the use of radio telemetry. There is no better way to end this tour than with these thrilling wildlife activities!

This is an excellent tour for localized species – here, Dune Lark, Namibia’s only endemic bird, will be targeted.

This birding tour covers a vast area and a huge range of habitats, from the coastal deserts to the land of big rivers, and is sure to produce a long list of desirable species and sought-after mammals!

This tour can be combined with our premium Comprehensive Subtropical/Eastern South Africa Birding Tour and our Best of Cape Town and Beyond Birding Tour prior to that. Other possibilities are to combine it with our Best of Madagascar: 14-day Birding and Wildlife tour or our Mozambique/Zimbabwe tours.

Itinerary (19 days, 18 nights)

Day 1.  Arrival in Windhoek

Today is your arrival day, and following your arrival into Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, you will be transferred to our comfortable lodge on the outskirts of the city. Should there be time available in the afternoon, we will likely head out for a birding walk, familiarizing ourselves with some of the local species occurring here, and trying to get a head start on some of the species listed under Day 2 below.

Overnight: Windhoek

Days 2 – 3.  Windhoek to Sossusvlei

We will begin the morning of Day 2 birding in the acacia-dominated rolling hills on the eastern edge of Windhoek, around Avis Dam. This is an incredibly rewarding birding site playing host to a number of the country’s near-endemic specials. Some of these top birds include the prized Rockrunner along with Monteiro’s Hornbill and White-tailed Shrike. Other characteristic acacia-loving species to be found include the likes of White-backed Mousebird, Common Scimitarbill, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Acacia Pied Barbet, Pririt Batis, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Cape Penduline Tit, Barred Wren-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Marico Flycatcher, Kalahari Scrub Robin, Marico Sunbird and a plethora of colorful seedeaters, namely; Black-faced and Violet-eared Waxbills, Green-winged Pytilia, Shaft-tailed Whydah and Yellow Canary.

We should also have time to visit some nearby wetlands and dams where we often come across the likes of Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, Blue-billed Teal, African Swamphen and other water-associated bird species.

Rüppell’s Korhaan is a target in the Namib Desert.

Following our morning birding around Windhoek, we will transfer into the heart of the Namib Desert, to Sossusvlei, where we will be based for two nights. Not only is this area home to some of the country’s mightiest dunes, but it is also home to a wide range of desert specials. We will have one full day, and possibly some time on the afternoon of Day 2, to explore this area. Open areas will be scanned for species such as Rüppell’s Korhaan and Burchell’s Courser while species such as Namaqua Sandgrouse, Common Ostrich and Greater Kestrel are more regularly seen. Dune Lark, Namibia’s only endemic bird, can also be seen here, and as its name suggests, occurs amongst the vegetated dunes, as opposed to the rocky plains. Patches of acacia trees host a different suite of species, such as Brubru, Pririt Batis, White-backed Mousebird and Dusky Sunbird. Although generally scarce, we’re likely to see some of our first mammals here – and may include the desert adapted Gemsbok (Southern Oryx) – which is Namibia’s national mammal, along with others such as Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra and even such sought-after mammals as Brown Hyena (rare).

Overnight: Desert Quiver Camp, Sossusvlei

Days 4 – 5.  Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay

We will have the morning of Day 4 available to do any further birding and general exploring of the Sossusvlei area and surrounds, before we transit up to the coast at Walvis Bay, where we will base ourselves for two nights.

Damara Tern will be looked for along the coast at Walvis Bay.

The first site we usually visit is the picturesque red sand dune habitat across a (usually) dry riverbed around the village of Rooibank, right in the middle of the Namib Desert. This is another excellent site for the endemic Dune Lark, should we have missed it earlier, but we often also find the almost pure-white desert form of Tractrac Chat, amongst others. Our accommodation, for two nights, is at a place from where one can literally see thousands of flamingos (usually about half-half Greater and Lesser), migratory shorebirds from Eurasia, Great White Pelicans, and all the rest, right from our doorstep.  We will also take a boat trip on Walvis Bay Lagoon that is focused mainly on marine mammals, such as Cape Fur Seal, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, the localized Heaviside’s Dolphin, and sometimes Humpback Whale. But one also often sees some good birds from the boat, not the least of which is Damara Tern and occasional pelagic species such as White-chinned Petrel and Sooty Shearwater. But there is also an incredible drive we do later in the day that usually gives us close-up views of all the target birds of the lagoon – including Damara Tern as well as Chestnut-banded Plover, Black-necked Grebe (often in large rafts), and tens of thousands of migrant waders. Today we also look for Gray’s Lark, a very pale Namib Desert near-endemic. We should also get to observe the bizarre Welwitschia mirabilis, commonly referred to as a ‘living fossil’.

Overnight: Lagoon Loge, Walvis Bay

Day 6. The Namib Escarpment via the Spitzkoppe (the “Matterhorn of Namibia”)

Heading inland and northward we start encountering some spectacular mountains. The Spitzkoppe in particular, is a huge inselberg that rises abruptly from the desert plain. The flat surrounding areas are good for Burchell’s Courser, Rüppell’s Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, a number of localized lark species such as Karoo Long-billed Lark (replaced by Benguela Long-billed Lark slightly farther north), etc. The mountains themselves are where we search for the enigmatic and bizarre Herero Chat, noisy little flocks of Rosy-faced Lovebirds, a couple of hornbill species (Damara Red-billed and Monteiro’s Hornbills) basically restricted to the Namib and adjacent arid habitats, Bradfield’s Swift, and many others. The rocky areas near Omaruru offer some great habitat for watching hunting raptors, including Verreaux’s Eagle and African Hawk-Eagle as well as Augur Buzzard. A diminutive antelope, Kirk’s Dik-dik, is often encountered in the area.

Overnight: Ai-Aiba – The Rock Painting Lodge, Omaruru

Herero Chat is a special of the Namib Escarpment, and a highly sought-after bird!

Day 7. Birding the Namib Escarpment

Today we have the full day to continue birding the mountains of central Namibia. White-tailed Shrike, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Rüppell’s Parrot, and Rockrunner are four of the superstars of the show – all of them are very localized (occurring only in Namibia and a small part of Angola) and full of personality, not to mention striking-looking. Quite a number of brightly-colored seedeaters also vie for attention around the lodge.

We will also head slightly farther west, targeting another Namibian near-endemic, Benguela Long-billed Lark, and may also have another shot at Herero Chat, if need be. We might, if we’re lucky, see Kaokoveld Slender Mongoose, Greater Kudu, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, or another mammal or two.

Overnight: Ai-Aiba – The Rock Painting Lodge, Omaruru

The charismatic White-tailed Shrike is always a highlight with its captivating persona.

Day 8. Etosha National Park: birds and mammals

Etosha justifiably is rated as one of the best game parks in Africa. During our time in this amazing park, we will partake in an open-top game drive which is always a great way to experience the area’s birds and wildlife. This is big (and small) mammal country, where African Elephant, Black Rhinoceros, large herds of Springbok, Gemsbok, Plains Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, and many other herbivores lurk, meaning (excitingly) that there are also relatively high densities of predators and scavengers, such as Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, African Wildcat, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, etc.

Although we stop to look at all the mammal species, birding is still the main focus. An isolated population of South Africa’s national bird, the beautiful Blue Crane, inhabits Etosha while Kori Bustard and its smaller relative, Northern Black Korhaan, are both common. Secretarybird and an absolute stack of raptors and vultures are always much in evidence. This is one of the best places in southern Africa for owls, and we often find the tiny African Scops Owl, the giant Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, and sometimes others such as the beautiful Southern White-faced Owl at their daytime roosts. Excitingly, Etosha’s open plains must have some of the highest densities of Double-banded Courser in southern Africa. The unbelievably huge nests of Sociable Weaver are features of some areas, sometimes with Pygmy Falcon taking up residence in the same nests.

Overnight: Okaukuejo Camp, central Etosha

Etosha National Park is one of the best sites in the world to find the scarce Black Rhino!

Day 9. Bird and wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park

We will have the full day in this impressive park birding the open plains and various waterholes. We hope to find a multitude of lark species, including Eastern Clapper, Stark’s, Sabota, Pink-billed, Fawn-colored, and Rufous-naped, as well as larger and more brightly colored species such as Crimson-breasted Shrike, Gabar Goshawk, Greater Kestrel, Lappet-faced Vulture, and Namaqua Sandgrouse.

Overnight: Okaukuejo Camp, central Etosha

Day 10. Central to eastern Etosha National Park

Today we make our way from the central section of the park to the eastern edge. As we head farther east the bird species change gradually, and we hope to find Blue Crane, Secretarybird, Red-necked Falcon, Burchell’s Courser, Caspian Plover, and Eastern Clapper Lark, among the usual suspects. Around Mokuti Lodge we should see Black-faced Babbler, Crimson-breasted Shrike, White-browed Scrub Robin, Black-faced Waxbill, Bearded Woodpecker, Pearl-spotted Owlet, and other woodland species.

Overnight: Mokuti Etosha Lodge, eastern Etosha

The uncommon Burchell’s Courser is sometimes seen in Etosha National Park.

Day 11. Transfer to and birding around Rundu

We will have the morning to continue birding the productive grounds of our comfortable lodge. After our morning’s birding, we will continue eastward, with the landscape becoming lusher, and we should start seeing well-developed woodlands for the first time of the tour. The tall woodlands east of Rundu are home to some tricky birds, such as Rufous-bellied Tit (which can be very thin on the ground and tough to find). Sharp-tailed Starling (along with the more common but also more spectacularly plumaged Greater Blue-eared Starling) and Souza’s Shrike are two tough birds of human-modified woodland. There is a plethora of other great birds to be found here, both woodland birds and waterbirds, such as cuckooshrikes, orioles, Green-capped Eremomela, Tinkling Cisticola, Swamp Boubou, Dwarf Bittern, Rufous-bellied Heron, and a rich assemblage of others.

We may also bird the wetlands around Rundu (this afternoon or tomorrow morning) for Collared Pratincole, White-backed Duck, Baillon’s Crake, Greater Painted-snipe, and perhaps even Allen’s Gallinule, Lesser Moorhen or Lesser Jacana. The lodge we stay at near Rundu has hosted a Ross’s Turaco for the last year or so (the only place it reliably occurs in southern Africa), and we hope to find this rare beauty!

Overnight: Taranga Safari Lodge or similar, Rundu

We hope to find the rare Rufous-bellied Tit in the woodlands of the Caprivi Strip.

Days 12 – 13. Into the Caprivi Strip, and birding Katima Mulilo

We continue birding the wetlands and woodlands of this bird-rich corner of Namibia. We spend two nights on the banks of the Zambezi River, from where we can do boat trips and birding/game drives. We will undertake late-afternoon boat trips along the Zambezi – which are extremely productive and usually produce great sightings of African Finfoot, White-backed Night Heron, Half-collared Kingfisher, White-crowned Lapwing, African Skimmer, and Rock Pratincole. Additionally, we will also put in a special effort to track down the magnificent Pel’s Fishing Owl, which occurs on the river here.

Moving onto dry-land, Yellow-throated Leaflove was discovered as a breeding bird on the Namibia/Zambia border (the Namibian side) in 2015, hundreds of kilometers south of its previously known range, and is one of today’s targets. Olive Woodpecker, Schalow’s Turaco, and Western Banded Snake Eagle all occur in the riparian vegetation along the banks of the Zambezi River. In the surrounding woodlands we search for Racket-tailed Roller, Arnot’s Chat, Copper Sunbird, Striped Kingfisher, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Grey Penduline Tit, Wood Pipit, and Lizard Buzzard. Seasonal pans in the area are explored for Blue-billed Teal, Rosy-throated Longclaw, White-backed Duck, Lesser Jacana, Rufous-bellied Heron, Luapula Cisticola, and perhaps even Black Coucal.

A range of nocturnal birds occur in the area, and we will search for species such as African Wood and Western Barn Owls and a host of nightjars including Fiery-necked, Square-tailed, and the spectacular Pennant-winged!

Overnight: Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge or similar, Katima Mulilo

A great number of birds can be found around Katima Mulilo such as the rare and elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl.

Days 14 – 15. Mahango birding

Katima Mulilo marks our furtherest point from the capital city, Windhoek, and today we will slowly start making our way back towards the capital – although stopping off on the Namibian side of the Okavango Delta panhandle, in the hugely productive Mahango area. This is one of the country’s top birding sites, with a wide diversity of habitats and the incredibly rich panhandle area of the Okavango Delta both contributing to the large number of birds residing here.

The bulk of our time will be spent in the Mahango Game Reserve, a protected area within Bwabwata National Park. Here we will search for the likes of Rock Pratincole, African Skimmer, Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Long-toed Lapwing, African Pygmy Goose, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Greater Swamp Warbler, Luapula, Chirping and Tinkling Cisticolas, the oversized Coppery-tailed Coucal, several spectacular weavers with their bright yellow plumage and amazing nests, Greater Painted-snipe, and Grey-rumped Swallow and so many more! African Buffalo occurs here but not in Etosha, and this is also one of the best places in the world to find the rare Roan Antelope and Sable Antelope.

The lodge grounds are a haven for birdlife, and we can expect to find Hartlaub’s Babbler, White-browed Coucal, and Meves’s Starling, with African Barred Owlet in the nearby woodlands. Brown Firefinch and its more common cousins, Red-billed Firefinch and Blue Waxbill, often feed on the lawns. The liquid calls of Swamp Boubou and coucals add greatly to the atmosphere. Other species we’ll keep an eye open for are Meyer’s Parrot, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole and White-browed Robin-Chat.

We will undertake a boat cruise along the Kavango River here, searching for any of the scarcer and more difficult-to-find species such as Pel’s Fishing Owl, White-backed Night Heron and African Pygmy Goose, that we may have missed on the boat trips around Katima Mulilo.

Overnight: Mahangu Safari Lodge or Ndhovu Safari Lodge, Divundu

Mahango is another birding gem, with the Slaty Egret being one of our main targets!

Day 16. Leaving the Caprivi Strip

After some final early-morning birding in the Mahango area, we will make the relatively short transfer to the Katere area (east of Rundu), where we will spend some more time birding in the mixed woodlands. Here we will have another shot at the highly sought-after Souza’s Shrike, Sharp-tailed Starling, and Rufous-bellied Tit. Following our birding here, we will continue onwards, exiting the Caprivi Strip, back towards the central Namib Escarpment, arriving at our comfortable lodge in the afternoon.

Overnight: Roy’s Rest Camp, Grootfontein

Days 17 – 18. Birds and mammals of Okonjima Nature Reserve

We will be able to spend the morning of Day 17 birding the mixed acacia thornveld around our lodge. The lodge is another excellent site for the restricted Black-faced Babbler, should we have missed this species in eastern Etosha. Other species usually evident include the likes of Red-billed Spurfowl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Crimson-breasted Shrike and a plethora of colorful seedeaters, such as Black-faced and Violet-eared Waxbills, Red-headed Finch and Shaft-tailed Whydah.

Following our transfer to the exclusive Okonjima Nature Reserve, which is also home to the AfriCat Foundation, we will likely begin our exploration of this stunning reserve. We will undertake two activities at Okonjima, which will likely be Leopard tracking and Temminck’s Ground Pangolin tracking – both through the use of radio telemetry. Although there are no guarantees of successfully finding these highly prized mammals, these are thrilling activities and are sure to be a highlight for all in the group! Birding is still high on our priority list however, and Okonjima is an excellent area for us to ‘clean-up’ on a number of the core Namibia species that we may have missed on the tour. These include the likes of Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbills, White-tailed Shrike, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Carp’s Tit and Rüppell’s Parrot. Rockrunner and Hartlaub’s Spurfowl do occur, but both require much searching and a good dose of luck to see. A range of other species are also to be sought including, Red-crested Korhaan, Double-banded and Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and Southern Pied Babbler. Freckled Nightjar is regularly present after dark. We will settle in for our final tour dinner, following a wonderous and bird-filled journey through the most-productive regions of Namibia!

Overnight: Okonjima Nature Reserve

Tracking Leopards in the wild is a thrilling experience, and is sure to be a fantastic end to the tour!

Day 19. Departure

After breakfast, we will transfer to Windhoek, Namibia, where this tour will conclude around midday. As this is a drive of a few hours, we ask participants to please book their departure flights from the mid-afternoon onwards.

We look forward to welcoming you again on future tours!

Please note that the itinerary above cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Complete Namibia — Set Departure Birding Trip Report

30 October – 17 NOVEMBER 2021

By Dominic Rollinson

This female Hartlaub’s Spurfowl showed incredibly well in the Erongo Mountains.

Overview

This fantastic 19-day Complete Namibia birding tour was to replace our regular Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls itinerary for 2021 due to travel limitations and difficulties during the Covid pandemic. The adjusted Complete Namibia itinerary would ensure no border crossings after arrival in Namibia. The itinerary would follow a similar route while in Namibia, however the Okavango Swamps (Botswana) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) would not be visited on this tour. We did however visit comparable habitats in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip which resulted in a similar suite of bird and wildlife species.

While in Namibia, searching for Namibian specials/near-endemics is high up on the agenda and we certainly did well on this tour, managing to find many of these specials including Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Rüppell’s Korhaan, Damara Tern, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Rüppell’s Parrot, White-tailed Shrike, Souza’s Shrike, Rufous-bellied Tit, Gray’s, Benguela Long-billed, Karoo Long-billed, Dune and Stark’s Larks, Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbills, Black-faced, Hartlaub’s and Bare-cheeked Babblers, Herero Chat and Sharp-tailed Starling. We also found many less range-restricted but equally important species such as Secretarybird, African Pygmy Goose, African Skimmer, White-backed Night Heron, Pallid Harrier, Augur Buzzard, Ludwig’s Bustard, Long-toed Lapwing, Lesser Jacana, Burchell’s Courser, Rock Pratincole, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Bradfield’s Swift, Pygmy Falcon, Sociable Weaver, Crimson-breasted Shrike and many others. The trip list totaled 407 bird species of which five were heard only!

Rüppell’s Korhaan showed beautifully in the Sossusvlei area.

Namibia is also well-known for its incredible wildlife viewing opportunities and we managed to find some great mammals, including Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Side-striped Jackal, Honey Badger, Small Spotted Genet, Spotted Hyena, Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, (Hartmann’s) Mountain Zebra, Black and White Rhinoceros, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Sable, Giraffe, Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Damara Dikdik and many other widespread mammal species. All in all, we recorded 46 mammal species over the 19 days of this trip.

Etosha normally provides great sightings of Black Rhinoceros.

Finally, it would be amiss to not mention the incredible scenery and panoramas we experienced on this tour. The massive red dunes of Sossusvlei were visited early on in the trip, before we enjoyed the majesty of Spitzkoppe and then the vast and stark beauty of Etosha National Park, before heading northeast to the lush woodlands of the Caprivi Strip, with time spent on the mighty Zambezi River.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 30^th October 2021. Windhoek birding

With Janis, Glenda and I all having arrived into Windhoek the previous evening, it meant we could start our birding right away. The morning’s birding around our lodge grounds was a great introduction to Namibian woodland birding and it wasn’t long before we had ticked off Red-billed Spurfowl, Namaqua Dove, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Grey Go-away-bird, Black-chested Prinia, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Southern Pied Babbler, Groundscraper Thrush, a family of Common Ostrich and the vividly colored Crimson-breasted Shrike. A short walk into the surrounding woodlands produced a wonderful sighting of a Pearl-spotted Owlet which was having a hard time being mobbed by Fork-tailed Drongo, Common Scimitarbill, Acacia Pied Barbet, Pririt Batis, Marico Sunbird, Burnt-necked and Yellow-bellied Eremomelas and Violet-eared Waxbill. Loud drumming from a nearby tree gave away a male Bearded Woodpecker and seedeaters were well represented with Great Sparrow, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-billed Quelea and Scaly-feathered Weavers, all seen well.

Crimson-breasted Shrike is always a popular species on Namibian tours.

After lunch we decided to head into Windhoek city for some wetland birding which proved to be really productive. A stop at a dam on the outskirts of Windhoek produced African Swamphen, Common Moorhen, Red-knobbed Coot and our two main targets, Southern Pochard and Maccoa Duck. It was the local sewage works next, which was full of birds with thousands of loud and conspicuous Wattled Starlings being the most abundant species. The waterbirds were well represented by Grey and Squacco Herons, Black-crowned Night Heron, Blue-billed Teal, Little Grebe, Great White Pelican, Reed Cormorant, African Darter, Black Crake, Common and Wood Sandpipers and many Three-banded Plovers. The surrounding bush had Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbill, White-backed Mousebird and many European Bee-eaters. En route back to our lodge in the late afternoon we came across a few White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures both unfortunately now listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)!

The evening ended perfectly when we were sat doing our bird list for the day and were distracted by a strange high-pitched call which turned out to be a Western Barn Owl as it was mobbing a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl. The eagle-owl posed perfectly for us and we were all able to enjoy prolonged scope views.

Day 2, 31^st October 2021. Windhoek to Sossusvlei

As was to be the trend for the rest of the trip, we were again up early and went for a drive in the surrounding wooded areas. The drive started well as we finally got visuals of a Barred Wren-Warbler (which would not co-operate the day before) and had brief flyby views of Ludwig’s Bustard and South African Shelduck. Further along the road we found good numbers of Desert Cisticola as well as Black-chested Snake Eagle, Black-winged Kite, Pale Chanting Goshawk (soon to be referred to as PCG!), Red-crested Korhaan, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, African Hoopoe, Sabota Lark and many Sociable Weavers near to their massive communal nests.

After a late breakfast we set off on the long drive west to the Sossusvlei area where we would be based for two nights. The drive was a scenic one and we made sure we stopped for anything of interest which included Wahlberg’s Eagle, Lark-like Bunting, White-throated Canary, Red-headed Finch, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Chat Flycatcher and the unfortunate carcass of a Spotted Eagle-Owl. We enjoyed our lunch stop at the top of Spreegtshoogte Pass which has spectacular views out over the desert plains. In the general area we had a brief flyby Augur Buzzard and a very showy Bokmakierie.

White-throated Canaries were common in the arid areas of Namibia.

Once down in the plains, roadside stops produced Namaqua Sandgrouse, Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark, Mountain Wheatear, African Red-eyed Bulbul and a few new interesting mammals such as Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Springbok and a pair of Klipspringer (a rock-loving antelope). We ended the day with a beautiful sunset as we enjoyed our tasty and wholesome dinner.

Day 3, 1^st November 2021. Sossusvlei sightseeing and birding

We woke up before dawn and had an early breakfast as we were to spend the morning in the impressive and picturesque red dunes of Sossusvlei. Sightseeing was the main purpose of the morning (and the dunes certainly did not disappoint), however we still managed to tick off a few more important target birds along the drive to and from Sossusvlei. We spent a decent amount of time photographing the incredible landscape and even managed to get the hoped-for shot of a Gemsbok with the huge red dunes as a backdrop! Highlights of the morning (besides the red dunes) was a pair of showy and vocal Rüppell’s Korhaan on the side of the road and a large group of 30-40 Burchell’s Coursers. With the mercury rising, we decided to take it easy after our lunch before our afternoon trip out.

We began the afternoon’s birding by visiting the impressive steep-sided canyon at Sesriem which was relatively quiet however we did find an obliging pair of the incredibly cute Pygmy Falcon in the general area. From here we headed to Elim Dune in the hope of finding Dune Lark however unfortunately our luck had run out for the day. Nearby we did manage to improve our views (and photos) of Burchell’s Courser and a Southern Fiscal also showed well here.

We had great views of Pygmy Falcon near Sesriem.

Day 4, 2^nd November 2021. Birding the desert and transfer to Walvis Bay

We began the morning by birding some of the dirt roads in the area which didn’t prove terribly productive but did however produce another Pygmy Falcon as well as a couple groups of calling Rüppell’s Korhaan before we enjoyed an early breakfast.

It was then the long dirt road to Walvis Bay with a couple stops en route producing Karoo Long-billed Lark and a dozen or so Ludwig’s Bustards, in singles and pairs. Closer to Walvis Bay we lucked upon a pair of extremely confiding Gray’s Larks which made for great photographic opportunities (see below).

Gray’s Lark was particularly friendly near to Walvis Bay.

Our afternoon around Walvis Bay was spent birding the salt works which despite the incredibly windy conditions, did produce a number of new shorebirds (waders) and other waterbirds. Highlights for the afternoon included Red-necked Phalarope, Pied Avocet, White-fronted and Chestnut-banded Plovers, Ruddy Turnstone and Caspian, Greater Crested, Common and Sandwich Terns.

Day 5, 3^rd November 2021. Walvis Bay boat cruise and Walvis Bay birding

We started the morning by heading out pre-dawn to Rooibank where Dune Lark did not prove too difficult and eventually our patience was rewarded with fantastic views of Namibia’s only bird endemic. In the area we also saw Bokmakierie, Diederik Cuckoo and Pririt Batis.

After a quick breakfast we headed out on our boat cruise of Walvis Bay which is always an entertaining morning out. Great White Pelican and Afro-Australasian Fur Seals joined us on the boat for some of the journey as they enjoyed an easy fish meal and we also added many Sooty Shearwaters, a single White-chinned Petrel and a pair of African Penguins. Common Bottle-nosed Dolphins were skittish but did eventually show well and Cape and Crowned Cormorants gave good views as we left and entered the harbor.

During lunch at our accommodation, we enjoyed brief views of Orange River White-eye which flitted about the leafy garden. The afternoon was spent back in the salt works to see what other species we could add here and we were rewarded with great views of a pair of the cute Damara Tern as well the regular mix of shorebirds such as Curlew and Marsh Sandpipers, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and Common Ringed and Grey Plovers. We ended the day with a fantastic dinner overlooking the esplanade and enjoying another fine African sunset.

Day 6, 4^th November 2021. Transfer to Ai-Aiba Lodge, Spitzkoppe birding en route

We left Walvis Bay early as we had a long day ahead of us with many important bird targets. Unfortunately, a quick stop at the guano platform just north of town did not produce the hoped-for Bank Cormorant however once we were through the sea mist and into the desert the birding soon picked up.

Nearby to the picturesque and impressive Spitzkoppe we found large flocks of the nomadic Stark’s Lark as well as a few Rüppell’s Korhaans. Once we were at the base of Spitzkoppe we birded the adjacent scrub and boulders and managed to find Layard’s Warbler, Dusky Sunbird, Black-chested Prinia, Pririt Batis and eventually an incredibly confiding pair of Herero Chats. The chats quietly went about feeding in the shade of a tree and allowed us to watch and photograph them at point-blank distances which was a real treat to experience.

We spent a while watching Herero Chats as they fed at Spitzkoppe.

After eventually tearing ourselves away from the chats we headed northwest to the small mining town of Uis where we had another special lark to look for. It took a lot longer than anticipated and as we were about to give up (top tip: once you give up all hope, the desired species should show itself right away) we spotted a dark figure sheltering in the shade of a bush which turned out to be our target, a Benguela Long-billed Lark.

After breathing a heavy sigh of relief, we continued on to Ai Aiba Rock Painting Lodge where we were to stay for the next two nights. The afternoon’s birding walk was rather quiet but did reveal Pearl-spotted Owlet, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Cape Bunting and the impressive rock art for which the area is well-known.

During our incredibly tasty dinner we were treated to views of Freckled Nightjar and Double-banded Sandgrouse coming to drink from the small waterhole. It was a great relaxed end to an intense and thoroughly rewarding day of birding!

Day 7, 5^th November 2021. Birding the Namib Escarpment

We set out early from the lodge for a walk around the impressive granite koppies in the area. The walk started eerily quiet but once the sun came out this soon changed. Our prime target for the morning was Hartlaub’s Spurfowl and after hearing a covey calling from some nearby rocks, we managed some fine views. Unfortunately, Rockrunner only showed briefly this morning and did not pose for the camera. Other great birds included small groups of the cute White-tailed Shrike as well as Ashy Tit, Lanner Falcon, Rock Kestrel, Monteiro’s Hornbill and Pririt Batis.

During our late breakfast we watched as hordes of birds came in to drink from the bird bath, including the likes of Red-headed Finch, Lark-like Bunting, Green-winged Pytilia, White-throated Canary, African Red-eyed Bulbul and White-browed Sparrow-Weaver.

We saw a number of groups of White-tailed Shrikes in the drier bushveld areas of Namibia.

 We spent the heat of the late morning and midday in the air-conditioned car as well as some time in Omaruru which did not add much of interest, however we did come across more White-tailed Shrikes and our first Giraffe and Kudu of the trip.

Later in the afternoon we headed back into Omaruru where we had good views of feeding Rüppell’s Parrot as well as Damara Red-billed and Monteiro’s Hornbills and many attractive and noisy Rosy-faced Lovebirds. On our way home in the fading light, we came across a comical scene as a Spotted Thick-knee and Black-backed Jackal squared-up on the road, which ended with the jackal heading off into the bush.

The Rüppell’s Parrots at Omaruru were particularly co-operative.

Day 8, 6^th November 2021. Transfer to Etosha

With only fleeting glimpses of Rockrunner the previous morning, we decided to try to improve our views of this Namibian near-endemic today. We headed out to the same area as yesterday morning and after a bit of work, we eventually managed good views of a bird singing it’s beautiful warbling call, as it sat up on a boulder. Other birds seen during our early morning walk included Common Scimitarbill, Monteiro’s Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Layard’s Warbler and a pair of African Hawk-Eagles.

After another scrumptious breakfast we packed up and left the escarpment and made our way north to Etosha National Park, surely one of Africa’s top game parks. We arrived during the heat of the midday and so took it easy for a little while before heading out in the late afternoon for a game drive. Despite the intense heat, we soon notched up some good birds and wildlife sightings. Some of the highlights included Red-capped, Stark’s, Sabota, Pink-billed, Spike-heeled and Rufous-naped Larks, Capped Wheatear, Ant-eating Chat, Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark, Greater Kestrel, Double-banded and Bronze-winged Coursers, Desert Cisticola and the huge Kori Bustard. As always in Etosha, there were large numbers of game around and we came across Black-backed Jackal, Plains Zebra, Giraffe, Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Common Wildebeest, Springbok and the cute Steenbok. After our dinner we spent some time at Okaukuejo’s famous floodlit waterhole where we had six Black Rhinoceros coming down to drink and socialize and also saw Marsh and Western Barn Owl, while Rufous-cheeked Nightjars hawked insects above the water. Always a great way to end the day!

Day 9, 7^th November 2021. Etosha birding and wildlife viewing

We woke up excited with the prospect of a full day enjoying the birds and wildlife of Etosha, and the day certainly did not disappoint! From Okaukuejo we headed east and ultimately arrived at Halali Camp in the late morning. Birding the open plains on the edge of the dry lake produced Rufous-eared Warbler, Great Sparrow, Red-crested and Northern Black Korhaans, Chat Flycatcher, Common Ostrich and a couple of Secretarybirds. Stops at waterholes close to the main road were productive with sightings of Cape and Red-billed Teals, Little Egret and the highlight in the form of a beautiful male Pallid Harrier, as it hunted in the surrounding plains. The game sightings on our drive were fantastic as we came across a particularly feisty Black Rhinoceros, a blood-soaked Spotted Hyena gouging on a young Springbok (with Black-backed Jackals in tow), a single Honey Badger and large numbers of commoner game such as Impala, Springbok, Red Hartebeest, Common Wildebeest and the massive African Elephant which is numerous in Etosha.

This Spotted Hyena was seen (and heard) snacking on an unfortunate Springbok.

Arriving at Halali Camp, it did not take long until we had bagged our targets which included Bare-cheeked Babbler, Violet Wood Hoopoe and Carp’s Tit. The birdlife around the camp was particularly lively where we also managed to find African Grey, Damara Red-billed, Southern Red-billed and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Southern White-crowned Shrike and Marico Flycatcher. On our way back to Okaukuejo we found a kettle of vultures which comprised of mostly White-backed Vultures but also had a single White-headed Vulture.

Violet Wood Hoopoes were seen feeding chicks in Halali Camp.

Day 10, 8^th November 2021. Eastern Etosha birding

Today was our last full day in Etosha as we made our way from Okaukuejo to the eastern edge of the park at Mokuti Lodge (right outside the eastern park entrance). We spent some time around Okaukuejo in the early morning where we managed to track down Cape Penduline Tit while the drive east through the park produced Lappet-faced Vulture, Gabar Goshawk, Greater Kestrel, Brubru, Lesser Grey Shrike and Groundscraper Thrush.

We enjoyed a late lunch at the park’s most easterly camp, Namutoni and then enjoyed a walk around which gave us plenty of new birds including Martial Eagle, Red-necked Falcon, Burchell’s Starling, Black-backed Puffback and a Marabou Stork at the waterhole. During our walk we heard a lot of commotion coming from a nearby tree, with birds giving their excited alarm calls, upon closer inspection we found a decent-sized Southern African Rock Python curled up in the higher branches, much to the annoyance of the local birds.

After Namutoni we headed north to the Andoni Plains in the hope of finding some grassland species and any form of big cat. The cats did not play along but we did find Blue Crane, Eastern Clapper Lark and good numbers of waterbirds including Chestnut-banded and Kittlitz’s Plovers and South African Shelduck.

Late in the afternoon we headed out the park and into Mokuti Lodge where we used the last hour of daylight to track down Black-faced Babbler, Meyer’s Parrot, Crested Francolin, Orange-breasted Bushshrike and White-bellied Sunbird. After a long day in the African bush we enjoyed a great braai (barbecue) and settled in for the evening.

Black-faced Babblers showed well at Mokuti Lodge.

Day 11, 9^th November 2021. Eastern Etosha birding and transfer to Rundu

As we had not yet seen any big cats, we decided to head into Etosha National Park one last time to see if we could change our luck. Our luck certainly did change when we found two Cheetahs which we were able to enjoy for a while. After this Glenda spotted some movement under a bush which turned out to be a small pride of Lions which were lazing about under trees near a waterhole (as lions do).

We had a good drive ahead of us today so after getting our big cats we left the park and headed northwest towards Rundu. The drive was mostly uneventful however we did find Bradfield’s Hornbill, Black Cuckooshrike, Scarlet-chested Sunbird and White-crested Helmetshrike during our lunch stop.

We arrived at Taranga Safari Lodge, near Rundu late in the afternoon and after unpacking we took a walk around camp to see what new species awaited us, now that we had moved significantly further east. The camp was alive with birds and it did not take long until we had a long list of trip ticks such as White-browed Robin-Chat, White-browed Scrub Robin, Red-faced Mousebird, Greater Honeyguide, Violet-backed Starling, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Dark-capped Bulbul, African Paradise Flycatcher, Swamp Boubou, Black-collared Barbet, Little Bee-eater and many others. We spent a couple of hours waiting for the long-staying, vagrant Ross’s Turaco to show but unfortunately that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Day 12, 10^th November 2021. Rundu birding and transfer through the Caprivi Strip

We got up early and headed to the Ross’s Turaco stakeout and thankfully it didn’t take long until this unmistakable violet, red and yellow turaco showed for us. The bird was very skittish but after some effort we got decent views of this vagrant which normally occurs much further north of the border. The camp was again very birdy and we further added White-browed and Coppery-tailed Coucals, Black and Jacobin Cuckoos, African Green Pigeon, Terrestrial Brownbul, Mosque Swallow and Hartlaub’s Babbler.

We had another long drive today, so we hit the road soon after breakfast and made our way east through the Caprivi Strip. We had recent information on Souza’s Shrike and made a stop to search the woodlands near Katere. We parked the car, walked into the woodlands and within a few minutes we had a very obliging Souza’s Shrike which allowed us to spend about 20 minutes watching it as it went about hunting, even impaling its prey on thorns! In the area we also had Tinkling Cisticola, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Harrier-Hawk and calling Coqui Francolin.

Souza’s Shrike was found with relative ease in the broad-leafed woodlands of the Caprivi Strip.

With a lot of ground still to be covered we did not linger here and soon pressed onto Katima Mulilo where we would be based for the next two nights. Just outside Katima Mulilo we found a huge feeding flock of Yellow-billed Kites numbering into the thousands, we spent about 30 minutes enjoying the incredible spectacle and also had a couple Lesser Spotted Eagles come in to enjoy the flying ant feast. We arrived at Caprivi Houseboat Safaris late in the afternoon but still with enough time to enjoy a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River. River cruises are always very peaceful and relaxing and the birds generally show very well and are quite approachable. Today was no different and we found a number of new birds on the cruise such as African Skimmer, African Finfoot, Malachite, Pied and Giant Kingfishers, Hadada Ibis, White-crowned Lapwing, Broad-billed Roller and Holub’s Golden Weaver.

Day 13, 11^th November 2021. Katima Mulilo birding

We had the full day to explore the Katima Mulilo area and had local expert Curt to show us around and try tick off as many of our targets as possible. We started with the loud and beautiful Schalow’s Turaco which showed well around camp before making our way nearby to the Yellow-throated Leaflove stakeout which did not prove too difficult either. After a quick breakfast we birded some nearby wetlands which proved really productive and we soon added Knob-billed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, African Openbill, Rufous-bellied Heron, Hamerkop, Greater Painted-snipe, Lesser Jacana, Collared Pratincole, Eurasian Hobby, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and Plain-backed Pipit.

Lesser Jacanas were surprisingly numerous in the wetlands around Katima Mulilo.

After some lunch and a quick siesta, we headed back out again to explore more wetlands and surrounding bushveld and again added a whole host of new and exciting species including the likes of African Pygmy Goose, Brown and Jameson’s Firefinches, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Willow Warbler, Southern Black and Spotted Flycatchers, Collared and Purple-banded Sunbirds, with Common Myna and Northern Grey-headed Sparrow seen in town. A very scruffy-looking Side-striped Jackal was also seen in the adjacent grasslands. In the late afternoon we headed out on another boat cruise. This time we went upstream and found Rock Pratincole, Village Weaver, African Wattled Lapwing, Whiskered Tern and a roosting juvenile White-backed Night Heron.

We came back in for dinner and then headed out for an incredible evening of nightjars and owls. We had no less than three male Pennant-winged Nightjars displaying around us with their bizarrely long primaries being shown off and also found Square-tailed Nightjar, African Scops Owl and African Barred Owlet, with Western Barn and Southern White-faced Owls calling but not seen. We also saw a cute and friendly Lesser Bushbaby which bound effortlessly from tree to tree.

The spectacular Pennant-winged Nightjar put on a show for us around Katima Mulilo.

Day 14, 12^th November 2021. Katima Mulilo birding and transfer to Mahango area

We had one last morning to clean up on any missing species and so birded some nearby woodlands which were alive with bird activity. We hit a brilliant bird party which gave us Olive and Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Long-billed Crombec, Green Wood Hoopoe, Chinspot Batis, Black Cuckooshrike, Kurrichane Thrush, Amethyst Sunbird and Spectacled Weaver. In the more open areas, we found Swainson’s Spurfowl, European Honey Buzzard, Grey Penduline Tit, Black-crowned Tchagra, Fan-tailed Widowbird and Flappet Lark.

After breakfast it was then the long drive back west through the Caprivi Strip to the Mahango area where we would be based for the next two nights. We arrived around mid-afternoon and then soon made our way out for the rest of the afternoon to the nearby Mahango Game Reserve. As always, the flood plain was alive with birds and animals and we quickly found Long-toed Lapwing, Wattled Crane, Yellow-billed Stork, Goliath and Squacco Herons, Bateleur, Water Thick-knee and large numbers of Red Lechwe. In the surrounding bush we found European Roller, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Green Wood Hoopoe, Swainson’s Spurfowl and the spectacular Crimson-breasted Shrike.

Day 15, 13^th November 2021. Mahango birding

We left before dawn this morning to be back in the woodlands around Katere (where we saw Souza’s Shrike a couple of days back) to look for a few other woodland specials. Our two primary targets were Sharp-tailed Starling and Rufous-bellied Tit. It didn’t take long before a group of 3-4 Rufous-bellied Tits showed well, alongside Brown-backed Honeybird, Yellow-throated Petronia, Neddicky and Striped Kingfishers. Some further exploration of these woodlands produced more great birds including Dark Chanting Goshawk, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Coqui Francolin, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Tinkling Cisticola and a distant calling Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Coqui Francolin is rather scarce in the Caprivi Strip but showed well for us.

Having worked the area hard and still no luck with the Sharp-tailed Starlings we decided to try a new patch of woodlands which eventually delivered the goods with a single bird in amongst a small group of Greater Blue-eared Starlings. The area further yielded Green-capped Eremomela and Black-headed Oriole.

Once back at camp the rest of the afternoon was spent birding the surrounding riverine forest and floodplain which gave us Mourning Collared Dove, Greater Blue-eared Starling and Yellow-billed Oxpecker. After this we headed out on another boat cruise which was again productive and we saw White-backed Night Heron, Collared and Rock Pratincoles, Woodland Kingfisher and South African Cliff Swallow. After dinner we headed out for some nocturnal birding and found Fiery-necked and Square-tailed Nightjars and African Wood Owl.

African Wood Owls are always a treat to see!

Day 16, 14^th November 2021. Leaving the Caprivi Strip

This was our last morning in the lush habitat of the Caprivi Strip before heading back west to the more arid zones of north-central Namibia and so we targeted any species we were likely to lose after today. The birding was a little on the slow side this morning but we did manage to find Icterine Warbler, Magpie Shrike, Banded Martin and Brown Firefinch.

Today was mostly a travel day as we made our way to Roy’s Camp, just outside of Grootfontein. The drive was fairly uneventful, although we did find a pair of Senegal Coucals which showed really well for us. We had a wander around Roy’s Camp just before dark which gave us good views of Black-faced Babbler, Common Scimitarbill, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver and Rosy-faced Lovebird.

Day 17, 15^th November 2021. Transfer to Okinjima

We did a couple hours of birding before breakfast which wasn’t too busy but did get new birds in the form of Yellow-breasted Apalis and Levaillant’s Cuckoo. After breakfast we made our way south to Okinjima Game Reserve where we were based for the next two nights. En route we found a couple of low-flying Bradfield’s Swifts which we had missed up until this point of the trip.

After checking into our accommodation, we headed out on our leopard-tracking drive which proved to be a lot of fun. Okinjima has a number of radio-collared Leopards for research purposes and they have opened up this activity to guests. Every kilometer or so, our game guide would get out and set up the antenna listening for the beep of the radio signal, over the next couple of hours the signal grew louder and louder (with a huge rainstorm along the way) before our guide spotted the Leopard just a few meters from our vehicle. We then sat with the Leopard for about 30 minutes as it noisily chomped away on a Steenbok carcass. While out on our drive we also came across a number of good birds including White-tailed Shrike, African Hawk-Eagle, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Southern Pied Babbler and a singing Rockrunner.

It took a while but we eventually managed to track down this beautiful radio-collared Leopard.

The day’s fun was however not yet over. After a scrumptious dinner, we headed out on a game drive vehicle and joined the pangolin-trackers as they listened for the beep of a radio-collared Temminck’s Ground Pangolin. After some searching, the animal showed itself and we got to spend about 20 minutes quietly following this strange animal as it went about feeding. Certainly, an experience to remember!

Day 18, 16^th November 2021. Okinjima birding and wildlife viewing

Today was our last full day in Namibia and we spent the day walking and driving around the large property. Although there was not much new to be seen, we did have some great sightings of Common and Bradfield’s Swifts, Purple Roller, Yellow Canary, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Barred Wren-Warbler, Brubru, Dusky Sunbird, Great Sparrow, Rüppell’s Parrot, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Black-faced Waxbill, Short-toed Rock Thrush and Black-chested Snake Eagle. The game viewing was impressive too with sightings of White Rhinoceros, (Hartmann’s) Mountain and Plains Zebras, Warthog, Giraffe, Kudu, Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Damara Dikdik, Steenbok, Chacma Baboon and Black-backed Jackal.

In the evening we saw Rufous-cheeked Nightjar and Spotted Eagle-Owl as well as a Honey Badger and Small Spotted Genet, while the bow-wow call of Freckled Nightjar was heard nearby.

Day 19, 17^th November 2021. Transfer to Windhoek and departure

This morning we had a nice walk and drive around some nearby koppies (small conical hills) which gave us brief sightings of Hartlaub’s Spurfowl and good views of Short-toed Rock Thrush and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater. As we were having our breakfast at the lodge a small group of Burchell’s Sandgrouse flew into the waterhole and provided nice views of a bird that we had missed up until now.

One never grows tired of seeing the delicate and beautiful Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.

Our flights home were in the late afternoon from Windhoek, so we had some time to bird around the city to see what last-minute species we could add to our list. We stopped at Avis Dam which was very birdy and provided trip ticks in the form of Orange River Francolin, African Sacred Ibis and African Spoonbill with Cape Shoveler, South African Shelduck, Blue-billed Teal, Red-knobbed Coot and Great White Pelican seen too. Soon afterwards, we had a late lunch and then headed to Windhoek Airport where we said our goodbyes after a fantastic 19 days in Namibia!

Bird List – Following IOC (11.2)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable. The Namibian endemic is bolded.

Mammal List

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