Botswana and South Africa

[Jochen]

European roller?

 

Yes

 

Wooly necked stork?

 

Yes

Saddle billed stork

 

Yes

And many birds that I don't recall the names of.

 

Those are;

- Wire Tailed Swallow

- Three Banded Plover

- Woodland Kingfisher

 

Not sure on the raptor. The red feet and non-yellow cere throw me off. Don't have any app or book here at work. Will have a look tonight.

 

The spider is a golden orb spider.

And the antelope is indeed a bushbuck.

[graceland]

Final thoughts on Mala Mala

 

We really enjoyed our time there, but I am not sure I would feel the same if the camp had been full. The service was incredible; I felt a bit like I was living in Downton Abbey. For example, our vehicle was returned to us washed and with a flat tire changed! (We did not realize we had a flat tire when we arrived.). Your ranger works very hard and eats all of his meals with you. He also gets your drinks and takes your breakfast order. I felt uncomfortable with all he was doing.

 

There were a few things that struck me as odd. One was that the day is designed to discourage mingling between guests. You eat with your ranger and anyone else in your vehicle for all of your meals. Pre-dinner cocktails are split up by vehicle. I barely learned the names of anyone else at Mala Mala.

 

In addition there was a real emphasis on seeing the big five. We had not seen any lions going into our last game drive and really didn't care if we saw any. We told Nic this was not a big deal for us. On our way back to camp we practically ran over a lion at the last turn into camp. While we were checking out, a manager mentioned how glad they were that we saw those lions as they were thinking of putting up posters so we would see them. Just odd as it was not our emphasis at all.

 

I did like the information sheets the had posted outside the ranger room. They showed the territories of the various cats and their histories. I got a good feel for the various leopards and lion prides and their lives.

 

Finally, I promise to make the next installments shorter!

@@Double Dare - the one thing I always enjoyed at a permanent camp/lodge is interaction between guests; meeting them; hearing of their safari/travel stories (some great ideas for future trips)

 

With the cost you pay for such a lodge, can you not "suggest" joining others to mingle? It seems a bit too regimented for me. The guide certainly has enough to do to prepare for the day; why serve breakfast (unless in a box out in the bush!) and then make him entertain you at dinner!

I know Mala Mala is popular but your description -IF I were thinking of going - would be a turn off.

 

When in Bots, at our WS camps, we arranged our last night to join with a group for a "goodbye

game drive" as we had such good times together at dinner. I still keep up with them. It was a highlight to end the trip. We had a huge sundowner party in a beautiful spot, late return- and then a cocktail party for all the guests and one huge table to share the night. Mike and Marion Myers from WS were also there and kept us highly entertained with stories of their "life in the bush". Rather like being a guest in a private home. That is my idea of an evening at a permanent camp.

 

I thought begin a guest at a lodge meant they'd be working WITH you to make the best trip ever and IF you desire to mingle, they would make it happen. I might have pushed that a bit. That is good info for folks to know if they are planning Mala Mala.

Or they may not care. Choices for everyone!

 

And please keep the report as long as you want...continue on!

[Jochen]

 

 

Not sure on the raptor. The red feet and non-yellow cere throw me off. Don't have any app or book here at work. Will have a look tonight.

 

OK. Juvenile pale chanting goshawk. Or juvenile dark chanting goshawk. Can't see the tail bars so can't say hich one of those two.

[Double Dare]

Thanks @@Jochen for the identifications!

[Kitsafari]

you captured another kill - the golden orb spider with the dung beetle! that is a great shot.

[Spalding]

Hi. Ben here....I need some ID help with my bird photos: (I have a couple of butterflies too!) any help appreciated

#1

 

#2

 

#3

 

#4

 

#5

 

#6

 

#7

 

#8

 

#9

 

#10

 

#11

 

#12

 

#13

 

#14

 

#15

 

#16

 

#17

 

#18

[Soukous]

This sounds like fun.

It would be a big help if you could tell us where the photos were taken.

[Soukous]

Definitely not as easy as I thought it would be.

Let's pick off the easy ones...

these are my guesses

#1 Chestnut Weaver

#2 African Pied Wagtail

#3

#4

#5 Black collared barbet

#6 a sandgrouse of some sort

#7

#8

#9 Denham's bustard

#10

#11 Yellow Billed Duck

#12 Squacco heron

#13 - duplicate of #7

#14 - duplicate of #8

#15

#16

#17 Crested Barbet

[Tdgraves]

some help??

#16 is a coucal, but with my recent misidentification (see my big year), I wouldn't like to say which one!!

#7 and 13 look like a female knob billed duck

[Double Dare]

Ben is my husband! Most of these pictures were taken in Botswana. A few were in South Africa around Kruger. I believe the coucal is a copper tailed coucal, but I am not sure.

[Spalding]

Fantastic thanks! sorry for the duplicates. We are down to a few - so I can ID the locations (the photos should have GPS tags on them as well - so we could really narrow down where they were taken)

#1 Chestnut Weaver

#2 African Pied Wagtail

#3 (taken at Chitabe Camp, Wilderness Safaris, Botswana)

#4 (taken at Chitabe Camp, Wilderness Safaris, Botswana)

#5 Black collared barbet

#6 a sandgrouse of some sort

#7 female knob billed duck

#8 (taken at Little Vumbura, Wilderness Safaris, Botswana)

#9 Denham's bustard

#10 (taken in Dullstroom, South Africa, Walkersons)

#11 Yellow Billed Duck

#12 Squacco heron

#13 - female knob billed duck

#14 - duplicate of #8

#15 (taken at Kings Pool, Wilderness Safari, Botswana)

#16 coucal (taken at Kings Pool, Wilderness Safari, Botswana)

#17 Crested Barbet

[Soukous]

Ben is my husband! Most of these pictures were taken in Botswana. A few were in South Africa around Kruger. I believe the coucal is a copper tailed coucal, but I am not sure.

 

That's good, we were wondering why he had hijacked your thread.

[Spalding]

#18 was taken at Kings Pool as well. I believe some sort of weaver.

[Kitsafari]

 

Ben is my husband! Most of these pictures were taken in Botswana. A few were in South Africa around Kruger. I believe the coucal is a copper tailed coucal, but I am not sure.

 

That's good, we were wondering why he had hijacked your thread.

good to know too. i had the same thought as soukous.

 

isnt wonderful we have expert help so fast? im learning too.... thanks ben!

[Spalding]

I more ID help.....

 

#1 at Malamala, ZA

 

#2 some sort of Eagle, Little Vumbura, Botswana

 

#3 Kings Pool, Botswana

[Spalding]

i figured out #2 already. Wahlberg's eagle.

[Double Dare]

I thought I might continue my very late Botswana trip report, brings back great memories! Our first stop in Botswana was Chitabe. We had a great time and wonderful sightings. Luke was our guide.

 

Luke

 

I will just give a few of the highlights in Chitabe. One highlight for me was seeing the two eagle owls in the true and hearing them vocalizing to each other. We also saw a singular eagle owl in the early morning.

 

I just love the pink eyelids!

[Double Dare]

We also had a beautiful early morning leopard sighting

 

The bird life was incredible! I loved how the birds would follow the vehicle picking off the insects disturbed by our driving.

[Double Dare]

Elephants, hippos, tsessebe, and lone wildebeest guarding their territories - every day was magical!

[Double Dare]

I can't forget the water birds!

[Double Dare]

While almost hitting a lion on the road back to camp at night was very exciting, (everyone uses the roads) I would have to say our most memorable moment occurred the last morning of our stay.

 

We saw a beautiful martial eagle in a tree.

 

Something caught his attention and he flew down to the ground. We were able to get close to him and watched him cape over his prey.

 

He flew to a log and we were able to see he had a rock monitor.

 

Full disclosure, we may have seen a reenactment. There was a distinct smell of dead animal so I am not sure the monitor was alive when he landed on it. Regardless, what a show!

[Marks]

Haha, a reenactment - I guess he just wanted to make sure you got it on camera.

Excellent job capturing the hornbill in mid-meal, too.

[Double Dare]

Thank you @@Marks. My husband does the photography - I just watch!