Mfuwe's Year.

[Galana]

41 minutes ago, xelas said:

500 is a done deal. But 600?'!!

I wish! 600 Elephants maybe!

[Galana]

So today was my last day on home turf and I failed miserably. Heck I even took my camera when shopping. Nothing of note.

So friends and followers, no more Manx birds to go in this year's total.  Sob! (That's not an American expletive but an expression of grief.)

But all is not lost for 2017. My BY will end where it started. Namibia (although technically Jan 1st was Kasane in Botswana on the way to the Border.)

Hopefully a mid day start on 9th Dec in Windhoek should kick start somethng and then a slow run through the north and west to end the year on Dec 31st at Sossusvlei. A lot of what I hope to see will be duplicates of course but I remain hopeful of a few more new ones. Surely both Flamingo and White-fronted Plovers won't let me down?

Target birds are Angola Cave Chat, Cinderella Waxbill and Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush.

I know @PeterHG is following i my tracks in February so if I find some good stuff I will leave some bread crumbs as markers.

Doctors orders limit me to one glass per day but I will raise it to you at Christmas and New Year.

Cheers.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Galana

[PeterHG]

Cheers to you, too @Galana ! I hope you'll have a wonderful trip! You do mention some mouth-watering species from up north and I will be more than happy to look for any bread crumbs you leave. I see you may just survive your daily ration of alcohol 

[michael-ibk]

Have a great trip, Galana, and go for #600!

[TonyQ]

@Galana

have a wonderful trip, enjoy you glass, and we look forward to lots of new birds when you return

[Galana]

Thanks everyone. I shall try for #600 but with so many possible 'duplicates' I will have my work cut out to avoid accidental double counting. I am missing out the Caprivi this trip to cut out driving so water birds will be problematic.

[Peter Connan]

I also want to wish you a wonderful trip.

[xelas]

X-mas and NY in Africa, @Galana?! You will beat me 2:1 on this front. So, 600 elephants are not possible, nor are there 600 birds in 2017. I wish you sunny days (it is after all the rainy season in Namibia ) and enough of first-in-the-year to pass the #500 easily! Safe travels to both of you!

[Dave Williams]

You call that a large drink! This is more like it!

That took nearly as much time to drink as the first one, I was quite distracted by the group of birders a few metres away trying for shots of a mere Common Kingfisher which I'm told was unusual for Singapore.

Edited December 8, 2017 by Dave Williams

[Galana]

Thanks all for the good wishes. For the first time ever I have made contact when away. I don't email or anything in case of summons home. Seems like you folks have corrupted the poor we innocent abroad.

This is not a blog so no account other than to say that we made it to first base, Frans INdongo Lodge at 19.13 last night after a memorable journey for all the wrong reasons.

A brief account.

Thursday we knew storm Caroline would blow herself out overnight so our midday flight 12.45 IOM-MAN would be OK to connect with 17.30 MAN-AMS ETA 19.20 which would give a nice margin for 23.00 AMS-WDH to arrve WDH 12.15. Clear airport- meet driver, transer to Hire Car at 13.15. easy drive of 300km to Frans Indongo.

Well that was the plan. Rabbi Burns knows all abour plans gannin aft a'glae. He was so bloody right!

Caroline had a cold tail and we woke to modest snow onFriday 8th. No problem we have checked in On Line for both Flymay be and KLM. KL made us an upgrade offer we could not refuse which placed us in row 2 so would get us off the plane in WDH aheadof the crowd for the Immigration and luggage carousel.So we given the modest snow we set off for IOM in good time and arrived just on 10.00 to lodge bags and after a staff huddle they declined and told us to rtn at 11.00. No explanation but my nose was twitching. Summat not reet!

So with nowt to do I wandered around and saw the 9..55 had not gone yet. Indeed itwas not due to go til

11.05. That would mean that it could not get back from MAN to leave againg at 12.45 with us aboard and our margin forthe AMS flight looked frail.

So to ticket ofice to see if we could get on delayed 9.55. Of course sir. That will be £250 each. No way.

So,nicely as can be I said how about a simple change fee to save me having to claim compensation when your 12.45 runs too late to make my connection? That will come to £500 too.

They conceeded and £80 changed hands and we went on the first plane.

We arrived MAN to clear weather and checked in with KLM. Good bye bags see you in WDH perhaps?

We did not leave MAN at 17.30, plane arived in late,wwe missed slot and waited. Then we shut down due to bad weather in AMS. We got off an hour late but still had a safe margin of over 3 hours to connect. So we indulged our new status by using KLM's excellent Crown Lounge. At the appropriate time we then wandered to the Gate to get on our last flight only to find the plane not there!!!! ETD now 23.30. Ho hum. Around 22.45 a large Airbus skidded to a halt at our gate and disgorged about 300 very unhappy people. After the kerfuffledieddown we got on plane at 23.30 and eventully got airborne at 00.25. 85 mins late.Well these longhauls can make that up overnight. NIce meal,roll out bed and get some sleep. Land at Luanda to discharge some folks, start up only 35 mins late now so looking good

for WDH only 30 mins late. Wrong, Burns had more in store yet. We shut down engines as the airport closed for  a VIP ceremony and they did not want our engines to drown the important speeaches. Just as well they could not hear mine either.

We did get of after wasting all the time we had made up overnight. !!!!!***!!*! WDH was made at 13.15. One hour late but we had a margin. Off the plane with passport in had and first to the nice lady who asked a couple of questions and we were through to the carousel with high hopes. One bag came up after a wee  while so no doubt the other would be along shortly eh Rabbie? Nope! It never bloody came at all! ****!  So now to lost luggage!! More waiting as we were  not alone! After filling in all the multiple questions and answers the lady wasted more time by asking the same bloody questions all over again!

Eventully we were advised our missing case would probably arrive on Monday!!

We met our lift and made Advanced Car Hire where they had done a brilliant job. We checked over and signed up, shook hands aqnd took off. Filled up with 120 litres at 16.10 with 300km to drive and not wanting to drive far after dark. Now to prove to @xelas it can be done.

We motored well. The XS speed buzzer kicked in but I worked out it could be beaten into submission with a simple trick! The policechecks and a broken down lorry slowed us a bit  but when we made Otjiworango before sunset I knew we had Rabbie licked.

We slowed for the final 20km dirt road and made our digs at 19.15.

Checked in. Nice dinner of Oryx and bed.

Sunday 10th.  This morning having no hat or boots we did not take our planned bush walk for birds and have had to make do with a drive on the back roads. Seen a few birds and guess I am clear of 500 now.

If this connection holds I may put a few up to share.

That me reporting frm sunny Namibia where there has been some rain.

[xelas]

57 minutes ago, Galana said:

This morning having no hat or boots

 

Who on Earth puts his hat and boots into checked luggage?! Oh yes, those that can roll out a bed ona long haul flight. Not us, luckily.

 

But it was a happy ending to not so happy flight(s). As for the "contra speech" we could do it as a duo, in twin language. Loud and clear!!

 

Will you teach me the trick?? Please!!

[Dave Williams]

At least you are there now despite the traumas! Enjoy. 

[Galana]

6 hours ago, xelas said:

Who on Earth puts his hat and boots into checked luggage?

Anybody who does not wish to look an even bigger pratt wearing a white bushhat in a bloody snowstorm?

And who hates having to shed his boots four times in Airport Security!!

As Davesays we are wherewe wished to be with a growing list.

And as @xelas says there is aprize for exotic locations how does this measure up for #492?

[Galana]

492 is of course a Rock Martin.

As is this just in case anybody was worried....

492. Rock Martin.

Whilst..........

 

#493 is a Banded Martin.

Gotta go. The clockwork spring on this device is showing signs of running down.

 

[PeterHG]

Hope you do get your bags soon. Then you can forget about the frustration of the flight and enjoy the wonders of Namibia! The first birds already in the bag...

[Galana]

23 hours ago, PeterHG said:

The first birds already in the bag. 

True enough. Problem is I don't have the definitive list with me so I cannot guarantee no duplicates. I would like to progress this list promptly whilst access to the interweb thingy lasts but this risks problems.

Also I will be posting first attempts which may not be of the best of the trip.

But still without Hat & Boots here are a few humble effrots to  make the half millenia.

494 Black-throated Canary. Frans Indongo Lodge.

 

495. Southern Masked Weaver.   F, I Lodge.

 

496. Scaly-feathered Finch.

 

497. Southern Great Sparrow.

 

498. Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill.

 

499. Southern Anteater Chat.

Drum roll......

 

500. Rosy or Peach-faced Lovebird,

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on the 500 and sorry about the journey. At least you are there without luggage and not vice versa....

[TonyQ]

500- well done. An amazing number, and a lovely bird to achieve it.

[Peter Connan]

Amazing total, with some truly fabulous birds captured! Well done.

[xelas]

Congratulations! Arriving to #500 is an exceptional feat, doing so without hat&boots even more so !

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations on #500,well done! Love the Rosy-Faced Lovebird, have never seen that one myself.

[PeterHG]

Congrats on the 500! Impressive collection.

[Dave Williams]

Excellent milestone to achieve, well done!

 

[Galana]

Back in contact for a while. List growing. I wanted 550 by leaving Etosha this AM and just scraped home. Heavy rains each evening now has scrubbed target for Cindy Waxbill. I am on Kunene at the moment.

I will test the wiffy with a nice piccy but will save most for later.

I will test @Peter Connan black bird at night in dark place with a photo, BIFof a known Barn Owl over Halali waterhole.Just wait for that.

No luggage as yet....

[Tdgraves]

Still no luggage - what on Earth have you done about that? Can’t imagine many accessible stores with the requisite supplies....