All quiet on the western front - PM 2023

[pedro maia]

N12 (W644), Southern masked weaver (Ploceus velatus)

[pedro maia]

N13, Fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)

Edited April 13, 2023 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

N14, Cape starling (Lamprotornis nitens)

[pedro maia]

N15, Helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris)

[pedro maia]

N16, Southern cordonbleu (Uraeginthus angolensis)

[pedro maia]

N17 (W645), Damara red-billed hornbill (Tockus damarensis)

 

[Dave Williams]

I totally get where you are coming from Pedro. A annual BY can be a task too far so accumulating the score to Big Years makes the perfect way of keeping something going without being repetitive.

Namibia....mmmm, yes I'd like to go back! I hope you found time to do the "Little Five" tour in the dunes near Swakopmund, it was brilliant!

[pedro maia]

2 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I totally get where you are coming from Pedro. A annual BY can be a task too far so accumulating the score to Big Years makes the perfect way of keeping something going without being repetitive.

Namibia....mmmm, yes I'd like to go back! I hope you found time to do the "Little Five" tour in the dunes near Swakopmund, it was brilliant!

I did the Sandwich Harbour tour, which I enjoyed a lot, the tour you mention was the other choice but I couldn’t do both, I chose the one that I thought would please the rest of the family more.

[Kitsafari]

welcome back @pedro maia and a fine selection to begin with!

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, pedro maia said:

I did the Sandwich Harbour tour, which I enjoyed a lot, the tour you mention was the other choice but I couldn’t do both, I chose the one that I thought would please the rest of the family more.

We did both that and the Little 5 tour. Both very enjoyable, you can see what you missed on my TR from back then! I would do both again. Interestingly we were recommended not to stay in Swakopmund for more than a couple of nights. We stayed longer and in fact that wasn't enough either! https://davewilliamsnaturephotography.blogspot.com/search/label/Namibia 2017

I would love to go back.

[xelas]

Wow, @pedro maia! Namibia in a week! That includes also flights ?! Anyway, you did choose a great itinerary. And for us drivers, driving around is more than half the fun! The landscapes and the views from the front seats are indeed spectacular. If you will not post a separate TR please add a few comments and photos about your chosen accommodation.

 

Excellent birds already on your first stop! Looking forward to see them more.

[pedro maia]

2 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

welcome back @pedro maia and a fine selection to begin with!

Thanks @Kitsafari.

[pedro maia]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

We did both that and the Little 5 tour. Both very enjoyable, you can see what you missed on my TR from back then! I would do both again. Interestingly we were recommended not to stay in Swakopmund for more than a couple of nights. We stayed longer and in fact that wasn't enough either! https://davewilliamsnaturephotography.blogspot.com/search/label/Namibia 2017

I would love to go back.

I read your TR before going and I was doubtful on what tour to chose, and I liked Swakopmund, I think it’ a (not so little) quaint interesting town.

[pedro maia]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

Wow, @pedro maia! Namibia in a week! That includes also flights ?! Anyway, you did choose a great itinerary. And for us drivers, driving around is more than half the fun! The landscapes and the views from the front seats are indeed spectacular. If you will not post a separate TR please add a few comments and photos about your chosen accommodation.

 

Excellent birds already on your first stop! Looking forward to see them more.

7 nights in Namibia plus 2 nights flying.

 

For me it’s just as you say, I love driving so the driving part was a very important and fun part of the trip, and I was the solo driver, a bit tiring but no complains on that.

 

I won’t be doing a separate TR but I’ll post here some information and some non birding pictures, most taken with the phone.

[pedro maia]

First full day in Namibia, we left Okahandja after 8:00am and the idea was to arrive at the Twyfelfontein Country Lofge in time do have lunch, we had nearly 360km ahead of us, the tar sections were uneventful, I didn´t stop for birds, then we entered the gravel roads time to slow down and get used to those conditions and somewhere after Omatjete, I think, the landscape started to get more interesting.

 

 

 

And the cool road signs started to be seen

 

 

Road D2612 was quite narrow and bumpy but the final 10km, until the turn to our lodge, we tarred, the tar seemed brand new, it was a bit of a relief for that final streched but at the same time I think gravel would be way cooler.

 

 

[pedro maia]

Species photographed by the road:

 

N18 (W646),  Purple roller (Coracias naevius )

[pedro maia]

N19 (W647), Red-crested korhaan (Lophotis ruficrista)

[pedro maia]

N20 (W648), Monteiro's hornbill (Tockus monteiri)

[xelas]

1 hour ago, pedro maia said:

I think gravel would be way cooler.

Gravel is waaay coooler!

[Galana]

Nice birds.

What time was lunch? 360km is a days run for most folks.

[pedro maia]

9 hours ago, Galana said:

Nice birds.

What time was lunch? 360km is a days run for most folks.

 

Around 2:00 pm, toasts and some much needed beers.

[pedro maia]

This trip was not going to be a safari, we wouldn´t even go to Etosha since it doesn´t seem to be the best time of the year to see animals there, but I really wanted to see the desert adapted elephants and I had find the place to look for them that was closer to Windhoek, since the rest of the trip was to the south.

 

The first choice and that involved less km was the Brandberg White Lady Lodge, but I also ound out that in April the ellies aren´t probably in that area so according to my online searches, the Twyfelfontein Country Lodge was the most sure choice, even if it envolved a fair amount of driving for a one night touch and go thing and the risk of Fred´s desaproval .

 

The Lodge is quite big compared to others in the area, it is obvious that it caters for groups as well, but the cosiest lodges are either more basic or more expensive so the choice was made, with no regrets, and it was a good choice, it was far for full capacity and no groups were seen during our only night stay.

 

There are 8 room chalets separated from the main building, I just don´t know if it is as pleasant when it´s full, probably no.

 

Some views of the lodge and it´s grounds, with some wildlife:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I said, the goal here was to see the desert elephants, the game drive would start at 4:00pm, at first there was hope that we would have the drive all to ourselves but 4 other people went as well. I asked our guide for our chances to see the ellies, he said 90%, they had stayed in the lodge grounds for 3 days but left 2 days prior to our arrival, the day before they were seen somwhere in the Huab river bed, one hour from the lodge, so it was going to be a matter of luck since they can travel a lot in one day. According to our guide, before visiting our lodge the elephants stayed for one week in the nearby Camp Kipwe, where they destroyed the pumping system and left the lodge and it´s guests without water...

 

So off we went for about one hour, after arriving to the Huab river it took less than half an hour of searching until our guide spotted a group of 6 ellies and we were able to stay with them for quite a while before they moved away, I must say this was the most laid back relaxed group of elephants I have seen so far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pedro maia]

And the birds seen in the lodge and during the game drive:

 

N21 (W649), Red-eyed bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans)

Edited April 16, 2023 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

N22 (W650), Pale-winged Starling (Onychognathus nabouroup)

Edited April 16, 2023 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

N23, Lark-like bunting (Emberiza impetuani)

Edited April 16, 2023 by pedro maia