All quiet on the western front - PM 2023

[Galana]

4 hours ago, pedro maia said:

And in case I´m wrong with that ID,

But you are not.

Nice photos. Enjoyed the sandy track.

[Peter Connan]

Love the scenic shots.

 

I really love those Damaraland dry river beds.

But the begging really gets me down.

[pedro maia]

So we had a well deserved lunch at the Cape Cross Lodge, a bit slow but we were in no hurry, I went outside to check the birds by the beach but there wasn´t much activity at that time of the day:

 

N39 (W659), Cape wagtail (Motacilla capensis)

[pedro maia]

N40, Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus)

N41, Sanderling (Calidris alba)

 

[pedro maia]

Of course we had to visit the nearby seal colony, the numbers are really impressive, so is the smell.

 

 

 

 

And it was time for the final stretch of the day that would lead us to Swakopund, with a brief stop to see a shipwreck

 

 

And another to take some pictures of a Black-backed jackal

 

[pedro maia]

As I said before we found Swakopmund a very pleasant town, with the very interesting German influence, a good setting by the sea and a mild climate before the heat we woulg get in the desert further south.

 

We stayed at the Desert Breeze Lodge, a perfect choice in my opinion.

 

A room with a view

 

 

Me and my wife we stayed at room nº1, with a perfect setting

 

 

Beautiful sunrise 

 

 

We stayed 2 nights in Swakopmund and had dinner at The Jetty and at The Tug, we liked both but preferred The Tug, and the oysters were smaller and better.

 

These are from The Jetty

 

 

[pedro maia]

I was hoping for a good amount of species from Swakopmund, but the "harvest" wasn´t as rich as expected, mainly becaus I went to the salt pans at sunrise, hoping to add terns and waders but returned with a fat zero because of the fog.

 

Birds from Swakopmund:

 

N42, Hartlaub's gull (Larus hartlaubii)

[pedro maia]

N43, Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

 

[pedro maia]

N44, Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Edited April 18, 2023 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

N45, Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

[pedro maia]

N46 (W660), Speckled pigeon (Columba guinea)

[pedro maia]

N47), Namaqua dove (Oena capensis)

[pedro maia]

N48 (W661), Crowned cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus)

[pedro maia]

N49 (W662), White-fronted plover (Charadrius marginatus)

 

[xelas]

The fog does affect early morning bird photography. But when it dissipate one gets shots like your WFP!

[pedro maia]

18 minutes ago, xelas said:

The fog does affect early morning bird photography. But when it dissipate one gets shots like your WFP!

 I think those are nice pictures by my standards but those were taken st the beach in Swakopmund where there wasn’t an fog, at the salt pans there was nothing I could do.

[pedro maia]

I forgot one species from Swakopmund, I can see it here but it adds to the trip count:

 

N50, Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

[Galana]

Good to follow in your tracks. Cape Cross does have birds too. There should have been Damara Terns by the seal colony and along the shore.

I share your enthusiasm for Desert Breeze although you now have to work harder for birds in the grounds.

Good food at both The Tug and Jetty, I prefer the latter for the views of the  Crowned Cormorants roosting by the windows and the occasional whale passing by.

Shame about the fog. Timings are more Tide orientated.

Cute WFP with chick.

[pedro maia]

19 minutes ago, Galana said:

Good to follow in your tracks. Cape Cross does have birds too. There should have been Damara Terns by the seal colony and along the shore.

I share your enthusiasm for Desert Breeze although you now have to work harder for birds in the grounds.

Good food at both The Tug and Jetty, I prefer the latter for the views of the  Crowned Cormorants roosting by the windows and the occasional whale passing by.

Shame about the fog. Timings are more Tide orientated.

Cute WFP with chick.

 

I looked for birds at the seal colony but apart from gulls I didn´t see anything. The grounds of the S«Desert Breeze were also improductive, only sparrows and pigeons, and I wasn´t also lucky in the nearby dry river bed.

 

Regarding the fog, in spite of my unsuccessful drive to the salt pans, I think we were pretty lucky because there was no fog in Swakopmund while we were there.

[pedro maia]

Our full day in Swakopmund was spent in a very pleasant stroll around the town and, in the afternoon a Sandwich Harbour tour from Walvis Bay, which we really enjoyed.

 

We haven´t been before in a sand dune desert and it a stricking scenery, in particularly this one with the dunes nearly merging with the see, it´s an incredible contrast well worth a visit.

 

Our guide was Elmar, a very nice guy, he was quite happy when we showed interest in seeing also the wildlife and, while not beeing a birder himself, when I said I wanted to see birds and especially to try a spot a Dune lark, the only endemic bird from Namibia (I think),

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pedro maia]

And the (few) birds:

 

N51 (W663), Lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)

N52, Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by pedro maia

[pedro maia]

N53, Common ostrich (Struthio camelus)

[pedro maia]

N54, Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis)

[pedro maia]

N55 (W664), Great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

[pedro maia]

N56, Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)