This is my account of my birding done while staying at Ndhovu Safari Lodge while passing through there for two nights as a tour guide. Not that the guests I had were not birders (although they did appreciate birds,) which affects how much birding I could do. I know that I missed some basics and certainly missed some of the birds that I had hoped for. I did, however, get one new lifer.
This post follows from my last post about my latest Namibian tour
Day one: After getting there, check in and getting the guests settled in, I hit the birds…
Goliath Heron
African Hoopoe
Meyer’s Parrot
There were loads around, almost always flying over. I just love parrots – wild ones, of course
Giant Kingfisher
African Yellow White-eye
Hartlaub’s Babbler
Saddle-billed Stork
Over the river. I love these birds.
Grey Go-away-bird
Ashy Flycatcher
Black-collared Barbet
Grey Heron
African Skimmer
This bird alone makes a visit to
Hamerkop
That night:
Wood Owl
A wood owl is by no means rare and I have seen a number, but it is always considered a good bird.
Next Day, our full day at Ndhovu. The morning started with a run of birds while I waited for my guests to come for breakfast. Birders not, if on tour with me in
Dark-capped Bulbul
Green Wood-hoopoe
Bearded Woodpecker
Kurrichane Thrush
Fork-tailed Drongo
Red-eyed Dove
African Fish Eagle
The African nature icon
Grey Hornbill
Black Crake
Green-backed Heron
Cape Turtle-dove
Spur-winged Goose
I got a good sighting of a Cape Clawless Otter while I was alone on the deck, waiting for my guests.
Red-eyed Dove
African Sacred Ibis
White-crowned Lapwing
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Laughing Dove
African Morning Dove
At the feeder near the deck at Ndhovu I counted five doves. I know some birder’s almost dismiss the doves, but here in the Caprivi, they count a lot to a trip list (I got six doves overall in the area…amazing.)
Pied Kingfisher
Swamp Boubou
Black-headed Oriole
Red-billed Oxpecker
If you don’t know much about oxpeckers, they are birds in the middle of a conservation problem…they eat ticks from the backs of large herbivores, and so their numbers have been threatened tremendously by dipping for ticks. In some areas, were the birds have been wiped out by cattle dipping, there are now efforts to re-introduce them as natural tick removers for the cattle.
Off the Mahangu on a game drive lead by the owner from Ndhovu.
Magpie Shrike
Mev’s Longtailed Starling
Lilac Breasted Roller
Shikra
At Mahangu’s entrance
Green-winged Pytilia
Crowned Lapwing
Red-billed Quelea
Temminck’s Courser
Pied Barbet
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Red-billed Francolin
Crimson-breasted Shrike
Sorry I don’t have a camera. If you don’t know this bird then you must image search it. Please.
White-browed Sparrow-weaver
Carmine bee-eater
Image search again. Sorry.
Great Egret
Blacksmith Lapwing
Blue Waxbill
Arrow-marked Babbler
Purple Roller
White-backed Vulture
Emerald Spotted Dove
Namaqua Dove
Darter
White-faced Duck
Little Bee-eater
Greater Scimitarbill
Yellow-billed Egret
Squacco Heron
African Jacana
Long-toed Lapwing
Lesser-stripped Swallow
Red-billed Buffalo-weaver
Grey-backed Camaroptera
African Openbilled Stork
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Red-eyed Bulbul
Back at camp
Wattled Starling
Rufous-bellied Heron
My lifer, which I saw flying over the river while we were at the main building over lunch. I stayed around and saw it at 15h04. We ended up seeing a few. I have done many boat trips asking for this bird, but somehow had always missed it. Now, here we were just getting several of them in one afternoon. Don’t all birders know that one?
Spectacled Weaver
Southern Black Tit
Reed Cormorant
Boat Trip
White-breasted Cormorant
Water Thick-knee
Little Egret
Yellow-billed Stork
Pied Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
Back-winged Stilt
Brown-throated Martin
Malachite Kingfisher
White-fronted Bee-eater
African Marsh Harrier
Bat Hawk
The owner didn’t even know what it was. Amazing to see one flying just over us. This bird is a good bird almost anywhere. They mainly have such a limited time out and they fly when the light is poor, so id is difficult.
Grey-headed Gull
Sort of cool to see this bird here on the river. It’s more common in Swakopmund.
Next morning
Red-headed Weaver
Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
White-browed Robin-chat
Violet-backed Starling
All in all, a fun couple of days birding. I certainly pulled my non-birding guests into the birding experience a little bit.
If you would like to have some fun birding with me in the Caprivi, book a private tailor made tour with me at Frantic Naturalist Tours and Safaris.
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