The trip to the farm posed a few obstacles. One of them was foreseen, the Limpopo River was full, so a detour needed to be planned to get across to Botswana. Unforeseen was the crippled landcruiser upon arrival at the docking station. The dashboard panel was dismounted, the battery was flat and the braking system was dis-functional. We managed to get the engine running, but the brakes needed to be sorted out later.

First Duties

Break fixing

The second most important duty was to ‘dress’ the landcruiser. So far the cruiser had been driving without the usual signs of a nature reserve: door-stickers to indicate the origin of the vehicle. I ‘guessed’ the size of the doors and the stickers I ordered were sort of in specs.

Dressing a Cruiser

It looks goooood.

All of Us

As we were with 12 and a single open landcruiser, I opted to stay in camp during the mornings. I setup my portable hide a few steps outside the main camp. A small man-made waterhole with some nice bush around provided for a nice location to photograph the small birds visiting the area. The main visitors were redbilled quelea, making a lot of noise and attracting other birds as well to the waterhole. Quelea have a particular way of approaching the water, in a kind of social way: they line up. The front row takes a mouthful of water and leaves, the next row of birds moves in to take its turn. If all goes to plan and undisturbed it looks like a circular motion, where everyone gets a turn to take some water in a very and amazingly orderly fashion.

A Pair of Quelea

Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Now we get to the «Moons & Kingfishers» bit. On new year’s eve and on a few other moments as we toured through the region, we had very nice interactions with the moon. Full moon was coming again, the second time in the month of December, aka a «Blue Moon». The first time, moon was up late in the afternoon, as the sun was just disappearing over the horizon. As we were watching the clarity of the moon through our binoculars and lenses, we suddenly saw a large group of Black Storks passing through the front of the moon, providing a very exciting effect next to the moon.

Stork Moon

Click on the image for a larger version

That same evening at camp we set up the tripods and telescopes again to get nice images of the very bright moon. Ian took a portable loaded with Stellarium, a very user friendly program to view the stellar configuration of the sky at any location on earth. Fun ! Full moon was indeed predicted.

Nearly Full Moon

Click on the image for a larger version

The next day full moon was official and I took two more images: one early in the evening as it still colored orange and one later at night. At first I through we had a wining moon again, until we realised this was a partial moon eclipse !

Full Moon Rising

Full Moon Partial Eclipse

The reason for second part of the blog title «Kingfishers» was of course the presence and find of the many Kingfishers in the region. Although there are many more, we saw Woodland, Pygmy, Grey-Headed and Brown-Hooded Kingfishers. Listed here below, including the individual calls.

Woodland Kingfisher

Probably the most well-known king fisher of the region. A summer visitor with a very distinctive and lovely bushcall. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher

A resident kingfisher, calling closely to how a Woodland Kingfisher sounds. Unfortunately my flash didn’t fire, so the shadows are not very nicely lit. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Grey-Headed Kingfisher

A scarce summer visitor, calling closely but slower to how a Brown-Hooded Kingfisher sounds. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

African Pygmy Kingfisher

A non-aquatic summer visiting woodland and savanna Kingfisher. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Finally a section dedicated to what I did mostly during our stay in Shashe: hiding in a bird-hide. Since this farm doesn’t fall under the more restrictive rules of a ‘regular’ game farm, wandering around camp and beyond is not an issue. Of course one is in the bush, so a higher state of alert is necessary.

Bird Hiding

Most time I spent near a waterhole, where with the help of a few branches I set up perches for the birds to land on. Most of the time, the waterhole was frequented by Redbilled Quelea, but due to their presence they attracted a lot of other birds, who lost their fear for this strange structure (the hide). Once in a while, the wind would increase in strength and would rattle the hide and all birds would take flight. A few minutes and they would be back. Her a small selection of birds that frequented the water hole:

Jameson’s Firefinch

A thornfeld common resident. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Black-Faced Waxbill

A dry thornfeld common resident. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Blue Waxbill

A resident to thornfeld, suburbia and woodland. In this image you see male (top) and female. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

White-Winged Widowbird

A grassland and gregarious resident. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

Paradise Flycatcher (female)

Coastal and riverine forrests: summer visitor. Click on the following link to hear its call. [See post to listen to audio]

More images can be found on Shashe 2010 Photo Gallery.

Elephants at the waterhole

This image was created using the flash with better beamer. Since the focal distance was so small, only the center of the image is lit by the flash

Large herd migrations were perhaps out of scope for this time, we did arrive back at camp when a huge swarm of Redbilled Quelea’s gathered around the camps waterhole site for a drink.

Redbilled Quelea’s

In such large numbers, even small birds make so much noise that when taking off they sound like a passing truck convoy

The first afternoon drive led us through one of the riverbeds, once running through the Chobe. Due to vulcanic and tectonic plate activity in the region, this part of the chobe lifted so much that some rivers fell dry and created a new habitat: savanah instead of swamp. This is where we met this Bateleur.

Bateleur Eagle

“Bateleur” is French for “tight-rope walker”. As visible in this image, a Bateleur eagle has almost no tail, at least not as much as most other eagles. Failing this tail, flight balance is mostly done using the wings. As the bateleur is doing this, it looks like he is walking a tight rope.

That rain was in the air, was made clear to us by finding this Glossy Ibis. Normally these birds arrive when the rains have filled the pools, canals and rivers of the Chobe. Since it was still bone dry, this specimen must have been an early arrival, or the sign of late rain.

Glossy Ibis

It really doesn’t matter where or when you can photograph bee-eaters, they never bore me. Their liquid calls, acrobatic flights and color are simply beautiful.

Little Bee-eater

On one of our drives through the large flats of the chobe flood planes, we passed a large number of Black Korhaans, calling to announce a territory, as a start for the breeding season.

Black Korhaan

Returning to camp we had a good view at a striped coucal, a bird that attracts many birders.

Striped Coucal

The next morning we were treated to the first rainfall. And when it rains, it rains good and a vast amount of water is litterally dumped to earth.

Bull Frog

In these (sometimes brief) periods of water-filled pools, bullfrogs emerge from their underground hibernation places to mate, breed and submerge. This happens in one morning, amazing. And then you have to realise that bullfrog sometimes remain hidden for more than one year.

The remainder of the afternoon left the weather to be overcast and this giraf presented itself nicely.

Giraf

Usually, the afternoon hours just need to be used for a siesta, but I can’t. Being in the bush is not happening so often so if I am not too dreamy, I stay awake and try and find some action. This time, at the peak of the day, I wittnessed how a Yellowbilled Kite was hovering the waterhole at our camp, in front of our cabine. Some doves were drinking and for some reason, the dove in this image didn’t notice the kite in time and got a fright when he flew over. Normally, the doves are alert but don’t panic and normally the kite ignores the doves as they are much faster in the small space. Not this time, the panic reaction of the dove made the kite take the chase.

Yellowbilled Kite hunting a Dove

The dove managed to do a few zick-zacks and the kite was not able to keep up, until the dove thought it was safe and started on a straight line towards the forrest edge.

Yellowbilled Kite hunting a Dove

This is the wrong thing with these kites, as they can gain enormous speeds in just a few flaps. End sealed for the dove and this is the image that I saw in my viewfinder:

The final approach

The dove made no chance and when it looked back it was too late. From my first image to the last (there a a few more after this one) took 5.5 seconds …. Well worth not being asleep for !

On our last game drive we didn’t see much, but did see this parrot at the gate.

Meyer’s Parrot

And this hornbill at his nest.

Bradfield’s Hornbill

Finally as the epilogue of this Botwana report, I want to finish with Botswana’s national bird, the Lilacbreasted Roller.

Botswana’s National Bird

Lilacbreasted Roller

The last bird I photographed was on the runway, for our flight back to Maun. Dark clouds were coming in and the rainy season was now really knocking on the door. The winds were well resisted by this Crowned Lapwing standing in the wind as if it were a hurricane.

Crowned Lapwing

See for additional images also: Sable Ranch & Botswana Gallery

Lilacbreasted Roller

Let me start with showing the Botswana national bird first, as an homage to the beauty of this place.

At our hut I sat to ‘kill’ the midday hours and was closely inspected by this small fellow. Very small and quick moving, I could hardly get him within the minimum focussing distance.

Greybacked Camaroptera

This image is a composition of two consecutive images, where the head of image two was placed on the body of image one. This was entirely done using photshop, with a series of quick masks.

The remainder of the afternoon I went into a mokoro and inspected the reed field in front of the main viewing deck. Not expecting much, I was surprised by the special encounter with the painted reed frogs. Very small frogs, of around 2cm, that color white during daylight and turn darker and more patterned in low light conditions.

Painted Reed Frogs

In this image you can see a slight difference in coloration, it depends per animal.

Not expecting much from the mokoro trip, I was happy I did it: also the small animals are worth the visit.

Jumping Reed Frog

Most of the day they sit still, feet tucked in, waiting for the evening, when they get active. But once in a while, one shows its underparts and then the red feet become visible.

Reedfrog

The afternoon drive brought not much in terms of game and also the birds seemed to know we were coming. A nice scene though was provided by these oxpeckers, sitting on the back of a wildebeest.

Redbilled Oxpecker

Male Lion, Yawning his head off

Highlight of this first day in Chief’s was a couple of male lions laying to rest in the grass. Once in a while a head would come up from out the grass and a big yawn was given to us.

The next couple of days we basically enjoyed the birdlife, as the large herds of animals were simply not around. A few of the birdsightings from those short rides.

Longtailed Starling

Copperytailed Coucal

Hooded Vulture

Yellowbilled Kite

A special encounter we experienced one morning as we drove out of camp. A tree had just been demolished by an elephant, through which a bee-nest was exposed on the inner side of the tree. As we passed, a Lesser Honeyguide was feeding on the remaining larvae: the colony was gone though. We wondered if the honeyguide would have guided the elephant …. !!

Lesser Honeyguide

On the same drive we passed a large baboon group. The leader of the group choose a high termite mount as his lookout point to watch over his group.

Baboon Sentry

The afternoon drive presented us with two birds, both hunting for their respective insects: the bee-eater went for a locust.

Swallowtailed Bee-eater

The yellowbilled oxpeckers went for ticks on a warthog’s back.

Yellowbilled Oxpeckers

See for additional images also: Sable Ranch & Botswana Gallery

View on the Delta

On our first game drives we enjoyed the views and sceneries, with herd of animals passing through. Although we anticipated the wet season to have started, we were still at the end of the dry season. The large herds, the rains and the pools filling up with water, was still ahead off us, the wet season started late. But, we did see some of it, as some small herds of Zebra decided to move forward in happy anticipation of the wet season.

Zebra Herd

On the way back, the lovey sunset and accompanying light presented us with this herd of Impala:

Impala in sunset

The next morning, in the earliest rays of light at around 6am, I walked into this little family of Pearl Spotted Owls. Mom was feeding the young. I just had my monopod with me, but managed this halfway decent image of mom and young on this branch. Note the cricket in moms beak.

Pearl Spotted Owls

The long drive that followed, we were looking for a Cheetah that was apparently separated from his group. This separation was caused by a Lion group, intervening in the cheetah hunt. We found him, in a large plain, calling out for his buddies.

Cheetah

After a while, the cheetah got tired of his own efforts in finding his peers and settled for the hotter periods of the day.

Taking a rest

Later we heard that the three cheetahs were able to regroup.

The afternoon drive became an afternoon boat trip, meandering through the delta canals. Since the wet season had not started yet, the canals were very undeep, sometimes to the point where the boat’s engine got stuck in the sand and weed. This is where we ‘ran’ into a young male elephant bull, in a rather grumpy state, also know as musth.

In a bad mood

Taking photos at this moment was difficult as all I wanted to do is run away (…where…?) but the guide yelled to me to take pictures. I did and the charge was a bluff. Mostly they are and running away is suicide. So, thanks for that and I am happy with the result.
On the way back we saw a couple of tsesebe’s running into the sunset. Tsesebe’s are the fastest running antelopes, some reaching speeds of up to 90kmh.

Bolt Tsesebe

Before coming back to the lodge, we were treated to a Giant Eagle Owl, together with a young who was being fed. The mother was not at ease and left a few moments later, but allowing me to take a few images.

Mom & Son

Getting to see this in the evening was nice, not expecting to see the them again the next morning. In the early daylight, the mother got away immediately, but the juv. settled and let us take a number of nice images. At first, the chick closed his eyes (if I can’t see you ….)

Juv, Giant Eagle Owl

You cannot see me

But a couple of seconds later, he opened his eyes and I managed to get a nice early morning light photograph.

One last image from our last morning drive in Kwara, a Squacco Heron landing nearby in a reed bed.

Squacco Heron

Finally, in relative poor light, this Roller allowed me to get very close and to take a close up. The Lilacbreasted Roller is the national bird of Botswana, so this bird may never fail to appear in any trip report regarding Botswana. Of course, its color beauty is a clear other reason to publish photographs of this amazing bird.

Lilacbreasted Roller

See for additional images also: Sable Ranch & Botswana Gallery