Maarten & Rob in Africa: Botswana

I did say it was low key birding!

In the restaurant that evening.

Wahlberg's Eagle

Steppe Eagle

Yellow billed Kite

Red billed Spurfowl

Crested Francolin

Open billed Stork on the small river 
in front of the bar.

Goliath Heron

Grey Heron

Knob billed Duck

White faced Whistling Duck

African Pygmy Goose.

African Jacana

Emerald Spotted Wood Dove

Golden tailed Woodpecker

Brown hooded Kingfisher

Woodland Kingfisher

White browed Robin Chat

Terrestrial Brownbul

Orange breasted Bushshrike

African Paradise Flycatcher

Chinspot Batis

Tawny flanked Prinia

Male Red billed Firefinch

Female

African Golden Weaver

We no sooner said goodbye to Tom at Maun Airport, than Maarten & Rob arrived! It was good to see the boys again, as I hadn't seen them for a while. We checked in to the Island Safari Lodge & did our first low key birding from the bar overlooking the small river.

Birds:

Crested Francolin; Orange River Francolin; Red-billed Spurfowl; White-faced Whistling Duck; Spur-winged Goose; Knob-billed Duck; African Pygmy Goose; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Crested Barbet; Southern Red-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Common Scimitarbill; Woodland Kingfisher; European Bee-eater; Black Cuckoo; Coppery-tailed Coucal; African Palm Swift; Grey Go-away-bird; Laughing Dove; Cape Turtle Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove; Lesser Moorhen; African Jacana; Water Thick-knee; Blacksmith Lapwing; Yellow-billed Kite; Steppe Eagle; Wahlberg's Eagle; Reed Cormorant; Goliath Heron; Green-backed Heron; Grey Heron; Hamerkop; Hadeda Ibis; African Openbill; Red-backed Shrike; Pied Crow; Fork-tailed Drongo; African Paradise Flycatcher; Swamp Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Chinspot Batis; Spotted Flycatcher; White-browed Robin-Chat; White-browed Scrub Robin; Burchell's Starling; Southern Black Tit; Dark-capped Bulbul; Terrestrial Brownbul; Arrow-marked Babbler; African Golden Weaver; Red-billed Firefinch; Blue Waxbill

Our chalet was extremely comfortable.

Birding in the lodge grounds.

Rob & Maarten took my truck & 

I moved to Delana's vehicle.

Common Ostrich

Secretarybird

Immature Pale Chanting Goshawk

Southern Ground Hornbill

European Roller

Lilac breasted Roller

Jacobin Cuckoo

Wire tailed Swallow

European Bee-eater

Little Bee-eater

Magpie Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Red backed Shrike

Crested Barbet

Arrow marked Babbler

Grey backed Camoptera

We were up early on 8th February for the drive to Nata where we stayed the night in a chalet at the lodge. I seem to be unlucky with Nata, as both times I have been there, it has been very wet & we were unable to do the nearby sanctuary justice. We birded the grounds casually before breakfast & then set out north on the road to Kasane. 

Birds:

Common Ostrich; Red-billed Spurfowl; White-faced Whistling Duck; Egyptian Goose; Spur-winged Goose; Knob-billed Duck; Red-billed Teal; Hottentot Teal; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Crested Barbet; Southern Red-billed Hornbill; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; Southern Ground-Hornbill; Green Wood-hoopoe; European Roller; Lilac-breasted Roller; Purple Roller; Woodland Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Little Bee-eater; Blue-cheeked Bee-eater; European Bee-eater; Southern Carmine Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; White-browed Coucal; Meyer's Parrot; African Palm Swift; Grey Go-away-bird; Pearl-spotted Owlet; Laughing Dove; Cape Turtle Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove; Namaqua Dove; Red-crested Korhaan; Blacksmith Lapwing; White-crowned Lapwing; Whiskered Tern; Yellow-billed Kite; African Fish Eagle; White-backed Vulture; Black-chested Snake Eagle; Bateleur; African Marsh Harrier; Pale Chanting Goshawk; Common Buzzard; Lesser Spotted Eagle; Steppe Eagle; Martial Eagle; African Darter; Reed Cormorant; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Great Egret; Western Cattle Egret; Squacco Heron; Green-backed Heron; Little Bittern; Hamerkop; African Openbill; White Stork; Marabou Stork; Red-backed Shrike; Magpie Shrike; Southern White-crowned Shrike; Pied Crow; African Golden Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; Swamp Boubou; White-browed Robin-Chat; Cape Glossy Starling; Burchell's Starling; Barn Swallow; Wire-tailed Swallow; Red-breasted Swallow; Dark-capped Bulbul; Red-faced Cisticola; Grey-backed Camaroptera; Willow Warbler; Arrow-marked Babbler; Marico Sunbird; Southern Grey-headed Sparrow; Yellow-throated Petronia; Red-billed Buffalo Weaver; White-browed Sparrow-Weaver; Southern Brown-throated Weaver; Blue Waxbill; Shaft-tailed Whydah; Yellow-fronted Canary

Delana & our home for the next two nights.

We payed extra for a river view!

Banded Mongoose in the grounds.

Birding from the river bank early evening.

Ayers's Hawk Eagle

This uncommon species is regular over Kasane.

Juvenile Collared Palm Thrush

Breeding in the hotel grounds.

Yellow bellied Greenbul

Steel Blue Widowfinch
(Village Indigobird)

By this time my foot had got infected &
 was painful & I was limping badly!

We arrived at our accommodation on the banks of the Chobe River late afternoon on 9th February. We had chosen a different spot from when I was here with Tom. The accommodation was good but the place was a bit soulless. Spent the evening birding from the riverbank.

Looking out over the Chobe River from 

The Chobe River Lodge.

On the Chobe River Cruise again!

This is a fantastic afternoon trip 
& we had a great time.

Setting out

Adult Reed Cormorant

Immature.

Adult African Darter

Saddle billed Stork

 Woolly necked Stork

Black Crake

African Jacana

Cattle Egret

Green backed Heron

Squacco Heron

African Fish Eagle

Brown hooded Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Adult Striated Heron

Water Dikkop

Very common along the river bank.

White crowned Lapwing

Gorgeous bird.

Common Sandpiper

Ruff

Good numbers were seen along the river.

Red winged Pratincole

It is a mixture of habitats out on the river.

We saw over 100+ Elephants.

Every afternoon they come to the river.

This cruise is famous for its Elephants.

Hippos are abundant.

They pose a bit of a hazard to small boats.

Small numbers of Cape Buffalo were seen.

Waterbuck

Open billed Stork sunbathing.

Great Egret coming into summer plumage.

Slaty Egret

Rare even here in its stronghold!

Squacco Heron

Blacksmith Plover

African Jacanas were abundant.

White browed Coucal

Green Wood-hoopoe

White fronted Bee-eater

Little Bee-eater

Malachite Kingfisher

Red backed Shrike

Southern Brown throated Weaver

Common along the river.

Spectacled Weaver

Male Southern Red Bishop

Sunset over the Chobe River.

Birds:

White-faced Whistling Duck; Egyptian Goose; Spur-winged Goose; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Southern Red-billed Hornbill; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; Green Wood-hoopoe; Lilac-breasted Roller; Broad-billed Roller; Malachite Kingfisher; Grey-headed Kingfisher; Woodland Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Blue-cheeked Bee-eater; European Bee-eater; Jacobin Cuckoo; White-browed Coucal; African Palm Swift; Little Swift; White-rumped Swift; Grey Go-away-bird; Pearl-spotted Owlet; Laughing Dove; Cape Turtle Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove; Lesser Moorhen; Common Sandpiper; African Jacana; Water Thick-knee; Long-toed Lapwing; Blacksmith Lapwing; White-crowned Lapwing; Grey-headed Gull; Whiskered Tern; White-winged Tern; Yellow-billed Kite; African Fish Eagle; Hooded Vulture; Ayres Hawk Eagle; African Darter; Reed Cormorant; Black Heron; Grey Heron; Goliath Heron; Great Egret; Yellow-billed Egret; Western Cattle Egret; Squacco Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hamerkop; Glossy Ibis; African Sacred Ibis; Yellow-billed Stork; African Openbill; Abdim's Stork; Marabou Stork; Magpie Shrike; African Golden Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; African Paradise Flycatcher; Black-backed Puffback; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Swamp Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Chinspot Batis; Spotted Flycatcher; White-browed Robin-Chat; Collared Palm Thrush; Cape Glossy Starling; Yellow-billed Oxpecker; Red-billed Oxpecker; Sand Martin; Barn Swallow; Common House Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Terrestrial Brownbul; Eastern Nicator; Zitting Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Yellow-breasted Apalis; Grey-backed Camaroptera; Great Reed Warbler; Willow Warbler; Hartlaub's Babbler; Collared Sunbird; Scarlet-chested Sunbird; Southern Grey-headed Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Western Yellow Wagtail; White-browed Sparrow-Weaver; Southern Brown-throated Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Southern Red Bishop; Blue Waxbill; Village Indigobird.