Guma Lagoon: Botswana

Not a bad spot at all!

Evening light over the swamps.

Arrived at Guma Lagoon late afternoon on 2nd August. The last bit of track was very sandy & had some tricky patches along it. We set up camp & then went for a drink in the bar & watched the sunset over the lagoon.

Dawn, motoring down one of the channels

 off the lagoon.

Routing on our boat trip.

Papyrus Swamp

It was a beautiful, if chilly morning.

There were quite a few of these!

Purple Heron

Rufous bellied Heron

Juvenile Black crowned Night-heron

Slaty Egret

Little Bee-eater still roosting in the

 early morning chill.

African Darter

Darters were very common.

Open billed Stork

Green backed Heron

Squacco Heron

We got quite close!

Spur winged Goose

Knob billed Duck

White faced Whistling Duck

African Jacana

Delana taking it all in from our little boat.

African Fish Eagle

African Marsh Harrier

Black winged Kite

Water Dikkop

Long toed Lapwing

Once in flight this bird is transformed!

Wood Sandpiper

Giant Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

This individual was very obliging.

White fronted Bee-eater

Luapala Cisticola

Chirping Cisticola

Southern Brown throated Weaver

African Golden Weaver

There were a few islands among the swamps.

Pel's Fishing Owl: unfortunately we flushed it
 & it flew a long way!

Just after we flushed the Pel's Fishing Owl!

The Lodge, looking back from the boat.

Up early on 3rd August as we had booked our boat trip & we were off just after seven o'clock. It was very nice but slow going, much fewer species than in the wet season. However perseverance paid off & during the next four hours we recorded some good species.

Some nice dry woodland around 
the back of the camp.

Meyer's Parrot

Our very pleasant campsite.

Hartlaub's Babbler

There was always a group of these
 around the campsite.

White browed Robin-Chat

Swamp Boubou

Grey backed Camaroptera

Sunset across the lagoon.

Had a walk around camp in the afternoon in both the dry & riverine forest. Nice evening around the campfire.

Best birds:

African Darter; Glossy Ibis; Purple Heron; Slaty Egret 3; Squacco Heron; Black crowned Night-Heron; African Openbill; Spur winged Goose; White faced Whistling Duck; African Pygmy Goose; African Fish Eagle; African Marsh Harrier 2; Long toed Lapwing 8; African Green Pigeon 50; Meyer’s Parrot; Coppery tailed Coucal 6; Hartlaub’s Babbler; Greater Swamp Warbler; Lesser Swamp Warbler; Chirping Cisticola; Luapula Cisticola; Swamp Boubou; Southern Brown throated Weaver & African Golden Weaver.

We packed up & left on 4th August & we were delighted to get a two month stay in Namibia, which we were told was in doubt.