Kunene River Lodge

The wonderful Kunene River

This is a very nice place to stay.

Our fantastic campsite

Water Monitor

Common in the campsite.

Crocodiles are being poisoned along the river, 
by local people. Numbers have crashed.

Pearl spotted Owl

This bird was just outside the camping area.

Rufous tailed Palm Thrush is a star bird 
along this river.

Bare cheeked Babblers came through the campsite
 every morning.

This localised species is common here.

Up early & on the road on 10th August for a mammoth 670 km drive to The Kunene River Lodge. It was a long drive but the campsite was very nice right next to the river.

Walking along the river from the camp.

It is a very scenic area.

White crowned Shrike

Unfortunately this is the closest 

we came to the waxbills!

The next day was spent walking/birding looking for Cinderella Waxbill but without success. The owner informed us that they had been present for several weeks prior to our arrival! We searched for them every day but never connected.

The distant Zebra Mountains.

We scrambled up the side of the mountain 
just as dawn was breaking.

The boulders make it difficult going.

It is very scenic once you gain some height!

White throated Canary

Larklike Bunting

Violet eared Waxbill

Up before dawn for the trip to the Zebra Mountains on 12th August to look for Angola Cave Chat. These are an isolated range of mountains that just cross over into Namibia. It is the sole location for this species in Namibia & only discovered just over ten years ago. We arrived just as it was getting light & had a rough scramble over the boulders to get into habitat. Immediately we heard one singing, but it was a long way away in an inaccessible gorge. We climbed further up the mountain, then we sat patiently. After around thirty minutes I spotted it flitting across the boulders. It gave good if brief views. Three of us saw it but poor Delana missed it! We sat for a further hour but without success. We then returned to the vehicle & stopped at a small pool looking primarily for Cinderella Waxbill. Black  & White throated Canary, Violet eared Waxbill & Lark-like Bunting came to drink. But the star of the show failed to materialise!

River on the right, Zebra Mountains in the distance.

Ruppell's Parrot

Violet Wood-hoopoe

Double banded Sandgrouse

Male

Monteiro's Hornbill

White tailed Shrike

On 13^th August we explored a little further afield with the cruiser. We found some nice riparian woodland with Violet Woodhoopes & Ruppell’s Parrots. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon on the bar decking just missing a Grey Kestrel by seconds!

Birds:

Red-necked Spurfowl; Egyptian Goose; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Monteiro's Hornbill; Violet Wood-hoopoe; Common Scimitarbill; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Swallow-tailed Bee-eater; White-backed Mousebird; Senegal Coucal; Rueppell's Parrot; Rosy-faced Lovebird; African Palm Swift; Grey Go-away-bird; African Scops Owl; Pearl-spotted Owlet; Laughing Dove; African Mourning Dove; Cape Turtle Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove; African Green Pigeon; Red-crested Korhaan; Black Crake; Burchell's Sandgrouse; Double-banded Sandgrouse; Common Sandpiper; Water Thick-knee; Three-banded Plover; Blacksmith Lapwing; Shikra; Ovambo Sparrowhawk; African Hawk Eagle; Booted Eagle; African Darter; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Hamerkop; Southern White-crowned Shrike; Fork-tailed Drongo; White-tailed Shrike; Black-backed Puffback; Swamp Boubou; Crimson-breasted Shrike; White-crested Helmet-Shrike; Pririt Batis; Short-toed Rock Thrush; Kurrichane Thrush; Ashy Flycatcher; Angola Cave Chat; Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush; White-browed Scrub Robin; Familiar Chat; Cape Glossy Starling; Meves's Starling; Rock Martin; Wire-tailed Swallow; African Red-eyed Bulbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Yellow-breasted Apalis; Grey-backed Camaroptera; Bare-cheeked Babbler; White-bellied Sunbird; Dusky Sunbird; African Pied Wagtail; White-browed Sparrow-Weaver; African Golden Weaver; Southern Masked Weaver; Red-billed Firefinch; Blue Waxbill; Violet-eared Waxbill; Black-throated Canary; Lark-like Bunting.