We arrived at Onguma Private Nature reserve mid-afternoon on 31st October. It is always a pleasure to return here, as the accommodation is excellent & the waterhole setting sublime. We spent a nice afternoon in the pool & evening at the restaurant where a Giant Eagle Owl came to drink late on.
Our wonderful bungalow at Onguma.
One is right in the action here!
Steady now!
We then beat a hasty retreat!
Impala were introduced into Onguma,
but unfortunately they picked the
wrong subspecies!
Grey Heron
Wood Sandpiper
This individual was just outside our chalet.
Meyer's Parrot
Common here.
Golden tailed Woodpecker
A pair were breeding in the grounds.
Female
One of the many great things about this place
is the floodlit waterhole.
The food is excellent here &
Delana received a cake!
Black faced Impala
Plains Zebra
Gemsbok
Kori Bustard
Male Northern Black Korhan
Female
Secretarybird
Adult Pale Chanting Goshawk
Immature
Namaqua Sandgrouse
Common in this part of the national park.
Double banded Courser
Banded Martin
Marico Flycatcher
Ant-eater Chat
On 1st November we were up early & entered Etosha Natioal Park. Again there we very few tourists, which is unusual for this park. People are returning to tour Namibia, but still in small numbers. This morning we had a drive around Fischer's Pan & back to Namutoni. It was great to be back in this park but in truth it was a very quiet drive. Both game & birds were in short supply.
Today was Delana's
actual birthday!
Entering Etosha National Park
Eland
Coming to drink at Tsumcor Waterhole
Eland are quite shy, so it is not often
one gets as close as this.
Good numbers of Kudu were also coming to drink.
Some cracking males!
Surely the best looking antelope?
Gemsbok
Warthog
Slender Mongoose
Andoni Flats
Bat eared Fox
Seen regularly on these very open areas.
Always a joy to see.
Spotted Hyena, the arc enemy of the foxes,
who they will hunt & eat.
Springbok, the classic mammal of these open plains.
Agami Lizard, its home is the cairn that
marks where the waterhole is.
Double banded Coursers also find shade here.
Red capped Larks also hide among the rocks.
Blue Wildebeest occur in large numbers here.
Plains Zebra occur in huge numbers on these plains.
This waterhole is always full of game.
There is a small, isolated population of
Blue Cranes here in Etosha.
Gemsbok, you don't normally see them in water.
Sometimes the herds of game can be
in their hundreds.
Chestnut banded Plover
European Bee-eater
Newly arrived migrants.
Red capped Larks were coming to drink
in large numbers.
On 2nd November we drove to the Andoni Flats area & spent quite a bit of time watching the game & birds around the prolific waterhole. It was an excellent morning & we returned to Onguma quite late in the afternoon.
Birthday picnic!
Happy birthday Delana!
On our way back to camp we stopped to have a birthday picnic, which was very pleasant indeed. We then checked out Klein Namutoni waterhole which was quite busy.
We came across this pair of Giraffe
doing their mating ritual.
It really was quite spectacular.
Amazing!
We both sat there entranced!
An incredible performance!
Tawny Eagle watching over the waterhole.
Several immature Bateleurs came to drink.
White backed & a lone Lappet faced Vulture.
Immature White headed Vulture.
Unfortunately our three night stay here came to a sudden end & the next day we started to long drive to the western Caprivi. It had been a lovely stay at Onguma, the accommodation excellent & the setting is hard to beat. We will be back!
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