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Namibia

Take Yourself On Safari

7th April 2024

Take Yourself On Safari

It’s a little known fact that as many as 45% of U.S. adults over 20 are single, and many of them by choice. Whether they love to travel solo – or not – it is often their best, even their only option because of necessity or circumstance. Good news for solo travelers is that the African safari industry is starting to realize that there are millions of singles out there who want to travel but not necessarily as a ‘party of 2.’ Two of the major players in the safari business, Wilderness and &Beyond, are already on board. There will be no single supplement for solo travelers staying at any &Beyond lodges in Africa for travel before 20 December 2024 and Wilderness have waived single supplements except during the high season months of June through October. Several other African safari operators have similar offers in place. 

Is a trip to Africa a good idea or even a viable option for a single person? We like to think it is. An African safari – particularly a customized itinerary designed for a solo traveler – can be a rewarding experience on many levels. You will find yourself in a beautiful setting enjoying game drives and other activities with a few other people who share your interests and who will usually be quite keen to talk about their safari to date, or what lies ahead. Where have you been? Where are you going next? What have you seen? There’s no better icebreaker than a common interest or passion, and the African wilderness is no exception.  

We wouldn’t advise singles to book on just any program, however. Make sure that your itinerary is designed around your preferences. If you’re naturally gregarious or simply want to meet some new people, you will do well in properties where communal dining is the norm, as opposed to restaurant style with each party at its own table. A typical safari is filled with opportunities to meet and interact with other people such as during sundowners, when everyone gets out of the vehicle for drinks and snacks at a nice spot somewhere as the sun sets. Singles fit in everywhere: on walks, village visits, boating outings, canoeing, or simply waiting in a hide or blind for something interesting to show up. You’re never on your own – unless of course you want to be. 

On most wildlife-focused trips, minimal time is spent in cities or areas where a single person may attract unwanted attention. You will be in a private, protected environment most of the time and where necessary – such as on arrival at airports – any good operator includes personalized meet and assists.  

Yet another option to avoid most single room supplements in African safari destinations would be to travel in the low demand and shoulder season months, roughly from November through the end of May. Prices are much lower and there are fewer other visitors around. While there may be some rain showers and a few thunderstorms from time to time, we believe the advantages of low season African travel far outweigh the negatives. 

Many safari lodges and tour operators cater actively to solo adventurers, providing opportunities to join group excursions and meet like-minded individuals. Putting together your own itinerary means you can shape and plan it just the way you want, as active or as leisurely as you wish.  

Traveling single in Namibia

Namibia has always been considered an adventurous but safe destination for solo travelers, (male and female) and two trips that are particularly well suited for solo travelers are Ultimate Safaris’ two small-group safaris, the Ultimate Namibia and Namibia Under Canvas. They are guaranteed to depart with even just one person, so solo travelers can be sure that their trip will be a go. So they can book their flights and don’t have to wait for others to confirm. Ultimate’s Namibia trips generally operate with about five to six persons, all English-speaking but with a mix of nationalities (USA, Canadian, Australian, UK, Netherlands) and they are an affordable option for solo travelers to explore Namibia. Between their two options (10-day Ultimate Namibia and 10-day Namibia under Canvas Safari) Ultimate operates as many as 70 departures per year.

The Ultimate Namibia trips are mostly all-inclusive, with participants getting to experience Sossusvlei (staying inside the park), the Atlantic Ocean coast (with an option to sea kayak or participate in a motorized boat activity), Damaraland (Twyfelfontein rock art, desert-adapted elephants), Etosha (three nights on the southern side of the park, staying on the game-rich Ongava Game Reserve) and a day visit to the AfriCat Foundation, with an optional overnight extension at Okonjima on offer. 

The 10-day Namibia Under Canvas Safari makes use of largely Under Canvas-style accommodation, namely Ongava Tented Camp, Camp Doros and Camp Sossus, focusing on the experiential aspect of safaris. Ultimate has identified a strong desire in many guests to go back to the roots of ‘safari’, to touch, to smell, to feel and to experience the wild, with one’s feet firmly in the dust that covers Africa. The adventure is in taking guests to the most wild, remote and private places, and giving them access away from the beaten path. 

Solo travelers in Botswana

Botswana is likewise a great option for a solo traveler. As a general rule, the low-demand season in Botswana is the best time for single travelers as single supplements are waived in most cases. One of the tried and tested low-demand season programs – Kwando Safaris’ Five Rivers program – does not charge a single supplement on accommodation for the first two singles per group. With a choice of nine safari camps at rates under $700 per person per night (for the 2024-2025 green season), there are few better options for the solo traveler.  

Photo courtesy Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge

A few more notable safari operators and properties which may appeal to solo travelers include Robin Pope Safaris (Zambia, Malawi & Zimbabwe), Chilo Safari Lodge (Zimbabwe) and Kambaku (South Africa) none of which charge a single supplement unless there are more than two singles in a party. Desert and Delta Safaris (Botswana) do not charge a single supplement in Green and Shoulder season. Another South Africa operator which waives the single supplement for the first two singles in a booking is Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. Lemala does not charge a single supplement over the low and shoulder season.

Ready to take yourself on safari? Call our Houston office at 1-800-513-5222 any time during business hours, Monday to Friday, CDT or email me at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com. 

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Back to Namibia with Ultimate Safaris

26th December 2023

Back to Namibia with Ultimate Safaris

What is it that attracts us most to Namibia in southwestern Africa? Its astonishingly beautiful desert & dune landscapes? Its fascinating people? Its diverse wildlife? On a recent 16-day guided road trip with Ultimate Safaris we experienced all of those and came away with renewed passion for this vast, sparsely populated country. One lasting impression of this journey, which included the Etosha area, Damaraland, parts of the Kaokoveld, the Hoanib River Valley, Skeleton Coast National Park, Swakopmund and Sossusvlei? That the wildlife experience is underrated. We saw lots of animals, often in arid areas where you’d least expect them.  

On our very first afternoon game drive out of Natural Selection Safaris’ Safarihoek Lodge on the western edge of Etosha National Park in Namibia, we saw our first two black rhinos, a mother and a youngster. Not twenty minutes later we saw another one. And shortly after that, two gorgeous black-maned lions. Soon to be followed with good numbers of springbok and giraffes, several elephants, eland, gemsbok, zebra, kudu, steenbok and red hartebeest. The game viewing in the Etosha area – as well as in the Hoanib River Valley – was exciting and fulfilling. As was the birdwatching, with our party of six persons seeing and identifying just over 100 species in less than two weeks – without turning the trip into a hard-core birding expedition. We were ably and professionally guided by Sebastiaan Meyer, a native of Namibia.

What did we not see? Other vehicles. The private Safarihoek reserve was just that. Private. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, sharing game sightings with no more than one other vehicle at any time. The same held true for the duration of the trip. Once we entered the Kaokoveld region and beyond, all the way into the far flung Hoanib River Valley and Skeleton Coast National Park, we were essentially on our own. Often, many hours would go by without seeing another vehicle or humans, other than in the camps where we stayed. Just the way we like our Africa trips to unfold.

On an all-day trip into the massive Etosha National Park we observed several other mammal species – once seeing as many as eight different species at the same water hole. Inside Etosha, which is a public park, there was, predictably, more traffic. Mostly at water holes near Okaukuejo and Halali, two of the rest camps inside the park. The same was true at Sossusvlei – the setting of Namibia’s most popular concentration of gigantic red sand dunes.

Visiting Namibia is a multifaceted experience. As we saw in the Etosha area and elsewhere, the game viewing and bird watching experience often rivaled better known safari destinations such as Namibia’s southern and eastern neighbors South Africa and Botswana.

Namibia is so much more than a traditional safari location though. Its extraordinary desert and dune experience, its cultural and scenic diversity and seemingly inexhaustible range of unique activities put it firmly into the ‘one of a kind’ category. If Namibia were a living organism, it would be like the secretary bird – the only species in its own family. There’s simply nothing else like it. 

What makes Namibia, Namibia?

A prospective visitor to Namibia would do well to contemplate Namibia’s size before anything else. It is vast. About two and a half times the size of Germany, and bigger than twice the size of Texas, Namibia is huge. A roughly rectangular country, Namibia is about 600 miles deep, and between 300 to 450 miles wide. It has a long, narrow eastern extension in the north, the Zambezi Region, formerly called the Caprivi Strip. While it is possible to spend just a few days in the country – by visiting just Sossusvlei  and the Skeleton Coast for example – it is far from ideal. It really takes a full two weeks to get beyond just scratching the surface of this behemoth of a country .    

There are simply too many places to visit and things to see and do. Here are the top of the pops:

  • The Sossusvlei area with its magnificent red sand dunes, arguably Namibia’s signature sight. 
  • The vast Etosha National Park and surrounding private wildlife sanctuaries for their array of wildlife with elephants, rhinoceros, oryx, zebras, kudus and giraffes being some of the more prominent sightings.
  • Damaraland with its stark, rockstrewn landscapes and seemingly inhospitable surroundings, home to several desert-adapted animals including elephants and black rhinos.
  • The quaint, laid back seaside town of Swakopmund with its many attractions ranging from its beach to restaurants to museums, desert excursions and adrenaline adventures including quad biking, sand boarding and skydiving.  
  • The remote and utterly fascinating Skeleton Coast National Park with its otherworldly scenic beauty, its incredible variety of dunes and other geological formations and a colorful history replete with tales of survival and disaster, of shipwrecks and rescue sagas.
  • Beyond these, there are many other areas which may profitably be included on a Namibia itinerary. The intriguing Fish River Canyon in the south, the old coastal diamond town of Luderitz, the game-rich Waterberg area and various spots in the Zambezi region which is similar to northern Botswana in many respects.   

A road trip

With its size and geological as well as habitat diversity and scenic wonders, much of Namibia lends itself to a road trip exploration. Around almost every corner, there’s something to see.  A notable exception?  The mostly flat, featureless and sparsely vegetated landscape along the main road leading north out of Windhoek. The road to Etosha. Many first time visitors to Namibia probably start second guessing their choice of destination after three uneventful hours of traversing this scrubby vastness.

With just three nondescript towns punctuating the  journey to the north – Okahandja, Otjiwaringo and Outjo – it is a relief to start seeing some wildlife as we did upon reaching the Etosha Heights private reserve.

Safarihoek Lodge, Etosha

Located on a ridge with an exceptionally good view over the wide open plains of far western Etosha National Park, Safarihoek and its sister property Mountain Lodge form a comfortable and well situated base for an exclusive wildlife experience, away from the hustle and bustle of Etosha National Park but with most of the same animals being present.

There are 9 large accommodation units at Safarihoek along a sturdy concrete walkway leading out from an attractive main lodge. They feature air-conditioned bedrooms, showers and baths (hot water available 24/7), ample storage space, good lighting, a fridge stocked with drinks and a tea and coffee making station. 

We enjoyed most of our meals al fresco, poolside. The food received mostly good but mixed reviews from the members of our party. The spacious and inviting lounge had several smaller seating areas with comfortable chairs and couches, a central bar area, and a counter where tea, coffee and other beverages as well as cookies and snacks were available at any time. 

Our game drives – in an open 4 wheel drive vehicle – essentially took us from one waterhole to the next. The entire concession was bone dry with hardly any vegetation to be seen, with the exception of the mopane trees which come into full leaf in October, rain or no rain. Occasionally dodging clouds of dust kicked up by our own vehicle – and just as often being engulfed by them – we were surprised by just how many mammals could survive in this inhospitable environment. Gemsbok, steenbok, impala, giraffe, kudu – the plains game species were certainly not uncommon. Of course we were thrilled to spot some black rhinos at the base of the dolomite hills, there were lions at the waterhole in front of camp, and we came upon a nice breeding herd of elephants, moving through the mopane like so many white ghosts, covered in dust.  

Mowani Camp

Right among a cluster of gigantic boulders in a setting which would have done the Flintstones proud, we sat down for a delicious lunch at the imposing camp Mowani. Literally built into a gigantic boulder field at the summit of a hill, most of the well appointed thatched rooms in this compact property have excellent views over distant hills and rocky outcrops, all eventually merging into the dusty distance. 

It had been a long yet not uninteresting journey from Etosha, observing the landscape around us slowly transform from well-vegetated savanna to the stark, rock-strewn hills and valleys of Damaraland. The drive ended just in time. Having driven up a hill through a series of bigger and bigger rocks, eventually squeezing between two tank-sized boulders, we realized that our new home for the day might be something special. From the welcoming chat to the selection of lunch items, Mowani Lodge made a good first impression. There was no subsequent letdown. Sundowners from an elevated lookout point, a dip in the pool and a tasty private dinner alongside a fire pit. What’s not to like! Everything was done nicely and tastefully and the staff were friendly to a fault. 

With a water feature attracting a variety of birds, a small waterhole a distance away from camp (where we noticed some Damara dik dik) and a small rock-enclosed pool, Mowani always has something to see or do. On the morning we left, we observed a bunch of rock dassies (also known as hyraxes) emerge from their sleeping area and clamber high up into a nearby tree like so many holiday ornaments, feeding from the leaves. 

The thatched rooms at Mowani had very comfortable beds with soft pillows, a separate shower and toilet, adequate lighting and enough space for storage. They were private and most had an elevated lookout point over the spectacular landscape.  Perfect? Not quite. For some reason there was a sizable step up from the bed level to the center of the room, resulting in several expletives being aired there as we –  predictably – stubbed our toes on it more than just once.

From Mowani we made two excursions:

Desert-adapted elephants

Several small herds of desert-adapted elephants are to be found along the watercourse of the mostly dry Aba Huab and Huab rivers. The elephants concentrate along these so-called linear oases where there is plenty for them to eat in the way of mopane trees, other shrubs and their foliage and particularly the seed pods of the Camelthorn trees. We tracked and subsequently found a small herd of about seven elephants. They were working their way from one source of food to the next, clearly quite comfortable with the presence of vehicles. Every now and then one would walk in front of a line of dunes as if to visually prove its status as a desert-adapted pachyderm. Photographs were duly taken. It was a fun outing and despite the presence of many other safari camps and lodges in the area, we saw only two other vehicles who also had desert elephants on their to-do list.

Twyfelfontein rock art

Walking with an interpreter guide through the collection of petroglyphs at Twyfelfontein – a World Heritage Site – invariably makes one think about the artistry and creativity of these long gone San hunter-gatherer people, as well as about their need to communicate beyond their own circle. It soon becomes evident that they wanted others to know about water holes and not just the location. Some were clearly designated (with a dot in the middle of a circle) as perennial and others as seasonal. The ancient rock scribes also wanted to spread the word about the wildlife to be found in the area. Right down to which ones potentially posed a threat to humans. Little did they know that their rock telegrams would reverberate through the ages and that some of their messaging would become truly timeless. Worth visiting? I think yes. Take some water; it’s a rather long and at times searingly hot and dusty walk to make it to the start of the trail. And wear sturdy shoes – there’s plenty in the way of uneven terrain and some light clambering involved. One thing that can and should be done? The truly abominable reception building should be razed to the ground and rebuilt. It is really a dump.

Hoanib Valley Camp

Our Namibia road trip took an adventurous turn the moment we took a left turn off the gravel road a few kilometers out of Sesfontein, a desert settlement in the Kaokoveld. Suddenly we found ourselves in what might have been a movie set for Indiana Jones or Mad Max (Mad Max – the Tom Hardy one – was filmed in Namibia). Driving helter-skelter through the desert, dodging patches of ominously thick sand, we were glad to have an experienced guide – Sebastiaan – behind the wheel. Someone who knew where he was going and who had the 4-wheel driving skills and experience to get us there. Not one of the rest of us could check any of those boxes. 

The sense of being in a remote special place became even more palpable as we dipped down into the dry riverbed of the Hoanib River. It was oppressively hot but our anticipation of what lay ahead trumped any discomfort we may have been experiencing. The sandy track wound its way ever further into what was as far away from a populated center as some of us may ever have been.

An hour or so after entering the Hoanib valley we turned right on a narrow track, followed a stone lined driveway for a bit before entering into a sheltered canyon through a narrow rocky gap. We were all mightily relieved to see structures – a semi-circle of tents facing down in the direction of the riverbed. Our base for the next three nights.

Minutes later we were being introduced to the vivacious manager of Natural Selection’s Hoanib Valley Camp – Petronella Daniels – and her team. Welcoming soft drink in hand, we marveled at the view over the valley sloping down gently to the Hoanib River. 

The six tented rooms at Hoanib River Valley camp are located to the left and right of a good sized lounge and dining room. The rooms are reachable along a paved, yet somewhat sand strewn walkway. I thought the rooms were rather too close to each other but it is a minor criticism as they are otherwise exceptionally comfortable and well designed. 

Our activities at Hoanib Valley Camp consisted of morning game drives traveling further west downstream along and in the Hoanib riverbed, afternoon sundowner drives, and a Himba village visit. With local guide Ramon Coetzee behind the wheel, we enjoyed the tandem services of two professional guides and it was fascinating to see him and Sebastiaan pool their knowledge and experience in search of the big cats. 

As was the case during our first visit to the Hoanib river valley some years ago, we were pleasantly surprised by the variety of wildlife. We encountered two different small herds of elephants – one of five and another one of nine – with three young babies between them. As well as lots of springbok, several giraffes, some gemsbok and steenbok. We also added a handful of new birds to our trip list. 

On separate occasions we encountered the two large bull elephants present in the area; 22-year-old Oliver and the undisputed big daddy of the Hoanib valley, Arnold, who has spent all of his 38 years under the hot Namibian sun. They were clearly masters of their domain, all but ignoring us and going about their daily routine which included voraciously feeding, drinking water, spraying themselves with water, then mud and finally dust. Incidentally, Arnold desperately needs a pedicure – his massive elephant feet and particularly his gigantic toenails are in pitiful condition.  

The most fascinating aspect of our two game drives was tracking two female desert lions. Ramon and Sebastiaan displayed their considerable skills as they tracked the lions from a waterhole along some small dunes and into an area well off the road where the two lions were getting ready to spend the day. 

The following day was essentially a repeat performance, this time tracking the two females from where we had seen them the previous day. By then, we knew that they were known as Alpha and Bravo. The two big cats had gone on a major walkabout since we had seen them last so Ramon and Sebastiaan had to bring their A game to find the ladies again. Which they did, but after a Herculean effort of driving in what felt like circles, doubling back a couple of times, tracing and retracing the lion paw-prints in the sand. All accompanied by lots of earnest conversation between the two guides, some head-shaking and the occasional raised eyebrows. And likely a few salty adjectives associated with the lions, discreetly uttered in the local Nama language.

There are about 70 or so desert lions present in the greater Skeleton Coast and Damaraland/Kaokoveld area. Due to human/animal conflict their continued presence is under severe threat. Skeleton Coast local Dr. Philip Stander, who resides in the coastal town of Mowe Bay when he is not in the field tracking the lions, is the  world’s foremost authority on desert lions. Read more about his work on the Desert Lion Conservation website.

An unexpected mega sighting? A caracal crossed behind our vehicle at around 8 am one cool morning after an overnight shower had refreshed the area. It was clearly hunting, noticeably swiveling its prominent pointy ears as it stood dead still for a few seconds while surveying the area. Just once it turned its head to give us a cursory look. Even for our guides, who had spent decades in the area, it was a special sighting.

Himba village visit

Our afternoon visit to a small Himba village was fun in the old-fashioned sense of the word. I’m always a little bit apprehensive about ‘village visits’ of any kind. It can be awkward to simply show up – as a bunch of complete strangers – at someone’s home and interact with them in a meaningful manner. I need not have worried.  

The six Himba women, seven or so young kids and lone Himba man which we met on the day made us feel welcome right off the bat. The ladies confidently bade us welcome on arrival and the kids acted as the perfect icebreaker. Upon seeing themselves reflected in our camera playback images, their unaffected expressions of delight and surprise, their pealing laughter and silly giggles just seemed so natural it removed any feeling of self-consciousness.  

Getting a glimpse into the life of a tiny Himba village, a look at the way of life of people living an existence which is diametrically different to ours, is sobering. Clearly evident? The utter lack of material things, modern conveniences, electricity and  plumbing of any kind – not even running water. It is just so hard for us to fathom living like that. Yet it was not difficult to relate to our Himba guests on a purely human level. I think we all marveled at their joie de vivre, and their wholly unaffected interaction with complete strangers. A lasting memory? Their pure joy when they were performing a farewell dance. A little improvisational at times but done with almost childlike enthusiasm and verve. We could all use a little bit more of that in our lives.

Shipwreck Lodge, Skeleton Coast National Park

Roads? Where we’re going, there are no roads! A line from Back to the Future? Not quite, but certainly applicable to the remote northwestern Kaokoveld region of Namibia, where Shipwreck Lodge was built. Unfold a map of Namibia and trace the line on the map representing the road from Toscanini to Terrace Bay to Mowe Bay. It is a dotted line. From Mowe Bay further along the coast to the north, in the direction of Shipwreck Lodge? Nothing on the map. On the ground? Just a barely visible, winding sandy track, negotiable only by four wheel drive vehicles and prone to being obliterated by creeping barchan dunes.

In the relatively short time it has been open, much praise has been heaped on Natural Selection’s Shipwreck Lodge, located on an elevated cluster of hummock dunes, overlooking the breakers of the Atlantic Ocean beach about a mile or so in the distance, directly in front of the camp.  

Listening to the muted roar of the waves while sitting on the front verandah at Shipwreck is time well spent. The ideal spot to enjoy the cool beach air and to reflect on the place and the environment. 

Rewinding the tape back a little to the previous day, we arrived at Shipwreck in the early afternoon in time for a late lunch. Located on the edge of a series of intricately patterned longitudinal dunes, the cozy lounge/dining room is a delightful place to spend some time, safely cocooned from the hazards of the Namib desert.   

A strong south wind was visibly sweeping handfuls of sand from the surrounding hummock dunes while we received our arrival briefing and room allocation. Four of the chalets – built in the style of ship’s cabins complete with portholes and sloped windows – are to the north and six to the south of the lodge. All are identical with bedrooms looking out over a desert landscape and beyond that, the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. The rooms were just the right size and shape for the desert environment, with the light nautical touches creating a fun and whimsical atmosphere.  A good strong shower, plenty of hot water, pretty good lighting – it checked all the boxes.

Activities include nature and dune drives, sand boarding and excursions on all terrain vehicles. We also made our way to Rocky Point on a sundowner excursion and enjoyed a lavish ‘braai’ just off the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, with various cuts of meat and some fish, grilled over coals. Walking from this spot just a few hundred meters in either direction imbues one with a sense of the true desolation of the area.  No fresh water, no signs of habitation, essentially no vegetation. Wind, crashing waves, a Cape fur seal scampering away and a few gulls, cormorants and shorebirds flying by. It’s not difficult to put oneself in the imaginary shoes of shipwreck victims. Your prospects? Dire.

The Skeleton Coast National Park north of Mowe Bay is extremely lightly visited and as was the case pretty much throughout our Namibia visit, there was practically no one else around. The scenery around the lodge defies description. It is a mix of gigantic longitudinal and hummock dunes, an endless expanse of moving sand with the afternoon southerly winds constantly changing the look of the place. Driving a little further to the north – towards Rocky Point – we came upon a series of bizarrely symmetrical barchan dunes which are marching their way across the Namib Desert at a rate of up to 20 meters per year. Change is a constant, and today’s road is buried under tomorrow’s incipient sand dune.

We very much enjoyed the time we spent with our charming local guide Bravo Kasupi who we first met about halfway to the lodge, at a handover spot below a high bluff, at Leylandsdrift, in the Hoarusib River. After some welcome refreshments (fruit kabobs, biltong, savory snacks and soft drinks) we set off down the course of the Hoarusib, eventually checking out the impressive ‘clay castle’ formations which tower over portions of the riverbed. And then slowly, slowly making our way to the lodge, doing some birdwatching en route, and spotting several oryx along the edges of the Hoarusib.

Swakopmund stopover

Swakopmund provides a refreshing change of pace on any Namibia trip. A popular Namibian summer beach resort for both locals and foreign visitors, Swakopmund is the place to take a breather from long drives and tight schedules. Walk out of the Strand Hotel right into the chilly water of the Atlantic which forms a breaker-free pool right alongside a jetty. You won’t be alone. Even in mid November, well before the start of the summer high season, there were almost always a few people on the beach. Swimming, playing volleyball or some other sport, or just hanging out with friends. 

Walk in a different direction along the palm-fringed promenade and you’ll soon get to The Tug, a popular and reliably good seafood restaurant. Always a good choice? One of the linefish or catch of the day items. The local aquarium is currently closed for ‘major’ renovations and it is likely to be shuttered indefinitely.

An hour or so spent in the Swakopmund museum can be quite fascinating and educational. Its surprisingly diverse range of exhibits, topics and artifacts showcase the region’s rich cultural and natural history. Highlights include exhibits on the indigenous Topnaar people, displays of marine life, artifacts from colonial times and a diverse collection of minerals. The museum provides insight into Namibia’s unique heritage and ecosystems.

A morning outing into the dunes along the Swakop River with a guide from Batis Birding tours illustrates the remarkable adaptations of various animals which thrive in this bone dry desert environment which gets essentially zero rainfall. What moisture there is comes in the way of mostly nighttime fog which is ingeniously captured and utilized by several desert organisms.

Over the course of a short 2-hour morning outing, we encountered and were able to get some good photographs of the peculiar Namib dune gecko, Namaqua chameleon, shovel-snouted lizard, horned adder and Fitzsimmon’s burrowing skink.

Strand Hotel, Swakopmund

Kathy and I had been planning to spend a night or two at the Strand Hotel since we walked by it on a previous visit. It was all about the location being right on the beach and seemingly ideally situated for a short walk into town. Which is the way it turned out to be. Add to that comfortable rooms with good lighting and a strong shower, and in our case – a view of the beach. The next morning we discovered the best reason to stay here. Breakfast. I can’t even begin to list the practically innumerable buffet and a la carte options at The Farmhouse Deli where breakfast is served. Get there early, it’s popular! Everything we tried was excellent. The two other Strand Hotel restaurants – Brewer & Butcher and Ocean Cellar – did not lag behind. The front office staff was unfailingly courteous and helpful. All around the hospitality was impeccable and we will definitely be using this property again.

Scenic flight Swakopmund to Sossusvlei

More than any other experience on our trip, the scenic flight from Swakopmund to Sossusvlei illustrated the immensity of the duneveld in south central Namibia. Our pilot from Swakopmund-based Scenic Air mentioned that it was the biggest expanse of tall dunes anywhere on planet Earth, rivaled only by the dunes of Mars. I believe it. The sight from the air is simply awesome. Hundreds of massive mounds  of windblown red sand stretching out in every direction like so many pebbles on a beach. Incredible. And it can only be seen from the air.  

While the visual of the duneveld was certainly the highlight of the flight, there were several other superb photo opportunities such as these: 

  • After taking off from Swakopmund in a Cessna 208 (Caravan) we flew past the Walvis Bay harbor, and then over the vividly colored salt pans just to its south.
  • We viewed the famous Sandwich Harbor wetland heading a bit further south,  past the Eduard Bohlen and Shawnee Shipwrecks.
  • Leaving the coast and entering the “Sea of Dunes” took us past the long-deserted Charlottenfelder diamond camps.  
  • At Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei our pilot made a comfortable shallow turn around the area for a view of the pans among the 1,000-foot-tall sand dunes. 

Sossusvlei dunes excursion

The massive red dunes at Sossusvlei attract a crowd pretty much every day of the year. They are also best photographed early, as soon as possible after first light. How to avoid the crowds and get to the dunes early? Stay inside the park and get to the dunes as close as possible to sunrise. Which was at 6:20 am in mid-November.

Driving in from outside the park – as we did from Ultimate’s Camp Sossus – was a fine experience overall but for someone intent on capturing the dunes at their most dramatic early morning moments, with sharply contrasting interplay of shadow and soft light, it doesn’t work very well. 

By the time we made it to Dead Vlei it was just too late. Almost 8:00 am and the sun was way high in the sky. Plus there were already bunches of other vehicles in the parking lot, with more arriving every minute. Just too many people wandering around to get that quintessential ‘isolated tree in front of a sand dune’ shot. 

We made the best of the situation nonetheless and captured a few nice images of the white gravel plains, semi-fossilized black tree stumps, apricot-colored dunes and crisp blue sky. 

It’s a 15-minute walk from the parking lot at Sossusvlei to Dead Vlei. Compared with earlier visits to the dunes just a few years ago, a considerable amount of sand has been blown over the trail. So come prepared with sturdy footwear. Flip flops? No. And take some water and sunscreen. The Namib sun is relentless and temperatures increase sharply from as early as 9 am. 

Camp Sossus

There’s a lot to like about this small hybrid tented camp which snuggles up to a rocky outcrop in the  Namib Tsaris Conservancy. To the front of camp a vegetated plain stretches far into the distance with portions of the Nubib and Zaris Mountains to be seen. Particularly early in the morning and in the late afternoon, the beautiful desert light – often suffused with fine dust particles – impart a surreal painting-like quality to the scenery.

Beyond the location, Camp Sossus was as peaceful and serene a place as we had ever spent a couple of nights. A bonus was being able to sleep in the open under the stars, which several of our party took advantage of. With very little in the way of light pollution the sky above your bed is ablaze with the proverbial million stars. Sweet dreams. 

The hybrid tented rooms are small with just enough room to fit two ¾ beds side by side, a tiny side table and an open space to hang a few garments. With an iron roof and cinder block casing, the tent was surprisingly cool and handled the desert heat admirably well. With a fan going it was just cool enough to doze off in the afternoon. Evenings were downright pleasant with the heat dissipating quickly as soon as the sun went down. 

The small bathroom had a flush toilet, hand basin with cold water and an enclosed shower with a low pressure (bucket) shower. Hot water for the shower was available on demand. The shower head was inadequate with just not enough of a stream; perhaps it was clogged. The lighting in the room and bathroom was good except that there was no reading light. 

The bottom line: Camp Sossus was a good choice to end our Namibia journey, representing of a lot of what makes the country special: the hauntingly beautiful scenery, the warm, friendly people and the sense of being away from it all in a relaxed, easy-going setting with few other people and vehicles around.  

Our Fish Eagle Safaris team is ready to assist you with your own customized Namibia trip so please call or email us for further information, at 1 800 513-5222 (our office in Houston) or bert@fisheaglesafaris.com.  We can also assist with scheduled small-group road trips in Namibia, along the lines of the trip on which this blog is based. 

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When to go on safari

4th May 2023

When to go on safari

Just like with so many other things, inflationary trends have been affecting the safari space for several years now and we are anticipating increases of between 10% to as much as 18% for 2024, compared with the prices in effect for this year. Of course the best way to avoid any increases is to travel before the higher prices come into effect.  

Short of that, there are two main drivers of safari prices which can help you in the quest for an affordable yet high-quality African safari.  The two factors are place and season. Every safari destination in Africa has one or two prime locations and a handful of properties which command top dollar rates, particularly in the high demand season from about June through October. At that time of the year – in the prime safari areas – it is simply a matter of supply and demand and with as few rooms as they have available, prices can and do reach eye-watering levels.  

However, if you start looking for a trip at a different time and in a different place, the picture changes dramatically. You can go on safari in countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia at the peak of their high season and enjoy a fantastic trip which will be half the cost of a comparable trip in a country with more name recognition or a more established reputation. Likewise, the difference between high season and shoulder season pricing can be significant, with often only minor differences in the experience.  

The best prices are to be found for travel in the low demand season. Off-season travel in Africa can be immensely satisfying for visitors who can handle some heat and high humidity, and perhaps a thunderstorm or two. A little bit of discomfort is more than offset by the abundance of baby animals, the birds in breeding plumage, the lush, green surroundings, stunning sunsets and sunrises and by not having so many other people around.  

Here are our top recommendations for an African safari which will tick all the boxes: lots of animals, plenty of diversity, excellent guiding – at an affordable price.

SOUTH AFRICA AND NAMIBIA

South Africa is a veritable ‘world in one country’ with diversity that is rivaled only by Kenya. It has several excellent wildlife areas, most of which are malaria-free including the Eastern Cape, Waterberg and Madikwe. South Africa’s greater Kruger Park area has some of Africa’s best all-round safari camps in areas where the ‘Big Five’ mammals are seen practically every day of the year, week in and week out.  

Namibia leans more in the direction of a ‘desert and dune’ experience but the wildlife viewing in places such as Etosha in the north, the Waterberg Plateau, Damaraland and even on the edge of the Skeleton Coast such as along the Hoanib River, can be excellent. Namibia also has remarkable cultural diversity and a strong conservation ethos.

What is it that combines these two countries in my list of attractive safari propositions for the near future? The value of the South African Rand, of course. Hovering consistently around ZAR 18 to the US dollar and not likely to strengthen rapidly any time soon, the shrinking Rand creates excellent safari deals for dollar-wielding travelers. Not only in South Africa itself but also in neighboring Namibia whose currency – the Namibia dollar – is pegged at the same value as the South African Rand. 

SOUTH AFRICA TRIP IDEAS

There are a myriad of trip combinations which can be anchored by South Africa. It’s always a good idea to start your South Africa trip with a few days in Cape Town, South Africa’s ‘mother city.’ Enjoy the local sights, two of which rank in Africa’s most celebrated natural wonders – Table Bay and Table Mountain. A little bit adventurous? Try the Platteklip hike up to the summit of Table Mountain and take the cable car trip down. Be sure to visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (it’s a jewel), check out the endemic African penguins (Africa’s only penguin species) at Boulders Beach and take the funicular to the viewpoint at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.  

From Cape Town, fly to the greater Kruger Park area and spend a week on safari in a lodge of your choice – to fit your budget – in a private game reserve adjacent to the park. There are many options to choose from in areas like the Sabi Sand Reserve, Timbavati, Manyeleti and Thornybush. All of them are ‘Big Five’ reserves where you are likely to see elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and buffaloes over the course of a few days. And a lot else besides, of course.  Advantages of traveling here rather than some other destinations? Mostly the ability to drive off-road which can get you closer to some of the smaller cats and other special sightings, and also the ability to drive after the sun is down for a chance to see some of the nocturnal animals.

Instead of, or in addition to the Kruger Park area, you may wish to include some time in South Africa’s Eastern Cape region which also has abundant wildlife. Private game reserves like Kwandwe, Kariega and Shamwari are located in extraordinarily beautiful landscapes, filled with green rolling hills and valleys and patches of riverine forest, scrub and woodland. A bonus? This area is malaria-free so is ideal for families with young children or anyone wanting to avoid having to use malaria prophylaxis.  

Two other attractive safari destinations in South Africa include the Waterberg and Madikwe regions, both of which are also in malaria-free areas. Of course, it is easy to travel from South Africa into any of the neighboring countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.

NAMIBIA TRIP IDEAS

Namibia is very much a ‘desert and dune’ destination, with the area around Sossusvlei with its giant red sand dunes being considered Namibia’s signature sight. So by all means spend a couple of days there and marvel at the scene of a white gravel plain with apricot dunes in the background, an azure blue sky and stark, semi-fossilized trees providing a focal point for the quintessential Namibia photograph. 

Of course from there you’d want to go on safari and find some of the country’s signature animals such as the gemsbok, black-faced impala, springbok and Damara dik-dik. Together with elephants, black and white rhino, and the big cats. All of these and more can be found in the greater Etosha National Park area to the north and elsewhere. A little beyond the regular safari circuit lies the Skeleton Coast National Park which we regularly include on Namibia trips, either by having guests spend a few days at a camp on the edge of the park or right inside it, or by doing a fly-in safari which whisks guests from one enigmatic spot to another. There’s a lot more to Namibia including the quaint town of Swakopmund and nearby Walvis Bay harbor with bird-laden estuaries and worthwhile marine excursions, and remote safari camps in Damaraland and the Kaokoveld. This is where guests can embark on day safaris in search of the elusive black rhino, a successful day culminating with the guests approaching the black rhinos on foot from a safe and respectful distance. There will be a small team from Namibia’s successful ‘Save the Rhino’ Trust on hand to provide background information on the success of the program, and the challenges ahead. 

ZIMBABWE AND ZAMBIA

Zimbabwe and Zambia are two of Africa’s most underrated safari destinations. Prospects for Zimbabwe’s tourism sector have taken a much more positive turn now that the country is fully in the post-Mugabe era. Despite having a superior safari product, the Zimbabwe properties are not able to command the stellar pricing of some of its competitors – notably Botswana – Which creates opportunities for visitors to enjoy a fantastic safari – very much comparable to that of Botswana – at literally 50% of the Botswana cost, in the high season months from June through October.

Zambia is perhaps just not as well known as it should be and its safari season is quite short with many of its camps in the South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue regions being closed for the rainy season from November through the end of March. None of this affects the safari experience in Zambia. In fact, a Zambia safari delivers a wonderful all-round experience with none of the congestion of some of its most popular rivals and at a much lower price point. Zambia has even shelved its visa entry fee of $50 per person.

For Zimbabwe, our associates Imvelo Safaris have some  dazzling specials for the low-demand season, with great savings for families traveling with children and single travelers. These include a stay 7/pay 5 offer from November 2023 through March 2024 (except for the holidays) and a free private guide and vehicle for groups of four or more. There’s more: children under 18 will be accommodated free of charge (park fees and transfers only) on any stay of three nights or longer, from January 1 through the end of April 2024. Victoria Falls, Hwange, Lake Kariba, Mana Pools: a Zimbabwe trip is filled with excitement, big game, lots of optional activities such as boating, fishing, and foot safaris – for less than you might anticipate.  

Most Zimbabwe itineraries include two or more of the areas below, in no specific sequence:  

Victoria Falls – usually just for a day or two at the beginning of the trip – to acclimate, see the Falls & perhaps do an interesting late afternoon sundowner boat-trip on the Zambezi. The Falls are an awesome sight in April and May particularly – when the Zambezi is in flood stage – but they are always worth seeing from the Zimbabwe side (main falls).  

Hwange National park – This huge national park is one of the most important elephant sanctuaries in Africa, with as many as 30,000 elephants resident in the greater Hwange area. We always include at least one Hwange property (mostly tented but not exclusively so) in an itinerary, sometimes two. In addition to the elephants, Hwange has good populations of elephants, giraffe, eland (largest antelope in Africa), zebra, wildebeest and a good variety of predators including lions, cheetahs, leopards and also African painted dogs. So the safari experience there is very much like in South Africa, Botswana, or for that matter Kenya. Rhinos have been re-introduced to the Hwange area which now (again, as in the past) makes the park a ‘Big Five’ destination. There’s more. Hwange has a couple of very special antelopes not generally seen elsewhere in Southern Africa, namely the majestic sable antelope and the equally interesting roan antelope. Plus literally thousands of impala and various other smaller mammals. The birdlife is superb with many birds of prey and colorful bee-eaters, rollers, shrikes and dozens of other families of birds. Hwange is an ideal park for walking safaris, mostly because of the proficiency of the Zimbabwe professional guides, who are at their best on foot, rifle in hand. 

Mana Pools – Mana Pools is a near-legendary national park which lies along the lower Zambezi River in far north-eastern Zimbabwe. Renowned for its game-viewing (elephants, big cats, buffalo, plains game and African painted dog), the area is highly atmospheric and for many seasoned safari goers, Mana Pools is the holy grail. Being on the Zambezi and with the Zambian escarpment visible in the background (across the river), the setting is very special too. Including Mana Pools makes a trip a bit more expensive on a per diem basis due to the relatively high cost of flying there. However we do offer some trips which include flying at no or reduced cost. There is a minimum stay requirement. Mana Pools has a well-deserved reputation for being an ideal park for foot safaris.  

Lake Kariba – and particularly the Matusadona National Park on the southern shore of the lake. A very diverse area (in terms of habitat and activities), Lake Kariba is a superb addition to almost any Zimbabwe trip. Beautiful views over the lake (one of the biggest man-made lakes in Africa), boat safaris (a pleasant change from bumping around in the vehicle), fishing – for tiger fish, a fierce freshwater fighting fish, on catch & release basis – and walking are all possible. I have taken some of my best ever photographs in Matusadona National Park because of the vast expanse of floodplain around the lake where elephants and other animals can often be seen in the open, with a nice clean mountain or water backdrop.  

The Matobos in south-western Zimbabwe. This region of Zimbabwe is another one where rhinos can be observed in the wild. Scenically it is unbeatable with rocky outcrops reminiscent of SE Utah. It also has a couple of worthwhile cultural experiences, namely a visit to one or two San (‘Bushmen’) cave painting sites and a visit to the grave-site of Cecil John Rhodes. This area is spectacular, particularly at sunset. It is easy to move on to Hwange National Park from the Matobos by road.

For Zambia, I can think of no better trip than a 10-night Zambia exploration with Classic Zambia, priced at about $6,500 per person sharing in May and June, increasing to just over $8,000 per person sharing for the high season months from July through October. This would be a fantastic safari combining two of Africa’s finest and wildest wildlife areas, Kafue and the Lower Zambezi. Please call or email for detailed information about these and other safari options.  

Zambia is a massive country and it should come as no surprise that it has several excellent safari areas, notably the South Luangwa National Park, the Lower Zambezi National Park and the Kafue region. None of these are heavily visited and the Kafue – which is much bigger than South Africa’s vast Kruger National park – attracts about one tenth of the number of visitors of the Kruger. 

The South Luangwa National Park is known for its walking safaris and the chance to see a wide variety of animals such as elephants, lions and leopards. On a recent trip there we witnessed a crocodile trying to rob a hyena of its prey. It was a spellbinding scene observed by just us. No other vehicle showed up over the entire 30 minutes or so we spent at the sighting.  

The Lower Zambezi National Park is another popular destination, offering river safaris on the Zambezi and the opportunity to see hippos, crocodiles and abundant birdlife. For the adventurous traveler, I would recommend a canoe safari in one of the backwaters off the main river. It can be an adrenaline-inducing experience gliding by several hippos, your natural apprehension being somewhat assuaged by the fact that you have an experienced guide in control of the canoe.  

The Kafue National Park is the largest park in Zambia and is home to a wide range of wildlife, including elephants, lions and cheetahs. Several small, remote camps in the Kafue are ideal for a ‘back to basics’ experience where what matters most is what happens outside the tent. It is all about the wilderness experience, about observing the wildlife in their most natural setting, and being able to do it essentially with just your guide and the few other people in the vehicle with you.  

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Montana Owl Workshop

14th May 2021

Montana Owl Workshop


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Zara Tours

Montana Owl Workshop

Not everybody measures the success of a trip to Montana by the number of owl species you get to observe and learn about. If you’re a participant in one of the long-running Charlo, Montana Owl Research Institute (ORI) Owl Workshops, you do.

Led by the redoubtable Denver Holt, North America’s foremost owl researcher, ably assisted by ORI Wildlife Biologist Beth Mendelsohn and summer intern Chloe Hernandez, we had the opportunity to learn more about the natural history of five different owl species, and to make a direct contribution to on-going field research studies conducted by the ORI.  Over the course of a 5-day long weekend which started with arrival in Missoula on a Thursday afternoon and ended on Monday morning with an early flight home, we spent a considerable amount of time in the company of these five amazing owls:  the rarely seen Northern Pygmy Owl, the more common but no less impressive Great Horned Owl, the simply incredible Short-eared Owl, the perfectly adorable Northern Saw-Whet Owl, and the undisputed stars of the weekend, a breeding pair of Great Gray Owls.


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The purpose of the ORI’s Owl Workshops is to introduce visitors to the remarkable variety and abundance of owl species in western Montana, and to involve them in research work aimed at better understanding of the behavior, breeding patterns and success of these inconspicuous animals, many of which are facing growing threats and challenges to their long-term prospects.


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YES ON NORTHERN PYGMY OWLS, NO ON LONG-EARED OWLS

On our first day in the area, having spent the previous night at the Doubletree Hotel on the edge of downtown Missoula (good running trails, beautiful river views, superb Finn restaurant), we were ready to go out in search of our first study object:  the Northern Pygmy Owl.  Aptly named, these tiny creatures – which weigh barely two to three ounces, less than a deck of cards – had been heard calling in a pine forest just outside of Missoula.  A few minutes after hearing Denver’s uncannily realistic rendition of a Pygmy Owl call, one of our party spotted the bird – it turned out to be the male – flying high through the forest.  It perched briefly at the top of a tree, then crossed a trail and settled in a tree behind us.  Denver was quick to get a powerful Nikon telescope trained on the bird, which enabled us to positively identify it and observe its distinctively striped breast, its diminutive size, relatively long tail and its conspicuous false eye marks on the back of its head.


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The objective of the outing was to identify a nesting site which we knew had to be in the immediate area, given that there was a male around.  Chloe and Beth proceeded to use a telescopic ‘peeper camera’ to peer into appropriately sized nesting holes.  The first few holes were not quite right but in attempting to insert the peeper camera into another promising looking hole, a female Northern Pygmy Owl flew out of the nest and settled nearby.  Identifying active nesting sites is of major importance so we were all quite pleased.  In order to minimize any potential stress to the female, it was decided that the researchers would return on a different day to check the nest itself.


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After lunch, we continued to a different site where we worked as a team to locate nesting sites of the Long-eared Owl.  Over the years, the number of confirmed nests of these lanky owls had ranged from zero to a record number of 15 in 2020, in the Missoula study site.  On this day, despite diligently covering several wooded draws and systematically checking for nests in thick, thorny brush, we came up empty.  No nesting Long-eared Owls.  It was disappointing to us but in its own way, of course, not finding breeding pairs tells its own story.  The owls had likely left the area some time ago, probably because there were not enough of their favored prey species which are small rodents like voles and deer mice.  

It was fascinating to observe Beth and Chloe dissecting a Long-eared Owl’s regurgitated pellet, which contained the fur and intact bones of several of these tiny rodents.


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A BEAR BEFORE CHECK-IN

A bit later in the afternoon, we headed out on Highway 93 north, our destination being the beautiful Mission Valley where the snow capped peaks of the Mission Mountains dominate every view.  At a brief stop en route, we observed a small breeding herd (there were several brown babies) of American Bisons at the National Bison Range, before making our way to our hotel for the next two nights, the Ninepipes Lodge in Charlo.


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We were just getting our stuff together to check in, when Denver glanced at his cell phone and changed plans on the fly.  “Get back in the car!”, he exclaimed.  “My neighbor just texted me that there is a bear near my house!”  So naturally off we went.  Back down Route 93 for a bit, and then left on a small country road.  Not even five minutes later, on a reservoir dam, we spotted it.  A large brown bear, which is a color variant of the black bear.  At first just loping and then scampering, it spotted our vehicle on the road and promptly entered the water in the reservoir.  Slowly but efficiently it made its way across, emerging on a small spit and walking to a dense clump of willows where it could conceal itself, at least for a while.  For us city slickers seeing a real live bear walking about in broad daylight was a pleasant surprise, a first for some of us.


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After a good dinner that evening, we went out again in search of the ground-nesting Short-eared Owls, known for their buoyant, agile flight patterns and their ‘sky-dancing’ courtship displays.  We were fortunate to find and observe a couple of them, and we returned to the area the next evening, when we had even better views of their moth-like flight.  There were a couple of males involved in an altercation of sorts, swooping over the grassy fields and displaying some powerfully acrobatic flying.  Denver got the scope on one of the Shorties which had perched on a post, enabling us to get a look at its rounded head.  Another great sighting that afternoon was a Peregrine Falcon which demonstrated its awesome speed.

Legendary Lodge


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A GLOBAL BIG BIRDING DAY AND GREAT HORNED OWLS

Despite rather cold, blustery conditions, we managed to see and identify just short of 50 species of birds as our contribution to Global Big Day, which Chloe duly reported to the E-Bird site.   The Global Big Day is an annual ‘celebration of the birds around you’ and the aim is to encourage mass participation in a worldwide bird count, even if it’s just 10 minutes of checking the species in your own backyard.  We did a bit better than that!

Our main objective for the day was to find and observe nesting sites of one of the Mission Valley’s more common owl species, the Great Horned Owl.  We were quite successful in the endeavor, finding several nests and many Great Horned Owls, some solitary, others in pairs and yet others in small family groups with the youngsters not far from the nest.


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Our lunch was enjoyed picnic-style at a scenic overlook, high on a bluff, looking down over the peculiarly aquamarine water of the strongly flowing Flathead River.  The surroundings were pure Montana and we were not at all surprised when a couple of cowboy-clad locals on horseback showed up as we were scanning a cliff-side for bird nests.

Back at the Ninepipes Lodge we enjoyed yet another fine meal in a dining room which ranks right up there at the top of my all-time ‘best views while eating’ list.  Just a drop-dead gorgeous view over a tree-lined pond with the majestic Mission Mountain range in the background.  Some fresh snow from the previous night had accumulated on the peaks and dusted the vast forest on the slopes, making it even prettier than usual.

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A SAW-WHET OWL IN THE HAND

Our final day in the Mission Valley turned out to be simply spectacular.  It started with a bang when we went out to an impressive Aspen forest tucked away in a quiet neighborhood.  Admittedly, our team of researchers from the ORI and the three of us got lucky when we found a nesting site of a Saw-Whet Owl.  Often, it can take hours of checking and knocking on dozens and even hundreds of trees to find one of these charming creatures popping its head out of a breeding cavity.  This time?  Not even five trees in, and we had a winner.

This particular female Saw-Whet Owl didn’t even wait for a proper thump on her tree, to see what was going on.  She popped her head out of the nest even as Chloe was clearing some brush from the base of the tree, getting ready to give it a whack.


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Plans were immediately and effectively put into place to position a ladder alongside the tree, a suitable net was selected, and gloves were donned.  Perhaps 15 minutes or so later,  and voila – Denver briskly and firmly trapped the tiny owl in a hand-held net.  Chloe took some photos of the nestlings – there were three youngsters in the nest – and then joined Beth on the ground to log the bird’s statistical details, age it and ring-band it. 

Keeping careful records, they inspected, measured and weighed the owl before carefully fitting the ring-band  and then it was released back into the nest.  

We were rapt observers, remarking on how the little owl seemed totally nonplussed and relaxed, being gently yet securely handled by Beth and Chloe.  

We all thought  that it would be near impossible to equal or top the excitement of the morning.  We were wrong, as the afternoon’s adventure would reveal.


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A GREAT GRAY SURPRISE

Turning off Route 93, we headed straight for the foothills of the Mission Mountains.  Bear Country.  This fact being all too evident considering that every person present – except us out-of-towners – sported a canister of bear repellent on their hips.  

A couple of miles down a mountain road which followed the contour line along an irrigation channel, we stopped inside a large pine/fir forest, proceeding on foot for another 500 meters or so, before heading into the forest proper.  

The objective this afternoon was to find a nesting site of one of the most enigmatic, rarely seen owls of North America, the spectacular Great Gray Owl.


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We were told that the Great Grays had been heard in the area we were to visit, but not yet seen.  To locate them and more importantly their nests, was of course a horse of a different color.  We were in a huge forest in a massive wilderness area.  The owls could be anywhere.  Even so, we couldn’t help getting excited.  Maybe we could get lucky.  Maybe this would be our day to actually see a Great Gray… As we worked our way deeper and deeper into the forest, occasionally having to squeeze through a gap in the vegetation or clamber over some huge fallen tree trunks, the anticipation grew.


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Appropriately and maybe somewhat predictably, everything fell into place in what seemed to be the perfect spot.  Utterly remote and private, away from any source of noise or other human intrusion, we had reached Great Gray Owl nirvana.  It was swampy and heavily overgrown in spots, yet there were some open glades as well; ideal hunting grounds for – you guessed it – Great Gray Owls.  In fact, we found ourselves in textbook Great Gray Owl habitat.  Under the expert instructions of Beth, we started checking several promising snags (essentially dead tree stumps) and hit the jackpot on snag #3.  It was the perfect height – around 20 or maybe 25 feet or so – providing safety from bears and other potential clambering predators.


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Sure enough, as we trained our binoculars on the tip of the snag, there were at least two gray fluffy balls to be seen.  Success!  Not long after, Beth spotted the female Great Gray Owl perched nearby.  Perhaps 20 minutes later (after the female had returned to the nest), we observed the male flying in and delivering a dead vole for his fast growing family.  We had seen it all!  Truly an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience.

It was a happy band of adventurers who returned to Missoula – on Mother’s Day – for a fine farewell dinner and wrap up.  We said our goodbyes and even before we got onto the plane for the trip back to Houston the next morning, we started talking about a return trip to Montana.  Yellowstone National Park early next spring?  Why not!


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In our blog post next Friday, we will be taking a closer look at Namibia’s best known sight, the spectacular Sossusvlei red sand dunes, on the edge of the Namib Desert.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Beautiful Birds of Africa: Part 3

4th December 2020

Beautiful Birds of Africa: Part 3


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Beautiful Birds of Africa: Part 3

Traveling through Africa, no matter where you find yourself, you will soon learn that birds are to be found in even the most inhospitable of habitats, such as the Namib Desert.  Birds like the cryptically colored, ground-dwelling Dune Lark and Gray’s Lark, which somehow manage to exist in the gravel plains of the Namib, where surface temperatures may exceed 45C (113F) during the heat of the day. Just like humans, birds are supremely adaptable and have evolved, over millennia, to be able to thrive under what may appear to be impossible conditions.


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What is even more remarkable to me is how one bird can adapt to look and act just like another completely unrelated bird, found in a different part of the world, as a result of an evolutionary pattern called convergence.  When I first saw a Western Meadowlark here in Texas, for example, I looked at my birding companion and said, ‘Nice, we’ve got those in South Africa too.  A Yellowthroated Longclaw, right?”  His face took on a perplexed look. “A what?  Longclaw?  No man, that is an Eastern Meadowlark.”  This happens when two separate species evolve similarly, because they find themselves in similar environments.


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Despite occurring in different parts of the world, with some 8,000 miles separating them, meadowlarks and longclaws ended up being practically identical, superficially.   The exact same yellow and black plumage pattern, general shape and size and even behavior, with a characteric low flight and trilling wings.  The birds ended up being peas in a pod, despite not having any common ancestors for millions of years, because their plumage and behavior best enable them to blend in, survive and thrive in a grassland environment.

The opposite evolutionary pattern – divergence – when one species separates into two and then develops individually, is perhaps better known and can be easily seen in nature as well.  Such as in Madagascar.


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If you’ve ever wondered what it must have felt like to be Darwin, walking around the Galapagos completing the Natural Selection puzzle, Madagascar will appeal to you.  Spend a few days there and you cannot fail but see Darwin’s theory of evolution come alive in front of your very eyes.  Look at a white-headed vanga and then – maybe just minutes later – observe a sickle-billed vanga fly by.  Practically the identical bird except for a marked difference in bill adaptation.  The one with a stout conical bill, the other one similar in general appearance and shape but with a massive decurved bill.  Clearly adapted to probe crevices and holes for spiders and crickets and other insects. Evolution in its purest form.  It is estimated that the sickle-billed vanga split from the white-headed vanga somewhat more than a million years ago.


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If you do end up heading to Madagascar someday – and you’re interested in birds – do a little bit of homework.  The island doesn’t have an inordinately high number of species, but every second species you see, will be endemic to the country.  There are 22 vanga species, for starters.  Each one markedly different from another.   In fact, Madagascar’s vangas easily beat Darwin’s Galapagos finches for diversity.  The same is true of the striking coua family; there are nine of these mostly terrestrial birds of the cuckoo family in Madagascar.  Every single one found only there.


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So when you do see the amazing variety and diversity of birds all over Africa – and perhaps Madagascar –  you are looking at the culmination of millions of years of subtle, imperceptible change and adaptation.  From the tiniest skulking Firefinch to the most fierce-looking Martial Eagle, every one of them looks and acts the way it does, as a result of the long evolutionary path they have been on since the last major extinction event, some 66 million years ago.  Most dinosaurs went extinct. Mostly birds remained.  Since then, birds have evolved in many ways, enabling them to survive in a multitude of habitats.


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According to an article in Current Biology (May 2019),  birds – dominated by seed-eaters – fared extremely well in resettling the vacated ecological niches, in the wake of the extinction event.  In fact, they radiated to create a level of diversity unrivalled among terrestrial vertebrates. Scientists disagree on the exact reasons why birds have done so well, but clearly their relatively  small size, the fact they can eat many different foods and their ability to fly, all played a part.


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Having emerged from the last mass extinction much better than most species, birds are now facing several new man-made threats to their survival.  Primary among these are loss of habitat and a precipitous decrease in the abundance of insects, worldwide.  Climate change and the resultant global warming are also negatively impacting bird populations.   Nobody knows which of them will be the survivors this time.

For now at least, there are more than 11,000 bird species in the world, of which about 2,300 species occur in Africa. More than 1,400 birds are endemic to Africa – found only there.  Be sure to be on the lookout for them and if you are contemplating a first trip to Africa, make sure that you end up with a guide who is knowledgeable about birds.  It literally opens up a whole new world to visitors of Africa’s wild places.


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Bee-eaters and Rollers

Colorful and lively, Bee-eaters and rollers are among the most spectacular birds to be seen anywhere in Africa.   Some of them like the Little Bee-eater, the Lilacbreasted Roller and the Carmine Bee-eater are celebrities of the world of birds, the object of attention whenever they are around, never far from glinting lenses and clattering shutters.


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The Lilacbreasted Roller easily takes the cake for being the most dazzling of the true bushveld birds.  They are attention hogs like few other birds, almost always perched on a twig or branch close to the road or trail, often not more than about 8 to 10 feet or so above the ground.  Almost every visitor to sub-Saharan Africa will be able to get a half-decent photograph of a Lilac-breasted Roller.  Perched.  In flight?  Now that’s the real challenge!  In hundreds of attempts over the years, I have maybe a half dozen or so good LBR shots, showing them to their best advantage.


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The trick is anticipating the moment at which they decide to take flight.  Or better yet, the split second before that moment.  Even when you guess correctly and have the camera clattering away the moment the bird spreads its wings to take off, all manner of things still go wrong.  The #1 bad outcome?  The roller dives down and away.  Try again.  Here’s a hint:  set your camera on the Manual setting at f-8 with a shutter speed of 1,000th of a second or faster (when the light is good), with the ISO on automatic.  Autofocus enabled.


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Hoopoes, barbets and woodpeckers

The distinctive African Hoopoe is quite common but not always easily observed, due to its habit of flitting from one spot to the next in a seemingly haphazard, unpredictable manner, looking and acting just like a giant butterfly in the process.  Observe it closely the next time you see one.  When undisturbed, its characteristic crest is closed up, but when it is excited or agitated, the crest creates a little mini-fan on top of the Hoopoe’s head.  These beautiful birds are common garden birds over much of Africa and are highly revered, to the point of being legally protected in many areas.

Africa is not particularly well endowed with woodpecker species, but in most woodland habitats you’re likely to come across a couple of species.  Often heard before being seen, their characteristic tapping noise is a dead giveaway, as is their loud, piercing calls.  Many African woodpeckers are basically golden brown above and paler below, with a bewildering variety of facial stripes, eyebrow lines and red, spotted or black caps, and breast patterns.  It usually takes more than just one good view in a pair of binoculars, to positively identify them.  The smallest woodpecker in Africa is the cardinal woodpecker, which is common everywhere except really arid areas.

In South Africa, the largest and most unusual woodpecker is the ground woodpecker. This mostly olive-grey bird with a pinkish belly and rump, is endemic to South Africa and is – the clue is in the name – not associated with trees.  If you find yourself in rolling treeless terrain in the Southwestern Cape or higher lying grassland areas to the north and east, you may just stumble upon one of these extraordinary birds.


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Barbets are a large family of birds with more than 40 species to be found in sub-Saharan Africa.  They are indeed hard to miss, and visitors often observe different species of barbets feeding on fruit of one kind or another, such as wild figs.  Barbets are confiding and are often found around safari camps or lodge grounds, delighting visitors with their sometimes brilliant plumage.  One of the most prominent camp followers is the Crested Barbet, a chunky bird with a prominent crest and almost comically colorful plumage.  During the heat of the summer they can often be heard emitting a long, insectlike trilling sound which seems to go on and on and on.


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Another common African barbet which favors the same habitat as the Crested Barbet, is the equally attractive and similarly entertaining Blackcollared Barbet.  The Blackcollared Barbet is a conspicuous bird with a prominent red head and contrasting black collar.  Their call sets them apart from any other birds in the same habitat, being a remarkable duet between two birds, with just milliseconds separating the sound coming from first one and then the other bird.  Even looking at them sitting on a branch and calling like this, it is hard to imagine that the sound is a combination of two birds calling in turn.  


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Drongos and orioles

The Forktailed drongo is  a ubiquitous bird in the African savannah, being present in all but the driest desert areas. It is easily seen and identified by its extravagantly forked tail, but be careful not to confuse it with a Black flycatcher, if you’re just starting out on the bird-watching journey. The forktailed drongo is a querulous, argumentative bird, seemingly always engaged in territorial or mating disputes. Forktailed drongos are known to mimic the alarm calls of other birds such as babblers and can fool babblers into seeking cover and abandoning food, upon hearing the false alarm calls.  The drongos then swoop in and appropriate the food.  Along with just a handful of other birds, drongos are out and about right throughout the day, even on the hottest of hot days in midsummer.

The African orioles are nothing like their American ‘cousins, the daintier, robin-like new world orioles.   If the Baltimore oriole were a runner, the  African Blackheaded oriole is an Olympic sprinter by comparison.  Just like the Blackheaded Oriole, the African Golden Oriole is a powerful flyer, its distinctive liquid call heard over long distances, as it dashes through a stand of tall  trees, often alighting close to the top.  In the Southern African summer months the resident Blackheaded Orioles are joined by migrating European Golden Orioles, equally splendid birds with an almost luminous yellow plumage and red eyes and beak.

Crows and ravens

The highly evolved and intelligent crows and ravens are encountered all over Africa.  Like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, they are commensurate with man, thus crow species like the Pied Crow and the Black Crow are often seen around cities and towns, scavenging whatever they can lay their bills on.  Pied Crows as well as the impressive White-necked Raven can also be seen in areas with mountains and cliffs along the eastern part of Southern African and into East Africa.  Several African port cities like Durban in South Africa and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania are encountering problems with an invasion of House Crows, an alien species.


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Babblers, Robins, Flycatchers and Wagtails

African Babblers like the Arrowmarked Babbler are among the most entertaining of African birds, and it is possible to kill an hour or so just following a group of them around the camp grounds, as they slowly make their way from one safe spot to another.  All the while fussing over each other and making a great variety of calls and sounds, often with one bird starting off and then a whole chorus chiming in.  They can be quite raucous – and will hardly ever go unnoticed.  Babblers have an unusual social system, with a dominant pair of birds assisted through the breeding cycle by helpers.  Tightly knit groups of five to ten live together in large, defended territories.


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The many African species of robins and robin-chats are among the continent’s most accomplished songbirds, with names like Chorister Robin-chat being indicative of the bird’s vocal artistry.  The African morning chorus almost invariably contain the strong, melodious calls of one or more species in the robin family, such as the Chorister, Cape, Heuglin’s or Natal Robin-chat, or their East African representatives like the White-browed or Ruppell’s Robin-chat..  The robins are accomplished mime artists, sometimes including bits of songs of as many as 20 other forest species in one single burst.  


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Visitors to Africa might walk or drive by a dozen flycatchers unknowingly, simply because these quiet, retiring birds often perch in one spot,  making sallies from there to catch insects.  Not so the Paradise Flycatcher.  It is very much a presence in the area around its nesting site, with particularly the male of the species attracting considerable attention with its beautiful long orange tail and vivid blue orbital eyerings.  Paradise flycatchers will sometimes construct their nests quite close to human habitation, with the result that the birds are encountered constantly as they fly to and from the nest. 

Wagtails are dainty, delicate birds, constantly pumping their tails when perched.  In sub-Saharan Africa the distinctive African pied wagtail is often seen near water streams.  Its bold black and white coloration and size are dead giveaways as to the identity of the bird.  The smaller and more common Cape wagtail also likes water, but is equally at home in gardens and fields.  They are common garden birds in many African cities and even make themselves at home in inner-city areas, hawking insects on the pavement and picking up whatever scraps they can find.  Wagtails are among the most admired and appreciated of garden birds in Southern Africa, due to their confiding nature and their jaunty attitude.

Shrikes

I’ve always had a soft spot for the various species of shrikes of Southern Africa, mostly because I used to tape record birds in the field, and then play their calls back to them.  Many birds don’t react at all, or barely.  Not so shrikes and their cousins the batises.  They take immediate notice and sometimes even the most shy, least seen species like the Four-colored or Gorgeous Bush Shrike, will pop out of vegetation to investigate the source of the sound.  Clearly assuming that it is an intruder into its territory.  I no longer do this (record or play back bird calls) as it may cause some species unnecessary distress  and may have an impact on breeding success, particularly in areas where there are too many bird watchers walking around with bird tapes.  

The one bush shrike which has so far eluded my lens is the simply spectacular Crimsonbreasted Boubou, a bird of mostly dry thornveld areas.  It is spectacularly colorful with black and white wings and an astonishingly vivid red (crimson) chest, yet it always seems to find a way to stay obscured just within the tree canopy, behind some leaves,  and will fly to the next bush just when you think you have a line on it.

Shrikes are among the most vocal of bird species and on any given day on safari, you could easily hear as many as five or six shrike species without ever seeing them.  These would include the Puffback Shrike, Brubru, Greyheaded Bush Shrike, a Southern or Swamp Boubou and one or more of the Tchagras.


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Glossy starlings

Africa has a wealth of glossy starlings, spectacular birds whose feathers have a distinct metallic sheen, created by cells called melanosomes.  Glossy starlings are unique in having as many as four different kinds of melanosomes creating a literally dazzling range of iridescent colors in these birds.  Research done by the University of Akron showed that African starlings evolve color faster than any other bird, in fact 10 times faster than their ancestors and modern relatives.  Feather coloration is very important in African starlings because it is used to signal quality and dominance when competing for mates.


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When you first see a Cape Glossy Starling or Greater Blue-eared or Superb Starling – in good sunlight – the effect is quite mesmerizing.  The entire bird is lit up in what seems to be a thousand points of light, simply radiant with refracted light.  It is almost a pity that several of these glossy starling species are so common that they quickly lose their appeal and are essentially ignored by the locals, despite their visual appeal.


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Oxpeckers

There are two species of Oxpeckers in the world, both found in Africa.  The Yellowbilled (mostly in Southern Africa) and the Redbilled Oxpecker, mostly present in East Africa.  These birds feed mainly on ectoparasites like ticks, on a range of mammals such as Cape Buffalo, impala antelope, zebras, giraffes and hippos.  The Oxpeckers’ relationship with its mammal hosts was formerly thought to be an example of mutualism, but is now considered to be parasitic as the mammals do not really benefit in any way, and can be harmed by wounds being opened by the birds.  Hunters and professional walking guides always keep an ear open for the screeching call of the oxpecker.  It alerts the person on foot to be alert to the proximity of what might turn out to be dangerous game, like buffalo.


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Sugarbirds and sunbirds

There are only two sugarbirds in Africa.  Gurney’s – which is found in higher lying parts of north-eastern Africa and the Cape Sugarbird, which is closely associated with South Africa’s unique fynbos habitat.  Visitors are likely to see these spectacular long-tailed birds in a place like Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.  In fact, if you spend a bit of time around Kirstenbosch’s deservedly famous protea (also known as sugarbush) gardens, you are practically assured of seeing a Cape Sugarbird.  


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The southwestern Cape floral kingdom – a mix of fynbos, strandveld, forest, wetland, renosterveld and more – is also known for its several species of sunbirds, a particularly striking, small colorful bird.   Known collectively as the Nectariniidae, sunbirds are Africa’s equivalent of the hummingbird family. Both fulfil the same ecological role as nectar eaters. Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas whereas the Sunbirds are found largely in Africa, and also in parts of Asia.  Even though they are tiny and fast flyers, sunbirds are usually quite easily seen due to their brilliant and colorful plumage.  Running through practically any shade of the rainbow, they can be green, red, yellow, blue, purple or a mix of those.  The impact of the color is amplified by their iridescence which can turn these tiny birds into brilliant feathered bullets.


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Our blog post next Friday will be about Madagascar, sometimes known as the ‘Eighth Continent’ due to the wealth of endemic species found there, ranging from lemurs to birds to reptiles, plants and beyond.  

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

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Elephants: Everybody’s Favorite

23rd October 2020

Elephants: Everybody’s Favorite


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Elephants: Everybody’s Favorite

As a native of South Africa and someone who was fortunate enough to start going on safari as a child, I probably saw my first elephant in the wild before I was even 5 years old.  As kids in the back of the VW Bus driving in the Kruger Park in South Africa, my sister and my brothers and I would literally shriek with delight when we came across a herd of elephants.  We would stare at their giant tusks in awe, comment on their amazing ears, marvel at their versatile trunks, laugh at their antics, coo over the little ones, and just generally be delighted to be in their company.


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Having seen literally thousands of them since then all over Africa, one thing remains the same.  Every elephant sighting remains special.  It is never ‘just another elephant’, or’ more elephants’, no matter how abundant they may be where I find myself.  Elephants are fascinating creatures on so many levels and they have an almost visceral impact when you see them in the wild, especially close up.


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Of course, there’s the sheer size of them, their massive bodies making an unequivocal statement as to who is the real king of the African wilderness.  Hint:  it is not the lion.  I’ve seen enraged, trumpeting – sometimes even shrieking – elephants scare off lions many a time.  Given a certain set of circumstances elephants are afraid of nothing and very little will stop them.


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Mostly though elephants are adorable, much loved creatures who are always busy doing something.  Mostly eating.  The leaves on trees, shrubs, grass, bark, fruit, seed pods –  pretty much any edible plant material.  Another favorite elephant pastime:  drinking.  It is endlessly entertaining to watch elephants drink.  They cannot go without water for extended periods of time and are almost always to be found within striking distance of a known (to them) source of water.  Which means that on safari in Africa, one of the best places to find them – particularly in the dry season – is at a water hole, along a river, in a dam, a swamp or marsh.


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Over the years, we have experienced many particularly interesting or satisfying elephant viewings, and every now and then have gotten lucky with a photograph.  Here are a few of them with some of our notes and recollections.


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Chyulu Hills, Kenya

One of my personal favorite elephant photographs is this one, taken of several elephant bulls at a small water hole right below Ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills.  What made it special to me at the time – and what I tried to capture – was the seemingly invisible turf battle going on.  These big bulls were in fact barely tolerating each other’s presence.  Their ‘togetherness’ was simply the result of none of them being substantially bigger or more powerful than the others.  Reluctantly, by the looks of it, they granted each other just enough room to get some water, and then move on.  Nobody dominated, and everybody benefited.


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Amboseli Swamps, Kenya

Amboseli is one of the best places in Africa to see elephants.  Amboseli is a small national park which is famous for its elephants and its perfect view (cloud cover permitting) of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  The Amboseli elephants are special because of the size of their tusks, their approachability, and their daily pattern of walking out of the woodlands to the swamps and then back.  It is an arid area so they almost always kick up some dust which makes for atmospheric photos and awesome views.  It happened to take me three visits to Amboseli to get some really good photographs of elephants with Kili in the background, but it’s mostly a matter of luck.  Good or bad.  On my third (successful) visit there were several first-time visitors in the vehicle with me…  You just never know.  This photo of a herd of elephants walking toward the swamps early in the morning, was made special by a relatively small but critical element:  the one big elephant looking back.  Just that.  Without it, it’s a nicely lit and atmospheric shot of elephant walking, kicking up some dust.  With the one elephant looking in the other direction?  You can judge for yourself.


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Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, Namibia

Photography is all about light.  Many professional wildlife photographers rarely attempt capturing anything beyond the morning and afternoon ‘golden hour’ window, when near horizontal light beams cast a flattering glow on practically everything it illuminates.  Including elephants.  Digital photography – which allows considerable manipulation of exposure levels in post-processing – has opened up a somewhat bigger photography window.  Even so, few serious photographers expect a good outcome for photos taken in bright light in the middle of the day.  The exaggerated shadows and washed out colors associated with harsh midday light, make it a poor choice.  This photo of a desert-adapted elephant taken on a game drive from Wilderness Safaris’ Hoanib Skeleton Coast camp, is a good example.  The soft morning light adds depth and drama and makes the photo ‘pop’.   Take this same shot at noon and all the warmth is gone.  It may in fact work better as a black and white image, then.


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Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Hwange’s 30,000-plus elephants are wonderful photographic subjects, particularly in the dry season when hundreds and sometimes thousands of them congregate around the many artificially pumped water holes scattered throughout the park.  I will never tire of watching a herd of elephants approach a water hole, particularly after a long and dusty, thirsty walk out of the woodland.  As they emerge from the trees, they start to walk faster and faster still.  The young ones run ahead, excitedly, to get to the water first.  Then, almost solemnly, and with serious intent, they all start to drink, practically simultaneously.  They fill their trunks with one deliberate deep draft of water after another, squirting several gallons of water forcefully into their mouths.  Again and again.  Not until their thirst is quenched, do the elephants start to relax, look around at the other herd members, and begin to interact.  Elephants lined up at a water source make fantastic photo subjects, as did these three at the Little Makalolo water hole in Hwange.  As is the case  with giraffe necks and heads, there are often patterns or symmetry – or for that matter asymmetry – to be observed and captured.  Look for it and incorporate it into your shots to tell a story and add drama.


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Odzala Kokoua National Park, Republic of Congo

By the time I made it to Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, I had seen and photographed many an African elephant in dozens of places in Southern and East Africa.  I had never seen or photographed a Forest elephant though.  As it happened, we had fantastic luck with seeing and photographing Western Lowland Gorillas at Odzala.  But not much luck with Forest elephants.  A few glimpses and some far-off sightings, but nothing worth capturing with the big camera. Until we went on a walk down a small tributary of the Congo River.  As we were approaching a clearing, a solitary Forest elephant emerged abruptly from the thick bush to our left.  As startled as we were, it gave us a side-long glance and hurried across the opening, splashing through the water and disappearing into the thick bush on the other side, moments later. It’s for ‘can’t miss’ moments like these that wildlife photographers have to be ready for anything, with a camera set to freeze motion.  Not ending up with a blurry photo is the overarching objective.  With wildlife, there is often very little advance warning before things happen.  And sometimes just moments to capture an instant in time which you may never experience again.  I’m unlikely to ever again see a Forest elephant dash across a clearing in the Congo, but this image will forever be proof that it actually happened.


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Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

It is easy to believe that elephants are afraid of nothing and indeed they are – most of the time.  Under certain circumstances though, they can easily be spooked, with sometimes unpredictable results.  These photographs, taken in South Africa’s  Madikwe Game Reserve, illustrate such an event.  These three young elephants were slowly walking towards a water hole when a solitary running wildebeest set them off.


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They wheeled on the spot and rushed off in the direction they came from, kicking up a cloud of dust.   I’ve seen similar behavior elsewhere such as when a herd of elephants (in the Okavango Delta) started stampeding for no apparent reason.  Ordinarily, this is not an issue to a casual observer, when you are in a vehicle.  When you are on foot though, it can be most worrisome; you’d want to get away from the elephants as fast as possible and seek shelter.


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Chobe-Linyanti, Botswana

Elephants love water and habitually enter rivers, lakes and ponds to cool off, play and seemingly just enjoy being submerged.


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They are natural-born swimmers and can stay afloat for hours if need be.  We’ve seen them swimming – with youngsters in the herd – clear across the Zambezi River.


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This sequence of photographs shows elephants close to the Linyanti River in northern Botswana, walking in the river and also ‘snorkelling’ as they make their way through deeper water.


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Mashatu, Botswana

Mashatu Game Reserve in southeastern Botswana is one of our favorite big cat destinations, but it also has great elephants.  The Mashatu ellies are among the most approachable of any and will literally walk right by the game drive vehicles, just a few meters beyond touching distance.  Which is awesome to experience – every time.  Mashatu also has a specially constructed sunken elephant hide where photographers can get the most amazing shots of elephants coming to drink.  This photo was taken of a herd of elephants approaching the sunken hide at Mashatu.  They were moving towards the water in an almost businesslike fashion at a good clip, intent on getting there quickly and efficiently.  We did manage to capture some great shots on the day and Mashatu’s resident professional photographer helped us improve our photo skills, regardless of our level of expertise.  For any dry-season visit to Mashatu, a morning or afternoon spent in the hide is a most worthwhile addition to one’s program there.


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Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary, Nairobi

Since 1977, the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi has cared for and fostered hundreds of elephant calves from all over Kenya.  Every morning at 11:00 a.m. there is a public feeding, where visitors can observe the elephants being fed, and learn a bit more about the challenges facing elephants all over Africa.  Assistants help to dispense a special milk formula for the babies, and there’s some leaves and shrubs for the older ones.  And sometimes a mud-bath on a warm day.  The young elephants are housed in a safe stable environment until they are able to survive in the wilderness, when they are moved to Tsavo National Park for possible reintroduction with wild herds of elephants.  This photograph of a tiny baby elephant happily drinking its milk formula encapsulates to me, just how vulnerable they are and how dependent they are on us – humans – for assistance.  We cannot change the past but we can help to undo some of the negative fallout of poaching and human-animal conflict.  Visitors or interested persons who adopt a baby elephant have the option of scheduling a more private afternoon visit, for foster parents only.  

Next week’s blog post will focus on the most elusive of the ‘Big Five’ African mammals – the leopard.  Much more common than one might think, but rarely seen due to their mostly nocturnal existence.  We will look at a handful of places where leopards can be seen and photographed relatively easily and consistently.

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