2025 Narrative
IN BRIEF: The trip went smoothly, with all the key bird targets successfully spotted. Along the way, we encountered a few thunderstorms which was pleasant after the very dry season. Due to prolonged drought conditions, many of the more common species were scarcer than usual, and a few species that would typically be guaranteed in a normal year were absent. The widespread rains in the central and northern regions likely influenced the dispersal of several species. The group had diverse interests, allowing us to observe several new reptile species, and with the good rainfall, it turned out to be an excellent season for butterflies.
IN DETAIL: Most of the group gathered for lunch while we awaited the arrival of two participants returning from a weeklong pre-tour. Once they arrived in the late afternoon, we took a walk around the area surrounding the lodge. During the walk, we spotted at least two Rockrunners, which were initially elusive but eventually offered excellent scope views for everyone. Other notable sightings included the elusive White-tailed Shrike, along with Acacia Pied Barbet, Greater Striped Swallow, Pririt Batis, Black-faced Waxbill, Rosy-faced Lovebirds, Short-toed Rock Thrush, and Southern Masked Weaver.
The following morning, at first light, we drove down to Avis Dam for a pre-breakfast walk. Thanks to the early rains, the dam held a decent amount of water and attracted a good variety of waterfowl. Highlights included at least 50 plus Maccoa Ducks, along with Red-knobbed Coot, South African Shelduck, Egyptian Goose, Cape Shoveler, Red-billed Teal, Greater Flamingo, Cape Teal, Kittlitz’s and Three-banded Plovers, Wood Sandpiper, Blacksmith Lapwing, also Bradfield’s, White-rumped, Little, and African Palm Swifts.
The Southern Red Bishops displayed in full breeding plumage, accompanied by sightings of Black-faced Waxbill, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Black-throated Canary, Burnt-necked Eremomela, and Mountain Wheatear around the Acacia scrub fringes around the dam.
After breakfast and a quick stop in town to fix a flat tyre and we then set off southbound on the C26, a scenic gravel back road winding through the impressive Khomas hochland. Some roadside birding along the way yielded a variety of raptors, including a single Pale-chanting Goshawk, Black-winged Kite, Common Buzzard, and Brown Snake-Eagle. Other notable sightings included Chestnut Weavers, Ashy Tit, White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Burchell’s Starling, and Red-billed Spurfowl.
As we entered a more karroid type habitat, we encountered Chat Flycatcher, Rufous-eared Warbler, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Black-chested Prinia, Pale-winged Starling, Dusky Sunbird, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Sociable Weaver, Scaly-feathered Finch and Lark-like Bunting. Upon arrival at Namib Grens guestfarm, we added Pearl-spotted Owlet, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Groundscraper Thrush and Great Sparrow to our list.
A pre-dawn walk at Namib Grens yielded the striking Bokmakierie, a Bushshrike species with a striking yellow coloration. We also added a very lonely male Orange River Francolin, Mountain Wheatear, Cape Bunting, Nicholson’s Pipit (Long-billed), and Cardinal Woodpecker to our list.
After breakfast, we departed Namib Grens and made our way to the edge of the escarpment, where the Spreetshoogte Pass winds dramatically down into the Namib Desert. From the top, we enjoyed breathtaking views of the vast Namib desert below. A brief search near the base of the pass rewarded us with good, albeit fleeting, views of our target species, the Herero Chat. Other notable sightings included Ludwig’s Bustard, Southern Fiscal, Short-toed Rock Thrush, and White-backed Mousebird.
As we entered the Namib, we encountered several arid-adapted species, including Stark’s Lark, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Sabota Lark, and the elusive Burchell’s Courser, which has been particularly erratic due to ongoing drought conditions.
We arrived at the stunning Dead Valley Lodge for lunch, where breathtaking views stretched across the vast Namib plains toward the iconic red dunes. This landscape provides the perfect habitat for Namibia’s only true endemic bird, the Dune Lark. As the light shifted and cast dramatic shadows over the dunes, everyone eagerly reached for their cameras to capture the classic dune scenery. Spotting the Dune Lark proved to be quite easy, and we also came across several groups of Rüppell’s Korhaan.
After an early breakfast, we traveled north toward the port town of Walvis Bay, passing through the scenic rolling hills of Namib-Naukluft Park before entering the stark, barren expanse of the hyper-arid Namib Desert. Along the way, we searched for key Namib species and successfully located Gray’s Lark, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Lanner Falcon, Karoo Long-billed Lark, and Tractrac Chat. Crossing the Welwitschia Plains, we had close-up views of these fascinating "living fossils," Namibia’s national plant, the Welwitschia mirabilis. Restricted to the Namib Desert, these ancient plants are of great botanical interest.
Upon reaching the coast, a brief stop at the sewage ponds revealed spectacular numbers of Lesser and Greater Flamingos, along with a variety of waders and common waterfowl. Blue-billed and Cape Teal were present in good numbers, while both Little Grebe and Black-necked Grebe were seen side by side. Other highlights included African Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Great White Pelican, and most of the common Palearctic waders. We then checked into our accommodation overlooking the Walvis Bay Lagoon.
The wetlands around Walvis Bay are designated as a RAMSAR site and support vast numbers of Palearctic migrants, as well as significant populations of resident waders and waterbirds. It’s estimated that over 250,000 Palearctic migrants pass through annually. While we observed good numbers of the usual bird species, we didn't see many unusual ones. The conditions weren't favorable for sea watching due to the spring high tide, which restricted our movement on the peninsula.
Nevertheless, we spotted most of the common species, including large numbers of various tern species, along with good views of the diminutive and endangered Damara Tern, which had notable numbers this year. We also saw Orange River White-eye around Swakopmund, along with improved views of both Gray’s Lark and Tractrac Chat. Additional sightings included African Oystercatchers, as well as Crowned, Cape, and White-breasted Cormorants.
Leaving the coast, we traveled down to the Khan River Valley, where we successfully located a single Karoo Eremomela, our main target, before continuing on to Spitzkoppe, a large granite inselberg known for its bird species. We quickly found our target, Layard’s Warbler, and enjoyed much better views of Herero Chat. As we made our way toward our lodge in the Erongo Mountains, we stopped in the upper Khan River, where we encountered Damara Hornbill, Violet Woodhoopoe, Carp’s Tit, African Grey Hornbill, Spotted Flycatcher, Pririt Batis, Brubru, and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill.
We had to take a detour around the Erongos due to heavy rainstorms that caused flooding. However, these rains brought an abundance of Yellow-billed Kite, Common Swift, and Abdim’s Stork. We arrived at the lodge just before sunset. The Erongos are the eroded remnants of a volcanic complex, featuring massive granite boulders stacked into impressive formations that rise up to 2,320 meters above sea level. This stunning landscape is home to a diverse array of species. That evening, we watched a pair of Freckled Nightjars feeding in the spotlight.
A pre-breakfast search for Hartlaub’s Spurfowl was slow, but we eventually had incredible views of a male calling. We also enjoyed better sightings of Rockrunner and added Monteiro’s Hornbill and African Paradise Flycatcher to our list.
As we left the Erongos, we spotted Rufous-crowned Roller, Verreaux’s Eagle, and several cuckoo species, including Klaas’s, Diederick, and Great Spotted Cuckoo. Continuing back into the Namib, we located a very confiding Benguela Long-billed Lark. Along the way, we encountered large numbers of Yellow-billed Kite and Common Buzzard, as well as a few Steppe Eagles.
While passing the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain, we kept an eye out for desert-adapted elephants but unfortunately had no luck. However, we did spot a group of Bare-cheeked Babblers during our lunch stop.
We arrived at the Hobatere concession in the late afternoon, greeted by a herd of Elephants, Hartmann’s Zebra and a few Angolan Giraffe, as we entered the property. After dinner, our night drive revealed Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, African Scops Owl, Southern White-faced Scops Owl, and Spotted Thick-knee. A Small Spotted Genet was the mammal highlight under the full moon, along with a sleeping Flap-necked Chameleon.
Etosha means “Great White Place” in the Hai//om San language, referring to the expansive white saline pan that covers approximately a third of the 22,270 square kilometers of the park. This unique landscape is home to a diverse array of fauna and flora. We stayed in two camps, each offering distinct habitat types and a good variety of bird and mammal species.
We had exceptional mammal sightings, although the rain did impact animal numbers. Some group members who stayed up a little later at the floodlit waterholes enjoyed views of Rufous-cheeked Nightjars hunting in the spotlight. We recorded at least four different sightings of Black Rhino during daylight hours, along with a large male lion and a single male Cheetah, which were great additions to our mammal list.
The rainy season can make it challenging to see elephants in the park, but we managed to spot a couple of herds. One evening, we were treated to a spectacular sunset with about 40 elephants swimming in a waterhole, creating a truly special experience. Over our four days in the park, we observed all the common large mammals in good numbers, especially on the eastern side, where the rainfall had been more substantial.
A pleasant surprise was spotting a Denham’s Bustard en route to Namutoni, a very rare bird for both the country and Etosha. Additionally, we encountered several Black-winged Pratincoles, which were also unexpected for the area.
We encountered all the expected lark species, including Pink-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Spike-heeled Lark, Eastern Clapper Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, and many vocal Monotonous Larks. Among the raptors, we spotted Red-necked, Red-footed, and Lanner Falcons, Montagu’s Harrier, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Bateleur, and Tawny Eagle. We also had distant views of a pair of nesting Blue Cranes and successfully located a pair of Burchell’s Sandgrouse, which can be challenging to find during the rainy season.
Fischer’s Pan had some water, attracting a variety of waterfowl, including Greater Flamingos, Coot, Moorhen, Whiskered Tern, Cape Shoveler, Cape Teal, Red-billed Teal and a single immature Saddle-billed Stork. Additionally, we added Southern Pied Babbler, Brown-crowned Tchagra and African Golden Oriole to our list.
Leaving Etosha behind, we made our way to our final destination, the Waterberg Plateau, a large sandstone plateau that hosts a diverse array of bird and mammal species. We stopped for lunch in Otjiwarongo and took a quick visit to the sewage plant, which yielded some surprises, including White-backed Duck, Southern Pochard, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Lesser Striped Swallow, and Lesser Moorhen. We also caught fleeting glimpses of African Rail and African Crake.
With only Rüppell’s Parrot needed to complete our checklist of endemics, we were thrilled to find a pair inspecting a nesting hole within the lodge grounds, and surprisingly marking the only sightings of this species for the trip. Bradfield's Hornbills were also visible on the plateau through scope views, along with excellent views of a pair of African Hawk Eagles.
On our way back to Windhoek, we enjoyed a quick lunch at River Crossing Lodge, as some participants needed to head to the international airport for their flights afterwards.
- Sean Braine
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