Etosha NP Day 1
Before leaving the lodge I walked a long circuit around the grounds which looked like it hadn’t been walked in sometime. This may have been due to how few birds I actually saw. It wasn’t until I got to the main road that the action started where a substantial bird flock included a family of Carp’s Tits, this being another near-endemic species where time was nearly running out for me to find them. It was now time to start the first of six days in and around Etosha NP. I arrived late morning (after stocking up with food and water) and spent the majority of the day driving the western sections. I was soon seeing new birds with the best initially being small parties of Double-Banded Coursers being frequently seen, with Burchell's Coursers also keeping close company. Probably the highlight occurred within the same set of bushes, with first a Northern Black Korhaan sheltering from the heat, whilst four Chestnut-backed Sparrowlarks were in the same bush, and at the back were two superb Ludwig’s Bustards. Mammal wise not a great deal although it’s always great seeing Elephants, Giraffes, Gemsboks, among many others. The largest concentration was around a small waterhole on the western edge of the Etosha pan, that also produced a pair of Secretarybirds and strangely a South African Shelduck. The accommodation is only 10km outside of the park entrance tonight and therefore a full days mammal watching lays ahead.
South African Shelduck - 1
Marabou Stork - 2
Secretarybird - 2
Bateleur - 2
Little Sparrowhawk - 1
Kori Bustard - 7
Ludwig’s Bustard - 2
Red-Crested Korhaan - 1
NORTHERN BLACK KORHAAN - 5
Temminck’s Courser - 8
DOUBLE-BANDED COURSER - 15
DOUBLE-BANDED SANDGROUSE - 2
Greater Kestrel - 3
Red-necked Falcon - 1
CARP’S TIT - 4
Spike-heeled Lark - 20
CHESTNUT-BACKED SPARROWLARK - 4
PINK-BILLED LARK - 4
Long-billed Crombec - 3
DESERT CISTICOLA - 2
Ant-eating Chat - 5
Scaly-feathered Weaver - 20
Violet-eared Waxbill - 8
Black-faced Waxbill - 5
Black-throated Canary - 30
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| Carp's Tit at Ijaba Lodge |
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| Red-billed Francolin at Ijaba Lodge |
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| Violet-eared Waxbill at Ijaba Lodge |
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Lappet-faced Vulture dwarfing
White-backed Vultures at Etosha NP
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| Pink-billed Lark |
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| Namaqua Sandgrouse |
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| Ant-eating Chat |
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| Burchell's Courser |
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| Double-banded Courser |
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| Ludwig's Bustard |
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| Bateleur |
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| Secretarybird |
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Northern Black Korhaan
I have now seen every Southern African
Bustard/Korhaan recorded
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Distinct acacia habitat in the
Namibian savannah
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| Western edge of Etosha Pan |
