Category: Okavango Delta

Douglas and Amy will be joining me in the vehicle for the next couple of days and that means more pairs of eyes to spot stuff. Our first port of call is the nearby spotted hyena den. As we approach, I am delighted to see both the mother hyena and her pup. The sun is not yet up so I’m not sure how good any pictures are going to be, but I take loads anyway! We sit and watch them. Hyenas are not everyone’s favourite but I think they are unfairly much maligned. They have a strong clan hierarchy and are very supportive of each other. The pup is adorable; nervous, curious, cute and fluffy in equal measure. Mum is totally chilled.

We head west and Splash Camp radio to tell us that they have spotted lions but they are very mobile. We set off in hot pursuit. We finally catch sight of them – 4 lionesses, 2 cubs and a large male. They are walking through the tall grass towards the sun and we are behind them. Photographs are going to be tricky!

The lions do not stay in the open for long. We do somehow manage to track them through the dense scrub. Branches smash against the vehicle and we are continually ducking down and leaning from side to side to avoid serious injury. We follow them to their chosen resting place and watch them settle down to sleep for the day.

We leave the lions and head off for our morning coffee. I suggest driving over to the weaver bird colony to show Douglas & Amy. Great plan but it didn’t work out as expected. We could not take photos from last nights position as the sun was now shining directly at us. George said he could get us much closer and we proceeded to drive through the seemingly shallow water towards the bush. Trouble is the water was amongst tall grass and the tall grass was concealing a very large hole dug by elephants. Left front tyre went straight into it. We were well and truly stuck fast. There was nothing for it but for George and Luke (our tracker) to take their shoes and socks off and wade through the water to get logs to give grip under the wheels. George wanted to keep his trousers dry so apologised and took them off too! We joked that we had seen the rarest safari sight – George in peacock blue boxer shorts!!

Even with the logs the vehicle was stuck fast. We radio for assistance but have no signal. George and Luke were going to have to sort it somehow. An hour later with logs under all 4 wheels we eventually freed ourselves. We were marooned in the vehicle and I passed the time trying to capture shots of the numerous dragonflies that were hunting over the reed beds.

We finally have our coffee and continue on our drive. There is a pair of carmine bee-eaters that I spend some time trying to capture in flight. I like the interesting shape of the dead tree they are perching on.

I have a long sleep in the room after lunch. The early mornings have caught up with me and I really am extremely tired. We have afternoon tea and set off to see what further delights the bush holds in store for us. There is a bridge that we cross every day over a beautiful channel filled with water-lilies. Today some pigmy geese are gracing the scene.

I was also lucky enough to spot a tiny malachite kingfisher on a reed stalk in the distance. It really was a long way off so not unhappy with the result!

As the light begins to fade, we are finally treated to the sight of a female cheetah and her cub together with a male cheetah who clearly has mating on his mind. The male cheetah is called Mr Special and is well known to the guides.

We watch them for a while then hear impala alarm calls. We go to investigate thinking we might spot lions. However, we are unable to identify the cause so we return to the cheetahs for a final photo session.

Last night we found leopard tracks leading up to the airstrip. We thought we would go back to that spot this morning and see if we could locate the leopard. We found the tracks and followed them along the road until unfortunately the leopard turned off into the dense grass. The tracker is good but even he found it totally impossible to follow the tracks in the very dense undergrowth. However, we did later find leopard paw prints and followed them along the road, but yet again they eventually disappeared into the bush. There was no further sign of any leopards today.

I am actually very happy to sit and watch the incredible bird life. We stop for a while to watch some little bee-eaters. I absolutely love them!

We also had a very good encounter with elephants and probably spent the best part of an hour watching them graze and interact with each other.

There was a good variety of game around and we even a saw a serval catching a bird although sadly it was much too fast for me to photograph. We also saw vervet monkeys and a mother feeding a tiny little baby, and for once some ostriches posed rather nicely for me.

I spend my time after lunch by the pool. I swim and then sort through photos. On the afternoon game drive there was nothing to be seen at all. No tracks and very few plains animals. It was extremely hot so maybe that was the reason. The airstrip has been closed for a few days for repairs. There’s lots of heavy equipment and it has really churned up the surrounding muddy terrain. This had the effect of creating a new pool which had already attracted some birdlife, including a handsome three-banded plover. The earthwork must have disturbed a large mongoose family too. There were easily 30 or more darting to and for and chasing each other, tails held high. They were distant but so cute and entertaining.

In the absence of many mammals, apart from the ever present hippos, we sat by the lake watching the birdlife. There was a large golden-backed weaverbird colony nesting in the branches of a thorny acacia bush. It was truly amazing. Their noisy calls and chatter filled the air. The birds were so busy: some flying off to collect pieces of grass; some building nests; some displaying proudly to attract a mate to their newly constructed masterpiece. It was fascinating to watch how they built their intricate woven homes. I am just as mesmerised by the small creatures as the safari headline stealers.

There are also a large number of quelea (small finches that breed rapidly when food is abundant). I think this year there will be huge flocks of them. So a great deal of bird activity to keep me happy for the next couple of hours and that’s without mentioning kingfishers, geese, herons, storks, etcetera.

We return to camp for supper. Amy & Douglas (the guests I met at Lebala) have now arrived at Kwara. We have pre-dinner drinks and supper together. It is nice to have some guests around the table at last and some proper dinner table conversation.

It is another early start, with a wake up call at 5 o’clock, breakfast at 5:30 for a 6 o’clock drive. There appears to be less game at Kwara than there was at Lebala but I think that this is probably due to it being a huge area and the game is very dispersed. Also there are not the herds of lechwe, which were always wonderful to watch. Nevertheless we see a good selection of plains animals. We receive a call that five lions have been spotted but are heading into thick bush. When we arrive we can still see three of the lions though the grass is very long. These are older and more battle worn than the young virile males at Lebala.

Soon the lions lay down in the grass and are then impossible to see. We head off and instantly realise we have a puncture. There is no way George is changing the tyre with lions that close in long grass where we can’t watch them. We drive very slowly over the ultra-rough terrain until we’ve put maybe 100 yards between us and the lions. I think it is the fastest tyre change you will ever see on safari!

I thought I had taken lots of good pictures but many of them are disappointing. I think this is partly because George is perhaps not as good as Mayezi at placing the vehicle in the right position for photographs. It really is a skill and makes so much difference to the shots you can take. It should be obligatory for guides to do a short photography course so they understand a few basics of light and composition. I will need to work on his parking technique! I was cross with him earlier. We had a lilac breasted roller in perfect position to capture it taking off. The light was good as well as the backdrop. I had my camera in pro-capture mode and finger over the button. After 10 minutes my arm and finger were getting tired and I asked George to wave his arms in the hope that would make it take flight. He had a better idea and started the engine. Now the camera is good, and I can take pin-sharp hand-held shots if everything else is stationary. The car shook, the bird flew away and no chance of a shot. He apologised but we never had a chance like that again. Grrr!

In the afternoon we go for a river trip along the channels in the Delta. The sun is low in the sky and we are sailing directly into it so it is very hot and difficult to stop the camera over-heating in the sunlight. It is particularly challenging as I have only taken the 12-100 mm lens(24-200mm equiv) with me and the birds are quite distant. I shall be interested to see the results. It is a super quality lens so hopefully I can crop and still have some sharp images.

We see two elephants crossing the channel in front of us and they then walk off into the reeds.

There are water lilies everywhere and the water is crystal clear, very still and calm. I am just enjoying the tranquility, when suddenly hippos surface very close to the boat. This is less than ideal and George revs up the engine and we make a speedy escape. The water is shallow and if a hippo came up under the boat it could easily capsize it. Bit of a reality check and I am now not quite as relaxed as I was!

We continue through the channels and make our way to the heronry. It is currently largely occupied by Various species of storks. Oh my! Those marabous stork babies are ugly!!

We moor by the heronry for my G&T and the view is just breath-taking. A truly beautiful place to watch the sun go down.

We reluctantly pack the drinks away and head back to the vehicle. We are then treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. We think it must be the effect of dust from the Kalahari. Totally surreal!

I wake early at 4:30. This is my last day at Lebala, I shall have a game drive at 06.00 as usual ending at Lagoon airstrip for my 10.00 flight to Kwara Camp in the Okavango Delta. I therefore need to pack my bags before breakfast. I eat breakfast and say goodbye to the staff and give them their tips. They have been exceptional hosts and have become good friends. A very special thank you to Mayezi and my tracker. You guys were awesome and great company. Your tracking skills were exceptional and you always went the extra mile to make sure I experienced everything Lebala had to offer. Huge thanks too to Kalafi and your in camp team. You were the best hostess, my room was immaculate and the food was truly scrumptious, although far too much of it for my tiny appetite – as well you know!!

I dictated all my diary notes onto my phone so I could cut and paste them into my blog later. Every so often the phone gets the predictive text very wrong. This is the funniest transposition and an absolute classic. Instead of putting “I eat breakfast” my notes said “I had great sex!!” If only…..

The flight to Kwara arrives on time and the next camp is only a 10 minute transfer from the airstrip.

I am warmly greeted by the staff and meet my driver, George and the camp manager, Charles. Charles gives me an orientation and then takes me to my room. The room is amazing and so much better than I expected. This is seriously high end and I don’t know how I booked it at such a great price! Lebala was very comfortable, but this is true luxury. If I’m honest, I think it is OTT for a safari lodge, but I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

I requested a room near the main area but Charles has given me a room next to the pool as he thought that would be preferable. It’s pretty hot and it’s a flipping long walk to lunch! On the plus side the pool has an excellent bar next to it stocked with everything – spirits, wines, beer, soft drinks, tea, coffee, ice-machine, lemon slices. I mean wow!!

I unpack then stroll to the main area for lunch. The camp is in lush surroundings next to a large lake. Consequently, there is masses of wildlife in camp. I spot baboons, impala, warthogs and numerous birds on my walk. I have a large G&T and tuck into quiche and various salads. Yum! I then chill out by the pool until afternoon tea and my first game drive at Kwara.

The afternoon game drive is incredible. We see lots of plains animals and meet a troop of baboons who let us get close. This was not the case at Lebala where it was difficult to get within 100 yards of them.

This was shortly followed by a beautiful lilac-crested roller and carmine bee-eater who were both sitting in perfect light. Hoorah!!

George asked if I want to look at the elephants. I say I am happy to carry on tracking the lions and leopards. This turns out to be a great decision. Literally a minute later I look ahead and cannot believe my eyes. Incredible – I see a large pack of dogs. I do a double take. I’m scared to say dogs in case I am mistaken. However after a minuscule period of time I realise I am right and say “Dogs! Dogs! Dogs!” The guide and tracker are amazed and congratulate me on my excellent spotting skills. They hadn’t seen them as they were looking down at the tracks on the road. We drive towards them and radio Splash Camp to tell them of our find. The dogs are playing and lazing around but look like they are entering hunting mode.

The two guests staying at Splash Camp arrive shortly and turn out to be the couple that I was on the plane with earlier. The dogs quickly mobilise, initially forming a line of 13 dogs and then grouping and spreading apart spasmodically. The dogs begin to move swiftly and we proceed to track them. They frighten a mother elephant with a young baby. She trumpets wildly, flapping her ears and running into the scrub. It is very exciting.

We set off in pursuit but eventually cannot follow them because the bush is so dense. We will have to circle around the bush and anticipate where they will emerge. We drive very, very fast and it is extremely bumpy and very exhilarating. Grass seed flies up and covers the vehicle and us. If you suffer from hay-fever, this would be a terrible time to visit. With two vehicles in the chase, we stand a slightly better chance of finding them on the far side of the thicket. On numerous occasions we succeed in second-guessing where the dogs will emerge. We succeed in following them for about 40 minutes until eventually they find a dead baby elephant in pretty dense scrub. The smell from the carcass is really gross, but I breathe in through my mouth and watch. This is a very rare sighting: to have not only followed the dogs on a hunt; but to watch them feeding. This is all the more remarkable, as the bush is so lush and thick. Some of the dogs tear into the carcass, but some look pretty well fed and turn their noses up at the rather putrid meal, rather than participate in the feast. We were with the dogs for well over an hour and it really was the most amazing experience. If I see nothing else at my time at Kwara, I will be happy and consider myself incredibly lucky.

The sun is setting so we head off to a pool for sundowners. It was the most amazing sunset.

On our way back to camp we were lucky enough to spot this handsome civet in the long grass. The five course dinner was served by the camp fire. What an awesome start to my stay here!