As was
usual, I was first up and out to enjoy the first light over the bush. As
other members of the party joined me, the birds become more vocal and
visible. Scanning of the river, produced an African Open-bill Stork to
add to the life list, whilst a
Curlew Sandpiper was an addition to the trip list. 2 Giant Kingfishers
were noted flying down stream, whilst our only Goliath Heron flew
upstream. Fuelled by coffee and rusks, we were off for a morning drive,
with the first stop at the bridge over the river
just down stream from camp.
This produced two new birds for the trip, in the shape of a Squacco
Heron and a Sand Martin. A second heron caused some initial confusion,
with initial calls as a Squacco being corrected as it became clear it
was a juvenile Little Bittern. Part of the
confusion came around as it was fishing from a large bare rock in the
middle of the river with no vegetation near it.
We had just about got off the bridge when it was a stop for a
Dideric’s Cuckoo, showing well atop a small bush – our best view of
the trip of a bird we’d seen on a number of occasions, usually in
flight, or some distance away. It was then a quick reverse
for a Red-faced Cisticola, that showed well in reeds next to the road.
We then spent some time exploring the roads around the camp area.
First stop was the road side waterhole we stopped at on the way in
yesterday. This time there was a perched giant Kingfisher that provided
much better views that the two early morning fly
byes. We also got great looks at a Nile Croc that was lying in the water
at a pumped inflow. The croc was positioned so that the inflowing water
rushed through its partially opened mouth. Should any fish be pumped
through, they would, almost certainly land
somewhere in the Croc’s mouth to become a tasty snack.
The mornings excellent views of the Dideric’s Cuckoo proved to be
something of a portent for the day as Cuckoo’s were the bird family of
the day. We managed good views of two separate Red-chested Cuckoo’s and
at least 7 Black Cuckoo’s, a single Levallant’s
Cuckoo and good views of a fly across African Cuckoo, as we made our way
out to the Nkuhlu picnic site, before returning to the camp. Two
parties of Red-faced Mousebirds added that species to my life list,
though better and prolonged views would be more appreciated,
while a Crowned Hornbill was an overdue tick, and a further addition to
the trip list.
After a late breakfast at the camp, we were off on the road to our
next, and last, nights accommodation, Pretoriuskop Camp. Not a long
journey but again scheduled to take in most of the day.
A side trip to an almost dried up waterhole produced very little,
except a couple of Saddle-billed Storks, but the drive back to the main
road produced a very close Red-crested Korhaan, that we watched go
through its pre display call routine.
We hadn’t seen a Rhino since the three slumbering monoliths just
inside the Orpen Gate. That changed as we picked up a couple of distant
hulks before coming across a pair right next to the road. We silently
watched this pair as the grazed the short dry
grass. Unlike the first in Reitvei these were fully horned. Magnificent
beasts.
Just as we pulled away from watching the Rhino’s I noticed a pipit
like bird in the road ahead. A careful approached revealed a
Yellow-throated Longclaw. I had seen a couple of these on my first visit
to the Gambia back in ’93, but later visits had failed
to connect with this species there, so it was nice to re-acquaint myself
with this species.
Not much further and it was a much larger bird in the road, a
Black-bellied Bustard. After missing Northern Black-bellied Korhaan in
the first couple of days, we’ve done well with the 3 other main Bustards
we were likely to get, all providing extended
close views – a far cry for the distant, and often fleeting, views of
Little and Great Bustards that are more usual in Europe.
Keeping an eye on the small finches usually feeding around the base
of scrubs brought its reward when a pair of Jameson’s Firefinches were
found.
What turned out to be our final new mammal of the trip, ran across
the road in front of us, a Nyala. Not great views, but enough to id.
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