| Namibia - Etosha & the Skeleton Coast - 25th September - 5th October 2010 | | Print | |
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Namibia is a vast country (about four times the size of the UK) but with a population of under three million, making it one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. Combine this with the pristine quality and extraordinary beauty of its landscape and an abundance of wildlife and you have a hauntingly lovely country that draws visitors to return time and again.
The tour then takes us north to the world famous Etosha National Park, one of the finest parks anywhere in the world and teeming with wildlife. We shall camp for three nights in the park (in comfortable permanent tents with fully serviced camping) and will have the opportunity to spend an evening overlooking the famous flood-lit waterhole at Okaukuejo. Reluctantly leaving the park we head to the unique Waterberg Plateau wildlife sanctuary. The high diversity of birdlife in this semi-arid region is due to the its location at the meeting point of broad-leafed woodland of the northern Kalahari sandveld on the top of the plateau with mixed thornbush savanna below. A third habitat is provided by the cliffs and scree slopes.
Although the focus of this trip is on the birds of Namibia we should also be fortunate to come across good numbers of mammal and reptile species. At Etosha optional night drives should also be available and apart from nocturnal birds such as Burchell’s Courser mammals such as the beautiful Small Spotted Genet, African Wildcat and possibly Leopard and Zorilla are among those that we could see.
Namibia, Etosha & the Skeleton Coast – Tour Itinerary
Days 1 & 2 Depart London - Arrive Windhoek
After breakfast, we drive west to the coastal town of Swakopmund. Travelling towards the Atlantic Coast we see the scenery change from sand dunes to dark craggy canyons and then to flat gravel plains. In the moon-like landscape we see the famed Welwitchia plants that grow on seemingly lifeless gravel plains and can live for 2,000 years. We enjoy a picnic lunch en route. Birds to look out for include: Ruppels Korhaan, Herero Chat, Monteiro’s Hornbil, Mountain Wheatear, Trac trac Chat, Karoo Chat, Burchells and Double-banded Coursers, Namaqua Sandgrouse and a few larks.Overnight: Alte BruckeDay 3: Swakopmund Area
We visit Bird Paradise, saltworks, Walvis Bay Lagoon, Rooibank , The Guano Platform and Paaltjies. Pelagic seabirds that can often be seen from Paaltjies : White-chinned Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Wilson's and European Storm Petrels, Cape Gannet, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua. Walvis Bay lagoon has been listed by RAMSAR as a Natural Heritage Site because of the sheer numbers of Palaearctic waders it supports each summer (about 20 000 birds), together with spectacular numbers of both Greater and Lesser Flamingos. This lagoon is one of the few sites in southern Africa where Broad-billed Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope are fairly regular. This phenomenal wader spot also regularly attracts Greater and Mongolian Sand Plovers, and Terek Sandpiper, all birds that are much more typically found on the subtropical east coast of southern Africa. Resident birds of the lagoon include Black-crowned Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, White-fronted Sand Plover, and the sought-after Chestnut-banded Sand Plover. A visit to the Walvis Bay Sewage Works is expected to yield good numbers of interesting water birds, such as Hottentot, Red-billed and Cape Teals, Cape Shoveler, Egyptian Goose, Black-necked (large flocks). Overnight: Alte Brucke
Day 4: Swakopmund area Pelagic boat excursion Overnight: Alte Brucke
Day 5: Swakopmund to Omaruru Today we drive to Omaruru. Omaruru is a green and picturesque town astride the (usually dry) Omaruru River, in a hilly area. This vegetation zone is very attractive to birds, from ground feeders to those that forage for food in the bushes and canopies of trees. Watch the ground for Red-billed Francolin, Helmeted Guineafowl, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Rufous-naped and Monotonous Lark. We will bird along the Omaruru River-bed and look for Red-billed Woodhoopoe, Ruppel’s Parrot, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Damara Hornbill, Lesser Honeyguide, Golden-tailed, Cardinal and Bearded Woodpeckers. Overnight Omaruru
Day 6: Omaruru to Etosha NP When it was originally proclaimed a National Parkat the turn of the century Etosha consisted of an area of 100,000 square kilometers. This was the largest reserve on Earth but in the 1960's political pressure resulted in the Park being reduced to its current size Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. The Etosha Pan covers around 25% of the National Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The pan now is a large dusty depression of salt and dusty clay which fills only if the rains are heavy and even then only holds water for a short time. This temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos. The perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife and birds. We camp at Okaukuejo, located 17 km from the Southern entrance of the park. Okaukuejo is famous for its flood-lit waterhole, where visitors can observe at close quarters a spectacle of wildlife congregating and interacting. Birds likely to be seen: Melba Finch, African Hoopoe, Giant Eagle Owl, Glossy Starling, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Fork-tailed Drongo, Cape Shoveller, South African Shelduck, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Blue Crane, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Red-crested Korhaan, Northern Black Korhaan, Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Ruppel’s and Meyer’s Parrots, Alpine Swift, etc. Overnight: Camping Okaukuejo
Day 7: Etosha National Park Activities – game drives in the Park. Namutoni is the most eastern camp in the park and was developed around a fort originally builtby the Germans in 1902 – 1903 and renovated several times, eventually to accommodate visitors accommodation Overnight: Camping at Namutoni
Day 8: Etosha National Park Activities – Game drives in the Park looking for birds and mammals. Overnight: Camping at Namutoni
Day 9: Etosha NP to Waterberg After breakfast, we depart to the Waterberg Plateau Park. The Park was created as a sanctuary for the rare and endangered species of the Caprivi, and is one of Namibia's most interesting parks in terms of flora and fauna. The Park covers an area of 40,549 hectares. The plateau lies in a Northeast/Southwest direction and is 48 km in length and varies in width from 8 - 16 km. Several short walks have been laid out in the park and will take you right up to the plateau. Game such as Roan and Sable Antelope are likely to be found on game drives on top of the plateau. This is an extra optional activity and is done by Ministry of Environment and Tourism and can be organised through your guide. Birds to look out for : Cape Vulture, Booted Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Rosy-faced Lovebirds, Ruppel’s Parrot, Bradfield’s, Alpine, African Palm, Little, Common and White-rumped Swifts, Hartlaub’s Francolin, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Freckled Nightjar, Rockrunner, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Violet Woodhoopoe, Carp’s Black Tit, Coqui, Red-billed and Swainson’s Francolins, Bradfield’s, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey and Red-billed Hornbills. Overnight: Camping at Bernabe de la Bat Rest Camp
Day 10: Waterberg to Windhoek After breakfast, we explore the area before departing for Windhoek to be in time for your flight. En route we can visit the wood carving market at Okahandja and we also visit the Windhoek Bird Sanctuary to catch up on any species we may have missed. Overnight: Windhoek Town Lodge
Day 11: Arrive London |