BOTSWANA: Chobe

I was traveling with James Currie, host of Nikon’s Birding Adventures TV (BATV), Robert Oliver, his cameraman, and Dawson, “Daws” as we called him, representative from the Botswana Tourism Organization (BTO), the sponsors of our trip. Sharing a passion for wildlife and adventure, our small group enthusiastically embarked on our tour of northern Botswana. I was especially eager, as I’ve explored other areas of Africa, but this was my first time in this country.

Within hours of landing, we were motoring down the Chobe River on a sunset cruise aboard a large platform boat. Wire-tailed Swallows landed fleetingly on our craft, while a few Whiskered Terns hunted up and down the channel. We glimpsed an Allen’s Gallinule, and saw the first of many Pied Kingfishers (above), Long-tailed (Reed) Cormorants, African Darters, and Long-toed Lapwings.

Hippos swam close to our boat, while Monitor Lizards (above) and several Nile Crocodiles basked on the riverbank. Common Waterbuck grazed in the tall grasses on the banks, and several Greater Kudos jousted together near the water’s edge.  Robert’s camera rolled non-stop, as James narrated about the wildlife and habitat of our surroundings.

A fierce afternoon rainstorm, not unexpected for this time of year, didn’t dampen our high spirits. We secured the side tarps to keep our equipment dry, and kept our eyes on the wildlife that utilize the river’s vast resources. At one point strong gusts pushed our boat into the shallows, temporarily mooring us. Daws and James, the ever-entertaining traveling companion, didn’t hesitate to jump into the croc and hippo infested water, and push us back into the gentle current!

During the return ride to the lodge, everyone imbibed on sundowners, a deliciously relaxing African tradition. We enjoyed this daily, evening ritual tremendously… occasionally too much!

We were based out of Mowana Safari Lodge on the banks of the Chobe River. “Mowana” means baobab in the local Setswana language, and our well-situated lodge, with a strong African motif, was built around a massive 800-year-old specimen.

I didn’t wander far to find plenty to capture my attention. The grounds hosted myriad colorful birds, including African Paradise Flycatcher (above), White-throated Bee-eaters flying sorties to capture butterflies and bees, Copper Sunbird, Grey-headed and Orange-breasted Bush-Shrikes. Family groups of Hartlaub’s Babblers and Retz’s Helmet-Shrikes flitted about the undergrowth and tops of trees, respectively. The reeds of the golf course pond was the best place to see male Grosbeak Weavers and Southern Red Bishops busily courting females to inspect their architectural creations.

Specialties of the lodge grounds included Collared Palm Thrush (above), easier to see here compared to anywhere else I have looked for them, and Brown Firefinch which we filmed building its nest within an old Spectacled Weaver’s abode.

At dusk,  a pair of Barn Owls emerged from under the thatched roof eaves of the open upper lounge, and dozens of Trumpeter Hornbills (above) returned from a day of foraging to wrangle over prime roosting spots in the centerpiece baobab.

Chobe National Park is famous for its large herds of migratory elephants, but they were seasonally dispersed with so much water about, and we saw only a few of the great behemoths. However, the damage they inflict upon the trees was evident by the many standing dead trees, stripped bark and broken limbs.

Inside the park, we drove the main sandy track hugging the river, and enjoyed terrific birdlife including Marabou Storks, African Openbills, Spur-winged Goose, Blacksmith Lapwings, African Jacanas, Little Egrets and our target, the African Pygmy Geese (above). These skittish diminutive waterfowl felt more protected even amongst sparse stands of rushes. A Black Heron exhibited its unique umbrella shade-fishing technique, catching minnow-sized prey which it devoured off camera. At the top of a bare perch, a pair of African Fish Eagles threw their heads back and called loudly – this is the sound of Africa!

Further down the road we stopped to admire colourful Lilac-breasted Rollers (above), Blue-cheeked and European Bee-eaters, dueting Swamp Boubous, and an Amur Falcon. A Southern Ground Hornbill flew up onto a tree limb, showing surprising grace for a bird of its size. Southern Red-billed Hornbills foraged for grubs amongst the open grasses, and a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl milled around, pecking the sand for small invertebrates and seeds.

Baby animals always delight me, therefore I was thrilled to see a very young hippo draped across it’s mother’s head in the water, content to sleep in safety (above). We had seen this pair the day before, and I marveled at the baby’s instinct to seek it’s mother’s constant protection. A lone Buffalo, the only one seen on our entire trip, waded across a shallow channel in front of us, lumbering towards a small group of Pukus, a water-loving antelope. In dryer areas of the park, herds of impalas bounded, and a troop of mischievous Chacma Baboons roved through the scrub. A family of Warthogs ambled past, unconcerned with our presence.

In a wooded section, we watched a herd of majestic Sable Antelopes (above) crossing the track ahead of us. I held my breath as several stopped for long moments to return my gaze.

We spent time searching for Racket-tailed Roller in a stand of pink-flowered Rhodesian Teak, the preferred habitat of this uncommon, secretive species that James wanted to feature in a show segment. We never did find the bird, but experienced a completely different kind of encounter. James and Robert were on foot when James heard a faint snap, a sign that elephants were in the area. He knew they were closer than they should be, and began retreating carefully to the vehicle. With all of us safely back in the Land Cruiser, a young bull decided to give a mock charge. Like the pro that he is, Robert filmed continuously without a twitch, only telling us later that he was scared as heck, that being his first experience of elephants charging at close range in the bush! The following evening we would encounter a pride of lions in this same area. The bush is indeed full of surprise and danger, to be approached with utmost caution.

Returning from the bush one afternoon, James discovered a young Flap-necked Chameleon (above) on his shirt. It had apparently fallen onto him as we passed under some low-hanging branches during our game drive. After long inspection and many photos, we released the interesting creature in the garden.

Traveling with James Currie means never a dull moment in the African bush. Always eager for adventure, the crazy antics of this seasoned TV-host kept us laughing often, like when he rode the Chobe river rapids on his arse, then spent ample time scrubbing the dirt off of his butt!

Bold and beautiful, wild and wonderful, Botswana was bigger than my dreams, and I was thrilled for our tour to continue on to the famed Okavango Delta!