April 29

Etosha  NP

Onguma Lodge was so delightful that we opted to linger until late morning before setting off.  Still, we had about 75 km between Onguma and our next campsite at Halali, in Etosha NP so by 1100 we left this paradise camp for our next 'safari'.  The fact that it took us some 6 hours to dive 75 km gives you an idea of how many times we stopped to see animals and birds along the way. 

This area is mostly covered in flat scrub brush, with a dry open floor. The huge Etosha Pan (5000 sq km) dominates the horizon to the west while all around the sandy surface is covered is yellow grasses, some scrub bushes, and very few small trees.  The Etosha NP is 20,000 sq km and we ( the public) can access the section east of the pan.  

Animals viewed today included herds of wildebeest, springbok, steenbok, impalla, about a dozen kudu.  We also saw large numbers of zebra, and learned there are over 18.000 Burchell's zebra in Etosha NP.  We also saw plenty of giraffes.    

Near a water hole a group of warthogs darted around.  Beneath some bushes a fleet of banded mongoose loped by.  In a few open spaces a single jackal trotted along, one of them laying down on the gravel track fairly near our car.  Off in the distance we often spotted ostrich grazing. 

In the bushes we spotted all sorts of birds including some yellow- billed - but more often red-billed - hornbills .  Dozens of African citrol canaries flew out of a bush next to us. Our best sightings, were, of course, those that are of endangered species.  We had 4 or 5 sightings of the quite large kori Bustard, for example, a ground foraging bird the size of a turkey.  

Each sighting of anything new had Devon and Charlotte thumbing through their  field guide, while Irene consulted her mammal ID app in her iPad.  Then information was read outloud, followed by more discussions. 

Four sets of eyes in one vehicle meant there were frequent calls to "STOP", indicating there was something special to view and photograph. The big animals hardly needed a spotter.  

Near the end of the day, when we were satiated and ready to set up camp, we rounded a corner and stooped....a  huge bull elephant was blocking our path!  (This is why the speed limit is low. )  We waited, of course, but as the bull's family was also about, he ordered us by the flapping of the large ears, then the trumpeting, to please back off slowly.  Backing up helped, and finally the bull left the road somwe could proceed.

We had planned to get to our camp by three, but it was getting on five when we finally got in.  Before setting camp we watched the sun set over the local water hole, and as if on queueout,  a black rhino wandered out from the bush!   When we returned to the water hole later another rhino and calf wandered out to drink.  If we had stayed later we might have seen more, but it had been a full day! 

Charlotte and Devon created another tasty dinner.  Al opened a good red.  We talked about our sightings.  Quite possibly on each day here we can see as many large mammals as one might see in a lifetime anywhere in North America (except of course if one were privileged enough to have experienced the Northern Caribou, and perhaps discounting large groups do sea mammals on our own coast).

A honey badger was on the prowl.  We packed away all our food and retreated for a solid sleep in our roof tents. 

Irene

Sent from my ipad....Oops, did auto - complete create strange words?

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