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    • kittykat23uk
      25/9/2023 - Day 3 Erindi to Okonjima     Erindi by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Erindi by Jo Dale, on Flickr   White-browed Sparrow-weaver by Jo Dale, on Flickr   The guys were keen to see the cheetah family, black wildebeest (which we wouldn’t see elsewhere) and get better views of the wild dogs, so we made those a priority for our morning drive, beginning with the Cheetahs. They were in the same area as before, and again were playing around on the termite mounds, it was such a treat to spend time with this family!    Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Cheetah by Jo Dale, on Flickr   On our way to look for the wildebeest, we passed some Kopjes where a troop of Chacma Baboons were on the move climbing the rocks and foraging for their breakfast. They were particularly dark individuals, almost black in colour. We also surprised an African wildcat whilst we were checking some high ground for radio signals.   Chacma baboon by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Chacma baboon by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Chacma baboon by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Chacma baboon by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Angolan Giraffe by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Angolan Giraffe by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Erindi by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Erindi by Jo Dale, on Flickr   We came  out onto an open plain surrounded by red hills where a nice herd of Black Wildebeest were galloping around, making for an impressive vista. Ludwig’s Bustard, Lappet-faced vulture, a Verreaux Eagle Owl and a Common Scimitarbill added some avian interest to the drive.    Black Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Black Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Black Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Springbok by Jo Dale, on Flickr   On the way back towards camp we stopped off at the two male lions that I’d seen before and then paid a brief visit to the wild dogs who were resting by a boma. After the drive we said our goodbyes to our guide and finished packing.   Ludwig's Bustard by Jo Dale, on Flickr   South African Ground Squirrel - Xerus inauris by Jo Dale, on Flickr   South African Ground Squirrel - Xerus inauris by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Grey-backed Sparrow-lark by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Lappet-feced Vulture by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Verreaux's Eagle Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Verreaux's Eagle Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr   Angolan Giraffe by Jo Dale, on Flickr   African  Wild Dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr   African Lion by Jo Dale, on Flickr   With a bit of a drive ahead we decided to get lunch at the lodge before we headed out. It should have been a transfer of 158kms to Okonjima Nature Reserve, which was meant to take less than two hours.
    • kittykat23uk
      Thanks all! Yes a rather inauspicious start for my companions that's for sure and I was having kittens waiting for them to arrive, I can tell you that! 
    • Dave Williams
      Another two nights gone and it was time to move on, this time heading to Bijagua , an easy drive northwards so there was no rush to leave. Up before breakfast I had a wander  around the grounds where the chalets were and was delighted to actually find the Ferruginous Owl who had driven us mad looking for it trying to find where it was calling from. It seemed to be able to throw its voice because every time you moved to the tree you thought it was in, it sounded as if it was in another one. This time though it gave away it's position by moving and I was lucky enough to see it. Ferruginous Owl by Dave Williams, on Flickr and despite daylight it was still calling constantly. Ferruginous Owl by Dave Williams, on Flickr Further down from the Howler Monkey spot the two British birders had found the Lineated Woodpecker.  Lineated Woodpecker by Dave Williams, on Flickr Excellent views but not as nice a setting as the original sighting. Lineated Woodpecker by Dave Williams, on Flickr During breakfast a small flock of White-throated Magpie-Jays arrived and a couple of them sat in the rafters of the restaurant waiting to raid the tables of any leftovers, this one however spotted a Grasshopper and proceeded to eat it on a nearby post. White-throated Magpie--Jay by Dave Williams, on Flickr While Phil and Christian finished packing I hung around a blossoming tree and was rewarded with several new birds and this handsome Variegated Squirrel. Variegated Squirrel by Dave Williams, on Flickr a Spot-breasted Oriole Spot-breasted Oriole by Dave Williams, on Flickr and a pair of distant duelling Rufus-tailed Hummingbirds. Rufus-tailed Hummingbird by Dave Williams, on Flickr       With the other two ready and packed we moved on . Would I stay at La Ensenada again? Probably not. The Owls and Woodpecker saved the birding experience from being poor in my opinion so a 5/10. The place is isolated, you have to eat there, the accommodation is OK, basic but clean cabins with a fan to keep them cool . I think we paid $530 for two rooms for two nights including 2 breakfasts. 2 dinners and 1 lunch each plus a few beers. A bit too expensive for what they were offering , again, in my opinion anyway.       next stop the Cataratas Bijagua Lodge, another collection of wood cabins in a garden setting. On arrival Phil negotiated a change of rooms and providing we paid cash we had a room for three instead of two separate cabins. A bit crowded but by doing so we guaranteed we would recoupe the $500 driving fee we had paid without receiving the service. A bit of a misunderstanding about dinner arrangements meant when we turned up at 7.00pm there was no meals to be had in the restaurant as we hadn't chosen and booked the meals before 5.00pm. Never mind we ended up having a take away pizza which we collected from the nearby town, dining in style sitting on the floor of our cabin. We did however discover that the road up to our Lodge was a regular roost for Common Pauraque so that was a target for the following evening. leading from our Lodge grounds was a track to some distant waterfalls, and use was free for residents...$6pp if you were not! Christian and I had had a quick explore before it went dark and found two new birds, one of which we got a few reasonable shots of. Rufous Motmot Rufous Motmot by Dave Williams, on Flickr Tomorrow then, we'd explore the track further and see what it had to offer TBC.
    • Zarek Cockar
      It is, but it's dry heat, so it's much more bearable than if it was humid. I'm now back home on the Kenya coast where it's a mild 36 degrees in the early afternoon, but the humidity makes it feel hotter than I was in Zakouma. 
    • Dave Williams
      @AtravelynnDid you show him the tree trunk they were climbing ? Enough to make me weak at the knees thinking about it!
    • pscrimshaw
      Wow this is absolutely crazy to find. I was in Ndutu during the exact same time at the exact same sightings! So wild to see photos from the opposite angles that I was at! I saw the coalition of males that morning as each came to drink and then jumped across the river. And I was also there when the lion cub was in the tree. Unfortunately I was on the opposite side hoping that the cub would turn and look my way but, when it finally did I got photo bombed by some inconsiderate tourist vehicles. I'm hoping that wasn't you! Anyways such a small world it seems!    
    • ice
      It depends on what you are looking for: calving may start as early as late December and usually peaks in January and February. But as@Atravelynnhas pointed out: wanting to see calving and the biggest herds comes with a price: camps and lodges that are completely out and conditions that may remind you of Masai Mara, especially at cheetah sightings: 20 cars circling and pushing around. More times than not aggressive drivers will make it impossible for cats to hunt. That's why I have chosen March as my preferred month: less cars and more lost calves, both increasing the chances to see a lot predator action. 
    • Treepol
      Sorry that you had such a mixed-up start to your safari, however the early sightings certainly paid off. Love the introductory photo of the brown hyena.
    • Atravelynn
      44-45 in the afternoon is hot.  Thanks for those specifics and general comments on when to go.
    • Atravelynn
      It is a cinematic experience!  Starting with the balloon was very effective. It seems you had some excellent sightings from the balloon. The video and music are so professional.  You have a gem of memories here.
    • TonyQ
      What wonderful sightings so early in your trip. A shame about your companions but good to see you finally met up!
    • Atravelynn
      Feb (March is good too with fewer people, more wilde calves already born).  As for camps, choose a camp with vacancy.  This is a popular time to go. Ndutu Lodge seems to be economical but I have never managed that.  I've stayed at Njozi run by the Wild Source 2x and that was good.  The other places I've stayed are not operating now I believe.  At least as important as the camp (IMO) is the ability to stay out all day with packed breakfasts and lunches.  A nice long day in the bush is always good, but I think it is essential in Ndutu in the green season to see hunts, maybe births, and cover ground to go where the interesting activity is.
    • Atravelynn
      The title of your trip report is giving me geographic whiplash.  What a productive time for Namibia!  The brown hyena were out in force, escorted by a hippo.  Nice mole snake among everything else.
    • Atravelynn
      My husband just breezed by my computer as I was looking at that "big male" howler monkey and it caught his attention. He asked me, "Are you sure you didn't do some AI on that?"   The photo hide on the river is a good idea.
    • Dave Williams
      As you can see from the map on the last entry, the ranch we were staying on covers a fairly huge area and there is a network of trails you can follow which are quite well marked with numbered posts. Having been tucked up in bed and fast asleep by 10pm I was up early the next morning woken by the roar of the Howler Monkeys which started at around 3.30am  and the content call of the Ferruginous Owl which went on all night and well in to the morning. I searched but couldn't find the Owl. By now Phil and Christian were up and around so we went to the spot we'd seen the Lineated Woodpecker the night before but no luck there. There were lots of Parrots flying over but most carried on going but this White-fronted one stopped briefly in a distant tree. White-fronted Parrot by Dave Williams, on Flickr A Social Flycatcher was more accommodating Social Flycatcher by Dave Williams, on Flickr As was a Stripe-headed Sparrow, one of the more common birds we'd seen in Costa Rica to date. Stripe-headed Sparrow-topaz-sharpen by Dave Williams, on Flickr Overall it was disappointing but we were undaunted and hoped better was to come. Breakfast is served , again a served buffet for all the guests , at 7.30. The offering is nice enough but it's strictly portion controlled!  After breakfast we set off to explore the trails leading through fields taking us to the to the Salt Pans. There wasn't a lot to see, on arrival at the Pans what few waders were there took off and we were still 100m away. Obviously not keen on human presence it seemed. By 9.30am it was hot and by 10.00am unbearably so and we made the decision to retreat back to our cabins. We managed a couple of birds on the way back though including White-necked Puffbird White-necked Puffbird by Dave Williams, on Flickr and Cinnamon Becard Cinnamon Becard by Dave Williams, on Flickr but that was about all. Later that morning I went over to the restaurant area where lunch was being served and the British couple showed me were to find the Owl. I assumed it would be the Ferruginous one but no, it was a different one altogether sat in it's nest hole. Pacific Screech-Owl by Dave Williams, on Flickr Pacific Screech Owl I think and it certainly brighten up the day anyway! We ducked out on lunch , it was too hot to eat and meals were not that good anyway se we had a beer instead! When the sun had cooled down later in the afternoon we set off in the car to see if we could find a better spot somewhere. Along the way we stopped for a  Ctenosaur, also known as Black Iguana, which was crossing the road Ctenosaur by Dave Williams, on Flickr A tree full of blossom was providing a meal for a small flock of Orange-fronted Parakeets which allowed us very close views for a change. Orange-fronted Parakeet by Dave Williams, on Flickr Then a bit further down the road we spotted a large lake which looked interesting. Before we got to the turn off that led there, a farm track it seemed, we crossed a river bridge and a Wood Stork sat in a tree. Wood Stork by Dave Williams, on Flickr The Stork wasn't that co-operative and flew off but looking down at the river and lower branches of the trees there were dozens of Black Vultures, some were roosting on the branches others simply enjoying the sun. Black Vulture by Dave Williams, on Flickr Why so many? What was the attraction? When you looked carefully the river was full of fish skeletons and we could only assume that the farm track to the lagoons  was to some kind of farmed fishing arrangement and they processed the fish and discarded the remains in the river. Unfortunately as the track was gated access was denied but in the distance we could see dozens of Wood stork, Great Egrets and even a couple of Roseate Spoonbills. They could set up a photo hide on the side and do quite well out of it I imagine and who knows, maybe they will in the future.  The one thing we were beginning to notice was how commercial everything has become in Costa Rica. Every one is out to extract as many tourist dollars as possible and that included La Ensalada Lodge in my opinion. What they offered was well organised but quite expensive for what it was and that included the meals. TBC
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