The Kafue, what else..

[Peter Connan]

Lion cubs in camp? Wow!

 

Great sightings and photography so far.

[Grasshopper_Club]

Sorry for my delay in my trip report but I was quite busy and the weather here was so nice.

 

So where are we, Day 2 afternoon looks like....

 

So I spent again my siesta time in my chalet and was just wondering about all the different animals in front of me during the afternoon. Again very close and very tranquil, just enjoyed the scenery.

 

In front of my deck up to 10m...Pukus and Waterbuck. Quite nice when resting on my bed, you can hear the rustling of the higher grass around the chalet, always some Pukus around...or maybe Lions?

 

 

 

After Tea-Time we went out for another drive and as I remeber I was the only guest for that one which was very nice to have the car for myself. We started the road heading down south of the dambo and stoped to have a glimpse into it. This is about 2km away from the camp I suppose around the place where the Kafue River gets over its bank in the green season flooding the dambo. One of my most favourite moments and pictures, to see this sheer abundance of wildlife in form of all the Pukus and the Elly in the middle...great Combo!

 

 

 

An old Bull close to the road further south..

 

 

And some nice bird sightings..

 

Striped Kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti)

 

Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera cailliautii)

 

Funny on our way further down we spotted a small group of Zebras, and I remembered from last year that we saw Zebras at the more or less same place as well.

 

 

 

The only sighting as far I have recorded during my whole stay in the Park. I think Zebras are a species not that common in the Kafue as in other places in Zambia, compared to others.

 

As the Zebras went into the busher further away from the track, we heard a loud noise from a trooper of baboons from a tree further south. We wen't there for a look and it was obvious that there must be somer danger in the near as all the baboons went for the security of atree and making alarm calls nonstop. We searched around with our eyes and could make out a direction where the baboons where looking, so we directed the vehicle in that way and get off the track and literally after 100m there was something moving behind the trees on the ground..a very nice Lepoard indeed!

 

 

We were following her (i think it was a her) but she was very shy and so this was the only picture I get and the branches of the tree in the foreground in the way. But it was a very nice sighting and a nice interaction with the baboons that close. I think this was at the end of the tracks on this loop and as far as I remember they where of a newer origin in that area. So this must have been one of the first interactions for that cat with a vehicle. So that was maybe also the reason she was running away through the field after she was inspecting us from the disctance for a while, or the big flocks of baboons all around.

 

A very good game viewing day in general and especially the great diversity of the Kafue of its wildlife which is an absolut winner in my eyes. And to have all that for your own, makes it even better as you really never see any other vehicle around there.

 

On our way back we spottd the first Oribi. On all 3 different locations in the Kaufe I stayed this time we saw them literally everyday which was pretty cool as this is such a nice antelope

.

 

Pukus

 

After our sundowners we went on the night drive on te way back to the camp....

 

Another lioness..

 

 

A very nice sighting of this Genet. I've seen them several times before on safaris during night drives or quit frequently. But I never was able to make a good picture.

 

Large spotted Genet:

 

So that was a very nice day 2 on Safari. Back at Camp we were awaited as usual with a delicious dinner and some good company. And a nice glass of Brandy as well!

 

 

 

 

[Geoff]

Nice Oribi and three puku images in post #27.

[marg]

is the weather still nice.?   ....eagerly waiting for more.

[Grasshopper_Club]

Day 3

 

The nights were getting much warmer, during the first 1-2 nights there was quite a chill.

 

After 3 days in Camp and to much good food my belly was up for some exercise as I really felt the pressure So we decided to go for our first walk.

 

We've taken the car to drive to some point south of the camp for the start of our walk. As always the walks are very enjoyable and informative, as you can learn a lot about stuff, you usually just ignore on a game drive and pass throuhg. I really liked the fauna with its beutiful variety on this morning.

 

 

 

Place where the Kafue River gets over the shore and filing up the dambo during the green season.

 

Some action, along our walk back to the car...

 

We've spotted a Side-striped Jackal and managed to follow him for quite a time and this on foot. He tried to stalk some kind of pray, but can't remember what kind..ups my brain..But he was not able to get it at all, that's for sure. He moved quite around and then rested in the higher grass behind, before he started another try...

 

After arrivng back at the car we were driving back to Camp for our lunchtime..The exercise was highly effective as I felt again comfortable to take some food to me. Again absolutely stunning. Funny I always forget to make some pictures of the served food @ the camps. I'ts always an intention of me to do, but one of my rarest sequence in my photography portfolio...

 

 

View of the entrance of the Camp, with the carpark in front. The Camp is built along the treeline on the other side, where behind also the dambo lies.

 

 

View from my deck again, quite busy with Pukus and Waterbucks in general.

 

 

After our Siesta time we met again for food....Tea-time and some amazing pastry...

 

We went on the boat on the afternoon, my favourite activity to do on afternoons. You can enjoy the birds along the shorelines upstream and have a nice sundowner with the sun going down above the riverline later, which is always a favorite of mine. As you have to use the car to go to the pier from the new Musekese Camp, you always have a kind of nightdrive back to Camp . So it's always a combo which is great and well managed from the Camp.

 

So we went upstream with the boat and saw a lot of kingfishers around the marsh. Lots of Pied Kingfishers but also the half-collared ones are familiar in this area. I saw them on all the boat rides. The half-collared is more commen around the river then the malachite which also lives on the Kafue and was seen the day before.

 

Half-collared Kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata)

 

Weaving Bird

 

Plover on the island where the african skimmers have a little breeding colony.

 

Sunset over the Kaufe River...great!

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back to camp we heard from the radio, that the Lions are on the backyard of the carpark. So we arrived carefully and saw them crossing the high grass from the carpark beneth the chalets towards the dambo in front of the maindeck. We drived around and watched them again on another evening peacfully in front of the camp more or less.

 

Enjoy!

 

Stop! Where are you going?

 

So the mother was there with the young ones in front and at back you can see te older siblings.

 

So Mom kept always an eye on the younger ones so that they stay away from the older ones, just in case.

 

 

 

Great day and great evening again as a matter of course again with a fantastic Lion sighting at the end of the day!

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

[Geoff]

That's a pretty little plover. I also like the flower and last lion pic in post #30 

[michael-ibk]

The Half-Collared Kingfisher is a great find!

[Grasshopper_Club]

Day 4

 

Another Day and another luck, so we get together and decided again for a walk in the morning and picked up as a starting point the area where the old camp was placed.

 

The area where the old Camp was nestled. So on the left hand side upwards, where the tents of the old camp were situated and down on the right hand side, the Pukus etc. would gather around during the day time. Just straight ahead behind the trees the Kafue River and the "harbour" for the boat, which is still on the same site.

 

Some impressions of te fauna again...the walk was very quiet and we didn't encountered many mammals. Mostly Pukus in the distance. But they tend to be more skittish compared on the vehicle, perhaps to the still ongoing poaching...so they still reckon you more as a danger if you're on foot.

 

 

 

Our group heading towards the car.

 

 

 

So we went back quite early to the camp that day and had still some plenty time before lunch was served. Happily as there was some good stuff going around just in front of the main deck. 2 Elepaht Bulls were getting into a mudbath in front of the dambo. Very nice to watch them with a cold Mosi in my hand....

 

 

 

One of the Ellys getting closer to Chalet No. 1!

 

 

 

 

A general view of the main area. On the left a very nice library corner with a lot of very nice and interesting books and on the right the area of the outmost importance...the Bar

 

The path back to my chalet, easy to walk during the day time but always the eyes wide open, just in case some lion cubs are hanging wide spread around...

 

More to follow...

 

Cheers

 

 

 

[Marks]

The river sunset sure is beautiful.

Eles in camp always a huge plus!

[Grasshopper_Club]

 

So on the afternoon we went on the boat again

 

From the boat our first encounter was a beutiful water monitor lizard lying on a branch hanging over the riverbed.

 

Quite an example...

 

On our way upstream we did again encountered a lot of different Kingfishers.

 

Again a half-collared Kingfisher

 

One of the many Pied Kingfishers

 

Giant Kingfisher

 

 

 

litle croc, well camouflaged

l

 

 

It's on my tongue which bird that one is, but I dont get it right now....Any ideas?

 

A cormorant with his dinner...

 

 

 

 

 

As we were heading upstream, our target was the little island with the skimmer colony for a nice sundowner and some beers and the skimmers as the major attraction.

 

So after we arrived there we enjoyed the skimmers going around all the time. There are about a dozen skimmers there or more in this tiny little island colony. As they tend to nest on the ground very openly and close to the water, the eggs must be an easy prey for crocs and lizards. They are acutally quite bad to bring up chicks and increase the size of the colony significantly. So compared to my visit a year before they stayed at the same numbers.

 

1 hour before the sun goes down, a good time as there is a lot of action from them...

 

One of the most difficult birds to get a picture in flight but especially to get on, once they do their main task the "skimming" of the water in search of food/fish..

 

Again a nice sundowner and some nice beers and some good company...

 

 

 

 

After heading back to the boat pier, we went on with a short night drive as usual. This time we were doing a loop to the southern part of the dambo and heading back to camp from  the other side as usual.

 

So no day without the lions! The golden rule for my stay there at Musekese Camp.

 

Mother and her 4 cubs were on a sidetrack of the road. This time about 1-2km away from camp.

 

 

After a few minutes they left the space and went into the bushes after saying good nigt...

 

 

 

 

[Geoff]

4 hours ago, Grasshopper_Club said:

It's on my tongue which bird that one is, but I dont get it right now....Any ideas?

 

At a guess Open-billed Stork.

[Grasshopper_Club]

Thanks @Geoff , 100%....how I managed not to identify that one...ups..

[Hads]

@Grasshopper_Club - great kingfisher shots in post 35. I have also enjoyed your report thanks.

[Grasshopper_Club]

 

Day 5

 

So this was my last day @ Musekese Camp, or better half day. As we went up north to the Mobile Camp south of the the Busanga Plains in the afternoon. So the plan was to spend the morning on an activity again and heading back for lunch and a shorter Siesta time. The transfer to the mobile camp would take about 2.5 hours. We had to cross the river by boat, just at Lufupa. Where the other Land Rovers i detached and from there a 2h drive up north.

 

The dambo in front at about 5:50 a.m. / So the dambo is absolutely empty during that time of the day and the Pukus start to get back to the dambo once the sun is shining in full light.

 

 

 

After breakfast we went out with the car for the southern part of the concession for another walk. Watched a lot of Pukus heading to the dambo from their overnight quarter in the forest.

 

 

They are so cute especially during the golden light hours wenn their fur has this distinguished color.

 

 

A few minutes later down south of the dambo near the place we wanted to start our walk, these 3 liones were enjoying the first sunbeam. These ar the 3 older lions from the mother with her 4 younger cubs. We saw them all together 2 nights before in front of camp, now the started to separate again. The 3 siblings together again on their own.

 

After a while we let them enyoing their sun or maybe their breakfast as they were laying there well positioned for the Pukus between the dambo and the higher grass in front of the forest.

The way the Pukus have to go each day twice! Must be quite a thrill......

 

On our walk we watched a lot of animals from the distance. Zebras, Impalas and most of the time Liechtensteins Hartebeest, but as you can see on the picture below, there is a l ot of underwood in that area and the animals were more skittish on foot compared to a vehicle. So I focused to watch them with my binos instead of photographing them.

 

 

 

Back at camp we enjoyed once more a fantastical meal and our last few hours at Musakese Camp.

 

 

 

Before we left I made some last pictures from the view just out of my chalet.

 

 

So the Pukus were all there to say goodbye.

 

 

A Pangolin in my room!! What a memorable last sighting

 

 

 

 

At 2.30 p.m. time to say goodbye to the camp and get on to the car for the boat. As stated earlier we had to cross the river and enjoyed a nice little cuise south to Lufupa where the car was waiting on the other side of the river.

 

 

The Lufupa River where he joins the Kafue River.

 

Some sightings after Lufupa in a dambo similar to the one at Camp, but less animals on that side of the river. Liechtensteins and Pukus again..

 

 

The rest of the drive up was quiet but interesting in the difference of landscape patterns, we also went up north quick as our goal was to arrive at the Mobile Camp before darkness for a nice drink..

 

Nice campfire awaited us and more from the Busanga Plains and the Mobile Camp on Day 6 and the following days. Cheers

 

 

[Marks]

I'm also a puku fan - I appreciate you drawing attention to them!

[Grasshopper_Club]

Day 6

 

So this was our first full day @ the Mobile Camp south of the Busanga Plains. We planned to stay the full day up there, so this time this would be an all day excursion. We started earlier then usual as it was still a drive up there. Our intention was not to miss the early hours game activity.

 

So starting the day at 5 a.m. had a short-short breakfast and went onto the Landy at 5.40 a.m. / It was still a drive of about 1h to get to the southern border of the Busanga plains section. But we would arrive there not later at 6:30 which would be perfect.

 

Our first sighting as we arrived on the southern periphery of the plains was a group of Reedbuck. Nice one, first sighting ever for me. Also the trees in the far distance showed a dramatic change in landscape as the drive before was a lot of bush with some areas/fields of grass. Now the Plains are another world.

 

Group of Reedbuck sighting at the first light..

 

 

 

Nice one with a group of cranes (crowned or wattled) in the backyard flying over the plains.

 

 

 

After a short break with the group of Reedbucks we went further north as our goal was the big game which we hoped to see.

 

But first of all we watched these nice little Oribis...

 

I really like the Plains as it gives you a good understanding of the sheer vastness of that part in particular of the Kafue NP.

 

 

 

We followed the track near the western part of the extension of the Plains and managed to see just a few minutes later a group of blue wildebeest. Tyrone also had a look onto the righthand side into the wide open grassland. As it already started heating up the view was already quite harsh from the sunglight in the open pan. I couldn't see anything far in the distance but his skilled eyes managed that easily.

 

He just turned the car away from the track and we went on straight to nowhere for me into the bumpy grassy plains. After a while I was able to see them in the distance and here they are, after we made a gentle turn with a great disctance in-between them.....ROAN! Fantastic! I really hoped to see them in the Busanga Plains area, this was my main goal for this trip. Another new species for me. Great Luck and great start of the day....within the first 30 minutes on the Plains. It was quite a nice group widespread over the plain grassland area...25 range somewhere.

 

 

Roans...

 

I really like their face markings and their floppy ears. A big contrast to the size of the animal. The ears reminded my of the lop ear rabbit breed.

 

Mother with her calf..

 

 

 

 

 

The widespread group.

 

 

More to follow from this day.....

 

[Grasshopper_Club]

 

After we left the Roans, we were able to detect a little black point near the horzion on the plains more nort-eastwards. Getting closer and it was the biggest buffalo herd I've ever seen.

 

It was the big Busanga Plains Buffalo herd, consist about 500 animals. It was so huge and widespread that I was not able to get them all on the picture, maybe 30% but not more.

 

 

Buffalos...

 

 

 

 

At one point we made a little breakthrough to get to the other side of the little water source seen on the above picture, was quite an interaction. One part of the buffalso were spreading on to the left the other on to the right. As we crossed them they flocked again together and the whole looked like a zip fastener system getting opened and closed again.

 

 

A litte bit more of the landscape..

 

 

 

As we were heading further north we crossed the Wilderness Section with their camps and the first vehicle since beginning of my Safari 6 days ago. They told us that they were watching a lioness with 2 cubs on a red lechwe pray up north in the plains. So we decided to have a look...

 

 

But before we would arrive we would have to cross huge numbers of Red Lechwe. Another highlight for me on this trip and day in particular, first sighting and absolutely stunning to see them in such numbers. One of my favourite!

 

 

They look so graceful with their horns.

 

 

 

Hundreds!

 

So we were on the move north as we left the Lechwes on their side, but we saw that there are even more north but more randomly distributed and not concentrated in such numbers.

 

Another goodie just shortly after the Lechwes...

 

Rosy-breasted Longclaw (Macronyx ameliae)

 

 

Can't remember which bird of prey this one was....i didn't think it was a Brown Snake-eagle

 

 

We just paused for a litte stop so everyone could have a short bush-toilet and a cup of tea....As I went on a little lookout and watched a single roan in the near distance, also looking up north.

 

 

So getting in the car quick not to miss the lioness with her prey....

 

And here they are. Easy to spot as there was quite some action in the air with some vultures around and on a nearby solitary tree in the middle of the grassland.

So the head was still on of the Lechwe...

 

Must be a pain to have his legs over the head that way round...In the back one of the cubs (2).

 

There was a source of water which the cubs enjoyed as they were fully up with enough food and the temperatures were getting hot without any shade...

 

 

 

The mother wouldn't drink and would not get away from the rest of the meal. In the back as seen on the first picture the other Lechwes were placidly grazing. It's always interesting to see that kind of behaviour...just 1-2 hours ago one of their group was killed and is now eaten up in front of them. After a few minutes of alarm calls and a shock condition, they just go on with business as usual. But to live in such a dangerous environment, what else should they do, I suppose.

 

 

Something on the left gets her attention and within a second she's on her legs to stand her ground. But it was a false alarm.

 

Heads...

 

The little cuties looks like they are in great condition. Both saturated..

 

 

 

 

After about half an hour with the lions we left them to get back a bit and have lunch under some trees near the Wilderness Camps. A very nice lunch under the trees and some very good tuna sandwiches, which I really enjoyed. On the other side of the track where we had lunch...another head, but this time alive..another Oribi on that day.

 

 

So after a relaxing short siesta we went on about at 1 p.m. to the other side of the plains slowly backwards to our Camp.

 

About 1 hour after we didn't encountered much, as it was now getting very hot on the plains....but then....a big herd of Sable was moving from the plains into the bush...

 

Wow great! a group of about 30 Sables and some youngster as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite one.

 

 

 

Something that I've noticed was the difference in color from the Sable in Zimbabwe vs. Zambia...the ones in Zim were all fully black only the young ones had the same color variaton. The ones here in the Kafue tended to bee on the brown side. Only 1 or 2 of them were fully black, the fully grown males I suppose.

 

A lone bull on the left hand side a little bit further down, you can see there was already a fire in the plains as the ground was burnt. We encounterd that day some more and later in the afternoon the skye above the plains was quite cloudy from several fires.

 

 

Waterbucks on our way back...

 

And some Kudu, probably the only sighting.

 

 

Back at Camp we arrived for a nice sundowner after this long and very fascinating day of abundance and variety of game.

 

Just on the tracks in the camp, where the carpark is situated, there were some burrows of a colony of  Böhm's Bee-eater (Merops boehmi). Very Nice! Tried to get a picture once the moving in and out of the burrows, but no chance..haha

 

Here's one observing me close to his little hous under the earth, on a tree in the near distance.

 

 

 

Sundowner from our chairs around the campfire, enjoying ourselves with a G&T..

 

 

End of Day 6....Cheers

 

 

 

[Geoff]

Post #41 is an excellent day on safari. Especially as you got to see your target species and some great birds thrown in as well. The biggest herds of roan I've seen were on the Busanga Plains too. As for the Sable I've read that the females of the southern races can be brown-black in colour but the mature bulls are the ones that have the black coats. 

[pault]

This is a very fine trip and there are some.very fine photographs. Like it all a lot and sorry for too many likes - I read it all in one journey home. Her is my station. Thanks!

[TonyQ]

This sounds like a great trip. I am really enjoying your writing and your photos. It is a pleasure to see such a variety of antelopes (and of course your lions!)

[AfricIan]

Really enjoying this @Grasshopper_Club, I wonder where all those buffalo were hiding when we were there?

[Grasshopper_Club]

@Geoff Thanks for your appreciation and thoughts about the Sables. I just realised that i have the big copy of Mammals of Africa of Kingdon, if there is one place who it could be discbred then probably there.

According to that:

There are 4 different subspecies of Sable. The ones in Zim or south of the Zambezi are (Hippotragus niger niger) the ones in Zambia (Hippotragus niger kirkii). It state's that the females in the species south of the Zambezi are the only ones getting nearly full black.That explains the difference in beteween the Sable at the Kafue NP and Hwange NP.

I remember that we were thinking about at the time that due to the close border with Angola, there might by a chance of some kind of a relatedness with the Giant Sable. But according to the book, a recent study (2010) showed that the Western Zambian Sable is not referable to the Giant Sable (Hippotragus niger variani), despite the close resemblance of some individuals.

 

Also nice go get more information about a Safari even if that one is nearly 1 year passed. Another nice aspect of Safarigoing, to learn and to understand and more important to arouse an interest in learning of new stuff.

 

@pault, Thank you very much. Nice that you'll enjoy it.

 

@TonyQ, Thank you very much for your nice comment, yes that's one of the main reasons of attraction to the park the diversity. Anelope diversity is the most for any park in Africa! I've recorded 15 different species on this trip. Fantastic!

 

@AfricIan Thanks for your comment. Yes sometimes, it's just luck.I'ts just incredible how such large numbers can hide. But the area is so huge and so remote.

 

 

Cheers

 

[Grasshopper_Club]

Day 7

 

So to give a little overview about the mobile Camp, the camp uses as far I can remember the old Musanza site from Wilderness Safaris. There are 3, maybe 4 tents, nicely separated under some bushes/trees. So the tents are from the old Musekese site and are very comfortable and spacious enough. There are several shower/toilets around which are not ensuite. So the facilities here were shared. More rustic than the Musekese Camp, but everything you need.  This year the are undergoing a big upgrade here and the camp ist now called Ntemwa-Busanga Camp. In the new camp, everycamp will have an own bathroom behind each tent.

 

So they told us that the food there would be simpler than the one at Musekese, as the logistics out there in the bush would be less. But It was as always very delicious and of the same standards, great job here as well!

 

 

My tent..you can see the washing bag on the left, which was filled up every monrning once you get up.

 

Tents 2+3 , well hidden..

View from my tent into the open grassland in front of the camp.

 

Main area, which we used only for tea-time, to get some shade in the heat...Most of the time we spent the time in camp around the firesite for drinks and dinner...which was always on the same spot.

 

Toilet facility with a bucket shower...less capacity of water then the ones back at main camp. So, you'll have to hurry up...

 

The toilet run on sand... instead of water...

 

 

So we went down south at the beginning of the day and had a stop at Treetops School Camp. A camp were schoolchildren mostly from Lusaka can have a week of a field trip into a NP with their class, but still having their lessons in the camp as an example in the morning or afteroon and then the rest of the day on excursion. On the ground of the Camp we were standing in front of this stunning Baobab tree which was gigantic.

 

 

 

Velvet monkeys watching us from the distance..

 

 

On the way down we passed an area with very thick bush and even more tsetse fly. We passed that area already on arrival day and the tsetse there were a plague, which was'nt the case around Musekese or also the Mobile Camp and the Busanga Plains. In the Kafue you'll have them but some areas are definitely more affected than others.

But on places with thick bush and no grassland around, they can give you a unpleasant treat. Usually you wouldn't stop there a car, but as it happens...we spotted a tiny little duiker under the thick bushes....a blue duicker! WOW what a sighting unfortunately no picture, as I was to busy watching the duicker and killing some tsetses..But a great sighting anyway...they are so tiny, more of the size of a rabbit than an antelope..

 

But thats fine for me, as this gives me a good reason to come back

 

Further down south on the Lufupa we were watching the Pukus as they were making some alarm calls.

 

 

 

As it was time to get to the water for a drink into the morning, most probably a predator was somewhere going down to the river as there is no water source on that part of the park elsewhre than the Lufupa.

 

We waited quite a time but the Pukus relaxed after a while, so did we and let them in peace and turned our car and went back to the camp for lunch.

 

Close to the Lufupa, but under some bushes...a big hippo which was chased off the pond most probably..

 

Sleeping under the shade...

 

waking up....He left us then and went back into the river...

 

 

On the afternoon we went back up north, to the southern parts of the Busanga plains. Here a watersource from the plains, which heads into the Lufupa.

 

 

A lot of bird action here, especially the Pied Kingfishers.

 

Yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis), on the branches 2 Pied Kingfishers.

 

Some young Pukus as well...

 

 

Later on and due to some bushfires around, the skies were getting a little bit of a mixed bag....grey n foggy like...

 

Group of Red Lechwe.

 

We parked our car in the middle of the southern plains and ejoyed a nice sundowner with a big G&T!

 

Impressive how massive the sun looks compared to a tree on the right hand side.

 

 

 

On our way back to camp, which was becoming a night safari. We went back with some nice sigthings, as suddenly on track an abrupt noise and some action stopped our drive!

 

A leopard was chasing a genet just in front of us! The genet managed to get up to a small mopane tree after a few seconds, where the leopard couldn't follow.

But that was extremly tight as the head of the leopard and the tail of the genet were sometimes only half a meter apart or even less. WOW.

 

After that charge, the Leopard lied down for a few mintes, so easy for us to enjoy him.

 

Here we go...

 

 

As said, he then went off and we did the same and went back to camp for dinner and some treasures to remeber!

 

 

[Grasshopper_Club]

Day 8

 

So this would be the last morning at the Busanga Plains and Musekese as well...I was a little bit sad to leave and astonished how quick these days passed.

 

So after getting ourselves ready for departure, we said goodbye to the camp staff and went on with our trip/drive back to the boat, close to Lufupa Lodge. The way down would be a full morning activity and we had enough time to watch intersting things on our way.

 

First of the sightings were these 2 owlets.....I'm not sue but I would say an African Barred Owlet?

 

 

 

And as usual my friends the Pukus...

 

 

 

 

a flying Kudu on the track..

 

A solitary Lichtensteins Hartebeest..

 

 

wattled crane (Grus carunculata)

 

So at around 11 a.m. we arrived back at the boat. As I went on to Kaingu Lodge, It was time to say goodbye...The others went on the boat to get back to Musekese for a night. I was driven to Hook Bridge by Stan were the meeting point was with Kaingu. So my drive down was on the "other" side of the river. Quite a  drive and very different terrain again from the other places known to me in the Kafue. Also nice to notice as on this riverside 1-2 new camps were built at the time, so the parks looks quite thriving. After about 1.5 -2 h we arrived a Hook Bridge were I was picked up by Kaley my guide down there for the next days.

 

On our way down we were behind the time schedule but nevertheless we stopped for the bigger sightings...

 

An Elephant saying hello..

 

 

 

 

On our drive down I experienced the first flat tyre on Safari.

 

Quickly fixed and went on, but again after 20minutes that one was gone as well..haha...bad luck. But as the camp was close now (only 15min away.) The sent us a second vehicle to pick me up.

 

So after a short while the journey went on and we arrived at the car park of the camp, which is on the other side of the Kafue River. So you always have take the boat to get to camp and to the cars or vice versa. Which is very nice especially during the different daytimes. I'ts just a short stroll of 5-10minutes.

 

The view and and the river shoreline itself is completely different from the river up north at Musekese around. Here you can see a lot of picturesque rocks around and as seen sometimes the rivers gets quite narrow,

 

The rocks are also under the waterline, so the boat driver has to know exactly where the rocks are, as the water can be quite shallow at some places.

 

 

After a hearty welcome at the Lodge and lunch on the main deck, I had a little nap before we went on with our afteroon activity which I've decided to take place on the river. As the driving was enough for me on that day.

 

Getting along with Kaley on the boat we just made some turns in front of the camp as we spotted a Bushbuck just under my chalet.

 

 

 

 

Just on the other side 15m away Kaley spotted some birds and we went over there as well.

 

Green-backed heron (Butorides striata)

 

 

 

 

And then, we spotted my most sought after bird. The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) . I've seen that one before but was never able to get a picture. So this time just in front of the camp a wonderful sighting and this for some time. We watched him for about 10 minutes flying a little bit around under the mangroves and resting on tree branches above the water level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A colony of white-fronted bee-eaters (Merops bullockoides). The hole in the ground just above the waterlevel an a tiny little island.

 

 

Great start here as well and I was very happy to put this camp, located more in the southern/central sector of the park, in my itinerary.

 

More to follow...

[TonyQ]

The bushcamp looks lovely, and how lucky to see your Brown-hooded Kingfisher so close to the new camp.