Neil Gray's birds and other wildlife
Atlasville, 03 Jan 2009 We thought yesterday’s encounter with the lionesses would be the highlight of our Botswana trip, but little did we know that today would get off to an even better start – and end. Breakfast was even earlier today and we left the camp at 06:00. Only 7 minutes later we encountered …
Atlasville, 03 Jan 2009 Our third day was to prove rather exciting. Our first drive of the day began after an early breakfast at about 06:30. At 06:53 our spotter pointed out two lionesses sitting atop a termite mound about 200 m off the road. Our guide stopped the vehicle and asked us to fasten …
Atlasville, 03 Jan 2009 Our first night at Lebala had been punctuated by the whooping sounds of Spotted Hyena, but we were nevertheless up and ready for a light breakfast and a 06:15 departure for our morning drive. First photos of the day were of a displaying male Black-bellied Bustard which was located by …
Atlasville, 03 Jan 2009 Just back from an amazing 5-night stay at Kwando Safari’s Lebala Camp in the Kwando concession of northern Botswana in the Linyanti marshes area next to the border with the Caprivi Strip of Namibia. I added 7 lifers to my southern Africa list, Red-headed Quelea, Rufous-bellied Heron, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Chirping Cisticola, Hartlaub’s Babbler, African …
Atlasville, 21 Dec 2008 Paid a visit to the Marievale Bird Sanctuary this morning, my first visit there in 4 months. Although it was a relatively short visit it was still disappointing to only record 27 species. For mid-summer with the expectation of many migrants as well as the resident species it should be more. …
Atlasville, 20 Dec 2008 Two more trips completed to our field camp near Kolwezi. The rainy season has well and truly arrived and can make getting around on some of the tracks to the drilling sites decidedly interesting. Of course it may be a case of ‘water, water everywhere’ but for running field camps …
Atlasville, 03 Dec 2008 Just back this evening from my fourth trip to Zambia since my last post, where I have again been staying in the same first-floor room of the guesthouse in Kitwe. With only office-based work now these last few trips have been all about what I can see in the garden from …
Atlasville, 09 Nov 2008 Back from another weekend in the Kruger Park but this time based at the Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge near Pilgrim’s rest, about 75 mins by road from the Phabeni Gate into Kruger. I did no birding at all at Crystal Springs as that driving time meant pre-dawn departures and late returns …
Atlasville, 31 Aug 2008 Decided to combine an early morning visit to the Marievale Bird Sanctuary with a visit to Leeupan some 50 km to the south-east in the Kinross area. Like Marievale this is a waterbird haven in the shadow of old mine workings, in this case in the Evander Goldfield. The water level …
Sutton, 13 Aug 2008 We have returned to Sutton after visiting my father in Durham. While in Durham we took an early morning drive into the Durham moors between Stanhope and Middleton-in-Teesdale to look for game birds – well, I was looking for game birds, the others were more interested in the scenery with the …
