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When the mighty Zambezi River overflows its banks, additional habitats with an abundant food supply are created for many bird species. Young fish thrive in the shallow warm water and countless insect larvae are also found there. For African Skimmers, however, an important habitat is lost: the white sandbanks disappear under the masses of water and with them the sleeping and resting places as well as the nesting sites.

Their numbers are increasing daily – the Carmine Bee-eaters are back at the breeding colony between Zambezi Mubala Camp and Zambezi Mubala Lodge (formerly Kalizo Lodge). They have safely made the long trip from their winter habitats in East Africa to Namibia. This year a group of several hundred birds has chosen a nesting site between the lodge and the usual colony. 

A foal has been born to mare Meredith and stallion Igloo. This may not sound like a huge event, but for the wild horses of the Namib Desert it’s a symbol of hope. After a five-year drought and continual predation by a pack of hyenas, the Namib horse population has been through a tough time.

In the southern hemisphere September 1st is seen as the beginning of spring. According to the calendar, winter is over by then but nature does not stick to prescribed dates. The first Black thorns (Acacia mellifera) were already in bloom at the end of August, for example east of Rehoboth, and heralded spring in some areas while in other places the thorny branches did not even show any buds.

In the vicinity of the Chobe River Camp the reeds and papyrus as well as the tall trees which characterise the banks of the other rivers on Namibia’s north-eastern border are absent. At the end of July, during a boat trip in the morning, a total of 31 wetland bird species were counted along the Chobe River and within two days altogether 97 bird species in and around Chobe River Camp. 

Hakusembe River Lodge on the banks of the Okavango in the Kavango East Region is not only an ideal spot for birdwatching but also for discovering an amazing number of reptiles – even in winter. We noted 78 bird species within two days in mid-July this year and counted 21 wetland bird species during a boat trip on the Okavango River. 

After a very successful series of summer counts at the four Gondwana lodges - Hakusembe River Lodge, Namushasha River Lodge, Zambezi Mubala Lodge and Chobe River Camp - in February it was time to repeat the exercise, this time in winter. Although the primary aim of the visit was the wetland bird counts, bird mapping (atlasing) was also done.