TRAVEL
Coppery-tailed coucal, Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Thrush nightingale, Pafuri, Kruger National Park.
PAFURI, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Head to the Pafuri region of northern Kruger, where the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers meet, and
prepare yourself for some of the best birding in SA, especially in summer from October to March, when 200 migrant species return. Pafuri is the southernmost boundary for tropical birds such as the broad- billed roller and tropical boubou (spot them in the sandveld woodlands), plus it’s home to an amazing diversity of other birds. Have binoculars ready at both Kruger’s Pafuri Border Camp and nearby Punda Maria – one of Kruger’s loveliest and tiniest camps – for the crested guineafowl (with the outrageous punk hairstyle), yellow-bellied bulbul and lots of sunbirds. Expect mega-ticks when you traverse the 12km dirt Luvuvhu River Drive on the S63 and S64 from the beautiful Pafuri picnic site, shaded by huge riverine trees, where the Narina trogon, the grey-headed parrot and racket-tailed roller hang out. Keep your eyes open for Pel’s fishing owl or the sought-after Böhm’s and mottled spinetails from the Luvuvhu River bridge, crowned eagles in the sandstone gorges and the lemon-breasted canary at
Crook’s Corner, where SA, Zimbabwe and Mozambique converge. Don’t miss the Mahonie Loop, a 25km circular drive around Punda Maria camp, where a summer special is the pennant-winged nightjar.
Pafuri birding special: The rarely-seen thrush nightingale at the Pafuri picnic site. OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
Botswana’s unique Okavango Delta – one of the last true wilderness areas on earth – is a superb birding destination. One of the only inland deltas in the world, formed by the Okavango River which floods annually from the Angolan highlands into north-east Botswana, it creates a fanlike network of deep pools where crocs and hippos lurk, papyrus-fringed narrow channels, lagoons studded with water lilies, grassland, forest and small islands dominated by palms and ancient riverine trees. It not only
teems with game, but is home to 464 species of birds that include sought-after ticks such as the African skimmer, brown firefinch, swamp nightjar, southern ground hornbill and wattled crane. The slaty egret, a mega-tick, is near-endemic, with 85% of its population in the delta, and you’d be unlucky not
to spot one. There’s accommodation for all tastes and budgets, but be warned: Botswana’s ongoing eco- policy of high-cost, low-impact tourism makes it a pricey place, though worth every cent. If you’ve got a reliable 4x4 you can drive yourself, but have a spade on hand to dig yourself out of the mud. Savuti campsite in the Linyanti area has a protected ablution block with hot water and Moremi Game Reserve is a great destination for self-drive campers, with well-run, privatised campsites.
Okavango birding specials: Pel’s fishing owl, slaty egret and coppery-tailed coucal. • Turn to p58 to win some fabulous birding goodies!
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