Bokmakierie

There are still some Eden’s left
By Louise Barlow
There is nothing better than cruising
down the river on a sunny afternoon
with an abundance of nature and wildlife
flourishing to the left and right, animals
roaming around freely and a cool breeze
blowing in your hair.
This we found on both the Zambezi and
Chobe rivers recently. Our cruise on the
Zambezi was thrilling, with many African
Darters sunning their wings, many
egrets and African Skimmers noted for
their freshly painted pretty red beaks.
Also, Egyptian Geese, Reed Cormorants,
Water Thick-knee, Helmeted Guineafowl,
Goliath Heron, African Jacana and African
Sacred Ibis all feeding peacefully on
the islands and along the river bank, Of
course the overseas guests were excited
to see crocs lazing on the banks and the
hippos bobbing up and down in unexpected
places, one opened its mouth as
wide as possible. It was from the balcony
of the amazing Kingdom Hotel that I
had my first sighting (ever) of the fabulous
Trumpeter Hornbill in a faraway tree,
making terrible noises. This hotel has a
small natural stream flowing through it
where a Pied Kingfisher found great joy
diving again and again for small fish and
an African Pied Wagtail bobbing around
on the rocks, the Red-winged Starlings
were acting up all over the place as
usual. Wild animals and even some deer
come up to fences.
The Chobe River was just as magical,
more African Darters, Spur-winged
Geese, a Bateleur on a distant tree, Grey
Herons, Long-toed Lapwing, pratincoles,
African Spoonbills, Yellow-billed
Stork, White-crowned Lapwing, African
Wattled Lapwing, Common Sandpipers,
it wouldn’t be Africa without the African
Fish Eagle giving forth its plaintive cry,
Grey-headed Gulls, Squacco Heron,
Black-crowned Night-Heron, more
African Skimmers, White-faced Ducks
and African Openbill Storks. There were
many elephants, buffalo, the giraffe were
further away and the rhinos had been
spirited away for safe-keeping. I just
loved that the Baobab trees had planted
themselves in the strangest places all
over the country.
At Nata Lodge, in a lovely little-wooded
area, a couple of the Arrow-marked
Babblers fussed about and a wonderful
Coppery-tailed Coucal whose call first
caught my attention early one morning,
many Grey Go-away birds, African Redeyed
Bulbuls and Southern Yellow-billed
Hornbills. Driving across the vast Makgadikgadi
salt pans, we saw about twenty
to thirty Lesser and Greater Flamingos,
Blacksmith Lapwing, Pied Avocet, Blackwinged
Stilt, Red-billed Teal, Southern
Pied Babblers and Egyptian Geese.
When we arrived at the lake, which
spanned 6 x 32 km, there was a Great
White Pelican in the far corner and a
Goliath Heron flying across the sky into a
magnificent sunset. Almost everywhere
we saw Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills
and Lilac-breasted Rollers perched on
tips of the trees along the road.
On a morning at the Chobe Bush Lodge,
I was lazing on a deck chair on the banks
28 | Bokmakierie December 2016 No 247