Category: Zambia

Lusaka, 19 May 2011 Little did I expect that after returning to work from my Shoebill trip that I’d be back on the road within 3 days heading even further north to do some field assessments, both north-west of the Bangweulu swamps and north of Mutinondo. To do this means that I have completed road …

Lusaka, 10 May 2011 A new day dawns. After a Shoebill can the rest of the trip match up? At the ZAWA offices on the way out we disturbed a herd of Black Lechwe that ran off, giving me the opportunity for an action shot. Overhead was a mass of wheeling raptors, Martial Eagle, Black-breasted …

Lusaka, 10 May 2011 Would I see a Shoebill? My whole trip was planned with this as the crowning moment, so it was with some trepidation that I set out in the boat after breakfast, me, Webby the bird guide, and Paul and Emmanuel the boatmen. You just can’t miss the very common Blue-breasted Bee-Eater …

Lusaka, 10 May 2011 About 75km due north from Kasanka lies Shoebill Island on the fringes of the vast Bangweulu Swamps. However, the road trip is some 145km and over 5 hours (yes, the road if it can be called that, is in places interesting!). Shoebill Camp is also run by the Kasanka Trust, so …

Lusaka, 10 May 2011 Based currently in Lusaka in Zambia, I took a week’s leave and headed north for a 7-day birding trip, very ably organised for me by Thorn Tree Safaris. They supplied a vehicle, driver and assistant to take me to three specific destinations – Kasanka National Park, Shoebill Island and the Mutinondo …

Lusaka, 04 Apr 2011 From my work base in Lusaka I decided to make use of two consecutive Sundays to take day trips to two of the three national parks closest to the capital, Blue Lagoon and Lochinvar. These are situated on opposites of the Kafue River, Blue Lagoon to the north and Lochinvar to …

Lusaka, 14 Feb 2011 Work now has me travelling for extended periods to Zambia again, where I am based in the capital, Lusaka. My colleagues and I decided to make use of a free weekend to visit the Victoria Falls. It was my 6th visit to the Falls but none of my colleagues had been …

Atlasville, 10 Jul 2010 Following the success of our trip to northern Botswana over the New Year period 2008-09, we decided that another such ‘safari’, the exact opposite of our usual Kruger Park self-drive, self-catered, ‘find the animals yourself’ holiday was definitely in order.    With more work on the horizon it seemed an opportune …

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, 28 Jul 2008   Just back this evening from Zambia, where I again stayed in the same first-floor room of a guesthouse in Kitwe, overlooking the garden. So just after sunrise and just before sunset I am able to watch the avian visitors to the garden at close quarters. Commonest resident, seen every day …