birds (and other wildlife)thatit’shardto avoid
using the cliché ‘birder’sparadise’.Slaty
Egrets (6), Rufous-belliedHerons,Long-
toed Lapwings, Coppery-tailedCoucals(4),
Dickinson’s Kestrels(9),Red-neckedFalcons,
Hartlaub’s Babblers(3),SwampNightjars,
Arnot’s Chats, GreaterSwampWarblers,
Luapula Cisticolas,Meves’sStarlings,Rosy-
throated LongclawsandBrownFirefinches
are among the iconicbirdspecies.
But birding intheOkavangois notjust
about checklistingspecies,it’saboutwitnessing
gatherings and eventsin pristinehabitats.
Groups of up to 30WattledCranes(8)foragekicking up a racket and we see why. Staring
down at us with its inky eyes, is a huge Pel’s
Fishing Owl, perhaps the most awe-inspiring
African bird.
My quest fulfilled, we head back to camp
for breakfast. In the delta at the moment, the
water is half a metre deep but, in a few months,
the Okavango floodwaters will have receded
and there will be zebra and buffalo grazing
where otters are now pursuing tilapia. The
liquid call of Swamp Boubous (7) fills the
crisp air, as our grub arrives at the table.
The seasonal wetland of the Okavango
Delta offers a number of habitats for so many
CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Mokoro polers leave Jacana Camp in searchoftheelusivePel’sFishingOwl.●A groupofWattled Cranes strides across the
floodplain in search of frogs and snails. ● Exploring the Okavango at waterlevelina mokorois a sublimeexperience.●Thesnow-white wings of the Squacco
Heron are revealed only in flight. ● Jacana Camp guide Tshenolo MahongohasanintimateknowledgeofthePel’sFishingOwl.● The tapestry of Okavango islands,
lagoons and channels is best appreciated from the air.
075OKAVANGO DELTA BIRDING HOTSPOT