Namibia, Botswana and Zambia - August 2026
Dates: August 12 - 27, 2026
Leader: Geoff Lockwood
E-bird
Total Species: 329 birds
Click Here to view list.
Overall Summary
We visited Ondudu Safari Lodge for the first time on this tour, and stops on the drive from the coast gave us several new birds for these tours.
The lodge is set amongst massive granitic whalebacks and boulders, and the birdlife was prolific. We had recorded all of our target species by the time we left this great addition to these tours!
The highlight of our stay at Okaukuejo Camp was the procession of game and birds coming to drink at the waterhole on the edge of camp. At night, we enjoyed the interactions between different Black Rhinoceroses, watching other game cautiously coming to drink. Both Brown and Spotted Hyaenas visited, but no cats this year! A group of forty-eight elephants arrived to drink, bathe, and play, and the other game waiting moved away.
A night walk around Halali gave us several Western Barn Owls, a Southern White-faced Owl, and a pair of Lesser Galagos. On a night drive at Namutoni, we had a female cheetah feeding on a kill with her cub. A Honey Badger approached, watched intently by the cheetahs! A Cape Fox was next, followed by a lioness, and just before camp, an African Porcupine appeared in the headlights. What an end to an incredible drive! The next morning, we headed for the Andoni Plains, finding herds of wildebeest and other game, including nine stately Blue Cranes heading for the water.
After a long travel day, our arrival at Nxamaseri was like stepping into a different world. We could hear the incredible voices of the camp staff, their beautiful, uniquely African harmonies welcoming us to our home for the next three nights. We fell asleep to the sounds of frogs, the snorting and splashing of hippos, and the “Good Lord deliver us” calls of a Fiery-necked Nightjar.
The birding was incredible, and best of all was a breathtaking sighting of a Pel’s Fishing-Owl that allowed our group to stand beneath it, in total awe of this spectacular bird.
Water levels at Xakanaxa were higher than I’ve seen in many years, and many areas were unreachable. We did have wonderful elephant encounters; saw four magnificent male lions dozing next to the road; and had great sightings of two different young leopards.
The early morning boat trip on the Zambezi River above the Falls produced two African Finfoots foraging along the shoreline of the island, a stunning Half-collared Kingfisher, and some African Skimmers. Our stop on an island for tea and snacks was abandoned when an elephant bull made his way towards “our” island. Only in Africa!
We had travelled from west to east through three countries—from the chilly Namibian coast to the amazing spectacle of Victoria Falls and one of Africa’s great rivers. We had shared some incredible experiences and unforgettable wildlife and bird sightings, and Africa’s dust was on our shoes! Our tour was done.
Day-by-Day Summary
August 12 - Afternoon walk through the town gardens, Swakopmund.
August 13 - Drive to Ondudu Safari Lodge, Omaruru via Spitzkoppe.
August 14 - Birding around the lodge (am); birding the dry Omaruru riparian zone in the conservancy area.
August 15 - Drive to Okaukeujo Camp, Etosha National Park.
August 16 - Drive to Okondeka, western edge of the Etosha Pan, returning via Leeubron (am); afternoon drive to Gemsbokvlakte.
August 17 - Okaukeujo to Halali via Gemsbokvlakte and Salvadora waterholes (am); drive to Goas waterhole (pm).
August 18 - Halali to Namutoni via Goas, Kalkheuwel and Koinachas waterholes (am); drive to Twee Palms, and guided night drive after dinner.
August 19 - Drive to King Nehale Gate via Klein- and Groot Okeivi and Tsumcor waterholes, Stinkwater and Andoni Plains (am); Namutoni waterholes (pm).
August 20 - Drive to Mokuti Lodge; flight to Bagani in the Caprivi Strip and drive through the Mahango section of the Babwata National Park to the Namibian border; transfer from the Botswana border to the drop-off for Nxamaseri Lodge; drive and boat trip to the lodge.
August 21 - Nxamaseri boat trips – main channel (am), and lagoon (pm).
August 22 - Nxamaseri boat trips – Main channel (am); Pel’s Fishing-Owl mokoro trip (pm).
August 23 - Flight to Xakanaxa, Moremi and drive to the lodge (am); sundowner drive to Paradise Pools.
August 24 - Morning game drive to Jessie’s Pools (am); sundowner drive to Paradise Pools.
August 25 - Flight to Kasane, and then on to Livingstone in Zambia (am); walk to the Victoria Falls from our hotel (pm).
August 26 - Early boat trip on the Zambezi (am); afternoon game drive in the Mosi oa Tunya National Park.
August 27 - Early morning walk to the Falls and flights home.
Wildlife Seen:
KEY:
Tr-Ond Travelling from the coast to Ondudu Safari Lodge via Spitzkoppe Ond Ondudu Lodge/Erongo Conservancy Tr-Oka ` Travelling from Ondudu to Okaukeujo Camp, Etosha via Omaruru and Korichas EtO Okaukeujo area, western Etosha EtH Halali area, central Etosha EtN Namutoni area, eastern Etosha M Mahango section, Babwata National Park Nx Nxamaseri Island Lodge Xa Xakanaxa Camp, Moremi L Livingstone, the Victoria Falls, Zambezi boat trip and Mosi oa Tunya National Park
MAMMALS:
Galagos Galagidae Lesser Galago (Bushbaby) Galago moholi EtH, Cheek-Pouch Monkeys Cercopithecidae Chacma Baboon Papio ursinus Ond, Xa Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus pygerythrus M, Nx, Xa, L Old World Fruit Bats Pteropodidae Peters' Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorus crypturus Nx, Hares & Rabbits Leporidae Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis EtN, Squirrels Sciuridae Damara (Mtn.) Ground Squirrel Geosciurus princeps Ond, South African Ground Squirrel Geosciurus inauris EtO, Smith's Bush (Tree) Squirrel Parexerus cepapi EtH, M, Nx, Xa, L Congo Rope (Striped Tree) Squirrel Funisciurus congicus Ond, Rats & Mice Muridae Four-striped Grass Mouse Rhabdomys pumilio Black-tailed Tree Rat Thallomys nigricauda EtO, Spring Hares Pedetidae Spring Hare Pedetes capensis EtN, Dassie Rat Petromuridae Dassie Rat Petromys typicus Ond, Old World Porcupines Hystricidae Cape Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis EtN, Cats Felidae Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus EtN, Leopard Panthera pardus Xa, Lion Panthera leo EtN, Xa Hyaenas Hyaenidae Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta EtO, Brown Hyaena Hyaena brunnea EtO, Dogs & Allies Canidae Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas EtO, EtH, EtN Cape (Silver) Fox Vulpes chama EtN, Mustelids Mustelidae Ratel (Honey Badger) Mellivora capensis EtN, Spot-necked Otter Lutra maculicollis Nx, Mongooses Herpestidae Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata EtO, EtN Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea EtH, EtN, Xa Black Mongoose Galerella nigrita Ond, Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula Xa, Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo EtO, EtN Genets & Civets Viverridae Common (Small Spotted) Genet Genetta genetta EtN, Hyraxes Procavidae Cape Rock Hyrax (Dassie) Procavia capensis Ond, Elephants Elephantidae African Elephant Loxodonta africana EtO, EtH, EtN, Xa, L Horses Equidae Common (Plains/Burchell's) Zebra Equus burchelli EtO, EtH, EtN, Xa, L Rhinoceroses Rhinoceridae Black (Hook-lipped) Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis EtO, EtH White (Square-lipped) Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum L Hippopotamuses Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius M, Nx, Xa, L Pigs Suidae Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus Tr-Oka, EtN, Xa, L Giraffes Giraffidae Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Ond, EtO, EtH, EtN, Xa, L Bovids & Horned Ungulates Bovidae Brindled Gnu (Blue Wildebeest) Connochaetes taurinus EtO, EtH, EtN African (Cape) Buffalo Syncerus caffer M Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus Xa, L Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros EtO, EtH, EtN Eland Taurotragus oryx EtO, EtN Bush (Common/Gray) Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia EtN, Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis Ond, EtO, EtH, EtN Damara Dikdik Madoqua damarensis EtN, Steenbok Raphicerus campestris EtO, EtN Southern (Common) Reedbuck Redunca arundinum M, Xa Impala Aepyceros melampus Tr-Oka, M, Xa, L (Black-faced Impala) A. melampus petersi EtO, EtH, EtN Roan Antelope Hippotragus equinus M, Southern Oryx (Gemsbok) Oryx gazella EtO, EtN Kongoni (Red Hartebeest) Alcelaphus buselaphus EtO, EtH, EtN
52 Species plus 1 sub-species
REPTILES:
Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus semivariegatus EtN, Xa Namib Rock Agama Agama planiceps Ond, Ground Agama Agama aculeata Tr-Oka, Namaqua Chameleon