Namibia - There and Back

[Flutterby]

This is gonna be good!!!

You are doing a Big Year then? Good luck...hope you find lots of birdies.

[harrys]

I'm on board I'd like to know what Namibia is like so I will read very carefully

[Michele Nel]

Thx to those that have jumped aboard and are enjoying the ride..thx for your comments....:)

[Michele Nel]

Day 3
23 May

Believe it or not I was up bright and early..even before the sun. I had realised that if I was going to capture as many birds as possible I had to beat them at their own game of rising early. So I rose extra early did my share of the packing up chores so that when the sun rose I was ready for those birds. SO tends to get up early for no reason..he is funny that way.
So Sunrise found me walking around camp with my 400mm attached to my camera – not the lens I should be taking sunrise pics with but sometimes a girl just has to do what she can do…



Unfortunately for me the birds were actually quite scarce ..I had seen plenty more on our previous trips…oh well !
Soon it was time to hit the road.

Camp rating – Well run camp, good ablutions and not too far from the border. One can actually drive there in a day from Cape Town.

Amanzi Trails

Our destination - Klein Aus Vista, Aus
Our intended route – D256 to Aussenkehr, D212 (along the Orange River and through Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park) to Rosh Pinah – C13 to Aus.
ETA – we never had one…as long as we got there in time to go and see the Wild Horses.

We hit the road and took a slow cruise…



The above photo is taken through the windscreen. Besides seeing many bird photos on this TT you are also going to see many photos taken through the windscreen. If we had to stop for every awesome scene we would just never get to our destination.





Driving along the Orange River was good to me birding wise…

#198. Black Stork



#199 – Greater Kestrel (there were many many Kestrels around.)



A quick stop to stretch the legs..this is when I hope to get all those insignificant LBJ’s …somehow or other I never do…never any birds around.



We had stopped right where the Fish River joins the Orange River....but as you can see not much water in the Fish River.

Further along we came across a troop of Vervet Monkeys



Before long we reached the junction….I had enjoyed the stretch along the river but had not travelled the next bit of road so I was looking forward to that.



We filled up at Rosh Pinah….nothing more than a Mining Town and without much ado headed for Aus.

[General Gump]

Cool , love reading about visits to places I have not been yet !
Not often you see a Gelandewagen going camping too.
Get posting I will go get a cup of coffee in the meantime.

[Michele Nel]

Cool , love reading about visits to places I have not been yet !
Not often you see a Gelandewagen going camping too.
Get posting I will go get a cup of coffee in the meantime.

Yes Sir !!!!!

[Michele Nel]

We arrived at our destination, Klein Aus Vista just before 14h00



We had plenty of time to have lunch and a little relax before heading off to see the Wild Horses.

Campsite # 10

A walk to the ablutions gave me another bird ( yes I do take my camera everywhere with me) -O

#200 Mountain Wheatear



The Sociable Weavers kept me entertained as well



After our hunger pangs had been satisfied we headed off to Garub. Garub is a watering hole about 20km’s from Aus along the B4 to Luderitz. We saw many wild horse coming to drink…but the action I was hoping for did not happen. Still an awesome experience though.















I was also happy to add bird #201 to my list – Tractrac Chat



The horses left just before sunset and a lone gemsbok put in an appearance. We had noticed ostriches ,jackals and springbok in the distance as well.



A glorious sunset to end another perfect day in Namibia.

[General Gump]

Looks like a country I need to visit. Thanks for posting Michele

[Michele Nel]

I have plenty more to show you General Gump..this is just the beginning...:)

[Pumbaa]

Thanks so much for sharing, Michele,

also one country I still need to visit

Thanks for giving me already an Impression - As always great bird pictures and great that you got to see the wild horses