Welcome to Batis Birding Safaris

Trip Report - Ethiopia March 2011 Click Here (pdf)

Trip Report - Uganda March 2011 Click Here (pdf)

Trip Report - Kenya April 2011 Click Here (pdf)

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Winter birding in northern Namibia with clients from New Zealand and Namibia:

23-28 July 2010

Route: Swakopmund to Waterberg and north via Grootfontein to Rundu and back via Okahandja to Swakopmund.

Comments:

Who said winter birding cannot be exciting? Although birds are less vocal and it is more difficult to get them to respond, as well as the absence of most migrants, winter lures many species of birds to water, campsites and rivers. We managed to locate almost 200 species in four days and were surprised to locate a Dusky Lark, Small Button Quail, Jacobin Cuckoo, Lesser Moorhen and Violet-backed Starling, which is very unusual for this time of the year in Namibia. Rufous-bellied Tit was once again very inconspicuous, but we all got a fleeting view of it, without playing any recordings of the birds’ call. Batis Birding would like to keep bird calls away from localized bird species to prevent them from becoming tape shy.

Mammals:

For the first time I finally got to see the bizarre Aardvark and the newly described Black Mongoose. Other species seen were; Warthog, Kudu, Steenbok, Tree Squirrel, Common Duiker, Steenbok, Giraffe, Red Hartebeest, Savanna Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Slender and Yellow Mongoose.

Reptiles:

Winter is not a good time for reptiles, but we did get a good view of another newly described species for Namibia, the Waterberg Sand Lizard. Other species seen were the colorful Namib Rock Agama and the pale form of the Mole Snake, the Puff Adder, Flap-neck Chameleon and Crocodile.

Birds: Target birds only: 196 species seen Click Here

I am on my way to Damaraland and Etosha for two weeks, departing Monday 5 July - 18 July 2010. Hope to see you next time on a safari in a land where natural wonders never cease to amaze.

Autumn birding in central Namibia with clients from U.K., U.S.A and Namibia:
23-10 March 2010

Route: Swakopmund to Walvisbay and surroundings, Uis & Brandberg, Spitzkoppe, the Namib Desert, Okahandja and surroundings, Windhoek, Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve.

Mammals:

The newly described and endemic Damara Ground Squirrel, and near endemic Round-Eared Sengi (formerly known as the Elephant Shrew), Hairy-footed and Setzer’s Hairy-footed Gerbils, Rock Dormouse, Dassie Rat, Brown Hyena, Silver Fox, Black-backed Jackal, Springbuck, Cape Hare, Oryx, also the Kaokoveld Hyrax (Dassie) considered a Namibian endemic species and Desert Elephant.

Reptiles:

Almost all endemic species.

Skinks:

Wedge-snouted, Hoesch’s and FitzSimon’s Burrowing Skink.

Sand Lizards:

Short-headed, Plain and Western.

Desert Lizard:

Small Scaled, Wedge Snouted and Shovel-snouted.

Geckos:

Namib, Bradfield’s, Barnard’s Day Geckos, Turner’s Gecko, Bradfield’s Dwarf Gecko Giant Ground Gecko and Banded Thick-toed Gecko.

Agama:

Anchieta’s Agama and Namib Rock Agama.

Griddled Lizard:

Jordan’s Griddled Lizard.

Snakes:

Side Winder(Peringuet’s) and Karoo Whip Snake.

Chameleon:

Namaqua

Birds: Target birds only: 232 species seen Click Here