The Journey (Monday 30th –Tuesday 1st October)

At approximately 13.00 on the 30th September, Jason Nichols arrived to collect me and take me to Stanstead Airport, for the first part of a long awaited (over a year) trip to South Luangwa, Zambia, arranged by Anna Needham at Audley Travel.

We arrived in plenty of time and after checking in the hold baggage we sat outside watching Pied Wagtails coming into roost, whilst staff scraped chewing gum off the pavement!

Soon it was time to go through security and it was then we parted company and eventually I bordered the Emirates flight to Dubai, which left on time at 21.10.

After a flight lasting around 7 hours we touched down in Dubai at 7.10 where I had assistance (and good job too!) for the next leg to Lusaka, Zambia. The ‘buggy ride’ was interesting as when I suggested this was like driving in Mumbai the driver said that was where he was from! Over qualified I thought, even for Dubai Airport and said as much.

Another couple of hours elapsed as I waited to board the flight to Lusaka, which after more security checks the aircraft left at 21.25 and another approximately 7 hour flight to Lusaka, which finally arrived after a failed landing due to an Ethiopian plane being on the runway (information courtesy of Jason via his app after arriving home) we landed at Lusaka at 14.35 now 1st October.

A scrutiny to why I was here then ensued at check-in before my passport was stamped!

Emirates had managed to lose my hold luggage and other people’s too and there was no assistance in the airport; as I found out later they weren’t allowed in!  There was nothing for it but to leave without the luggage as the flight to Mfuwe was boarding, but once outside I spoke finally to my assistance and they made calls and put down a plan to recover my luggage and have it delivered to Nkwali Camp.

Needless to say, the 2 hour wait for the flight to Mfuwe was not noticed as I tried to spot my luggage on the conveyer, but the luggage never materialised.

I quickly walked with my assistance to the departure gate seeing my first African bird on the way; an African Pied Wagtail.

After more security checks the Proflight flight to Mfuwe took place and I helped a lady with her luggage board the plane, as she had a small child with her. I found out that this was Emma Kennedy who was on her way to work for Zambia Carnivore Programme, which she was very excited about.

After a very hot flight we landed about 17.45 and I gave Emma a business card, in the hope she would let me know how her job was going (there was an email waiting for me from Emma when I arrived back), after which I met my driver Mark (from Robin Pope Safaris-the safari company the tour had been booked with) who took me part of the way to Nkwali before I changed vehicles and went with Charles another driver, seeing a White-tailed Mongoose just before Nkwali.

Arrival at Nkwali and a very rare Owl before dinner

Finally I arrived at my home for the next few days (Robin Pope's Nkwali Camp), which began at the bar where I met more really nice Zambians, including Kanga. They offered me a drink and although very fatigued my mood lifted and I accepted a beer, appropriately I chose Wild Dog!

After another beer, Kiki the camp manager arrived to greet me and then he showed me to my chalet. The place was great, near the river and although there was a metal grill now over the chalet’s entrance (to stop animal intrusion!) with a curtain behind this I could see the potential for some great sightings and sounds from my new abode.

As I left the chalet I was taken to the dining area with the pond behind it. Here (on my first night) was a Pel’s Fishing Owl a very rare Owl and a species sought after by the birding/twitcher brigade-fantastic!

Dinner was announced with a drum solo and I sat down to a nice meal with the other guests; some more annoying than others, but still keeping an eye on the owl, which no one else seemed interested in! This lack of interest from all of the other guests in presumably what they had come to see; African wildlife continued throughout the trip!

With Kiki assuring me he would get my missing luggage back, I retired for the night, but despite the very long journey affecting my ME/CFS I could not sleep as far too interested in the calls and noises I heard outside! 

Wednesday 2nd October

Nkwali Camp and Luangwa River

Finally, after getting some, sleep after listening to various calls including Frogs, Cicadas, Hippos, Egyptian Geese, a Lion roaring, a curious descending call (which I later learnt was a juvenile Pel’s Fishing Owl calling for food) and a Hippo munching grass just outside I got myself ready and headed bar-wards for breakfast.

After seeing several endearing Vervet Monkeys carrying young in the grounds of the camp, I was still in time to get a cup of tea. I had asked not to be given a wake-up call to go on the morning safari as I knew I needed to rest. However, the view over the Luangwa River from the bar was great and my binoculars and camera were soon put to good use.

Crocodiles and Hippopotamus could be seen and both Puko and Waterbuck were made out on the far side of the riverbank and some really good birds beginning with the very attractively-coloured Saddle-billed Stork. 2 Great White Egrets, Common and Wood Sandpipers, Greenshank, Egyptian Geese, Collared Pratincoles, Wattled Lapwings, Southern Carmine Bee-eaters, African Sacred and Hadada (pronounced Ha-de dah) Ibis (the former quite close), Swallow and Martin species, a flock of 15+ Meve’s Starlings flew over into the trees, several Ruff, a Striated Heron flew past and a Trumpeter Hornbill flew over the river, before spotting a bird I really wanted to see a Southern Ground Hornbill on the far bank! In fact there were 2 adults of this now rare hornbill in Africa. A good species to find was a White-fronted Plover, which was photographed albeit at distance as was a Swift species possibly an African Palm Swift and a Hirundine species most probably a Red-throated Crag Martin.

The 'Pond' near the dining area

A look at the ‘pond’ next to the evening dining area found another bird I always wanted to see, since boyhood; an African Jacana or Lily-trotter. 

Also here were at least 2 species of Dragonflies and Terrapins. Mike Linley tells me that the Terrapins are Serrated-hinged Terrapin Pelusius sp. probably P. sinuatus but as usual (going back to a Terrapin, Mike identified for me in Kenya) you need to see the underside! Also very noticeable were what Mike tells me are subgular tentacles-two white profusions under neck.

The two Dragonflies appear to be a Lucia Widow Palpopleura lucia with its cloaked look and possibly a Red Basker Urothemis assignata with its bright red appearance, which looks like a Crocothemis species. Unfortunately at present I have very little information on African Odonata.

Vast numbers of Ant Lion hole-traps were right beside the dining areas staging in the sand and in the far bushes were Dark-capped Bulbuls (aka Dark-eyed) feeding on ripened black berries.

A Yellow Baboon appeared to my right and was picking up and eating flowers (possibly from a Sausage Tree), which made for some nice photography and it felt good to have the company of this primate with both of us quite comfortably sharing the space.

River Luangwa take-2 and outside the chalet photo opportunities

Back to the bar area for some more river-watching and I was not disappointed.

An African Sacred Ibis flew in again and the first Yellow-billed Kite flew over the river followed by an African Fish Eagle-brilliant!

I returned to my chalet briefly to check for would be Yellow Baboon intrusion but thankfully there was none and photographed two Butterfly species just outside the chalet: An orange-based species, ovipositing on a tree species, possibly a Common Leopard Phalanta phalantha and a Brown Pansy Junonia natalica seemingly ovipositing on fallen leaves.

After lunch at 11.30 with the dining experience announced by a drum solo, I headed back to the river; there was now a few Impala on the far bank as were 3 Waterbuck. A Hadada Ibis flew past quite close and was duly photographed as were some more Dark-eyed Bulbuls, again feeding on berries in the riverside shrubs.

Yellow Baboons were now everywhere in camp and there was some very young ones with their mothers.

Back at the chalet, a Bushbuck came just outside the bathroom and then in front of the chalet and an interesting Carpenter Bee sp. (after email exchange with Dr. Nick Owens) was seen and photographed as was a pair of Dragonflies in wheel on a tree branch; both species so far unidentified.

Return of the missing luggage and an afternoon/evening safari

Finally, my missing luggage was returned to my door by a kind member of staff (thank goodness as most of my electrical items required a USB adapter, which was in my hold luggage) and I could now give Kiki the unopened new toothbrush, toothpaste and phone lead-charger he had kindly given me, with the latter lent.

Another look at the river prior to going on the evening safari saw two Hippos moving back down to the river on the far side.

After a cup of tea, just before 16.00 we walked through the camp and down to the waiting boat via some steps set in the riverbank; a somewhat dubious descent!

We set off across the river, passed a Hippo pod and the occasional Crocodile before the boat was set into the sandbags on the other side and we walked across a path of sandbags to the bank seeing Banded Groundlings Brachythemis leucosticta on the way. The trucks were already on the other side and we boarded one of the vehicles with Kangachepe- Kanga for short (who I met the first night) as our driver and guide and it soon became apparent that he was very knowledgeable! We were given a bottle of water and we set off.

Puko were a short distance away and as we drove through the bush we passed Yellow Baboons, Vervet Monkeys and Impala before finding a Hippo out of the water. A Little Bee-eater was seen and duly photographed. I had seen this species in Kenya in 1999 but was very pleased to see and photograph it again. This time without getting 2 Ticks attached to me just above my eye!

Warthogs were then encountered, as were White-fronted Bee-eaters and an open area held more Warthogs and Impala. We then saw my first ever Kudo with ‘riding’ Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, then Helmeted Guineafowl and my first Baobab Tree.

More Impala were seen and they had Red-billed Oxpeckers on board and then Meve’s Starling, which I had seen earlier in the day as it happened but was not completely sure of their identity but Kanga, knew! Blue Waxbills (a beautiful little finch), Little Bee-eater again and a Red-necked Spurfowl were come across followed by Southern Red-billed Hornbill, more Puko and our first African Elephants but I couldn’t get any photos of them as they were screened by the bush; yes Elephants despite their size can disappear in the bush, as witnessed in Turkana, Kenya 1999!

An African Fish Eagle, a Ring-necked Dove were seen as we stopped for a Sundowner, a Wild Dog pale ale in my case and snacks! Whilst here, there were Hippos in the river, whilst Southern Carmine Bee-eaters flew around in the now fading light. A Hadada Ibis was seen and my first ever views of African Skimmer, a bird I had always wanted to see albeit in the gloom.  Distant views in the gloom of Crawshay’s Zebra were had before the spotlight came out and we searched the area for more nocturnal species.

The spotlight comes out, back to Nkwali Camp and guests in the chalet!

We didn’t find too much to start with but then Kanga stopped and the spotlight went on a Square-tailed Nightjar, identified by Kanga our very knowledgeable guide. Then we came across a mammal I was hoping to see; a Scrub Hare! Both the nocturnal species were photographed by setting the camera’s ISO up and using the spotlight as an artificial source of light; this seemed to work pretty well as it turned out.

Back at the edge of the river we boarded the waiting boat via coordinated torch light and a clear view of the stars. We passed the Hippo pod again, which apparently stayed in that particular area due to deeper water and the boat touched the sandbags. We ascended the ‘steps’ and already there was someone with a torch to lead us back through the camp, to another member of staff with a latticed small board with damp flannels on to wipe the dust away.

After freshening-up the drum sounded again and it was time for dinner. A nice meal was provided before heading back to the chalet with assistance; a man with a torch. As I was to discover, there were staff on duty all night and you couldn’t leave your chalet (and I tried!) without encountering a guide with a torch.

Two large Spiders not too dissimilar to the House Spiders in the UK were found in the chalet (one inside the Mosquito net around the bed) as was a Gecko in the bathroom, which I found out on my return, was a Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabiuia. As usual, the reptile was identified by Mike Linley. Also, an approximately 3 inch Centipede ran over my foot! I must admit I was very careful with the Centipede as I know some species are poisonous and rightly so as Mike Linley (who used to keep these!) told me it was a Scolopendra Centipede, which could give you a nasty bite and possibly make you quite ill!

However, all three ‘guests’ were photographed before settling down for the night; well kind of, as still listening to the sounds of the bush!

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