Namibia and Botswana again.

Try as we might, searching as we did many, many suitable nooks and crannies of the Zambesi and Okavango Rivers plus many ponds and ditches in Namibia, we failed to find any new species for the WQ list. Returning then to Botswana we stayed at a camp called Drotsky's. From here we had two boat trips. The first of these in the morning was successful in that it produced a new bird for WQ, African Snipe. It didn't co-operate very much for photography purposes, but it did give a spectacular fly-by display flight for the WQ team in the boat.

African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis

African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis

In the afternoon we had a second river trip, the boatman on both occasions was called Salvation and he certainly lived up to is name by finding us, through much persistence, our next bird, the very elusive and rare Lesser Jacana!

Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis

Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis

Stopping for another overnight in Botswana at the Thakudu Safari Camp where the owner Chris took Elis and I for a night walk through the bush to look for Spotted Thick-knee. We found just one, but that was all we needed and Elis somehow managed to get this shot without flash!

Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis

We returned to Johannesburg and had a trip south with Sue Oertli to look for Double-banded Courser. We met a gentleman by the name of Dup du Plessis who has been protecting and monitoring this species voluntarily in his local area for years. Sadly the population seems to be down to one pair and their chick. We were successful and also got good views of Spotted Thick-knee in daylight.

Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus

Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis