Bird of the week – Week 36 : Black-shouldered kite
Drive down almost any country road in Southern Africa and you are bound to see a small grey and white raptor sitting in a slightly hunched position and looking somewhat gull-like, on a roadside...
Namibia’s Largest Endemic Carnivore
On several visits to the Erongo Mountains of Western Namibia we have been fortunate enough to catch a few glimpses of black mongooses, usually as they streak across the road in front of the...
The Ghost Town of Kolmanskop
The history of the village of Kolmaskop in Southern Namibia is typical of the boom-and-bust history of many mining towns around the world; towns founded on the presence of exotic minerals that are collected...
Bird of the week – Week 35 : Abdim’s stork
Let’s be honest. The Abdim’s stork is not a beautiful bird. Not as immediately repulsive as the Marabou stork, perhaps, but still not a beautiful bird. It is quite graceful in flight, but on...
The Gemsbok – courageous, elegant and proud
Namibian’s think so highly of the gemsbok, or Oryx gazella that their national coat of arms depicts two of these magnificent animals on either side of a shield covered with the national flag –...
Bird of the week – Week 34 : Rosy-faced lovebird
I think that many people will agree that the Rosy-faced lovebird is one of the most beautiful birds to be found in Namibia. Unfortunately, as with many small birds, their beauty has resulted in...
Weekend at Hobatere
Rob and I were full of happy anticipation when we drove up to the Reception area of the campsite at Hobatere Lodge, on the western side of Etosha. We’d heard that the place was...
Bird of the week – Week 33 : Laughing dove
The first bird that I photographed when I got a new camera was a Laughing dove. This is not unusual as the Laughing dove is extremely common and this particular specimen was visiting a...
Walvis Bay – A Ramsar Birding Site
Walvis Bay is a rather shabby, depressing-looking harbour city about thirty kilometers from Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia. On entering the city from either side, one is greeted by waving palm trees,...
Bird of the week – Week 32: Blue-cheeked bee-eater
It was a rather strange sight to see. A group of Blue-cheeked bee-eaters sitting on a very sandy stretch of road in northern Namibia, and scratching in the sand so like puppies. They didn’t...
Quiet Reflections
Earth consciousness has been practised by indigenous people for many centuries, often through meditation and reflection on their simple lives and surroundings. Their attunement to nature is borne out by quotes and sayings of...
Bird of the week – Week 31 : Marico sunbird
The first indication that you are in the presence of a Marico sunbird is often the fairly harsh “chip-chip” or “tjik-tjik,-tjik” as the pair of birds maintain contact with each other. They also have...
Omandumba – touching the silence
Geologists would tell you that the Erongo Mountains are rich with minerals and gemstones like aquamarine, schorl, jeremejevite, quartz, fluorite and garnets (amongst others), but I have news for you, these mesmerizing mountains are...
Bird of the week – Week 30 : African hawk-eagle
We returned to our townhouse in Windhoek one Sunday morning and noticed two African hawk-eagles perched on a cliff that overlooks the dry riverbed nearby. We were quite lucky to see them, for in...
Quiver me timbers!
Okay! I know that I’ve got the expression wrong and that it should be the famous phrase “Shiver me timbers” as exclaimed by Long John Silver, the pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Treasure...
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