Category Archives: Birding_trips

Maryland Wrap-up

As we watch snow squalls move through our backyard, it is nice to think back to earlier this week when I was birding in Maryland in temperatures in the 70’s.  I took a look at the eBird data from my outings and realized that I logged 49 species — without really doing a lot of driving.  Here’s the report:

Screen Shot 2013-04-14 at 2.50.49 PM

It is interesting to note that the last bird I logged in Maryland, a Dark-eyed Junco, is a species that is over-running Vermont this week.  As I look outside right now, I can see about 20 DEJU’s feeding on the deck and the lawn. Birders across Vermont have been reporting large gatherings of these northern birds that should be heading out any day.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this is likely the last time I’ll bird Anne Arundel County.  I’ve met some neat people there and gotten a few life birds: Yellow-breasted Chat and Blue Grosbeak among the highlights.  It’s a great place to bird — I’m glad to have had the opportunity to experience it.  Good birding, y’all.

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Alaskan Birding Trip – Epilogue

It has been almost 24 years since the journey yet as I write this it seems like only yesterday. All that I remembered comes rushing back like the fast moving glacial streams. The experience we all shared together will always be with us and in our memories.

I can still see all that I told you about: such vivid pictures that no camera could ever capture. There are no words that can adequately describe the Alaska I saw. It is a land of gross hyperbole.  A land of adjectives and metaphors and still not enough to paint the picture. When I close my eyes and relive what I have seen and felt it is only then that I can in some small way understand this land.

On a day in Denali we climbed a ridge near the Savage River. Higher and higher we climbed and the wind became stronger, Finally near the top I stood alone high on this ravine catching the full force of nature’s breath. With arms outstretched and eyes closed tightly I wished, oh how I wished I could fly. To soar with eagles and ride the thermals, to sail in the wind. To be free!

"With arms outstretched and eyes closed tightly I wished, oh how I wished I could fly. To soar with eagles and ride the thermals, to sail in the wind. To be free! " photo of hiker by Paxson Woelber

“With arms outstretched and eyes closed tightly I wished, oh how I wished I could fly. To soar with eagles and ride the thermals, to sail in the wind. To be free! ” photo of hiker by Paxson Woelber

I remember standing on the cliffs on St. Paul. It wasn’t simply about the birds flying, the seals bellowing, and the foxes scampering over the land. The pyramid of life was there. From the oceans where it began to the cliff top where in us life has evolved to its highest end. In this intricate web of life we are all equals. We are not only related but need and depend on one another in order to sustain life itself. Let us never forget this bond.

As in all my trips I view my trip to Alaska as a privilege. A special privilege that makes me appreciate what has been given to me. The gift of seeing life as Mother Nature intended it to be. The beauty of the land and its flora and fauna; the daily struggle of life and death; and finally the birth of those that will offer the same view to others for eons to come.

We are not only guests to nature’s theater, we have roles in all of the plays and all the acts. But remember we are only co-stars on this the stage of life. We must make sure the curtain never closes on this show. The Greatest Show on Earth.

You only make the journey once so do everything you can to make sure your journey is rewarding not only for you but those that you will meet on your journey. Live the journey now , for every doorway that opens is a destination to a new journey.

Never the end just the beginning.

Gerry Cooperman

Alaskan Birding Trip – Anchorage and Denali

We landed in Anchorage and guess what – no cars. Maybe because we didn’t create a fuss because we had come to expect these incidents and as if by magic four cars suddenly were available. We make it to Motel 6, have a well deserved dinner and  get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow it’s on the road to Denali.

North on Rte. 1 to Rte. 3 the four Subaru wagons head out on our final adventure. And we are on paved roads at last. Once outside the city limits the scenery changes rapidly. From an urban setting to wilderness is rapid indeed and I hope that urban sprawl has not overtaken this land in the last 24 years.

Denali (Mt. McKinley) means big one – an apt description. Rising 20,300 feet into the clouds it is the highest point in North America and stands guard over its domain. We were fortunate in our stay to have sunny skies so Denali was utterly breathtaking.

We stop at a shimmering lake as two Trumpeter Swans provide a genteel and serene moment. Cruising back and forth they swim as one; a study of beauty and grace. Like two dancers performing nature’s ballet. This picture is securely tucked away in my memory of the Alaskan experience.

Two Trumpeter Swans provided us an unforgettable ballet memory.  photo by YellowstoneNPS

Two Trumpeter Swans provided us an unforgettable ballet memory. photo by YellowstoneNPS

Up the Parks Highway with Hawk Owl as our first objective. We weren’t successful but did find many “Evergreen Hawk Owls” , a hitherto unreported species, more then I care to remember. Eventually we found the real species and boy did we work for it.

We got to the park, purchased our tickets for tomorrow and took a ride out to Savage River. This is as far as you can go by car and gave us a glimpse of tomorrow. We had a herd of Dall Sheep come down to welcome us to their park.  We had two objectives for tomorrow and mapped out our strategy. We would be on school buses into the park and solicited good information regarding our targets. The point we would meet at was Marmot Rock taking the shuttle bus in two sections. We had a 6:30 AM bus to catch at the headquarters. Not a problem if someone else had been driving because I took my dumb decision-making pill that morning.

We left the motel with time to spare and as car four I was the last in line. On the way, our car and nobody else’s was stopped for the movement of construction equipment. As the minutes ticked away my common sense was disappearing as well and finally I could go. Off I went with a determination that blocked out intelligence as I sped right by the headquarters road. My passengers tactfully mentioned that we seemed to be driving longer than the practice run yesterday. No problem I said and then saw a mile marker that told me I missed the road. In the finest Boston tradition a U-turn on the highway was executed and I sped back. I pulled in an let my passengers off, parked the car and enjoyed the 200 yard dash with scope and backpack. We made it.

We were at Marmot Rock and began to spread out looking for our target. One of the group spotted a Gyrfalcon perched on a rock pinnacle. Then we discovered two , no three more. A family of Gyrs. Our excitement level was high. Then we found the Northern Wheatear foraging on the rocky hillside. That was the end of the birds so our attention switched to mammals. Moose, grizzly bear,and Dall sheep all had young they were tending to. Tomorrow’s stars of this wondrous place. Caribou, porcupines, marmots, and red foxes added to the menagerie. I especially enjoyed the fox as he nonchalantly strolled alongside the bus. A striking white-tipped tail on an otherwise rusty coloration. Then suddenly he pounced on something alongside the road. The kill was made and so continued the rhythm of life and death in Mother Nature’s realm.

The following day four of us decided to relocate the Gyrfalcon family. We found them quickly and scoped them for some time as they played. Soaring effortlessly then wheeling and turning knifing through the air with power and grace. Then play time was over and the young ones perched on a rock while the female began her hunt passing low over the terrain. The juveniles were watched over by the male and then they decide it was time to leave and off they went. Time to move on and get on a bus. We started walking and talking about our good fortune and little did we know the real excitement was about to begin.

As we were walking up the road we noticed the male high and off to our right. He suddenly banked and was in front headed our way. He then languidly flew over us inspecting these intruders on his land inspecting the trespassers and up he went behind a ridge. As he flew higher we then noticed the female had joined him. Then it happened. From out of nowhere a Golden Eagle was flying between the ridges. The two Gyrs rose as one and the male peeled off and headed for the eagle. With talons balled into a fist he hit the eagle like a lightning bolt. The eagle rolled right and in a split second the female now dove at the eagle’s head. Then a second eagle appeared and all they were trying to do now was escape. Flying as fast as their wings would allow.

Safe from intruders the Gyrs rose together as one. Masters of the sky, protectors of their domain. As a parting goodbye the female peeled off and repeated the male’s action by slowly flying over us not 10 feet above our heads. We had become accepted intruders this day in Polychrome Pass. Collectively we let out one gasp of breathless exhilaration. We had witnessed something that very few ever get to see. How fortunate we were indeed. This was our last day in Denali and what a day it was.

The Northern Three Toed Woodpecker breeds in North America, from northern Alaska, across Canada's boreal regions, through northern Saskatchewan, to north-central Labrador and Newfoundland. In Eurasia, south of tree line in Scandinavia and Siberia. Prefers coniferous forest and burntlands; less frequently mixed forest. Cavity nests generally placed in dead tree, usually conifer or aspen; sometimes nests in utility poles. photo by Superior National Forest
The Northern Three Toed Woodpecker breeds in North America, from northern Alaska, across Canada’s boreal regions, through northern Saskatchewan, to north-central Labrador and Newfoundland. In Eurasia, south of tree line in Scandinavia and Siberia. Prefers coniferous forest and burntlands; less frequently mixed forest. Cavity nests generally placed in dead tree, usually conifer or aspen; sometimes nests in utility poles. photo by Superior National Forest

The next day was overcast and with intermittent showers. We stopped at Carlo Creek birding in the mist and after an hour found our quarry: a Northern-three-toed Woodpecker, the quiet tapping denizen of the spruce woods. Seeing this bird made the day shine like the yellow crown that adorned his head. And on this note, our intrepid band of birders ended their Alaskan Adventure. 

Alaskan Birding Trip – Part 3

THE PRIBILOFS
Our assault of the Pribilofs started as always with the plane ride. The incessant drone of the Lockheed L-188 four prop was a soothing sleep inducer. Mind you I didn’t need much inducing. I awoke to a gray overcast sky and realized that making a landing would be difficult at best. And guess what? With the pilot today it was impossible to say the least. We made three tries. The first time he got the wheels down but too far down  the runway so it was a touch and go landing. We had been flying for 2 1/2 hours and now had to head to Cold Bay in the Aleutians to refuel.
The incessant drone of the Lockheed L-188 four prop was a soothing sleep inducer - until landing time!

The incessant drone of the Lockheed L-188 four prop was a soothing sleep inducer – until landing time!

Back again to try and land. The second time was a no go from the start. On the third pass the runway and plane were in two different places. So it was back to Anchorage and we lost an entire day.  Now Reeve Air says that they will take care of getting us hotel rooms for all of us. Why did I not believe them and sure enough we arrived with no rooms. To say the scene became ugly would be an understatement. The frustration of being so close to such a special place and not getting there was making us madder. Finally we got rooms all over Anchorage and would meet back at the airport tomorrow morning. 
The plane was ready and as we boarded a stewardess from yesterday’s flight greeted us and told us that the “Cowboy” is flying today and he always lands. Why wasn’t he flying yesterday? We did get a break from yesterday’s flight. One of the passengers was from the company that controls most of St. Paul and he made sure that we had the best bird guide waiting for us when we landed and a van for crazed birders only.
Not ten minutes out we stop at a pool and Wood Sandpiper and Rock Sandpiper welcome us to the island. Back in the van for the bird cliffs are just ahead. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for and dreaming about. You can hear the noise and a smell the musky odor but you are not prepared for the sight that unfolds. Wheeling birds of all species are everywhere on the cliffs, in the air and underground nesting burrows. There has to be over one million birds.
I had a Horned Puffin like this one, a Crested Auklet, a Least Auklet, and a Red-faced Cormorant in my scope at the same time.  photo by jsj17771

I had a Horned Puffin like this one, a Crested Auklet, a Least Auklet, and a Red-faced Cormorant in my scope at the same time. photo by jsj17771

I put my scope on the cliffs ahead and in view at the same time are Horned Puffin, Crested Auklet, Least Auklet, and Red-faced Cormorant. Flying around us almost at eye level are Parakeet Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Northern Fulmar, Red-legged Kittiwake,and Short-tailed Shearwater. At my feet flying into nest burrows are Common Murres. Swimming on the ocean are Steller’s Eider and as we walk back a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch makes an appearance. All the while two  Arctic  Foxes are cavorting over the meadow watching us. We cast aside yesterday’s frustrations, birds we’d seen in the days before, and just immersed ourselves in the unforgettable scene. I felt that I had become part of everything I saw and felt. It was magnificent.
This volcanic rock in the midst of a hostile sea is a special place for birders.  photo by mazaletel

This volcanic rock in the midst of a hostile sea is a special place for birders. photo by mazaletel

We celebrated that night and again all the problems beforehand became distant memories. We had to leave tomorrow but being stuck here would not be that bad. So of course everything is perfect for flying. Clear skies no equipment issues and we leave this volcanic rock in the middle of a hostile sea. We gave thanks for the brief glimpse we all enjoyed.
Wheels up! On to Anchorage and Denali.

Alaskan Birding Journey — Part 2

We arrived in Nome only three hours behind schedule. Now we had to secure our transportation – we have two vans waiting for this pack of 16. At the van company we find that we will run into their July 4th celebration and both gas stations will be closed so we need to keep that in mind. I have a feeling that in Nome they celebrate anything they can.
Now back to the airport and we load everybody and head for our home. Sixteen very anxious birders simply enter the house and deposit their luggage on the floor. Room and floor assignments can wait. Off to the general store for a “Drummond food raid.”  All of you that have been on one of Bill’s trip know what this is like. Everything done and now finally we can say , “Lets go birding!” Avian hunters searching for their victims.
One of the first birds we saw was the magnificent Long-tailed Jaeger.  photo by Seabamirum

One of the first birds we saw was the magnificent Long-tailed Jaeger. photo by Seabamirum

A trip to the mouth of the Nome River yielded Yellow Wagtail, Long-tailed Jaeger, and Bar-tailed Godwit. It’s amazing how all the misfortunes of days gone by simply vanish. This is going to be an unforgettable trip with no more problems. Wrong!
We had a flat tire on one van the first night. It was no problem since we had enough tire sealer and it worked.  Tomorrow morning I’ll get the tire plugged. At dinner Bill tells us ,”We’ll have a really big day tomorrow.” And in “Drummond speak” it means one thing. Tomorrow will be an intense day of birding. Now we settle in for the night which of course is a relative term here as it’s daylight outside at 11 PM.
Good morning!  It’s 4:30 AM , rise and shine. Have breakfast, get the tire fixed and head out. Safety Lagoon our first objective for the day where we get Willow Ptarmigan, Sabines Gull, and Aleutian Tern. Now we plunge headlong and I begin my battle with the infamous Kougarak Road. Eighty-four bone jarring bumps, potholes, and rocks one way. Why would sixteen reasonably intelligent people punish themselves by traversing 168 miles of the worst road created? For the sheer joy of birding and sharing experience with friends. And of course one special prize.
As we near the end of the road Bill remarks that he had this bird nesting here two years ago over there.  As three intrepid souls began to walk “over there .” When this means over tussocks and soft marsh and finally a small stream and up a hillside a one mile walk was like an obstacle course. But we had a mission as the three spread out searching. Suddenly off to my right the tell-tale rattle and we had the Smiths’ Longspur in breeding plumage. Now it’s time to go back and get the rest of the group and make the trip out again. This time I didn’t notice all the footfalls and tundra. Everyone was going to see this bird and they did. The drive back was still brutal.
The rarely-seen Smith's Longspur was worth the tough drive and strenuous hike.  photo by jerryoldenettel

The rarely-seen Smith’s Longspur was worth the tough drive and strenuous hike. photo by jerryoldenettel

The beauty of the panorama that unfolds is breathtaking. There are gently rolling fields of green adorned with alpine flowers, all flowing across swales and hills and the ever present counterpoint of a phalanx of snow capped peaks and rock strewn escarpments. This was only the beginning as Mother Nature would show me her finest in the days ahead.
It is a land of extremes. As I sit here on the rocks at 10:30 PM adding to my journal, a Russian trawler sits offshore. The surf pounds constantly and then suddenly a rainbow appears and just as quickly the artist removes the creation. Still this could be a lucky omen for tomorrow.
Back up the Kougarak and we start off with Slaty-backed Gull.  We then drive for 25 miles in fog. At times it seemed ethereal as we ascended this roadway into the clouds – ” Birders of the Mist.”  The fog hides the potholes and I missed seeing one and almost put someone through the roof of the van. The dust has also permeated itself into and onto everything. Clothes, equipment, lungs, food – nothing escapes.
The Bluethroat was the prize today. After the 84 mile one way trip we faced a 3 mile roundtrip hike and swarms of mosquitos. Definitely worth the effort. In the wilderness easy birding is an elusive objective. On the way back we add Rock Ptarmigan. And bid a fond farewell to this road of torture.
Red, white, and a BlueThroat for 4th of July birding. photo by sussexbirder

Red, white, and a BlueThroat for 4th of July birding. photo by sussexbirder

July 4th – Happy Independence Day or whatever else you care to call it. A bright sunny morning greeted our weary bodies and we were only in the first part of our trip. On to Hastings Creek and the rainbow delivers: a magnificent Spectacled Eider. What a treat – this bird is not supposed to be here at this time. A great way to start the day.
On to the town pier and a White Wagtail. Actually we had three with a male displaying like a Grouse. Tail cocked straight up, wings spread out and fluttering, and becoming aggressive when challenged. This dominant male would pass on his genes to many more generations to come thus helping insure the survival of the species.
Now we headed for the Teller Road, another non-paved road but less torturous then our friend the Kougarak. We add Arctic Warbler and on the way back we stop at a small body of water and find a very special bird. Sitting rather nonchalantly is an Arctic Loon in perfect light and close enough to clearly establish its identification. The Teller Road has a much different look than the Kougarak. It is more pastoral with vast expanses of gently rolling hills. Old wooden mining structures are silent sentinels and reminders of the gold rush days.
An Arctic Loon capped off our Nome-area birding.  photo by logan kale

An Arctic Loon capped off our Nome-area birding. photo by logan kahle

Our last morning in Nome is a foggy, rainy, overcast day. Our concern is getting back to Anchorage. If we don’t make the right connection we will miss our flight to the Pribilofs. Despite our previous bad luck everything works according to plan. A few thoughts about Nome before we leave. Nome is like an island on the Seward Peninsula.You cannot drive there and the three main roads out lead nowhere. The Polar Cafe has the best blueberry pancakes in the world. In 1989 it was hard to imagine living there and I can’t believe it has changed much.
We are at the airport and the visibility clears and we get out in a hurry. Airborne again, on to Anchorage, a metropolitan city where we can shower and wash our clothes. Wrong again! Just before we land a car smashes into a telephone pole and the hotel has no electricity. Finally late that night power came back on and shower and laundry were accomplished.
The morning had the 16 vagabonds on the way to the airport and no delays right onto the plane and here we go on to St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs.

Bryan Pfeiffer Takes A New (old) Trail

photo credit - Bryan Pfeiffer

photo credit – Bryan Pfeiffer

Bryan Pfeiffer is a well-known Central Vermont writer, naturalist, photographer and educator.  Many of us have enjoyed his bird walks/tours, his humor-filled lectures, and his photographic skills.  His blog post the other day caught many of us by surprise — not that he’s abandoning some of his many ventures to work on a book — but that he is cutting way back on his electronic activity.  For me, tethered to a MacBook, iPad, and iPhone too much, it was a call to look at how I balance my outdoor and other activities with blogging, Tweeting, and Facebooking.  (I made that a verb to see if my English-teacher wife reads this!

Bryan outlines his decision with his usual clarity and thoughtfulness.  It’s a good read for any birder:

Fifteen years ago I left journalism for nature. I swapped a necktie for binoculars, a reporter’s notepad for a naturalist’s field book. Although my income sank to levels of voluntary poverty, I inherited wealth in a new currency: a warbler’s dawn melody, an orchid’s purple glow, a dragonfly’s ancient tenacity.

This life outside I have been eager to share with others. Coded into my DNA is a drive to bring nature and people together. It is how I’ve made my living. It has given me purpose. I suppose it’s no different than journalism. If the free trade of facts and knowledge are essential to a functioning society, then so too is the discovery and enjoyment of nature critical to its future. And to our own.

If I couldn’t get you outside, your ears tuned to a Mink Frog, your nose tingling with the scent of Balsam Poplar, your eyes wide and locked on a Regal Fritillary, your mouth savoring serviceberries, or your feet wet in a spruce bog, then here at The Daily Wing I ventured to unite your senses with wildlife and wild places. For three years this blog, with all due humility, has been my intersection of nature and journalism.

Now it will rest.

My blend of the wild and the wired will enter diapause, nature’s state of dormancy. Not only will this blog rest, but so will my fling with Facebook, Twitter, digital photography, radio television broadcasts, PowerPointing and other electronic communications. I’m dimming the lights and heading for the woods with a notebook and pencil.  (Read the whole post here.)

It’s minus 16 F this morning and still dark out so I think I’m comfortable drinking coffee and writing — but I’m giving Bryan’s diapause idea a lot of thought as we move to saner temperatures and arriving birds.

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My African Birding Safari

A guest post by Gerry Cooperman

I would like to share with you my journey to Africa. This is not a daily highlight reel of birds but rather a tale of an incredible land. Hopefully you will get there someday but if not enjoy the land through my eyes, my thoughts and impressions. We will talk about birds and mammals but mostly it is about the land and the symphony of life. We have all been to great places so why not share the adventure with others. These are bird journeys as well as life journeys for all to read and enjoy or hit the delete button. It is always your choice.

220px-Za-mapQuite to my surprise upon my retirement my wife bought me a birding safari to Zambia.  At first I thought it was a joke. Africa was always on my bucket list and now it was going to be a reality. The preparation begins.

What to do first? I checked with the hospital and found out all the shots I would need. I like to get the unpleasant stuff out of the way first. Now it was time to study. I selected Sinclair/Ryan “Birds of Africa” south of the Sahara.  All of a sudden I’m faced with families of birds that I have never heard of and felt overwhelmed. I asked a friend who has been and he said “Just learn the big birds, the guide will identify the rest.” So this became my strategy.

My trip was booked nine months in advance and time seemed to just evaporate. Now it was time to leave and this is the hardest part of the journey. With the time change I spent about 22 hours traveling. Boston-New York-Johannesburg-Lusaka-Malwe. Fortunately even with the excitement increasing at every transfer I was able to sleep and dream about what was to come.

Norman Carr Safaris were there to greet me and in no time were on our way to camp. Whenever I travel to another country I always pay attention to the children. They are the true spirit of any land. They were coming home from school in groups singing songs. Most waved as we drove by all with smiles on their faces. If you saw where they lived, for them to have this attitude says a lot about the future. After an hour ride we pulled into camp and I got to meet Willie. Willie was to be be my guide while at this camp. When he asked me if I want to go out, I was in his jeep before he changed his mind. I just left my bags on the ground.

This was a bird safari but seeing mammals was an added treat. As we left camp the jeep came to a sudden stop and in front of us was the most gorgeous giraffe I have ever seen – an adult male Thornycroft Giraffe. This is considered the most beautiful of the subspecies with its star and leaf shaped spots cascading downward to solid rust colored legs. This part of the Luangwa Wildlife Reserve (LWR) was created because of this giraffe.

The Brown Snake Eagle was one of the large birds I learned before departure.  photo by dutchman_svh

The Brown Snake Eagle was one of the large birds I learned before departure. photo by dutchman_svh

I heard and saw birds flying around but Willie was the boss. On the way to the LWR he suddenly stopped and pointed to the top of a tree. Perched there a large bird. Willie asked me what it is and I said Brown Snake Eagle.  His reply was a simple “good call lad.”  I think I passed a test.

The only rule was “never stand up” with an animal nearby. We used the vehicle and the sound of the motor to confuse them and that kept them away. It’s an easy rule to follow.We picked up some small indigenous birds along the way and now we entered the LWR. It has a main road with dirt trails and then no trails;  in the time we were there Willie never took the same route. The vehicle could travel anywhere it had traction. There was a morning ride, back for lunch, out again back for dinner then a night ride. I was lucky in that we only had to cancel one afternoon/night trip because of weather.  And better yet I was the only person on the trip.

In addition to the wildlife my desire was to see a baobab tree. This is a most unique tree which is sometimes called the upside down tree since the limbs look like roots. It is also called the tree of life as it provides humans and animals with food and shelter. It can live several thousand years and is fireproof. When there is torrential rain it soaks up tons of water making it swell. It then is able to provide water in a severe drought. Some even grow over 90 feet tall. They stand as sentinels watching over the land, watching the daily struggle between life and death. This is the rhythm of Africa. Quiet during the day and alive with sound at night.

The baobab tree is a most unique tree which is sometimes called the upside down tree since the limbs look like roots.  photo by Stig Nygaard

The baobab tree is a most unique tree which is sometimes called the upside down tree since the limbs look like roots. photo by Stig Nygaard

Birding in Africa has one great advantage. There are little to no leaves on the savannah trees, rather it is a series of dead snags. So when you see a White-tailed Eagle you see it completely. The Lilac-breasted Roller, probably the most photographed bird, sits on a bare branch with the sun shining down and you understand why he is so desired.

It's easy to understand why the Lilac-breasted Roller is one of Africa's most photographed birds.  photo by hyper7pro

It’s easy to understand why the Lilac-breasted Roller is one of Africa’s most photographed birds. photo by hyper7pro

The first night drive we heard lions coughing and then came upon two lions walking down the road not more than 20 feet from the vehicle. Willie is an expert tracker and he knows the animals well. The lions were not hunting but soon would be and we decided to leave them be. On the way back we came around a bend and there were a hundred Cape Buffalo standing in the road. Willie asked me if I wanted to spend the night and I said if he was so was I. He shut off the engine and Cali shut off his light. Willie whispered that we can’t drive out fast enough if they charge so we’ll sit here. This is when I learned their secret. When he started up the truck and the light was put on their feet they dispersed. It took all of 5 minutes for over a hundred animals , most weighing almost a ton, to simply vanish into the grass.

The next day we were charged by an elephant. Ok it was a bluff charge but very impressive anyway. We came upon this lone young bull who was trumpeting. We parked across the road and the elephant started moving quickly and flapping his ears. Willie says “he’s going to do a bluff charge now don’t get excited.”  Who gets excited with an elephant who is about to charge? I do. But as he expected, the bull made two aggressive passes but kept his distance and then I was told he was only practicing. Playing or not there is something that makes your heart pound a little faster and that is a trumpeting elephant pacing back and forth with ears flapping wildly. Willie told me later that as long as his ears were flapping we were okay, if they went flat it would not be good. As we were driving back to camp a rare treat crossed the road. A civet, the largest of the small cats and very rarely seen in daylight. The animals were as exciting as the birds. As well they should be.

One group of birds I really enjoyed were the big plovers/lapwings that inhabited the wet part of the savannah. There are four species; Blacksmith, White-headed,Crowned, and Wattled. They were never idle – always flying short distances making their loud piercing calls. On top of that they are very striking when they take flight.

We were sitting on the back of the vehicle enjoying our morning break when Willie says “no sudden moves now there’s a Leopard coming in from the right.” The Leopard walked right past us and was confronted by three Impala. The male started snorting at the leopard defiantly. Willie explained that since he was strolling through the grass with his tail curled up he wasn’t hunting. An amazing confrontation of predator and prey. The next day we found the Leopard in his tree with a fresh Impala. The predators rule the land.

Mid week I was invited to the bush camp. We had to go with an armed ranger because we would be walking the land. The camp is about one hour upriver from the base camp. The journey was memorable. The Luangwa River is the Hippo capital of Africa and navigating the river we used the Hippos as guides. Because they walk and do not swim as long as the boat stayed in the middle we were safe. Everyone knows that Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.

Moving up the river we came upon an 18-foot Crocodile. The guide estimated that it was the biggest he has seen on the river. When you see them you can understand how they have not changed over the eons. We had two memorable bird encounters.  The first was a Kingfisher that I had been looking for from day one. As we rounded a bend perched on a dead snag in the river was nothing short of a flying jewel. I had found the Malachite Kingfisher and there are no words or pictures that can capture the essence of its beauty lit by the sun. Next I was going to get the most spectacular bird of the entire trip.

We cruised into a mahogany stand that was flooded when the ranger said something in Zambian. We immediately beached the boat and started to look for what I hoped would be a bird. I still didn’t know what he saw. We were walking very slowly when a hand touched my shoulder and he said stop and pointed to a tree. There facing us was the Pel’s Fishing Owl. This huge ginger brown Owl was just watching us and when he had enough he displayed his massive wings as he flew away.

The Pel's Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) is a large species of owl in the Strigidae family. It feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow moving rivers with large overhanging trees to roost and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees.  photo by sussexbirder

The Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) is a large species of owl in the Strigidae family. It feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow moving rivers with large overhanging trees to roost and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees. photo by sussexbirder

One cannot go to Africa without coming away with a desire to return. This land talks to you every day with sound and fury,with life and death struggles. Daytime is for relaxing and nighttime the land roars with the sounds of the hunters. There is a constant energy force that you can sense. When we walked the bush you always had the feeling that something was close by. You didn’t walk with fear you walked with respect for their land. They were allowing me to enjoy their land because it does belong to all the creatures that inhabit the wild. It is our responsibility to see that it remains this way forever.