Later I learnt that hyenas and jackals were the main carnivores in the area and we saw a couple of side striped jackals near our camp and the typical white hyena dung at several locations but they remained hidden.īack at camp we fruitlessly waited for Brighton’s arrival so, before nightfall, we drove back to Chikuni to learn that the trip was off, as Brighton had not had any news from Nkondo. We saw a few herds grazing about and my mind started thinking about predators. Beyond them the Black lechwe were there in numbers and they seemed to be quite used to being watched. We then focused on the swamp and spotted a good flock of Large white pelicans, Knob bill ducks and Woolly neck storks parked on the opposite shore. The lodge was about to re-open and the prices we were given made us lose interest rather rapidly! At the island we found a large lodge overlooking a swampy area that still had water.
We drove through the airstrip on a very dusty road. In the meantime we decided that an exploratory visit to Shoebill Island was in order. He hoped that we would have an answer that same afternoon and he will contact us.īushsnob birdwatching (or looking for Blue monkeys). He sent cellphone and written messages to Nkondo Headquarters hoping to get the necessary authorization for both the proposed journey and the car we needed. This required a walk across the river from Shoebill Island to meet the car. However, as usual, Brighton would try to arrange a car to pick us up and take us to the area the following day. But this was in a hunting area that we could not enter! The sinking feeling again!Ĭlearly, our situation was not good. However, he knew of one nest that still had a young stork. We learnt that our information from Kasanka was true: most Shoebills had indeed moved north and it would be difficult to see them. Luckily the bush mail system had worked and not only he was there, waiting for us, but there was also a photocopy of our booking indicating that we had paid in advance to avoid any possible problems! Meeting with Brighton and planning our next move. So, I thought, “finding our trophy bird would be rather impossible” but kept these negative thoughts to myself while trying to find a Plan B such as visiting a new area, watching other water birds and the herds of Black Lechwe that inhabit the wetlands. Nests would now be empty as most fledglings had matured and moved off. While at Kasanka we had learnt that -as we suspected- we were too late to have a real chance of finding Shoebill storks as the water was low and the birds had moved north where there was still water and food. In fact we only met two of them returning from the wetlands. However, judging by the enthusiasm with which the children in particular greeted us and by the rather dangerous evasive maneuvers taken by cyclists at our approach, cars with tourists were not common. This dirt track, surprisingly for me, traversed well-populated areas.
After only a few kilometres of asphalt we took the turning for the Bangweulu Wetlands at Chitambo. We had a hint of what expected us: our navigators showed a journey of 120km to Nsobe to take 7.5 hours! The going will be slow so again so, on 8 October, we left early again. The brown area is the Bangweulu wetlands management area. The red dots show Nkondo and Nsobe further north.
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