Deception Valley - Bat Eared Foxes & Sandgrouse

Breakfast

Unlike the other safari camps we have stayed at so far on this trip, Deception Valley Lodge offers a light breakfast at 05:30 before leaving for the morning safari.

Fruit and yogurt

Followed by egg and bacon

The waterhole is full of Helmeted Guineafowl this morning.

Morning Game Drive

Here in Africa, the temperature fluctuations are enormous, from almost freezing first thing in the morning to high 20s (centigrade) by midday. Layers are a must, and the lodge kindly provides blankets and a very welcome hot water bottle affectionately known as a ‘bush baby’.

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Steenbok

We see a couple of cute little steenboks engaging in a courtship ritual.

Aww, they are so adorable

She definitely seems more interested in food than making babies. My kinda girl!

Honeybadger

Moscow spots a honeybadger in the distance and we chase after him. He gets away before I have been able to take a decent photo of him. Either way, honeybadgers are such rare sightings, especially during daylight (as they are nocturnal creatures), so we are excited just to have spotted him.

Black Backed Jackal

Kori Bustard

Another Steenbok - I just love their ears, the veins look like leaves to me

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Kudu

I love the way it looks like they are highly choreographed to run in unison

Dark Faced Tawny Eagle

Moscow shows us the bird book

Northern Black Khoraan

Bat-Eared Foxes

White Crowned Shrike

Gemsbok

They are easily spooked, and as soon as they see us they are off!

Pale Tawny Eagle

Tea Break

Moscow stops the car in an open area overlooking a small waterhole for us to get out to stretch our legs and enjoy a cup of tea.

The waterhole is devoid of any life when we arrive, but it doesn’t take long before the Sandgrouse arrive in large numbers.

Swooping down into the water, barely dipping their feathers in, before flying off again in a formation, circling around in the air and diving down. Again and again, they do this same procedure.

It is captivating to watch as the flock flies in unison, reminding me of the aerobatics displays performed by the Red Arrows, around and around.

As they pass above our heads from behind, an audible “whoosh” alerts us to their presence, whereas the shadows on the ground are another indication that they are about to swoop.

Shadows

South African Giraffe

Red Crested Khoraan trying very successfully to hide in the undergrowth

Burchell's Zebra

He's not too keen to see us either

Warthog

Brunch

We return to the lodge for a bite to eat.

Avocado Salad and Butternut Salad - the latter is absolutely delicious

Chicken Teriyaki with Pasta - also rather delectable

Waterhole

Both waterholes are teeming with life, and we spend some time after lunch just chilling and letting the animals come to us.

Wildebeest, Zebra, and Kudu

Warthog

Burchell's Zebra

Wildebeest

African Red-Eyed Bulbul by the small pond

Others waiting in the wings for their turn

Later the kudu take over the small waterhole

Trail Cam

We stroll down to our room for a little snooze, but first, we check to see if the trail cam we set up yesterday has captured anything exciting overnight (there was nothing of interest on it the first night).

A lone porcupine, that's all

Siesta Time

I am feeling particularly tired and a little under the weather this afternoon, so a comfortable bed in an air-conditioned room is very welcome. When I wake later in the afternoon, my troublesome (sprained) Sacroiliac Joint is causing me considerable pain, and I feel like I am burning up. My medical thermometer reveals that I have a fever of 38 °C, so we decide to opt out of the afternoon game drive to stay in the comfort of a cool room.

High Tea

David pops up to the main building to let Moscow know that we will not be going out this afternoon and brings me back some cold pizza and chocolate cake.

The pizza is nice, but the cake is a little dry

David treats himself to a Savanna Cider from the mini bar, which they have kindly stocked up for him. All the food and alcohol are included in the room price here, and the staff is very good at remembering our preferences.

The cider is definitely cold, with a large ice sheet stuck to the side of it

Astrophotography

After a good rest, and plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, I feel very much better, and we wander down to the bar to try and take some photos of the amazing night sky. For the photographers amongst you, I brought a Sigma 14mm f/1.8 lens which I use to take pictures of stars – or so I thought. Instead, I somehow picked up a Sigma 85mm f/1.4, which looks very similar.

I now have a problem. I need a wide angle to capture the Milky Way, and I also need a wide aperture. The 85mm offers the perfect aperture, but not the right focal length. I also have a Canon 8-15mm lens with me, but its widest aperture is f/4. I try the latter anyway – what’s the worst that can happen? The picture doesn’t come out – but then if I don’t take the photo, it definitely won’t come out.

There is considerable overspill of light from the lodge in the foreground, and the waterhole is flood-lit, giving me added challenges for the photo. I am quite pleased with how it came out after a LOT of fiddling about with it in Photoshop when I got home.

David, meanwhile, checks out the internet

Nocturnal visitors

I am absolutely delighted to discover that the lodge puts out kitchen scraps for the local wildlife, and several honeybadgers are taking advantage of it.

A Duiker walks through the grounds too

Dinner

Cream of potato soup

Chicken curry with couscous and vegetables - very tasty

Malwa Pudding - a yummy steamed pudding with custard

And so it is time for me to say goodnight from the lovely Deception Valley in Botswana, and to offer thanks to Undiscovered Destinations and their local teams for arranging this amazing Great Africa Trip 2024.