Okavango: Khwai Concession - Elephants and Hippos

After lunch, we retire to the balcony of our tent here at Sango Safari Camp, where I set up my tripod with my 600mm lens ready to capture some of the many animals we see grazing across the river. While the camp is based in the Khwai Concession, the land on the other side of the river that we are looking out over is Moremi Game Reserve.

Me still inside the tent, waiting to bring Big Bertha (my large lens), out as well as the 100-400mm lens. As you can see, there are two chairs on the balcony and a table for drinks.

Yesterday lunchtime the riverside hosted a number of hippos, today it is full of waterbuck.

This one has made friends with a Great Egret

The pattern of the white markings on the rear end of this waterbuck shows that it is a Common Waterbuck (as opposed to a Defassa Waterbuck which has two large blotches of white, rather than the 'toilet seat' shape)

I also spend some time observing this Coppery Tailed Coucal which is on this side of the river.

High Tea

The camp serves a small meal of quiche and scones before we embark on our afternoon game drive.

The scones are delightful!

This morning when we went out, it was a mere 6 °C, and I was wearing double layers of clothing, covered myself in a blanket, and cuddled a hot water bottle. Getting ready for the afternoon game drive, however, it is now 29 °C, and I am sweltering. With the vehicle being open all around (no roof, sides, or front windscreen), it quickly cools down when we start to move, however.

Afternoon Game Drive

Magpie Shrike

It is also known as Long Tailed Shrike for obvious reasons

Burchell's Zebra

Grey Go-Away Bird - so named for the sound it makes "goway goway"

Elephants

We come across a small herd – or memory, as a group of elephants is also known, at a watercourse.

These are all part of an Elephants' Gentlemen's Club for those males that have been kicked out of the herd - in other words: an old folks home for elephants.

Lilac Breasted Roller - my favourite African bird

Warthogs

Slaty Egret

Yellow Billed Stork

The crocodile is one of the oldest species on earth, predating the dinosaurs. The reason that crocs survived where the dinosaurs died out, lies in the metabolism of the crocodile: it can slow its functions down to such an extent that it does not have to eat for more than two years and still survive.

Hippos

A group of hippos is known as a bloat.

Another Lilac Breasted Roller

Open Billed Stork

Tsessebe

An (almost) new species to us – I say almost, as we did see one briefly in South Africa in 1999.

They are amongst the fastest antelopes in Africa and can run at speeds of up to 90 km/h.

With some impala mates

African Darter

Great Egret

Common Reedbuck

They are easily spooked, and this one is off with a hop and a skip and a jump.

When he feels he is at a safe distance, he stops and checks us out.

Saddle Billed Stork

Sundowners

We join Jenna and Cara, two American friends travelling together in another vehicle from Sango Safari Camp for our sundowner stop. Moscow no longer asks us what we would like to drink for these stops, he just automatically fills the cooler with Savanna Cider.

Small sticks with sausages, gherkins, and cheese - an unusual, but highly addictive combination

After the sun has gone down, we can see a small sliver of the moon with just a hint of an outline of the rest of it.

Night Drive

By the time we start the drive back to the camp, it is almost completely dark. Here, so much nearer the equator than we are in the UK, the change from daylight to night is very much quicker than we are used to.

Kisse, our spotter, shines his torch around to see what may be hiding in the bushes as we make our way back to camp, and spots this elephant.

The elephant also spots us and is none too happy about it. Moscow roars the engine to scare him off, but it has no effect, neither does clapping his hands. Eventually, he runs off while trumpeting in disgust. The elephant, that is, not Moscow.

Dinner

Starter is a delicious tomato and basil soup

The main course is lamb tajine with couscous

The dessert is so good that I forget to take a photo: Pear and almond tart

And so it is goodnight from me here at Sango Safari Camp in the Okavango Delta. Thanks must go to Undiscovered Destinations and their local teams for making my dream of seeing the Okavango Delta come true.