Birding in Botswana

In August, I was fortunate enough to go on safari in Botswana, Africa. Although it was not a birding trip specifically, we all became birders by the end of the tour. Our guide was spectacular in his knowledge of birds and their calls. He was quite adept at spotting and identifying everything that flew.

We were primarily in the Okavango Delta which is an incredible wildlife area. The Okavango Delta lies in the north west of Botswana. Part of the Great East African Rift Valley system, the Okavango Delta is formed as the Okavango River flows into the Kalahari Desert from the Angolan highlands, creating a unique wetland, a huge oasis.

Pied kingfisher

Fish eagle

Malachite kingfisher

Great blue heron

Also in the delta we ran across Pel’s fishing owl, yellow-billed Stork and the saddle-billed stork. The owl is an owlet, his mother is close by but is camera shy.

Pel's fishing owl

Saddle-billed stork

Yellow-billed stork

Other iconic birds that we ran into were the lilac breasted roller, secretary bird, go-away grey bird, yellow-billed horn bill, white-throated bee-eater and the hoopoe. 

Lilac-breasted roller

Secretary bird

White-throated bee-eater

Hoopee

This was the trip of a lifetime, so unlike any other place I have visited. Our tour was all out in the bush and very secluded. We only saw one other tour group in our 10 days of safari. Sequestered in our rooms at night we could hear lions roar, elephants walk by and birds singing in the morning.

 On a last note, the wildlife was incredible as well and I am sneaking in a few pictures of the animals we saw.

 

Post and photos by member Marilyn Staehle.

Creating a bird-friendly yard

Broomfield’s first snowstorm blanketed the ground with snow last Saturday, but in a second floor meeting room in the Broomfield library all thoughts were on gardening. Our fall member meeting drew about 40 people, gathered to learn tips from Boulder-area naturalist Dave Sutherland on how to create bird-friendly yards and gardens. 

Dave’s backyard in Boulder is proof that xeriscape is not zero-scape, as Dave described the properties of putting together a yard that will not only attract area birds, but is beautiful and unique. He shared slides of a lush garden with a wide variety of plants and gorgeous color that provide diversity for birds and insects they prey on. “If you like birds, you’ve got to provide and protect insects,” said Dave. “Provide food, and they will come.”

A habitat garden doesn’t require lots of acreage, Dave pointed out. You, too, can create a garden oasis that is low maintenance, unique and beautiful, just as he’s done in his own suburban garden. The advantage of native plants is that they are quite comfortable in Colorado’s soil. They require very little water and they thrive in low-nutrient soil. Once established, their root systems are strong and deep.

With heads filled with gardening plans, the meeting concluded with member Carl Muehlemeyer’s presentation of his stunning bird photography set to music. 

If you missed the presentation, or would like to learn more, check out Dave’s website at davesutherland.co. It offers plant listings, how-to’s and information about in-person programs that Dave conducts right in his own garden.

Dave Sutherland conducts native gardening workshop

at his Boulder home last summer.

Post and photos by Karen Clark

Birding by ear

It was a chill, foggy morning, the sort that tempts you to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a good book. But here we were, not long after dawn, on a bird walk at Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat in Boulder County.

The misty air made birding a challenge. Even up close, the view was hazy. Colors were muted. Binoculars fogged. Fingertips tingled with cold.

Instead of speeding up to keep warm, walk leader Peter Ruprecht urged us to slow down and listen. We started birding “ears first.”

And with that, the landscape changed. A raucous chorus announced the presence of red-winged blackbirds hidden deep in the cattails. The rattle of a belted kingfisher drew our eyes to a stubby silhouette hunting from a perch over the water.

Quacking mallards caught our attention, and we saw wigeons paddling silently among them near the shore. Two great blue herons appeared out of the mist, croaking as they glided across the pond.

As daylight strengthened, we continued to listen. Blue jays squawked and screamed in the cottonwoods. House finches chirped as they flew overhead. American goldfinches twittered in a patch of thistles.

The “chip, chip” call of a sparrow brought us to a halt, and Peter shared tips for identifying the three species we spotted: white-crowned, Lincoln’s, and song sparrows. For a few minutes, they shared a small grove with a noisy flock of black-capped chickadees and a tiny marsh wren.

Walden (and the neighboring Sawhill Ponds) was once a gravel mining operation. The land has been thoughtfully reclaimed, and its numerous ponds and wetlands now are home to hundreds of bird and animal species. Broad swaths of native plants – food for birds and pollinators – are being installed along several of the well-marked trails.

It’s a place worth visiting at every season.

This morning’s walk yielded few surprises, but we all learned an important lesson: When it looks like there’s not much to see, let your ears take the lead. Sometimes, there’s more to the natural world than meets the eye.

Post and photos by Christine Kindl