Botswana

I just realized that I never put in a picture of the Namibian flag. Before we transition countries, here’s the flag of Namibia -

I never did see the flag of Botswana, but as we crossed the border, we were met by a gorgeous Baobab, which also gave me a chance to memorialize our trusty truck -

If you remember, when we were in Madagascar, it was dry season and none of the baobabs there had leaves. Well, this one was fully leafed, and with flowers/fruit to boot!

We had an afternoon game drive at Chobe Elephant Camp, and the first beasts we met were a pair of lions…

… that had crippled a cow earlier in the day by severing the tendons in its back legs -

But it wasn’t giving up yet, and a Black-backed Jackal was also circling -

We watched the drama for awhile, but rain was coming in fast, so we hightailed it out of there. Unfortunately we didn’t leave soon enough, and the open-sided truck didn’t give much protection from the pouring rain and hail that pelted us on the 30 minute ride back to camp. Rainy season had arrived with a bang. Our guide/driver did a fantastic job getting us back safely through the deluge, driving on dirt roads that were becoming rivers underneath us, and luckily none of the nearby lightning strikes were ever that close.

The next morning there were a lot more water pockets present than the previous day -

We found a lone male that probably had been feasting on the bull that the females killed the previous night -

We later were alerted to a pride of lions that had been feasting on a young giraffe kill -

Their bellies were so full that they were frequently shifting positions to get more comfortable -

Other than the lions, this game drive found many different birds, including this huge flock of Great White Pelicans -

You can enlarge the next picture to get even more detail and appreciate their colors -

We also saw a majestic African Fish Eagle -

This Southern Carmine Bee-eater is resplendent by itself…

… but also makes a nice pairing with a Southern Red-billed Hornbill -

On this morning, I struck it rich with shots of birds and their prey. First I captured a Lilac-breasted Roller with a mouse…

This is one of my favorite birds, due to its coloration, but I was shocked by its being an omnivore. I recommend enlarging the picture for more detail.

… and then an African Gray Hornbill with a praying mantis -

We also drove by a large herd of Cape Buffalo, that were (nicely) calmly resting. They have a well-deserved reputation for being aggressive and belligerent…

… but this one was preferring to pursue some personal grooming…

Note the bird in the nose

… after which, the Yellow-billed Oxpecker proudly posed -

Seeing the Buffalo completed our Big 5 sightings in Africa - elephant (although none to be seen at Chobe Elephant Camp due to the rains), rhino, leopard, and lion.

That afternoon we went on a ”luxury” river cruise on the Chobe River…

… where we saw hippos…

… and more birds. I know. Enough birds! So I’ll close with these enormous Southern Ground-Hornbills -