SHUMBA CAMP, BUSANGA PLAINS, KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Shumba Camp is situated in the Busanga Plains in the far north of the Kafue National Park. It is one of the largest National Parks in Africa. The Busanga floodplains are vast and we are located in the heart of them. They dry up during the summer (there hasn't been rain here since March) and that is the reason for all of the grass fires. Hippos are sometimes trapped as the pools get more shallow. It is one of the few areas of the world that remain untouched by development and human activity.
By the time we got here, I was exhausted. It is a 40-minute drive from the airstrip and we added two new antelope species, the Oribi, and the Puku, and a few new birds to our list including Fulleborn's Longclaw. After a brief orientation we got to our rooms. Glen was given room 4 and we were given room 2. After checking them out, we decided we liked room 4 better as it had a better view. We are the only ones here except for a family of 5. We met our guide/driver, Newton. We decided to head out for a game drive later to give Norma and I a chance to unwind and unpack. Sundowners would be in our room. A full bottle of Johnny Walker Black for Norma and a full bottle of sparkling wine for me were delivered to our room, poured and left! Surely they didn't think we would drink it all?
We headed out but by this time my cold had really settled in and I was feeling absolutely miserable. It gets cold here during the night in comparison to the extreme heat of the day. I was bundled in blankets. We didn't see much and I didn't care. We came back for supper - I remember it was very good - and then a shower and bed. We could see the flames of a wildfire in the distance as it flared up and died back down. Apparently many of these grass fires are set by poachers. Once the ground is burnt, new grass shoots appear which the animals prefer to the dry grass of the unburnt land. The poachers lie in wait at the areas they have burned and the animals are easy pickings. The area is so vast and the country so poor that it is impossible to police all of it.
I slept from 9:30 to 6:30 and didn't wake up even once. We asked for a late wakeup call and I was glad of the extra hour.
When the wakeup call came, I looked out the windows of our room only to see three Cape Buffalo calmly munching on the grass directly below our deck. We had our continental breakfast and set out on our game drive by 7:30. During breakfast we saw a Rosy-throated Longclaw, one of the specialties of the region. It was still cold and Norma and I availed ourselves of the wonderfully cozy blankets provided. We set off across the plains. We saw herds of Lechwe, Puku, Wildebeests with their young and finally Roan Antelope. We had searched diligently for them at Duma Tau and here were three in full view. They were skittish and shy but we managed to get photographs. We missed seeing a Temminck's Courser as we were concentrating on the Roan, but hope to get other views of it. Newton knows a place. I noticed three small birds that were flushed by our vehicle and heard a gasp from behind me. Glen called "Locust Finch". Apparently this bird is on the want list of many serious birders in the world. It is extremely scarce and difficult to see as it flushes, flies a bit, and drops down into tall grass. There is only one known photograph of it! We drove slowly flushing the little group several times and once got a good look of them flying. The ones flying were juveniles and didn't have the colour of the adults. But we saw them! We actually flushed a second group as well. Good thing there is no internet here or the place would be inundated with birders.
The other bird we flushed which is also difficult to get binoculars on is the Orange-breasted Waxbill . I only saw them flying and didn't get a good enough look to add them to my list.
We admired a large group of Grey-crowned Cranes dancing for each other with a pair of Wattled Cranes with a juvenile at a waterhole. At another, we saw Saddle-billed Storks attempt to steal a fish from a Great White Pelican.
At another waterhole we watched a pair of hippos mating. This is serious business as the male risks getting sunburned and the female risks getting drowned.
We got back to the camp in time for a buffet lunch and to learn that the reverse osmosis system that gives us unsalted water and purifies it is broken and we have to rely on bottled water for drinking. The ice-making machine is also on the fritz. If this keeps up, soon we'll be camping not glamping! We caught up on our lists in the shaded lounge area of our deck and as I was getting ready to collapse on my bed, Glen came running back to tell us that he had spotted a very special Bee-eater, the Bohm's Bee-eater. We grabbed our binoculars and ran to catch a sight of this beautiful bird with an orange head and a bright green body with a long needle-like tail. Then it was time for a long nap and blog writing before we head out again.
Shumba Camp is situated in the Busanga Plains in the far north of the Kafue National Park. It is one of the largest National Parks in Africa. The Busanga floodplains are vast and we are located in the heart of them. They dry up during the summer (there hasn't been rain here since March) and that is the reason for all of the grass fires. Hippos are sometimes trapped as the pools get more shallow. It is one of the few areas of the world that remain untouched by development and human activity.
By the time we got here, I was exhausted. It is a 40-minute drive from the airstrip and we added two new antelope species, the Oribi, and the Puku, and a few new birds to our list including Fulleborn's Longclaw. After a brief orientation we got to our rooms. Glen was given room 4 and we were given room 2. After checking them out, we decided we liked room 4 better as it had a better view. We are the only ones here except for a family of 5. We met our guide/driver, Newton. We decided to head out for a game drive later to give Norma and I a chance to unwind and unpack. Sundowners would be in our room. A full bottle of Johnny Walker Black for Norma and a full bottle of sparkling wine for me were delivered to our room, poured and left! Surely they didn't think we would drink it all?
We headed out but by this time my cold had really settled in and I was feeling absolutely miserable. It gets cold here during the night in comparison to the extreme heat of the day. I was bundled in blankets. We didn't see much and I didn't care. We came back for supper - I remember it was very good - and then a shower and bed. We could see the flames of a wildfire in the distance as it flared up and died back down. Apparently many of these grass fires are set by poachers. Once the ground is burnt, new grass shoots appear which the animals prefer to the dry grass of the unburnt land. The poachers lie in wait at the areas they have burned and the animals are easy pickings. The area is so vast and the country so poor that it is impossible to police all of it.
I slept from 9:30 to 6:30 and didn't wake up even once. We asked for a late wakeup call and I was glad of the extra hour.
When the wakeup call came, I looked out the windows of our room only to see three Cape Buffalo calmly munching on the grass directly below our deck. We had our continental breakfast and set out on our game drive by 7:30. During breakfast we saw a Rosy-throated Longclaw, one of the specialties of the region. It was still cold and Norma and I availed ourselves of the wonderfully cozy blankets provided. We set off across the plains. We saw herds of Lechwe, Puku, Wildebeests with their young and finally Roan Antelope. We had searched diligently for them at Duma Tau and here were three in full view. They were skittish and shy but we managed to get photographs. We missed seeing a Temminck's Courser as we were concentrating on the Roan, but hope to get other views of it. Newton knows a place. I noticed three small birds that were flushed by our vehicle and heard a gasp from behind me. Glen called "Locust Finch". Apparently this bird is on the want list of many serious birders in the world. It is extremely scarce and difficult to see as it flushes, flies a bit, and drops down into tall grass. There is only one known photograph of it! We drove slowly flushing the little group several times and once got a good look of them flying. The ones flying were juveniles and didn't have the colour of the adults. But we saw them! We actually flushed a second group as well. Good thing there is no internet here or the place would be inundated with birders.
The other bird we flushed which is also difficult to get binoculars on is the Orange-breasted Waxbill . I only saw them flying and didn't get a good enough look to add them to my list.
We admired a large group of Grey-crowned Cranes dancing for each other with a pair of Wattled Cranes with a juvenile at a waterhole. At another, we saw Saddle-billed Storks attempt to steal a fish from a Great White Pelican.
At another waterhole we watched a pair of hippos mating. This is serious business as the male risks getting sunburned and the female risks getting drowned.
We got back to the camp in time for a buffet lunch and to learn that the reverse osmosis system that gives us unsalted water and purifies it is broken and we have to rely on bottled water for drinking. The ice-making machine is also on the fritz. If this keeps up, soon we'll be camping not glamping! We caught up on our lists in the shaded lounge area of our deck and as I was getting ready to collapse on my bed, Glen came running back to tell us that he had spotted a very special Bee-eater, the Bohm's Bee-eater. We grabbed our binoculars and ran to catch a sight of this beautiful bird with an orange head and a bright green body with a long needle-like tail. Then it was time for a long nap and blog writing before we head out again.
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