Birding in Zambia

This is the time for birders to come to Zambia. In the Southern Hemisphere this is summer. December 21st was our longest day of the year. While Norman Carr's "Rivers and Rainbows" Safari focuses on river travel, scenery, and wildlife as well as birds, it also offers safaris around its Kapani Lodge which concentrate only on the season's prolific bird life. Each safari is lead by a guide well schooled in ornithology and passionate about birds as only bird people can be.

I continue to be distracted by the bird life in my own backyard. Over Christmas, I had a pair of Schalow's turacos (also called louries) stay for several days around a large tree at the rear of the garden. It is remarkably difficult to get a good view of these birds no matter how carefully you stalk them. They are furtive birds, leaping from heavy foliage to heavy foliage. Only when I saw them in flight could I appreciate their magnificent coloring – indigo, purple, Kelly green and with very red under-wings. My other current sightings in the garden include the African paradise fly catcher, the African golden oriole, the Arrow-marked babbler (very social and noisy), and the very handsome male Violet-backed or Plum-colored starling.

10-03-2010