Well, not completely. There are other animals and stunning scenery too. But, it is the birds that really impress in the Okavango Delta.
In the delta, we stayed at a wonderful camp/lodge called Mopiri Camp. I don’t often give a plug for businesses here, but this camp (glamping for sure) was so spectacular that I want others to be able to experience it as well. It is part of a small Botswanan group of lodges and camps under the name of “Roots & Journeys“. I only stayed at Mopiri but if the other properties are half as good, they will still be wonderful.
One of my favorite feathered friends was the Malachite Kingfisher. So colorful and difficult to capture in photos. They don’t stay still for very long.
Another stunner is the Bee Eater. He blends in perfectly with the grasses, so he is also difficult to both see and shoot. I got a couple, but nothing great.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Maranbou Stork. He’s one of the UGLY 5, and probably sits at the top of the list. Poor guy. We will see him again in Uganda.
Up until arriving in Botswana, I had only ever seen photos of the Spoonbill and always wanted to see one live. They are all over the delta and are as goofy looking as I thought they would be. You have to wonder what evolutionary advantage that bill gives him.
The Yellow Billed Stork likes to wade around with his bill in the water hoping something will swim in. Since there are lots of these birds, the strategy must work.
There are several types of egrets, but they all look the same to me. That does’t meat I didn’t love them all.
Clearly, the egrets are all smart, since they have figured out how to hitchhike on the buffalo and stay away from elephant feet.
I have no idea what this next bird is called. I even googled it. No luck. Don’t you think he’s one of the most interesting birds you’ve seen? If you know what he’s called, please comment. Also, what do you think those yellow things are for?
And here are some of the other birds in the Okavango.
The Okavango was also the first time I had seen papyrus growing. I knew it was a grass, but didn’t know it grew in water. It’s really quite beautiful.
The water lilies were also stunning.
In addition to the wonderful birds, there were some other wonderful animals. Lions, Elephants, and even a Crocodile.
And in case you were concerned, our little penguin enjoyed Botswana. He liked the fact that there was water everywhere and it would be harder for other creatures to eat him.
The next stop in the journey is Rwanda.