11 October - Sossuvlei to Swakopmund

morning view from our desert lodge looking west towards a dune sea of the Namib

Again a lengthy drive through some amazing desert scenery with some birding enroute. Our departure point today was east of the dune sea, perhaps some 60km from the sea in a direct line. Our destination was on the coast itself; Walvis Bay and then north to Swakopmund. The drive would be some 400 kilometres and we would take nearly six hours.

Lunch packs were taken and they were quite good save one criticism - When we arrived at our lodge they celebrated the fact by presenting us with named plastic water bottles that could be refilled. They showed us stations where filtered water could be obtained. And then finally they gave us lunch packs with 'normal' water bottles.

our lodge in the early morning light

Soon after leaving our lodge we started encountering small groups of Ruppell's Khorhaan - a species that was invisible the day before. Ludwig's Bustard, a larger and clearly rarer specie, was also seen.

Ruppell's Korhaan

Ruppell's Korhaan

Ruppell's Korhaan

Ruppell's Korhaan

Ludwig's Bustard

Ludwig's Bustard

Chat Flycatcher

our first view of Mountain Zebra -  a herd of some 35 plus animals - obviously at quite a distance

Scenery enroute - here metamorphic rock [formerly sedimentary] has been folded with the layers being exposed at the earth's surface.

another perspective

Mike among the mountains

vista of our lunch stop - it was cooler here than it looks as we approached the coast with its cooling cold water currents.

Sociable Weavers' nest

Sociable Weavers' nest

Sociable Weavers' nest

our picnic stop on a dried up river course

the sunlit plains extended...

Greater Flamingoes at Walvis Bay

Cape Wagtail

Birding at Walvis Bay

White fronted Plover

BIRD OF THE DAY! Black chested Snake Eagle