October 18 - Damaraland to Palmwag

Damaraland Wilderness Camp, I will not deny it, was not our first choice. There were no specific birds or animals in the area that we were targeting. However it is a wonderful place with tremendous views of a rugged landscape that [to coin a phrase] went on forever. The accommodation, food, service and the quality of staff all combined to insist that it became one of our favourites.

Damaraland View

With little birding to do we ticked the 10 or so species present and enjoyed coffee, scenery, chatting, breakfast and more coffee and took our own sweet time to do just that….

an easy morning at Damaraland Camp

Our departure triggered more singing and dancing; hopefully not as a celebration but a customary send off. It would have been easy to stay.

Damaraland Camp staff

A short drive to our accommodation in Palmwag [pronounced Pal – m – varg] scored a new mammal – Giraffe of the sub species – angolensis. Every mammal in this area seems to deserve the adjective ‘desert’. Se we saw our first desert giraffe.

Soon after arriving at Palmwag we saw our first desert elephant – a lone bull whose presence has determined the placing of warning signs around the camp. And fair enough; as one needs to be made clearly aware of the danger associated with elephants.

lone Bull elephant - our first!

Another new mammal was seen as we lunched by one of the pools; Striped Tree Squirrel.

Warning signs were not just for elephants. Lions nearby had prompted signs as well. Rumour had it that they had been heard roaring near the camp at night.

idiot near lion warning sign

We were also warned that a leopard had been seen within the camp’s compounds the night before our arrival and had been rude enough to take a dog. With all this animal action we had to warn all about taking care in moving around the camp especially at night and never dress up as a dog.

We had planned to take a small walk around the camp but the big cats prevented that so we had to take a brief drive out instead. The dry rocky landscape yielded few birds; Groundscraper Thrush, Rock Thrush, Sabota Lark and, surprisingly, Egyptian Goose, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Blacksmith Lapwing.

Driving back Elago spotted a small bachelor herd of Greater Kudu so we stopped and watched them as they moved down a small slope adjacent to us.

Kudu males

The bird of the day was recorded late in the day, just before our arrival at dinner. A Ruppell’s Parrot flew and landed briefly in one of the large Palms, that gives Palmwag its name. The parrot was seen well by all present.