2-3 May 2019: Kasane

The border crossing into Botswana was slow and tedious, due to a shortage of personnel on the Botswana side. It actually reminded me of the South African border post at Beit Bridge. A custom official inspected Daai Dêng, opened the fridge and the freezer, and then bummed a box of matches off me. Some things just never change.

The Mowana Lodge in Kasane delivered the Collared Palm Thrush, Brown Firefinch and Northern Grey-headed Sparrow. The rocks in the river were searched for the Rock Pratincole, but high water levels may have compelled them to move elsewhere.

Collared Palm Thrush, Kasane

I camped at the Chobe Safari Lodge where families of warthogs walked around the campsite as if they were local domestic pets. At dawn I did my usual walkabout, trying to find new birds. In future, when this Big Year has been completed, it is going to be very difficult not to wake up an hour before sunrise every morning. A boat cruise into the Chobe National Park produced a few Southern Carmine Bee-eaters. I was under the impression that they had already departed north, but it seems they have ignored the information in the bird guides. After doing some shopping in Kasane I headed back over the border into the Caprivi.

Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Chobe NP