23-25 Apr 2019: Kunene River Lodge

I blame the Cape Turtle Dove calling above my camper. It started out this morning with its usual “work harder; work harder”, and I really admire the work ethic of this dove. The only problem is that late this afternoon the call changed to “drink lager; drink lager” and the lager prices at the lodge forced me to dip into my well-nurtured bottle of rum.

It is after sunset, and I am sitting in Daai Deng writing this blog. I have just poured a 50% Captain Morgan and 50% Coke (I am short on Coke), so I transfer all responsibility for the contents of this blog to the Captain. As he is a navy (pirate) Captain, and I am an army Colonel (retired), we have equivalent rank and I cannot order him to take responsibility. (I see that this is going to be a slightly inebriated blog; even the Thesaurus on my laptop cannot determine which word I have spelled). Then again, Ministers of Religion don’t get inebriated, we are only exceptionally blessed with the fruit of the vine.

The manager at the Kunene River Lodge, Branigan, was very helpful in pointing me in the correct direction to find the Cinderella Waxbill. Sunrise found me creeping through the long grass on the western side of the Lodge, only to give numerous Jameson’s Firefinches the fright of their lives. Branigan only told me later that the Cindies, as typically females, like to sleep late and tend to feed when the sun heats up the grass. It took a lodge guide, later the morning, to find me the Cinderella Waxbills a few kilometres east of the lodge. Some Rufous-tailed Palm Thrushes and Bare-cheeked Babblers were ticked in the campsite.

The next morning, all on my lonesome self, and after a bit of a sleep-in, I did manage to find five Cindies enjoying the sunshine on the western side of the lodge.

Cinderella Waxbill, Kunene River Lodge