Today l signed up for a guided walk about wild mushrooms . The walk was conducted by Cathy Sharp , who is a mycologist living in Zimbabwe and has been studying mushrooms all her life . I was looking forward to this as there is seldom access to these type of people and l have always wanted to learn more about mushrooms and their identification .
I was one of about 20 people from all walks of life , and ages , so very diverse group . We walked a short distance through the miombo forests of Harare’s Mukuvisi Woodlands . It is raining this time of the year and the grass is tall and all the plants are green , it is a very humid environment and leaf litter is plentiful on the ground , therefore perfect conditions exist for mushrooms to grow . I probably encountered 25 species in all . Some of them apparently edible , some known to be poisonous , l personally don’t eat wild mushrooms .
Here are some pictures of some of the mushrooms we encountered , there were many others l have yet to identify . The identifications are based on a small booklet that Cathy produced as well as information from the walk .
( The booklet is called : A Pocket Guide to Mushrooms in Zimbabwe ).
Therefore the identifications are open to discussion .
I will add more information in time .
I was very fortunate to get another opportunity to explore the north-western corner of Zambia in November this year .
The trip was planned so as to experience this region in rainy season ( total rainfall is 1500 mm per annum ) and experience the influx of birds , insects and abundance of plant life .
We spent 2 days driving up through from Lusaka , entering the Kafue National Park , which was an exciting first for me and then exiting the north of the park we overnighted at a self catering lodge on the border of the West Lunga National Park , an amazingly wild , pristine park .We could only see into the area from across the …… river .
TRIP REPORT :
2 November 2013 to 13 November 2013
DAY 1
2 NOVEMBER 2013 :
Our trip started from Lusaka , the capital of Zambia , departing at 9h30 in the morning and traveling through Mumbwa , arriving outside the Kafue National Park at about 12h30 , our destination being Mukomba Camp , which is a very rustic self catering facility . We had two vehicles and a trailer .we entered the park through the Nalusanga Gate on the eastern side of the park .
The travelers consisted of myself , Rory McDougall and Doris , the others being Mark , his son, Ben and Ernest ( the maintenance person ) .So six of us in all .
This was a very peaceful setting outside the Kafue Park , but ion the river , so we looked across into the park . We heard lions not very far away when we were there and Rory was lucky enough to drive past a pride that was lying next to the road when they were driving into the camp, late evening . While waiting for Rory to arrive we saw a large bull elephant come down to the river to drink , and browse , he had much larger tusks than l expected fro this area and it was a pleasure to watch him from about thirty metres away browsing in a very relaxed way .
There was an abundance of bird life there , here is a list of some of the birds we saw in the area :(H- heard only )
Striped Kingfisher
Wiretailed Swallow
Red chested Cuckoo(H)
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Black-collared Barbet
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Dark Capped Bulbul
Broad-billed Roller
Half-Collared Kingfisher
Bateleur Eagle
African Paradise Flycatcher
Bar-throated Apalis
Brown-Crowned Tchagra
Willow Warbler
Brubru
Reed Cormorant
African Pied Wagtail
Darter
Hadeda Ibis
African Fish Eagle
Cardinal Woodpecker
Swainsons Spurfowl
Water thick-knee
Open-billed Stork
White-fronted Bee eater
African Finfoot
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DAY 2
3 November 2013 :
This morning we were on a mission to get to the West Lunga National Park boundary , where we planned to sleep at another self-catering facility called Kabompo River Lodge , situated outside the West Lunga National Park , with a great view of the Kabompo River flowing lazily by at that time of the year .
Waking up next to the Kafue River was a treat , great sunrise and crocodiles patrolling the shores looking for opportunities to feed , very active bird life also .
By 7h30 we had departed on our long journey through the Kafue National Park going north . The area is dominated by vast miombo woodlands . We crossed the “Hook Bridge ” over the Kafue River and then signed in at the gate going north through the park from the main road . It had been raining before we arrived and the road was muddy but passable ( fortunately it hadn’t been raining more or it would have been much more difficult to get through the park ) .
We continued north towards the Lufupa area and crossed the Moshi bridge ,which is a collection of planks , some bolted to the main steel frame and most not . Interesting crossing which was actually quite adventurous .
PHOTO OF MOSHI BRIDGE
We then exited the park through the most northerly Kabanga Gate after about 6 hours on the road . The road after this was very hard going , very uneven , we took one hour to cover 20 km . This is where one of the springs from the trailer broke .
Next town along the way that we stopped in was Kasempa , where we were able to get fuel . This was a relief as we didn’t know what the fuel situation was going to be as we became more remote .
Finally arrive at Kabompo River Lodge at about 18h00 ( we left at seven clock the same morning ) . This is a self catering facility that was only geared for sleep over , no kitchen , dining room area was available . Fortunately we were self-sufficient , so this wasn’t a problem .
There wasn’t much opportunity to look around here as it was more of a pit stop on our main journey to Cassins Camp along the West Lunga River.
We heard a wood owl calling from the trees around the lodge , and l had a very brief sighting of a male pennant-winged nightjar .
GREAT VIEW FROM KABOMPO RIVER LODGE LOOKING INTO THE WEST LUNGA NATIONAL PARK over the Kabompo River.
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DAY 3
4 November 2013
We had a cooked breakfast and left Kabompo River Lodge by 8h30 . At this stage we were 717km from Lusaka where our journey started .
This morning we had a chance to observe and hear the birds in the area of the Lodge , here is a list of some of the species we saw or heard .:
Shalows Turaco
Rosss Turaco
White-Backed Night Heron
Wood Owl
Purple-throated Cuckooshrike
African Paradise Flycatcher
Black -backed Puffback
Black Cuckooshrike
Brown hooded Kingfisher
Purple banded Sunbird
Reed Cormorant
White-browed Robin-Chat
Eurasian Swift
Yellow-fronted Tinker Bird
Black collared Barbet
Dark- Capped Bulbul
This trip included many different forms of miombo woodland , tall trees , shorter woodland and about 140 km from our Kabompo overnight spot was the beginning of the Cryptosepalum Forest ( Dominated by Cryptosepalum exfoliatum trees with a dense understory of mosses and creepers )
We stopped in the forest for a bite and a chance to see Perrin’s Bush Shrike , which we heard calling , but were unable to spot it . We did see trilling cisticola . The Bar-winged Weaver and Margret’s Batis could not be found .The mopane bees in this area made the stop very uncomfortable and we eventually moved on after the sheer numbers became unbearable ( these are stingless bees that go for moisture wherever they can find it ) .
After leaving our picnic spot we carried on through to Mwinilunga Town , reaching there at about 10h15 .
The termite mounds we have been seeing are huge , l am not familiar with the species that builds them , but have heard they are one of the Macrotermes sp. , which are the fungus growing termites .
PHOTO OF A MASSIVE TERMITE MOUND COMMON IN THIS AREA OF ZAMBIA ( compare with the house in the background )
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DAY 4
5 November 2013
We wake up at Cassins Camp on the banks of the West Lunga River . What a pleasure to begin the day with a cacophony of bird songs , and the feeling that we are the only ones in the area . Cassins Camp is in the Nkwaji Conservation Area , it is part of a private wildlife estate that is 15 000 hectares in extent . An area dominated by miombo woodlands , but also having Mushitu Forest and open dambo areas thus allowing for a tremendous amount of diversity of species whether plant , bird or mammal .
The variety of bird calls is too much for me to assimilate and l just enjoy the scenery with the tall riverine trees and the mist . Dew covers the ground with a white carpet . Rory tells me l can hear the bamboo warbler calling ( which he describes as a person sewing away on an old style sewing machine ) , as well as the Rosss turaco , Trilling cisticola . l recognize the call of the Narinas Trogon coming from the woodlands behind camp. We eagerly grab our cameras and bird calls and track it down , within minutes it is circling us and we get a chance to see and photograph this jewel of a bird . I spent quite a long time photographing various species of butterflies that are constantly patrolling the shoreline of the river .
Today is spent checking the small boat and 3 seater canadian style canoe that belongs to the camp .
One of the primary goals of the trip is to establish whether the West Lunga River can be safely explored from a canoe . This turned out to be much more enjoyable than l had anticipated . The water at this time of the year is quite low , so l imagine the current would be a lot stronger in the rainy season (from October to April ) . This area has an average per annum rainfall of at least 1374 mm (54 inches ).We also drove to an area downstream where the game scouts had mentioned a possible exit site for the canoes . It is not easy to exit at random as the trees and bank are mostly very high .
By ten o clock in the evening l am in bed , after a very satisfying day exploring the area . The loud calling of various frog species to send me off to sleep . The diversity of frogs is incredible , with 56 species having being identified from Hillwood Estate , which is the sister property to Nkwaji and about 90 minutes drive northwest of our position .
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DAY 5
6 November 2013
This morning we woke up to the usual misty scenery and the West Lunga River gently flowing past . A cup of tea with friends and the ever present bird chorus starts a great day . This morning we get the canoe and safety boat ready for an expedition upstream . We leave after breakfast , slowly dragging the canoe behind the boat . On the way up we see a green snake crossing the river, which disappears before we can identify it and further up a large water monitor lizard rushes across the river . There are hippos and crocodiles in the river somewhere. We never know what to expect around the next corner . The West Lunga flows into the Kabompo River which itself carries on into the Zambezi River .
Being on the river here is simply stunning .
We spot a pair of Cassins Grey Flycatchers in a very localised area and closer inspection reveals a nest , which has two eggs in it , on a log overhanging the water .This is about one kilometre upstream from camp .Im looking forward to canoeing past it on th way down so l can get a closer look at the nest and maybe a photo of the eggs .
Many of the trees in this area have large ferns on them and many different species of orchid are to be found without much effort .
The canoe trip back to camp was very leisurely and took about 2 magical hours .
This is a list of the birds seen and heard on from the boat and canoe trip :
Shalows Turaco
Malachite Kingfisher
African Jacana
Openbilled Stork
Greenbacked Heron
Grey-winged Robin-chat (H)
Zitting Cisticola
European Bee eater
Stonechat
Cape Wagtail
Red Faced Cisticola (H)
Yellow-throated Leaf -Love
Tawny -flanked Prinia
Large Golden Weaver
Flappet Lark (H)
Marsh Whydah
Blue-cheeked Bee eater
Black-crowned Tchagra (H)
European Swallow
Croaking Cisticola (H)
Broadbilled Roller
Fawn-breasted Waxbill
Rosss Turaco
Schalows Turaco
Cassins Grey Flycatcher (Nest and Eggs )
Yellow-fronted Tinker bird
Yellow-billed Duck
Black Duck
Greenbul Honeyguide
Bateleur Eagle
Afep Pigeon
West African Thrush (H)
Striped Cuckoo
Emerald Cuckoo
Terrestrial Brownbul
Cabaniss Greenbul
Red Chested Cuckoo (H)
Lizard buzzard (H)
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DAY 6
7 November 2013
This m0rning we are going to see the source of the great Zambezi River , this has a special attraction for me as l have been living and working on the Zambezi most of my adult life and to see where it all begins is awesome . I have been here before a few years ago when l first came up with Rory to survey his camp site ,it has a mystical feeling about it as it flows through the narrow stream in the forest . This is a place that has to be experienced at some time in your life .
The Chitunta Plains are a unique area which is renowned as a place to find Grimwoods Longclaw , Black and Rufous Swallow (at the right time of the year ) and Angola Lark that perch on the termite mounds that pock mark the open plains . Here are some pictures showing the open grasslands and the abundant termite mounds ( Cubitermes species )
ETHIOPIA TRIP REPORT
From 27 December 2012 to 8 January 2013 A friend and l travelled to Ethiopia for 13 days .
We booked the trip with A&K , who provided a private guide throughout the trip . The entire trip was 12 days duration , the last day being a return flight to Harare and Milan as we parted company .
I had heard many times from various people who had travelled to and lived in Ethiopia that it is a must see , must do experience and was intrigued to find out more . The opportunity came up in December and E and myself decided to go for it and have a completely unique experience .
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DAY 1: 27 December 2012
We arrive at 7 o clock in the morning at Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport , landing in the capital which is Addis Ababa having flown in from Milan , on Ethiopian Airlines .
Addis Ababa is the fourth highest capital city in the world and lies at around 7726 feet above mean sea level ( 2355 metres ) .
Upon arrival we were met by a representative from Kibran Tours and driven to the Sheraton Hotel . After settling in at the hotel we were taken on a tour of Addis Ababa . This included visits to :
– The Ethnographic Museum
– Trinity Cathedral
– The National Museum
Overnight : Sheraton Hotel
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DAY 2 : 28 December 2012
This morning we flew from Addis Ababa to Gondar .
From Gonder we took a pontoon boat across Lake Tana to Bahir Dar , stopping along the way to look at some monasteries on the islands in the lake . Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile , as well as being the largest Lake in Ethiopia covering an area of 2156 Km .
Places visited include :
Gondar :
-Gondarine castles
Lake Tana :
– Many birds
Monasteries :
– Ura Kidane Mihret
– Azua Mariam
Source of the Blue Nile River
Overnight : Town of Bahir Dar , at Kuriftu Resort , which is on the shore of Lake Tana
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DAY 3: 29 December 2012
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DAY 4 : 30 December 2012
Drive from Gondar to Simien Mountains National Park , which is a distance of approximately 125 Km and can take up to 4 hours .
The Simien Mountains National Park is 190 km square and achieved world heritage status in 1978
Some of the species we saw here are :
MAMMALS :
Gelada baboon
Walia Ibex
BIRDS :
PLANTS :
Overnight : Siemien Lodge (3260 metres , highest lodge in Africa )
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DAY 5 : 31 December 2012
Great day in Simien Mountains National Park .
The scenery is stunning , the air a bit thin and the experience quite unique .
Today we were driven from Simien Lodge to a campsite further inside the park , called Chenek . This is a place where there are regular sightings of Walia Ibex . We saw them first across a valley at about 500 metres , but then were rewarded with a much closer look later on at another location , there was one below us moving in the open.
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DAY 6 : 1 January 2013
Today we were driven from the Simien Mountains National Park returning to Gondar .
Overnight : Goha Hotel ( Gondar )
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DAY 7 : 2 January 2013
We flew Ethiopian Airlines from Gondar to Lalibela
Article about Zambia safaris and Paul Grobler guiding
Good article in USA travel publication ‘ Travel+leisure ‘ about Zambia safaris and my ( Paul Grobler ) guiding
Hi all ,
having being on the Zambezi River for at least three quarters of my working life , l have been very priveleged to gain an insight into this area . The last 15 years or so have been closely associated with the great Zambezi River from Kariba town down to Kanyemba town on the Mozambique border , as well as Ruckomechi Camp on the western boundary of the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe . Chiawa Camp has been my home for the last eight safari seasons , this is located across from the Mana Pools in the Lower Zambezi National Park , Zambia .
I would like to share what this area has to offer from the point of view of what l do here from week to week . I feel truly priveleged to have access to this awesome wildlife spectacle on a daily basis .
So please join me on a journey of discovery and insight into all aspects of a truly unique and breathtaking wilderness sanctuary .