Today we had a variety of wildlife and plant viewing experiences, starting with a morning game drive where we spotted a steenbok, giraffes, birds, a buffalo carcass, hippos, elephants, zebras, a strangler fig, a baobab tree, a palm tree with a crooked stem, wildebeests, vultures and a sausage-tree.
Steenbok
Giraffe
Gray Go-away-birds (so named for their call)
Buffalo carcass
Marabou Storks and Hooded Vultures
Hippos
Elephants
Zebras
Strangler Fig
Baobab Tree
Palm with crooked stem (the result of competing with the neighboring tree for sunlight)
Wildebeests
Sausage-tree (so named for the appearance of its fruit)
White-backed vultures
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Later in the morning, we took a helicopter ride lasting about 45 minutes over the Okavango Delta. I sat next to the pilot, and there were no doors (??!!). Actually, there were no worries as I was strapped in well. We had sightings of hippos, antelopes, elephants, buffalo and zebras and an aerial view of the Eagle Island Lodge.
Approaching the landing pad
“I could have flown this (yeah, right)…”
African Buffalo
Eagle Island Lodge
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After lunch, we had a few hours of relaxation before our mokoro (canoe) safari. Our tour director informed us that a male lion had been spotted in the area, and we elected to cut the mokoro safari short so we could go out and find him. Still, our excursion was long enough to see lots of elephants as well as a crocodile and an African Fish Eagle.
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We went back to our safari vehicles, and after a short drive we found a male lion along with two females, several cubs and a buffalo carcass (a fresh kill from the morning), giving us lots of photo ops. Our day ended with a barbecue and songs and dances presented by the lodge staff.
The crooked palm framed by a beautiful sunset
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