Day Four. 24 December.
Relocation to Halali camp. Another excellent start to the day - all in the space of twenty minutes, one Black Rhino just outside Okakuojo camp, two Lions dozing under an Acacia nearby, then a pride of eight Lions a few kilometres further, this latter group three lionesses and five small cubs. Then onward to Halali, Blue Crane among the bird highlights, plus a Ludwig's Bustard, a number of Kori Bustards, one Black-bellied Bustard and oodles of Red-crested Korhaans and Northern Black Korhaans. Also plenty of Pale Chanting Goshawks, a couple of Bateleur, two Lanners and other raptors such as Tawny Eagle, Ovambo Sparrowhawk and, in Halali Camp, two Little Sparrowhawks.
Siesta in Halali Camp, tempertures near 40 C again, Bare-cheeked Babblers and Southern White-crowned Shrikes et al seen again, plus Great Spotted Cuckoo and Jacobin Cuckoo. Thereafter an afternoon trip along Etosha Pan - most notable for an amazing thunderstorm brewing in the eastern skies! Just as we encountered an amazing area full of Red Hartebeest, Wildebeest and Zebra, so the skies turned black, violently punctuated by repeated bolts of lightning. Lilac-breasted Rollers and Yellow-billed Hornbills tried to distract, but we were on target for a direct hit with this storm. Being the only metal object on an otherwise open plain, I didn't think this was the most wise place to be. Couple this with the knowledge that I had left my tent without rain flaps down, it seemed a good move to outrun the storm ... and so we did, pulses of rain hammering down, but lightning always a kilometre or so behind, we hightailed the 30 km or so back to camp, arriving minutes before the rain did.
Whole camp without electric, rain also putting pay to fire, no coffee this night! Still, as the rain subsided, five Pearl-spotted Owlets and two Barn Owls found in camp.
Day Five. 25 December.
Christmas Day. No electricity in Halali camp, no possibility to obtain petrol. Decided to drive the 75 km to Namitoni camp to fill up, driving slowly there from dawn, rather more rapidly back in the heat of the day. Perhaps associated with the day before's onset of rain, an apparent influx of Palearctic migrants this day, not least massive flocks of European Swifts, several Lesser Grey Shrikes, quite a number of Hobbies and two separate flocks of Amur Falcons. Adding local African flavour, plenty of other raptors too - Tawny and Wahlsberg's Eagles, two Bateleurs, three Lanner Falcons, a few Yellow-billed Kites, both Rock and Greater Kestrels.
Pretty good for mammals too - four Black Rhino during the morning run, two Lions and, unfortunately frustratingly brief, one Aarkwolf. Good numbers of Hartebeest too, plus Giraffe, Damara Dik-dik, etc etc. Given it was Christmas Day, decided to celebrate by doing a mini 'Big Day', so after a very productive morning drive, adding all the usual finches and other passerines at assorted waterholes , it was welcome indeed to add further species at the Namitoni camp's waterhole such as Maribou Stork and African Spoonbill, as well as Great Spotted Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Hornbill and Grey Go-away Bird in scrub around. Also in the camp, several Banded Mongoose added for the mammal list.
In hot and humid conditions, nothing much added on route back to Halali, but later towards evening a few more bits and bobs, one more Black Rhino, a Yellow Mongoose, Ostriches with newly hatched chick, a couple more Lanner Falcons and assorted passerines such as Capped Wheatear and Spike-heeled Lark. As darkness fell, rounded the day off with yet another Black Rhino and Elephants at the Halali waterhole, flocks of Double-banded Sandgrouse piling in too, Freckled and Rufous-cheeked Nightjars hawking. Back at the tent, Barn Owl and Pearl-spotted Owlet completed the day's species tally - my mini Big Day had netted 113 species of birds, 20 species of mammals.