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Little Vumbura – January 2014

January 7, 2014 Southern Africa Bush Tails

Climate and Temperature
The hot season is officially upon us. The mornings are still chilly, but this is short-lived as the mid-morning sun tends to thaw the ‘fridge’ and make life much more uncomfortable to the point that our guests have started using the pool already. The minimum temperatures are generally around 18 degrees Celsius with maximum average of 38 degrees.

Mammals
The elephant in camp are the main attraction, with many bulls arriving for the sweet fruits of the marula trees. A family of kudu were also found prancing between the trees in camp, following close behind a troop of baboons who have the advantage of height and are known to alert all around them to any predator activity.

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Lion have been spotted on their kills a number of times this month. Leopard have been around as well as the animated wild dog and laughing hyaena. In general, sightings have been exciting this month, so that all our guests saw all of the above, and some even got to see kills.
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One of our experienced guides was on a drive when he spotted several oxpeckers flying from a beautiful baobab tree. He told his guests that in all likelihood this activity meant that buffalo are in the area. Sure enough, as they followed the birds, they drove right into a large herd of buffalo.

They followed the buffalo for a while and came across the incredible spectacle of a leopard sleeping in a tree with a kill. Experience proves to be everything; brilliant knowledge and skill was rewarded tenfold by that amazing experience.

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The crocodiles are still seen around the many channels of the Delta and they create lots of excitement among the guests.

Birdlife
As always, the magnificent Kwedi Concession is phenomenal when it comes to birdlife. Around Little Vumbura Camp there have been many different species spotted including malachite and pied kingfisher, green-backed heron, pygmy goose, African jacana, red-billed teal and African crake.

An uncommon species that was found during a drive was a beautiful striped kingfisher, and although the migratory woodland kingfishers have left the Okavango, some have remained behind. Many common scimitarbills are also found in the camp, along with their cousins the green wood-hoopoe. Bearded woodpeckers are also heard and seen knocking on the trees in the surrounds. Another unusual spot was the white-browed coucal which was found rummaging through the bushes outside Tent 3.

Vegetation
As usual Little Vumbura Camp, being on an island, is surrounded by the most beautiful vegetation. Magnificent African mangosteen trees are always in full bloom, as are the sausage trees and sycamore figs. The large feverberries also make for a different shade of light green. As mentioned earlier, the marula trees attract many different creatures, small and large. The famous sausage trees are equally as impressive, with their magnificent large fruits hanging for all to see, and these in particular attract the Meyer’s parrot, which enjoy ripping the hard flesh apart.

Staff in Camp
Managers: Alex Alufishaa, Johan Von Backstrom, Kabelo Tebape and Ryno 
Guides: Madala Kay,Sevara and Sam