Driving through soggy land from Chimbwi Airstrip to the boat channel |
Road from Chimbwi Airstrip (S11 58.0/E030 15.4) |
Landcruiser on the flat grassland at the edge of the Bangweulu Swamps |
Guide from the Kasanka Trust which operates Shoebill Island Camp |
Mokoros - wooden dugout canoes used in the wetlands of Southern Africa |
The waters of the Bangweulu are part of the upper Congo River basin |
Grass hut of the local people at the edge of the swamp |
The wetlands extending southwards from Lake Bangweulu cover up to 15,000 square km, roughly the size of Connecticut |
Lily pads in the Bangweulu Swamps |
Lily, Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps with white puffy clouds |
Lily covered open water of the Bangweulu Swamps |
It's takes around 45 minutes by boat from the edge of the swamp to Shoebill Island Camp |
The local people of Bangweulu Swamp get around by mokoro |
Local fishermen on mokoros, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian on a mokoro, Bangweulu Swamps |
A family of 5 in a mokoro, Bangweulu Swamps |
The fisherman are clearing an area of lilies to place their nets |
Fishermen on mokoros preparing to set their nets |
Bangweulu - "Where the water sky meets the sky" |
Safe arrival at Shoebill Island Camp |
Shoebill Island Camp - not luxury (but you wouldn't know it by the price...) |
Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) |
Zambia10 1147.jpg |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
A short nature walk around Shoebill Island |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Hut on the edge of Shoebill Island |
Mokoro, Shoebill Island |
Fisherman, Bangweulu Swamps |
Fisherman, Bangweulu Swamps |
Native hut near Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Fish trap |
The tiny fish they catch in the traps |
African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) in flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) in flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Heading back to camp, Shoebill Island |
Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris), member of the Shrike family |
Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Ralph, our fearless leader |
Ralph, Mosi-model |
Canoe on a shallow channel leading to the camp |
Sunset with a flock of birds, Shoebill Island |
Sunset, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunset, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunset, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
A tiny frog enjoying our toilet |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Sunrise, Shoebill Island, Bangweulu Swamps |
Tent at Shoebill Island Camp |
Shoebill Island Camp, Bangweulu Swamps |
Shoebill Island Camp, Bangweulu Swamps |
The polers heading for the boats |
Morning excursion by boat to seek the elusive Shoebill |
The boat launch area at Shoebill Island |
Lily, Bangweulu Swamps |
These larger boats are quite a bit more comfortable and stable than mokoros |
Reed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Ibis (Sacred or Glossy) in flight over the Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Poler from the Kasanka Trust |
Chicken coop of a local family of swamp dwellers |
Chickens, Bangweulu Swamp |
Children of the Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Zambian boy, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian boys, Bangweulu Swamps |
Mokoro in a shallow channel by a grass hut, Bangweulu Swamps |
Native hut, Bangweulu Swamps |
It mustn't be an easy life living here |
Zambian children, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian children, Bangweulu Swamps |
Huts of the inhabitants of the Bangweulu on a small channel |
Zambian children, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian children, Bangweulu Swamps |
The channel got so narrow and shallow that the polers had to get out and push |
Channel in the Bangweulu Swamp too small for our boat to float |
Nicole |
Me and Reinhold |
Pushing the boat through the swamp |
The Zambian Air Force |
Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in flight over the Bangweulu Swamps |
Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in flight over the Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian poler |
...looks like a lot of work... |
Flock of Spur-winged Geese (Plectropterus gambensis), Bangweulu Swamps |
Another section too shallow |
...but apparently the guides are sure the shoebills are in this direction... |
Lilies, Bangweulu Swamp |
Taking a break |
Kasanka Trust guide looking for shoebills |
...sorry...wattled crane... |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Looking for the shoebill |
...maybe over here... |
Boat from Shoebill Camp, Bangweulu Swamp |
Ralph & Christian, Stephanie & Johannes |
Large flock of Spur-winged Geese in flight (Plectropterus gambensis), Bangweulu Swamps |
Reed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus) in flight over the Bangweulu Swampsin flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
The guides go off on foot to look for shoebill while we wait |
Off on foot through the swamp to find a shoebill |
Not the easiest terrain to wade through |
Guides dragging a boat through the swamp grass towards where they said they found some shoebills |
...hope it's worth it... |
Mannix and Rhoda, the manager from Kasanka Trust who came along |
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) in flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Shoebills are especially prized by birders |
There were two, but luckily only one flew away |
Hiking/Wading through the Bangweulu Swamp |
One of our boatmen from Shoebill Island Camp |
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia |
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia |
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia |
The main season is from May to August when Shoebills can usually be seen on canoe trips |
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia |
He was very cooperative and let us get fairly close |
Shoebill with its mouth open |
Another large flock of geese passing overhead |
Christian and Ralph wading through the swamp |
Reinhold, Nicole, Johannes and Stephanie didn't feel up to wading through the swamp for a bird... |
Don't they all look so dry... |
Wimps! |
Zambia10 1419.jpg |
Mokoro, an African canoe dug out of a single log |
Another shallow section to walk around |
The guides were able to get the boats across the shallow part without us in them |
Poler posing |
Zambian boatman |
The kids we saw earlier in a mokoro |
Kids from the huts we passed earlier |
Boys in a mokoro, Bangweulu Swamps |
Girl poling a mokoro with her little brother |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Boys with bamboo poles in front of their grass hut, Bangweulu Swamps |
Boy with bamboo poles in front of their grass hut, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian boys, Bangweulu Swamps |
Zambian boys, Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Zambia10 1453.jpg |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bird landing on a lily pad, Bangweulu Swamps |
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Little Bee-eaters (Merops pusillus), Bangweulu Swamps |
African Openbilled Stork (Anastomus lamelligerus) |
Lily flower and lily pad, Bangweulu Swamps |
Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Sky and Water - Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Heading back to Shoebill Island Camp |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Sky and Water - Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Lily, Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Swamp Dog (Sandy?) riding on the back of a mokoro |
Bangweulu Swamps, Zambi |
Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Wattled Cranes (Bugeranus carunculatus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Wattled Cranes (Bugeranus carunculatus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Wattled Cranes (Bugeranus carunculatus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Fair-weather cumulous clouds over the Bangweulu Swamp |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Cloud over the swamps |
Open-billed stork (Anastomus lamelligerus) in flight over the Bangweulu Swamps |
Evening, Bangweulu Swamps |
Silhouette of the polers after sunset, Bangweulu Swamps |
Silhouette of the polers after sunset, Bangweulu Swamps |
Nicole and Reinhold |
Full moon over the Bangweulu Swamp, Zambia |
Second sunrise at Shoebill Island Camp |
Morning of our departure from Shoebill Island Camp |
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The scenery and sites are fantastic but they really could do so much more with this camp... |
Canoes at Shoebill Island Camp |
Last boat ride - back to the airport |
Early morning, Bangweulu Swamps |
Early morning, Bangweulu Swamps |
Bangweulu Swamps |
Reed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus), Bangweulu Swamps |
Reed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus), Bangweulu Swamps |
African Openbilled Stork (Anastomus lamelligerus), Bangweulu Swamps |