Birding and Bird Ringing in Zimbabwe: Bumi Hills

I recently got to spend three wonderful days at Bumi Hills, on Lake Kariba.

The view from Bumi Hills lodge was quite spectacular. In fact, most of the scenery around Bumi Hills was pretty excellent.

View of the bay from Bumi Hills harbour

A HDR image of the sunrise

Animal viewing was great, with elephants and hippos very close, plus plenty of other game. We even had Lion on the first afternoon!

On the same game drive as the Lion sighting, we also spotted a baby Impala wriggling on the ground. As we drove closer, it got up and ran off, and in the other direction a big python slithered away. What a sighting! Unfortunately, too dark for any reasonable photographs...

The birds were particularly good at Bumi. With all the rain, there were puddles of water all over the place, especially on the open floodplain areas.

At the lodge itself were some great birds including White-backed Vulture, Bateleur, Jacobin Cuckoo, African Barred Owlet, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, African Golden Oriole, Ashy Flycatcher, Retz's Helmet-shrike and nesting Red-winged Starling.
One night we had 100mm of rain! The next morning a very soggy bird was on the lawn outside - a Common Swift. I was amazed at the size of the bird, having never seen one in the hand.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Crested Barbet

Bateleur flying past Bumi Hills

Waterbirds were excellent; White-breasted and Reed Cormorants, African Darter, Black, Green-backed and Goliath Herons, African Openbill, Saddle-billed Stork, Glossy Ibis, African Spoonbill, Spur-winged Goose, African Fish-eagle, Common Ringed Plover, White-crowned Lapwing, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Water Thick-knee, Grey-headed Gull and Whiskered and White-winged Terns were all seen, plus some others.

Green-backed Heron

Reed Cormorants, with White-crowned Lapwing in the background

African Darter

African Fish-eagle

Other good birds around the Bumi area included Crested Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, White-throated Swallow, Eastern Nicator, Long-billed Crombec, Red- and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, White-browed Sparrow-weaver and Green-winged Pytilia.