Crowned Cranes -- Adventure Birding in Zambia

Crowned Cranes with Saudi Expats Karen and Dave, and the E Learning King of the Luangwa Valley, our fellow long term Flat Dogs camper Sasha.

Ok,you say, what is 'Adventure Birding?' Well, for us it was getting out of the vehicle in a game management area where lions and leopards and hippos and such are free to roam. Taking a risk that buffalo might happen up and not like the idea of people being in there space.... For us, that is a real adventure and got our heart beating faster than the normal fo sho.

We were fortunate to be invited on two afternoon game drives with fellow Flat Dog Campers in order to search for the Crowned Cranes at the Kalawani Pan in the Game Management Area across the River from South Luangwa National Park.

The crowned cranes are called kalawani because of the sound they make when they are
calling to one another.

There was a very large group of about 150 crowned cranes moving about on the area. They
have several very distinctive calls they make to each other. We got to sit and enjoy them
for quite some time before they began to fly off to roost in the trees for the evening.

They would leave in groups of 15-30 at a time crying "kalawani,kalawani" according to
Sasha.

We sincerely want to thank Sasha and the British couple for this unique experience!



While there listening to the haunting calls of the large flock of cranes and other sounds we were pleased to see Zebra come into the area.


We also enjoyed sighting a Goliath Heron the day we went with Dave and Karen in their Land Rover, and two Maribou storks during our sundowner with Sasha.



The Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda, according to Sasha, but we were quite awed to see it in Zambia. What an amazing bird! What a real rare gift to see a flock and hear their haunting calls..... We are so thankful!

Looking for Lions in the Game Management Area, Mfuwe

Mike took us on a very impromptu but interesting trip into what has become our neighborhood, the Game Management Area that surrounds Flatdogs Camp!

Below Mike practices his Safari Guide skills by testing the temparature of elephant dung in order to judge how long ago it passed. Ewwwweeeee.

No lions found that morning near Flatdogs, but much interesting game and scenery. In fact, the lions could easily have been very close but we were unable to see them.

Mike Waterland -- A Land Rover Safari, "Off Roaaad!"

As always, we are meeting many unique and interesting travelers here in Africa. Earlier in the week we had the pleasure of meeting Mick, an intrepid traveler who is also an English university level sports instructor and referee with a zoology degree. We spend several nights learning about his extensive travels, and had lots of laughs.

Mick's tent was near ours, and day before yesterday another tenter joined us, this one arriving in his very own Land Rover Defender.

Pictured below are, L to R, Mick, Mike, Laura


Mike Waterland has been working in Malawi with Born Free, a conservation organization founded by actors from the famous movie. This was Mike's third trip to the South Luangwa National Park area, and he said at this time of the year he could make the drive from the capital of Malawi where he has been living in 5 or 6 hours!

Mike had stayed at another lodge on his first trip, but this time he returned to Flatdogs where he had stayed with his girlfriend Lillian back in the rainy season. We met Mike at the bar and jokingly said we would be glad to be his road crew on his safari game drives into the park in case he got stuck, and since we did not have a vehicle and we loved to go off road in our own Global Warmer II. Next day we did not see much of Mike since he went on the Flatdog's early morning and night game drives. He did give Robert a lift into town to get some kerosene, called parafin, for our stove.

Next morning the camp workers reported seeing lions right on the 100 yard or so "ramp" that leaves from the main road into Flatdogs Camp. Flatdogs and Mfuwe are surrounded by a Game Management Area just across the Luangwa river from South Luangwa River National Park. Mike had not seen lions on any of his many safari's into SLNP, and he wanted to drive out to look for them. He offered for us to join him, and thus began a real adventure for us, riding with Mike in his personal Land Rover Defender!

Mike is considering adding Safari Guide to his resume, and he discussed with us considerations as if we were his clients. In three game drives with him we saw many amazing sights, and had lots of laughs. Great fun to go with someone with so many safari's under his belt in numerous countries.

We would rec him to anyone who wants a guide!