We were bursting with excitement for our upcoming trip to Hwange National Park. Neither of us had done any birding in Zim before and we wanted to be as prepared as we could be. As we began our usual pre-birding-trip-prep, we quickly realised this place would be different.
Little did we know that we were about to embark on our greatest birding adventure to date. We flew into Vic Falls Airport and took a seamless transfer to Hideaways Nantwich Lodge. We were immediately struck by the wildness of Zim – vast and open with very few fences. An elephant on the side of the ‘highway’ is not an unusual sight. Once arriving at Nantwich we were greeted by a group of wonderful people with smiling faces, a delicious welcome drink and a refreshing towel. We felt at home straight away.
As we started our tour of the lodge we were immediately struck by the amazing setting. The common area has a gorgeous view of a private dam. We visited in Feb which is considered ‘Green Season’. It was obvious where that name came from. The bush was healthy, vibrantly green and the perfect backdrop for summer birding and photography! We had barely walked into the main area when we noticed the flurry of bird activity all around us. We felt quite overwhelmed as we tried to hold our composure and politely keep eye contact with our smiling host. We became increasingly fidgety when we realised we hadn’t set up our camera. We glanced over to our camera bag regretting not being more prepared. Our stomachs knotted as the birds flitted around the open area in front of us. Daphne must have thought our strange behaviour was due to our long trip and needing some lunch, so she gestured us to a beautifully set-up table and offered us a seat.
We soon settled into a delicious lunch and were surprised with a sunbird landing on the birdbath. It wasn’t one we were immediately familiar with. We grabbed our binoculars for a closer look. No it can’t be…we continued to study the bird. It definitely appeared to be the much sought after Copper Sunbird. Worried that our brains were being clouded by the excitement of a new destination we wanted to be 100% sure. We ran through the other sunbird possibilities. None of those. We were ecstatic to tick off this bird as our first lifer of our trip! A moment later the bird flew off. Kicking ourselves we realised our camera was still sitting in its bag, unused.
Our camera didn’t leave our sides after that!
During our stay, the lodge itself gave us some of our best sightings. So much so that we sometimes struggled to justify leaving the lodge to go on game drives. A resident Pearl-spotted Owlet was regularly seen in the beautiful tree at the entrance to the lodge. It shared its home with an incredibly striking African Golden Oriole (which was another lifer for us), a family of noisy White-browed Sparrow-Weavers and some Purple Indigobirds to name a few. We almost fell off our chairs when a spectacular Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah landed in the grass a few metres in front of us early one morning. We also never got over the beauty of the resident Scarlet-chested Sunbird! African Jacanas relaxed by the small waterhole in front of the lodge, and the birdbath was always busy! Numerous waxbills and canaries visited the unpretentious birdbath regularly, and we also notably spotted a very rare Orange-winged Pytillia!
One of Nantwich’s greatest assets is the large dam directly in front of the lodge. The dam was teaming with birds and other wildlife throughout our stay. The recently built underground hide allows guests to get close to the action. It really creates an immersive experience. It was a real treat settling in with a cup of coffee or an ice cold gin and tonic and just enjoying the incredible scenes. From here we saw amazing waterbirds: herons galore, hundreds of Black-winged Pratincoles, egrets of all sizes and multiple species of noisy ducks. We even had a Little Bittern unexpectedly pop up in front of us amongst the reeds – another memorable lifer!
Hwange itself is a birder’s paradise and Zimbabwe’s biggest national park. With our knowledgeable guide – Julius – we explored the impressive forests of Zambezi teak, productive woodlands and vast savanna grasslands fringed with acacia and leadwood trees. These diverse habitats are home to over 400 bird species. The sounds of Senegal Coucals filled the air, African Crakes burst out of the grasses in front of us and numerous species of bee-eaters filled the sky. Other notable lifers for us were the Black Coucal and Yellow-throated Sandgrouses. Hwange is magic!
We found the numerous waterways particularly exciting. The rivers and dams were full and the waterbirds were in heaven. At a single small pan we often saw close to 10 different species wading and hunting together. Highlights included the stunning Saddle-billed Stork, interesting African Openbill and secretive Greater Painted-snipe.
The night drives were something we really looked forward to each day. Nantwich is located on a private concession which allows you to traverse these areas after the National Park gates close. This gave us a unique opportunity to spot some nocturnal birds such as owls and nightjars. Julius managed to point out a tiny Scops Owl – impressing us with his sharp ears and knowledge of bird calls.
With 120 species seen in just 3 days and lifers aplenty, we left Nantwich with our cups filled. We can’t wait to return one day and see what else this remarkable place has in store for us!
Written by: Tristyn & Kevin Ross
