Indicator Birding cc

Mozambique Lite - Northern Itinerary, 2008

Introduction

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Trip Report - Mozambique 2005
Trip Report - Mozambique 2006
Photo-Galleries - Mozambique 2006
Trip Report - Mozambique 2007 (Winter)
Trip Report - Mozambique 2007: 10 Day Summer Trip

As soon as is possible participants will leave and meet up in Musina. Overnight B&B near Musina

Through the border and drive up to Mutare (6 hours). Once there we bird the area around Mutare in the afternoon. Here, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Whyte's Barbet, Scarce and Mottled Swift and Cabanis's Bunting and Spotted Creeper are among the priority birds.

After some early morning birding in the Mutare area, we head through the border post and drive east towards Beira. On arrival in the Beira area, there is an opportunity to re-supply before heading to Rio Savane- a beautiful beach resort on the other side of the Rio Savane River.

Full day birding in and around Rio Savanne. This is one of the most exciting birding areas in Mozambique and offers a host of specials. Top of the list are Locust Finch, Malagasy Pond-heron, Great Bittern, Short-tailed Pipit, Blue Quail and Black-rumped Buttonquail, but the area also offers species such as Mangrove Kingfisher, Plain-backed Sunbird, Mascarene Martin, Magpie Mannikin, Red-throated Twinspot, Wattled Crane, Rufous-bellied Heron, Senegal Lapwing and an assortment of waders.

After a morning session of birding in and around Rio Savanne, we head northwards via Dondo and Muanza. En route good birding will ensure that we arrive at Catapu in the late afternoon or early evening.

Catapu offers the Zambezi river floodplain at Caia, where a host of new birds can be expected including Long-toed Lapwing, Red-necked Falcon and Lesser Jacana. Excellent patches of lowland forest hold East Coast Akalat, White-chested Alethe, Narina Trogon, Woodwards Batis, Narina Trogon, Black-headed Apalis, Slender Bulbul, Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo and Vanga Flycatcher, Livingstones Flycatcher, Violet-backed and Plain-backed Sunbird.

Another full day birding in the Catapu area. Today we visit the Zambezi at Caia and associated wetlands in the area. We head south towards Msasa, which offers excellent Miombo and lowland forest birding. Birds on offer include White-chested Alethe, Red-winged Warbler, Green-backed Honeybird, Plain-backed Sunbird, Little Spotted Woodpecker, East coast(Gunnings) Akalat, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Blue Quail, Barred Owl, Mozambique (Pale) Batis, Mashona and Yellow-breasted Hyliota, Red-throated Twinspot, African Broadbill, Violet-backed Sunbird, Cabanis's Bunting, Black-eared Canary, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, Black and White (Vanga) Flycatcher, Eastern Saw-wing, Ayre's Hawk-Eagle, Slender Bulbul and Miombo Blue-eared Starling.

Early morning departure for Gorongosa to walk up the slopes of the mountain via the shorter western route. The main target of the climb is of course Green-headed Oriole, but it also offers a variety of other good birds including as Orange-winged Pytilia, Variable Sunbird, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Eastern Saw-wing, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Pallid Honeyguide, Moustached Grass Warbler, Singing Cisticola and Anchieta's Tchagra. In the afternoon/evening we take a two hour drive to Gorongosa National Park.

Early morning birding in the excellent miombo woodland near the gate of the Gorongosa National Park. We then head into Mozambique and drive through to Gorongosa NP, arriving in time to bird the excellent woodlands near Gorongosa where Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Speckle-throated Woodpecker are possible.

Walks, under the guidance of local guides are aimed at finding the local specials and these include Swynnerton's Robin, Orange Ground Thrush, Red-faced Crimsonwing, Stripe-cheeked and Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Chirinda Apalis and Briar Warbler. We also visit White Horse Inn, where Whyte's Barbet, Miombo Rock-thrush, Cinnamon-breasted Tit and others occur.

Time permitting we will do some birding in the Masvingo woodlands, where we search for Wood Pipit, Miombo Glossy Starling and others.