by Ann & Mike Scott
CRANE SIGHTINGS – Wattled Crane
25/3/15 Hugo Haussmann, (Hubis Tours & Safaris, email hubis@iway.na, www.hubistours.de)
I have been asked to send you my photos from some Wattled Cranes I observed in the Nyae Nyae pans on 25/3/2015. Enjoy!
– Grey Crowned Crane
Nancy Robson, Oshikango (email ner@iway.na, Cell +264 817591304)
10/5/15: Some time ago I was looking at archival reports (not birding) and came across a few reports by Cockie Hahn on areas in Owambo where he had sighted the larger variety of birds in Western Owambo. If interested it may be of interest for someone to follow this up.In about 1966/67 I saw 3 Crowned Cranes about 30+ km west of Oshikango. This was the only time I ever saw them.
– Blue Crane
26/2/15 Paul & Helen Gascoigne (pauldunelark@aol.com) At 11h15 we saw FIVE Blue Cranes near the waterhole at Andoni. In tall grass so unable to see any rings. All adult birds. No chicks. 18/4/15 Immanuel Kapofi (kimmanuel@yahoo.com) Sightings are getting exciting in the Park too. The following are sightings of cranes at Etosha over the last month. 18/4/15 at Charitsaub at 10h30: three birds were counted (1 male, 1 female and 1 chick. Band NHH or HHN) 18/4/15 at Halali flats about 8km before turn off to Halali from Okaukuejo, five birds were sighted 21/4/15 at 10h45 at Fischer’s Pan area, south side two adults birds were sighted Total Birds sighted was 10
29/4/15 Wilferd Versfeld (wversfeld@met.na)
Bad news, I could not find the Charitsaub chick this morning. The Salvadora pair and Charitsaub pair were together at Salvadora at midday but no chick. Three rings NHE, NHF, NHH.
Halali seepage had 4 cranes, NHD and NBN and 2 unringed birds. The two unringed birds are still at Newbrownii. So I saw 10 of the 15 birds today. 10/5/15 John Pallett (john.pallett@saiea.com) Two cranes at Nebrownii 10-11/5/15.
13/5/15 Christo Snyman (email snyman1@iway.na)
I am from the Namibia Bird Club. I thought you may want this information on the two cranes that seem to reside at the Newbrownii waterhole in Etosha. I saw them on 13 and 14/5/15 (also see the photo on page 1). 14/5/15 Neil MacLeod (SafariWise; neil@safariwise.com.na) Two blue cranes at Newbrownii and one at Salvadora with a light green tag, NHF. 17/5/15 Hanjo Böhme (gmbhanjo@iway.na) Have just returned from Etosha. I went to all the memorable spots for Blue Cranes, but unfortunately the yield was rather pathetic with only one ringed crane at Salvadora (I couldn’t see the ring, but most probably NHF, which Neil MacLeod also saw.) No trace of the chick or any other bird. A friend of mine is at the moment up in Etosha; she also saw the Salvadora Bird and another two at Klein Namutoni. From Okaukuejo we went west checking Charl Marais Dam/Ozonjati Mbari and all the waterholes right to Otjovasandu. Nothing at all!
28/7/15 Wilferd Versfeld & Mark Boorman
Mark and I completed the wetland count of Oponono and found our missing cranes, a new total now of 23 in 3 groups close together amongst the homesteads and fences at the far west water. This far west water is full and has a different inflow to the rest of Oponono so the west must have had the late rain; Etosha also had rain in the west. So all is not lost. They were in that area close to the water tanks between the two water bodies; 18.17179S/ 15.70740E. Interesting that we could see only 4 rings and we could not get close.
Ed: See two Google Earth maps on the right (top), which indicate the locality of the above sighting of 23 Blue Cranes at Oponono in July 2015. 25/9/15 Wilferd Versfeld
Had an interesting trip yesterday to Andoni. There are 14 blue cranes on Andoni. Four rings, NHH, NHF, NBZ and NBW, of which the two are the Charitsaub pair (NHH, NHF). NBW has not been seen since 27/9/13, so these birds are hiding somewhere, and NBZ is the Chudop bird. These are not the Oponono birds as these are tame: I could read the rings. 21/10/15: There are now 21 cranes at Andoni. They are NCJ, NCK, NBN, DHN (NHD), NHH, FHN (NHF), NBW and ZBN (NBZ). 8 are ringed, very tame. NHM (Polly 1, the Salvadora bird) is still missing. 7/11/15 Nina Lampel (a very observant tour guide) & Hanjo Böhme I received a little notification from one of the tour guides via a friend, who went up to Andoni yesterday and observed 20 Blue Cranes at the water hole. Seven of those were ringed: NCJ/NHF/NBW/NCR(?)/NCK/NHH/NHD.