Monteiro's Hornbill

During a recent visit to Spitzkoppe in Namibia I was sitting in the shade of a tree, waiting for the worst heat of the day to pass.

My camera and binoculars were close at hand as usual, waiting for a bird or two to make the moment even more enjoyable. It was my first visit to this scenic area and I was bowled over by the variety of camping spots on offer in this naturally magnificent park. In fact it was extremely difficult to make up my mind about which spot to choose, as they were getting better as we moved on from one to the next. My choice was finally made easy when I spotted a pair of Augur Buzzards, sitting close by on one of the giant bold granite rocks, and we pitched our tent on the fine white-washed gravel in the middle of a dry riverbed, surrounded by awe-inspiring giant granite outcrops. It was only my second sighting ever of this beautiful bird, and I was given more than enough time to take a number of pleasing photographs.

These magnificent birds of prey look remarkable with their slaty black upper feathers on snow white chests and under parts. What a welcome! Sadly, the entire area was distressingly dry and crying out for rain, which was statistically still a long time away, given the time of the year that we were there. So it is with great appreciation and happiness that I see on weather reports that this part of the country is currently getting good rains.