New holiday, new pictures. During Christmas and New Year the office was closed for a few weeks. A nice opportunity for me to go and explore the north of Malawi. The planning was to spend most of my time in the north of Malawi watching birds. Especially in the Livingstonia area, since I was there all by myself. No-one I could annoy with my habit of turning around in the middle of a conversation or standing still at a tree for ages just because I heard something.
But turned out I got a little bit disappointed. While I expected a bird-walhalla in the hills of Livingstonia. It was quiet, to quiet. Turned out my timing of coming to Livingstonia was a bit unfortunate. Because of the time of year most birds had left the area. Bummer, didn’t think of that.
But while there was almost no bird to hear or see, I did find a new way to entertain myself. While the birds all had left the area, the butterflies most certainly did not. Everywhere I looked, I saw the most amazing and beautiful butterflies. So I took my camera and tried to shoot them instead of their feathered, well friends I wouldn’t call them I guess.
To be honest, I am not that familiar with the species of the butterflies I captured on camera. That is something to focus on in the future. But the pictures are beautiful! And lucky me, on one of my longer walks I still did find a place with a lot of birds. I have to say I found that place completely on accident. I was going for another destination, but due to my talent to forget to pay attention to where I am going and completely lose my way, I ended up at a lovely stream and fields somewhere in the rural area. Thanks to the locals and my GPS (I always have that with me, I have some self-knowledge) I had one of the most beautiful hikes in Malawi. With some amazing birds like the African Cuckoo and Narina’s Trogon (last one only by hearing).
The other places I have been were Thunduzi beach, close to Livingstonia at the lake and Nkhata bay, a bit further to the south. Especially our lodge in Nkhata bay (the Butterfly lodge) had an amazing bird life. Which did my friends wonder why it took me more than an hour to go to the toilet early in the morning and why I needed my binoculars and camera at a toilet. The answer to that was quite simple. That toilet cabin was one of the best birding huts I have ever seen! An amazing view over the tree tops and the lake and, in case you had to go, the toilet was nearby.
But turned out I got a little bit disappointed. While I expected a bird-walhalla in the hills of Livingstonia. It was quiet, to quiet. Turned out my timing of coming to Livingstonia was a bit unfortunate. Because of the time of year most birds had left the area. Bummer, didn’t think of that.
But while there was almost no bird to hear or see, I did find a new way to entertain myself. While the birds all had left the area, the butterflies most certainly did not. Everywhere I looked, I saw the most amazing and beautiful butterflies. So I took my camera and tried to shoot them instead of their feathered, well friends I wouldn’t call them I guess.
To be honest, I am not that familiar with the species of the butterflies I captured on camera. That is something to focus on in the future. But the pictures are beautiful! And lucky me, on one of my longer walks I still did find a place with a lot of birds. I have to say I found that place completely on accident. I was going for another destination, but due to my talent to forget to pay attention to where I am going and completely lose my way, I ended up at a lovely stream and fields somewhere in the rural area. Thanks to the locals and my GPS (I always have that with me, I have some self-knowledge) I had one of the most beautiful hikes in Malawi. With some amazing birds like the African Cuckoo and Narina’s Trogon (last one only by hearing).
The other places I have been were Thunduzi beach, close to Livingstonia at the lake and Nkhata bay, a bit further to the south. Especially our lodge in Nkhata bay (the Butterfly lodge) had an amazing bird life. Which did my friends wonder why it took me more than an hour to go to the toilet early in the morning and why I needed my binoculars and camera at a toilet. The answer to that was quite simple. That toilet cabin was one of the best birding huts I have ever seen! An amazing view over the tree tops and the lake and, in case you had to go, the toilet was nearby.
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