Lagoon Camp: Jack Stephens

Botswana

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:55:01 GMT

]]>The yellow marks are where photos of our trip were taken.

Carmine Bee-eater

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:12 GMT

]]>There were three colonies of Carmine Bee-eaters near the Lagoon Camp. I estimated the total number around 1,500 birds.

Carmine Bee-eater

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>They dig burrows in river banks for nesting. The ground they nest in must be just right; soft enough that they can dig the burrow, but not so oft that the burrow will collapse.

Carmine Bee-eater

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:12 GMT

]]>Large numbers were seen in early morning as they emerge from their burrows. During the day they spread out to hunt individually.

Carmine Bee-eater

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:01:04 GMT

]]>With their boyant flight and stunning colors, it is easy to list them as a favorite bird.

Elephant skull

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Hyenas have jaws powerful enought to break bones of the remains of most animals. Even they cannont handle an elephant skull, and we saw several on our game drives.
The opening you see here is were the trunk attaches. The eye sockets are on each side. There is a theory that the story of the cyclops arose from ancients seeing skulls like this one. They thought that the trunk opening was a single eye socket, hence the legend.

African Jacana

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Nice looking bird, but check out those toes! They allow the jacana to walk on lily pads without sinking, allowing them to access a feeding ground off limits to most other birds.

African Hawk-Eagle

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>The African Hawk-Eagle is a member of the accipiter family, that mainly prey on other birds. It is large enough that it can also handle mammals such and hares and squirrels.

Spotted Hyena with cubs

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:12 GMT

]]>Nobody likes hyenas. Lions are regal, cheetahs are famously fast, and leopards are just cool. Hyenas are the "bad boys' of the Africn carnivores. In the Lion King film, they are the sneering henchmen of the evil lion Scar.
We saw these 1-2 week old cub at their den. Watching their mother nuzzel and play with them, it was hard to get the nasty reputation to fit. They are just living their life like other animals, and as scavengers they perform a valuable function by cleaning up what other predators leave behind

African Fish Eagle

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>The most common raptor seen on our trip was the African Fish Eagle. They look a lot like our Bald Eagle, but are not closely related.

African Green Pigeon

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Pigeons and doves of different species were commonly seen on our trip, and all but this one are camoflages with earth tones. This guy stand out with its yellow-green plumage and red beak.

Our room at camp

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>A on-line review listed the accommodaations at the camp as "basic". This is a basic I could live with easiy, thanks very much!

Elephant

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Female elephant checking us out. The term "pachyderm" means thick-skinned, it is hard to believe that they are actually sensitive to the sun.

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:44:53 GMT

]]>Termites will occasionally leave their mound in large numbers, attracting a wide variety of birds. These Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills are chowing down on a termite brunch.

Elephant herd

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>A fair-sized herd of elephants. It is very hard to get a good look at the babies, they are always so close to their mothers or other adult females.

Cool morning game drive

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Mornings could be surpisingly cold, especially since the afternoons would get up into the 90's every day. These ponchs supplied by the guides were lined and kept us cosy until things warmed up.

Hippo

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Many hippos were seen on game drives where ever the water was deep enough. Note how the ears, eyes and nostrils are all above water level, an obvious adaption to their lifestyle.

Lion kill near camp

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>This male lion brought down this buffalo just a short distance from our camp. Males often hunt alone, it is hard to imagine a single lion taking on a animal as large as the Cape buffalo. The lions in this part of Africa are known for their black manes.

Lion cub

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>This young lion was resting with its mother under a tree during the heat of the day. You can still see some spotting on the fur of its front leg, the remains of the much more striking pattern when it was younger.

Long-toed Lapwings

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:13 GMT

]]>Lapwings are shorebirds related to the plovers. Like the plovers, they have relatively short beaks and forage on the surface instead of probing into the mud. Unlike plovers, they have given up on camoflaged plumage on a much snappier look.

Vinny and Spencer

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:14 GMT

]]>Unique in our experience, the guides on our trip drove, while the spotter (also called a tracker) would sit in the front of the vehicle. They could get an elevated view there, and could scan the road for animal tracks.

White-fronted Bee-eater

jackstephens.edmonds@gmail.com (Jack Stephens) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:12:14 GMT

]]>There is no such thing as a plain looking bee-eater. These White-fronted Bee-eaters were not as numberous as the Carmine Bee-eaters, so they were a treat to find in good light.