On January 21, 1999, I found myself winging my way Northward from Lanseria on January 21. My birding partner was BBD buddy Graham Deverell. Our Pilot and guide for the trip was John Matterson, who has been flying people to remote wilderness destinations for 25 years. He knows Southern Africa like nobody else, and has seen more Pel’s Fishing Owls than anyone I know!

Overall we recorded over 270 species – which included most of the birds we hoped to see. Notable sightings included: Boulder Chat, Bat Hawk, Raquet-tailed Roller, Dickinson's Kestrel, Black Eagle, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Three Banded Courser , Bronzewinged Courser, Dwarf Bittern, Lesser Gallinule, Corncrake, Thickbilled Cuckoo, Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Black and Senegal Coucal, Barred Owl, Pel's Fishing Owl, Carmine Bee-eater, Broadbilled Roller, Monotonous Lark, Mosque Swallow, European and African Golden Oriole, Grey Penduline Tit, Thrush Nightingale, Olivetree Warbler, Dusky Lark, Stierlings Barred Warbler, Tree Pipit, Redbilled HelmetShrike, Miombo Doublecollared Sunbird, Cuckoo Finch, Arnot's Chat and Goldenbacked Pytilia. We dipped out on Ayre's Eagle (seen twice by others at Senuko), African Crake (seen by Jonathan) and Striped Crake, (present at Jacana Lodge) ! We also failed to find the Whitebacked Night Heron at Limpopo Camp.

Destination one was Senuko Lodge, in the Save Valley Conservancy. After clearing immigration at Buffalo Range near Chiredzi a short flight brought us down on the runway at Seunko. We were met by Jonathan – a young chap who has just joined the staff and is a very keen (and accomplished) birder. A soaring Lesser Spotted Eagle was our first tick, and as we headed for the Lodge, we heard the rapid call-note of Stierling’s Barred Warbler.

Save Valley Conservancy is situated in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe. It is a huge conservation area, and the Senuko Ranch section includes rocky outcrops, riparian forests, floodplains and ephemeral pans in the Jacana Lodge area.

Senuko Lodge itself is set in superb surroundings amongst the boulders of a large outcrop. Almost immediately the sibilant whistles of Boulder Chat were heard in front of our Lodge and a short walk (of about 30 meters) got Graham his first lifer of the trip.

The only other guests consisted of a Peter Lawson birding safari, which comprised 12 SA birders. We linked up with them and the first afternoon outing was to the famed Bat Hawk site. A good deal of excellent birding was done en-route. Senuko has had an extremely wet year, and we were too late for the termite eruptions which bring great flock of raptors with them. Northern Hobby was still around, and the lush grass and extensive wet conditions have turned the area into a rallid hotspot, and we had reasonable views of Corn Crake and a fleeting glimpse of what Jonathan identified as an African Crake. The lush conditions also made it difficult to walk after promsing birds like a Goldenbacke Pytilia - which Graham saw. The first vehicle saw an Ayre’s Eagle. At our destinatation, two Bat Hawks offered superb views – this must be the best spot in Southern Africa for them!

On the way back we did some night birding. Apart from good views of Mozambique Nightjar, Jonathan identified a flushed courser as Bronzewinged, but we could not see anything to confirm this sighting and left it off our list.

Barred Owl in the camp started the dawn chorus. At 5H30 we were on the vehicles for a days birding in the Jacana area. The drive there took longer than expected - but this was because the birding was so good! Thickbilled Cuckoo, Arnot's Chat and Purple Widowfinch all offered superb views in mature Mopane Woodland. Orioles seemed to be everywhere and we had several good views of both African and Eurasian Golden Oriole. A stop at a small pan to search for striped Crake produced some dissapointment as a bird initially identified by the leading vehicle as Striped Crake, later turned out to be an immature Lesser Gallinule!

Jacana Lodge overlooks a pan on the Save River floodplain, and is set amongst dense riparian forest. This spot is ideal for birders and offers very reasonable priced accommodation. New game guide Jonathan, is an extremely keen and competent birder, and went out of his way to help people see the birds they wanted to. We dipped on the resident Wattle-eyed Flycatchers, but had a show by hundreds of Fulvous Ducks. We heard the Thrush Nightingale and Eurasian Marsh Warblers and had good views of Cutthroat Finch. Both Striped and Spotted Crake have recently been seen at Jacana - although no luck was had on this day. Plenty of Lesser Gallinule and Lesser Moorhen, Bluecheeked Bee-eater and superb sightings of Threebanded Coursers within 100m of the camp provided some compensation.

The highlight of the day (and trip) was undoubtedly an unexpected Black Coucal which popped up next to the car as we returned back towards Senuko Lodge.

An early morning drive produced Meyer’s Parrot, Tawny Eagle and a host of other bushveld birds. We then bid Senuko farewell and headed due west across Zimbabwe to Buluwayo, landing at a small airfield. We were met by Bruce McDonald and had time to add Grassveld Pipit and Desert Cisticola to our list! The drive to Shumba Shaba was across the very different highveld habitat in the Bulawayo area, and I kept a sharp look out for new species. The first stop was for a superb Cuckoo Finch which sat up on a bush close to the road. Paradise, Shafttailed and Pintailed Whydah were seen in quick succession. Dark Chanting Goshawk, Orangethroated Longclaw and Whitebrowed Sparroweaver were new to our list.

Shumba Shaba Lodge is set on the edge of a spectacular gorge and once again we had Boulder Chats just behind our bungalow ! The area features granite outcrops flanked by dense strips of woodland and although it doesn't have the range of birds of the other destinations, it is the most spectacular scenically.

Birding was mainly done on walks in the area and we saw Croaking Cisticola, another Cuckoo Finch, Tree Pipit, Little Sparrowhawk, Tropical Boubou, Purplecrested Lourie and the ever present Black Eagle. The nightime silence was punctuated only by the calls of Freckled Nightjar and we failed to record the Mackinder’s Eagle Owl which is resident nearby.

After an early morning walk on which we added Whitethroated Robin to our trip list, we headed out for the airfield. The flight southwards include a scenic detour via the Matopos, and from the air, the mountain range is really far larger and more extensive than I had ever imagined, despite visiting it twice before.

As we fly south the land below seems to become increasingly dry – rivers are now empty. Then it starts to get a bit greener again and John announces that we are now flying above Sentinel. This area is usually referred to as a "desert" and our first bird is an Ostrich which is spotted on the plains as we descend to land near the Limpopo River. We are in acacia thornveld country watched over by towering sandstone cliffs and we get a good enough view of a pair of swifts to add African Black Swift to our list.

Sentinel Game ranch is a 42 000 ha private reserve which is situated alongside the Limpopo, close to Botswana and South Africa. Superb patches of riparian forest, semi-arid plains and harsh sandstone cliffs and krantzes provide a spectacular scenic backdrop to some great birding. Colin Bristow who runs Limpopo Camp as part of his Eco Logical Safaris is a superb field naturalist. He tells us that we are visiting in the wettest year in memory. The drive to Limpopo Camp is exciting as a host of small birds are flushed by the vehicle. We see Carmine Bee-eaters hordes of Rock Buntings, House Martin as well as hearing the whistle of Redcrested Korhaan. The camp is superbly set amidst giant Fig Trees on the banks of the Limpopo, and on the way to our Lodge we see Woodland Kingfishers and a family of Bleating Warblers.

The Limpopo riparian strip provides a home for several species of birds which are normally found far east of here, and Heuglins, Whitethroated, Bearded, White-browed and Kalahari Robin can all be seen in one outing. Even Buffspotted Flufftail has been recorded.

The news that Lions are present in the area, does not deter us and we head off for a walk in the riverine gallery. Heuglins Robin, Cutthroat Finch, Longtailed Starling, Yellowbreasted and Terrestrial Bulbul, European Golden Oriole, Icterine Warbler and Bluegrey Flycatcher are seen. At about 4:00 pm we head out in the game drive vehicle and traverse beautiful harsh terrain – Mopane and Baobab valley between ominous sandstone buttresses. We arrive at a wonderful lookout and gaze across a wild land, just as the heavens open and we are drenched by the first rains in weeks. The smell of new rain in the bushveld is one of those great sensual experiences of Africa, and I don’t mind the fact that the rain prevents us from birding for a while!

John has challenged us to try and pass the camp record for birds recorded in a day – which stands at 154 species. After a short dawn walk, we head out on a drive to the plains. Colin found a huge Wattled Starling colony there a few weeks ago, and hopes that the colony will still be active. En route we see the first of many Lesser Grey Shrike, Whitecrowned Shrike and another nice bird: Dusky Lark. We then head out of the valley and onto the plains. Big game is everywhere and the plains are covered with an unusual cloak of grass and flowers. The plains are alive with flowers and birds - specifically the chorus of Monotonous Larks. Redbacked and Lesser Grey Shrikes were everywhere, the latter particularly notable as we saw at least thirty in the area. Queleas, Lark Like Bunting and a host of Pipits – which we suspect are Plainbacked but leave off our list add to the buzz of excitement. Overhead we see Lanner, Cape Vulture, Bateleur and the ever present Wahlberg’s Eagle. These plains are known for Kori Bustard, which breed here, and recently Colin recorded a large flock of Caspian Plovers. The Wattled Starling colony has "expired" - but the evidence is still there. The area was about 2 km long and packed with large twig nests. A few weeks previously this area was home to 100's of thousands of Wattled Starling and a vast assemblage of raptors. Now the area is quieter, but there are plenty of warblers about. We hear Thrush Nightingale in the thick bush flanking the watercourse and are treated to a great sighting of an OliveTree Warbler which moves more slowly than the other warblers and seems to wag its long, heavy tail.

Later on in the camp we have lunch and then head into the first riparian patch where Pels Owl has previously bred. The spot is abandoned, but we add several birds to our list, including Yellowbreasted Apalis, Lesser Honeyguide and Whitefronted Plover.

By the time we get back at four, the list for the day stands at 127 species, and we don’t really expect to reach the camp record! Perhaps the Highlight of this great day was our sundowner visit to a overhang close to the Sentinel Rock after which the Ranch is named. A huge colony of Little Swifts circle while the Black Eagles atop the Sentinel kept watch. Under the overhang, Lesser Masked Weaver swizzle and a Blue-grey Flycatcher hawks. As we leave after dark, a Spotted Eagle Owl is seen landing on the very top of the cliff edge. The drive back is after dark and provided great views of Mocambique and new arrival: Pennant-winged Nightjar as well as a Bronzewinged Courser!

We have surprisingly added quite a few species bringing the total for the day to 151 and for the trip to 273.

We have time for a visit to another superb stretch of riverine Forest. Here the Limpopo splits into many channels and the islands are host to huge fig trees. We strike it lucky, and are treatd to superb views of a pair of Pel's guarding their new nest site atop a Hamerkop Nest. Whitebacked Night Heron are also common here, but we dipped out on that one. No luck with Bearded Robin either, but Graham gets to see the Thrush Nightingale - his 11^th lifer for the trip, while I have to be satisfied with just three.

Our last bird on the trip is a Barred Warbler singing alongside the airfield at Beit Bridge and we are rather sad to cross over the great, grey green greasy Limpopo back into our home country!

This tour was made possible by Getaway magazine, who offered it as a prize, which I was fortunate enough to win! My thanks to Bushdrifters (John Matterson) who offered the trip to Getaway as a prize and to Colin Bristow (Sentinel), Dennis and Sandy Paul (Shumba Shaba) and Rob Waters (Senuko) for providing the accomodation. Thanks too to Mark and Jonathan at Senuko for some excellent bush guiding, but especially to John Matterson for an excellent and memorable adventure in Africa. Bushdrifters must be one of the greatest ways to visit great birding spots. Not only is John a bush fundi, but he is a great Pilot and raconteur of note! For more information on Bushdrifters take a look at Johns Website.