North-West Zambia
22 November to 7 December 1997
Background Information
CONTENTS
Glossary
Books
Tapes
Maps
Roads
Vehicle
Contacts
There are 4 Zambian terms that are in common usage
DAMBO - seasonally inundated grassland / marshland, often along a drainage line
MUSHITU - moist evergreen forest
MAVUNDA - dry evergreen forest
MIOMBO - Brachystegia dominated woodland
- Your favourite Southern African guide.
- There is now a new book by Carl Beel &ammp; Dylan Aspinall on the Birds of Zambia not covered by the southern African guides. An
absolute must for any traveller.
- Birds of Africa (if you have the space -- why not? Surely it is not just to look pretty on your bookshelf! I found it invaluable).
A few other books are also still useful, but are not essential:
- Newman's Birds of Malawi (several speciees well illustrated that don't occur in the normal southern African guides. However, there
are still other species occurring in Zambia not covered by this book).
- van Perlo's Illustrated Checklist of Birrds of Southern Africa (many species illustrated - but very poor maps and little detail on
habitat, etc).
- Benson's Birds of Zambia (out of print -- but has illustrations of the species not found in southern or eastern guides).
- Guy Gibbons 6 cassette set of Southern Africa bird calls.
- Bob Stjernstedt's "Rare Birds of Zaambia"
- Claude Chappuis's "African Bird Souunds - 2", which covers anything else you could possible encounter.
All the above are available from Russel Friedman - rvulture@iafrica.com
Essential if heading south from Mwinilunga. Very useful to have 1:250 000, but 1:1 500 000 is the minimum recommended. Maps are available from Mulungushi House in Lusaka. For the NW area, suggest buying the following 1:250 000 maps: Mwinilunga, Ntambu, Kabompo, Zambezi. To cover the area east to Kitwe, buy the Solwezi and Kitwe sheets. To cover the area to the south down to Caprivi, buy the Kaoma, Luampa, Mulobezi and Sesheke sheets.
On the trip described to Hillwood Farm, all roads were tar except from Mwinilunga to Ikelenge. However, the tar roads are potentially lethal since there is often 5 kilometres of good tar, before a pothole stretching across the road which will rip off your axle at any speed over 20 kilometres per hour. This makes driving in the rainy season very dangerous, and a strong vehicle is definitely recommended. In the dry season, no problems driving to Hillwood should be expected, so long as the driver pays attention and does not drive too fast.
An ordinary car would get to Chimfunchi and Hillwood in the dry season, and a two wheel drive bakkie/pickup in the wet season. However, if any other routes are to be considered (including driving anywhere within Chimfunchi or Hillwood), the experience of the driver usually matters more than the vehicle itself - the real key is being able to determine when it is not advisable to continue! In the wet season, extreme caution even in an appropriate 4-wheel drive is essential.
I was driving a 1983 4 cylinder petrol-engined Landrover series 3, that averages 90 km/h over long distances. Fuel tank capacity was 230 litres, with 80 litres water, etc, etc - total weight approx 2.5 tons.
- Bob Stjernstedt runs Tongabezi Camp on the northern banks of the Zambezi - tonga@zamnet.zm
- Pete Leonard works at Lechwe Lodge just outside Kafue town - pleonard@zamnet.zm
- Carl Beel although he has no e-mail faciilities, he can be contacted through some friends (Paul & Caroline van Daele) 30
kilometres away on pvdaele@zamnet.zm
Ian & Lorraine Forbes (Chimfunchi) No e-mail, so try snail-mail to Box 10332, Chingola, or Phone/Fax +260 (2) 311-293. Their camp is on the floodplain of the Kafue river, so is flooded from the end of December to end April (during which period the whole site is closed) and liable to be a bit muddy (and probably smelly) until the grass regrows. However, when I was there it was a lovely place to camp, although the flying ants were a bit irritating at night. There are basic rondavels there, but little else. Long-drop toilets, a basic hot-cold shower and cleanish water from a 44 gallon drum complete the facilities. Cold drinks may be obtainable, but otherwise all food, drinking water, etc must be brought. The nearest store will be at Chingola, a one-hour drive away.
Pete Fisher (Hillwood): Hasn't confirmed an e-mail address, but is hoping to use Sakeji School, which has e-mail & a web site and is located on Hillwood Farm. Snail-mail to Nchila Wildlife Reserve, Box 20241, Kitwe. Could also try to fax +260 (2) 226-219 c/o SKF Bearings. Can also contact Pete direct on his satellite phone 00-871-682-345-486. Hillwood is the only commercial farm north of Livingstone and west of Kitwe. Started by Pete Fisher's grandfather, it is a serious commercial dairy & cereal farm. The reserve is a new addition, and is only to be formally opened as from 1 May 1998. Due to the heavy rains in the area (400 mm in the week I was there), the reserve will be closed from 1 November to 1 May every year. The camp offers 3 thatched stone-walled huts with two beds & mattresses in each, with separate kitchen and bathroom blocks. The former has a gas cooker, while the latter has flush toilet, bath and shower. Camping is also allowed. However, even though these facilities are excellent, you must remember that it is approx 1000 kilometres to Lusaka, where supplies & spares can be bought. You must bring all supplies, including drinking water. However, the farm shop can supply meat, dairy products and some other basics (no guarantees on availability). Access is also possible by air, as Pete has his own airstrip - but with the current state of emergency, all flight plans must be approved in Lusaka 48 hours in advance. Although the reserve has its game guards, they have no birding knowledge, but I am sure that will change as birders flock to the farm - please help train them in birding.
Esther Townsend (Hillwood). Can be contacted through Pete Fisher. Esther runs the children's orphanage (also on the farm). She is a keen birdwatcher, although only knows the farm area well, and an invaluable source of information on the local birds.