Zimanga is in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. We reached the reserve via British Airways flights from Newcastle - London Heathrow - Jo`burg - Durban, from there collected by a superb driver (organised by the Lodge). After a relaxing 3 hour drive on good roads we were then collected at the entrance of the Game reserve by the main road. Air conditioned accommodation was faultless, as was the food & supporting staff. Indeed they are building another lodge about a mile away which should be open now. The reserve is designed for photographers and should be on every aspiring Wildlife photographers bucket list. It is 6000 hectares of bushveld, fever tree forests and rolling hills. Zimanga is bisected by the Mkuze River and home to a splendid variety of animals and birds. Basically you have the place to yourself and you do what you want to do and can spend as much time as you like on the suitable subjects. You don`t have to check your time. You don`t have to worry about other vehicles as you are alone with the best guides and you can … enjoy. The guides as well as being expert trackers can tell you the best camera settings!. It’s a vacation. In the past in Africa you tend to get flooded by eager loud tourists. Here it is for you and the great thing is the animals' care is paramount.
The vehicle safaris, have no more than two clients per row, in fact we had the whole vehicle to ourselves. They have the best wildlife photographic hides in the world expertly built by true experts. We used 3 photographic hides.
The `Lagoon hide` focuses on waterbirds getting at water level, getting there through a 30m tunnel for a 4 hour late pm session, surreal.
`Umgodi ` overnight Hide is currently the only hide that is custom designed for large mammal photography, from 1430 to 0930 next day. Air conditioned, WiFi, beds, kitchen, quality toilet amazing. The hide as featured in the BBC wildlife magazine.
The `Scavengers Hide` is situated on a hill looking over a valley and beautiful mountain backdrop, and the action can be fierce between the Malibu storks and Vultures competing for food.
If you are a Lister don`t come here as this serene place is designed for you to enjoy Africa`s wildlife and you won`t attain a mega list
Southern Ostrich (Struthio camelus australis) 9
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea) Common
Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) 1
Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath) 2
Striated Heron [sp] (Butorides striata) 1
Hamerkop [sp] (Scopus umbretta) Common
Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) 2
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) 5
Woolly-necked Stork [sp] (Ciconia episcopus) 10
Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) 4 ON TAXI RIDE
Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) 20
Hadada Ibis [sp] (Bostrychia hagedash) Common
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) 30
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) Common
Spur-winged Goose [sp] (Plectropterus gambensis) Common
Comb Duck [sp] (Sarkidiornis melanotos) 2
Black-shouldered Kite [sp] (Elanus caeruleus) 3
Black Kite (Milvus migrans migrans) Common
Yellow-billed Kite (Milvus migrans parasitus) 6
African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) 2
African White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) 30
Lappet-faced Vulture [sp] (Torgos tracheliotus) 1
Brown Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinereus) 1
Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) 5
African Harrier-Hawk [sp] (Polyboroides typus) 1
Western Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) 1
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) Scarce
Tawny Eagle [sp] (Aquila rapax) Scarce
Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi) 1
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) 1
Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) 2
Natal Francolin (Francolinus natalensis) Scarce
Swainson's Francolin [sp] (Francolinus swainsonii) Common
Helmeted Guineafowl [sp] (Numida meleagris) Very Common
Crested Guineafowl [sp] (Guttera pucherani) Common
Small Buttonquail (Turnix sylvatica lepurana) Common
Black-rumped Buttonquail [sp] (Turnix hottentotta) Common
Grey Crowned Crane [sp] (Balearica regulorum) 2 TWICE
Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostris) 1
African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus) 4
Water Thick-Knee [sp] (Burhinus vermiculatus) 3
Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus)
Common
Crowned Lapwing [sp] (Vanellus coronatus) Common
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) 3
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) 1
Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) 20
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola capicola) Common
Laughing Dove [sp] (Streptopelia senegalensis) Common
Namaqua Dove [sp] (Oena capensis) Common
Brown-necked Parrot [sp] (Poicephalus robustus) 1
Thick-billed Cuckoo [sp] (Pachycoccyx audeberti) 1
Burchell's Coucal (Centropus superciliosus burchelli) 1
Barn Owl [sp] (Tyto alba) 1
Spotted Eagle-Owl [sp] (Bubo africanus) 1
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (Bubo lacteus) 1
Pearl-spotted Owlet [sp] (Glaucidium perlatum) 1
Fiery-necked Nightjar [sp] (Caprimulgus pectoralis) Common
Square-tailed Nightjar [sp] (Caprimulgus fossii) Common
African Swift [sp] (Apus barbatus) Common
Little Swift [sp] (Apus affinis) Common
Horus Swift [sp] (Apus horus) Common
Red-faced Mousebird [sp] (Urocolius indicus) Common
Brown-hooded Kingfisher [sp] (Halcyon albiventris) Scarce
Striped Kingfisher [sp] (Halcyon chelicuti) 4
Woodland Kingfisher [sp] (Halcyon senegalensis) 3
Pied Kingfisher [sp] (Ceryle rudis) 1
White-fronted Bee-Eater (Merops bullockoides) 10
European Bee-Eater (Merops apiaster) Zimanga Common
Lilac-breasted Roller [sp] (Coracias caudatus) Common migrating in big numbers
European Roller [sp] (Coracias garrulus) Very Common on migration
African Hoopoe (Upupa epops africana) 1
Common Scimitarbill [sp] (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas) 8
Red-billed Hornbill [sp] (Tockus erythrorhynchus) 6
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) 4
Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii vaillantii) 2
Cardinal Woodpecker [sp] (Dendropicos fuscescens) 1
Bearded Woodpecker [sp] (Dendropicos namaquus) 2
Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana africana) Common
Sabota Lark (Calendulauda sabota sabota) 2
Banded Martin [sp] (Riparia cincta) Common
European Swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica) Common
Wire-tailed Swallow [sp] (Hirundo smithii) 30
Lesser Striped Swallow [sp] (Cecropis abyssinica) Common
Mosque Swallow [sp] (Cecropis senegalensis) Scarce
Yellow-throated Longclaw [sp] (Macronyx croceus) 1
African Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla aguimp) Common
Dark-capped Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus tricolor) Common
Mocking Cliff-Chat (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris cinnamomeiventris) 1
Southern Black Flycatcher [sp] (Melaenornis pammelaina) Scarce
African Paradise-Flycatcher [sp] (Terpsiphone viridis) 2
Rattling Cisticola [sp] (Cisticola chiniana) Common
Croaking Cisticola [sp] (Cisticola natalensis) Scarce
Zitting Cisticola [sp] (Cisticola juncidis) Scarce
Long-billed Crombec [sp] (Sylvietta rufescens) Scarce
Southern Black-Tit [sp] (Melaniparus niger) 6
Amethyst Sunbird [sp] (Chalcomitra amethystina) Common
Eurasian Golden Oriole [sp] (Oriolus oriolus) 2
Eastern Black-headed Oriole [sp] (Oriolus larvatus) 3
Red-backed Shrike [sp] (Lanius collurio) Common
Common Fiscal [sp] (Lanius collaris)
Scarce
Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegala orientalis) Scarce
Brown-crowned Tchagra [sp] (Tchagra australis) Scarce
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike [sp] (Telophorus sulfureopectus) 6
Grey-headed Bushshrike [sp] (Malaconotus blanchoti) 2
Retz's Helmetshrike [sp] (Prionops retzii) 2
Fork-tailed Drongo [sp] (Dicrurus adsimilis) Common
Common Myna [sp] (Acridotheres tristis) Common
Cape Glossy-Starling [sp] (Lamprotornis nitens) Common
Black-bellied Glossy-Starling [sp] (Lamprotornis corruscus) Common
Violet-backed Starling [sp] (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster) 8
Red-winged Starling [sp] (Onychognathus morio) Common
Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) Common
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus) Scarce
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow [sp] (Passer diffusus) Very Common
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver [sp] (Plocepasser mahali) Very Common
Southern Masked-Weaver [sp] (Ploceus velatus) Common
Village Weaver [sp] (Ploceus cucullatus) Common
Red-headed Quelea (Quelea erythrops) Very Common
Red Bishop [sp] (Euplectes orix) 6
Red-collared Widowbird [sp] (Euplectes ardens) Scarce
Green-winged Pytilia [sp] (Pytilia melba) 1
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu [sp] (Uraeginthus angolensis) Very Common
Black-tailed Waxbill [sp] (Estrilda perreini) 6
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) Common
Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah (Vidua obtusa) Scarce
Yellow-fronted Canary [sp] (Serinus mozambicus) Very Common
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting [sp] (Emberiza tahapisi) 12
Golden-breasted Bunting [sp] (Emberiza flaviventris) Common
MAMMALS
Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
60 reservoir
Scrub Hare (Lepus saxatilis) common
Cheetah [sp] (Acinonyx jubatus) 1
Lion [sp] (Panthera leo) 7
Cape Genet (Genetta tigrina) 1 both nights
Slender Mongoose (Galerella sanguinea) 1 both nights
White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) 1 both nights
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) 4
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli burchelli) 150
White Rhinoceros [sp] (Ceratotherium simum) 30
Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) 2 reservoir
Giraffe [sp] (Giraffa camelopardalis) 60
Impala [sp] (Aepyceros melampus) 400
Blue Wildebeest [sp] (Connochaetes taurinus) 150
African Buffalo [sp] (Synceros caffer) 50
Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) 20
Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) 20
Waterbuck [sp] (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) 20
Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis