Etosha National Park is a haven for photographers and birders alike. The dry winter months are ideal for game viewing, whilst the wet summer months attract ample bird species that migrate here from different regions. The unique setting affords photographers the opportunity to fine-tune their aperture and shutter skills against the silvery-white mirage landscape of Etosha. The excess of lime and salt in the pan creates a bright environment that looks like a glimmering blanket of snow has covered the wide expanse of the desert. In the dry winter months, photographers can revel in the concentrated animal numbers that gather around the watering holes. They presents the ideal opportunity to perfect action shots as the wildlife stroll to the water’s edge, never still and rarely relaxed. The chance for a picture-perfect shot of an animated four-legged resident against the backdrop of a shimmering landscape draws both amateur and professional photographers to the park en masse.
When the pan floods in summer, it transforms the desert into a lush oasis with seasonal lakes, bringing bountiful populations of birdlife to the park. Over 340 local, migratory and wetland bird species flock to the region, including droves of candy-floss coloured flamingos, attracted to the brimming salt pan, and the rainbow bee-eater, which often hitches a ride on the back of Africa’s heaviest flying bird, the grand kori bustard. Birders can look to ground level to find the world’s largest bird, the ostrich, proudly strutting around or look deep into the bright sky to catch a glimpse of the powerful and agile bateleur eagle as it swoops by, ruler of the skies. The landscape acts as a canvas for the multitude of colourful birds that dots the clear, blue sky, setting on tree branches, wading in the translucent waters or hopping along and the bleached ground.
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