Margaret and I had been looking forward to the Easter weekend for a long time and it was finally here. We were to be visiting Tswalu Kalahari Reserve north of Kuruman where we would be meeting up with and hosted by friends Andrew and Sharon Stainthorpe. Andrew had always told us how fantastic this reserve was and he had really built up our expectations. So, at about 11h00, we took off from Cape Town International Airport aboard a Pilatus PC12 aeroplane and, after a 2 hour flight, touched down on the airstrip at Tswalu where we were met by Andrew.

As it was now right in the heat of the day, we headed off for a drink and then hauled out the cameras and moved into the garden. With all the larger trees in the garden as well as a water source, this proved to be a little oasis and attracted a number of birds. Besides the birds, there were a few other interesting creatures visiting the area as well. It wasn't long before I had notched up two "photographic lifers" - Black-chested Prinia and the stunning Crimson-breasted Shrike.

Later in the afternoon, we were given our first introduction to the reserve as we headed out on the open Land Rover for a game and bird drive. The habitat at Tswalu is typical of the Kalahari with vast grasslands on red sand with sparsely scattered Acacia trees. There are some more rocky mountainous areas as well. We visited the western side of the reserve in the afternoon and once again, I was lucky to get two more "photographic lifers" in the form of Stark's Lark and Burchell's Sandgrouse.

After sundowners out on the plains, we headed back home slowly on a night drive in the hope that we would find some interesting creatures. The general Kalahari area must be one of the best places in South Africa for night drives as one always seems to find a number of species along the way. This night drive did not disappoint either and I managed to add my fifth "photographic lifer" for the day - Rufous-cheeked Nightjar.