In mid October we left for an urgently needed pre-Christmas break at Shamvura and Mahangu Safari Lodge in the Kavango Region in the north of Namibia. For my friend Richard and me birding was high on the agenda, especially after the reports on the net of sightings of Souza's Shrike and other 'hotties' at Shamvura. En route we tried our luck at the radio mast some twenty kilometres south of Rundu but to no avail and so we left the birding for the next day and instead, on arrival at Shamvura, settled down to some welcome drinks with Mark Paxton and a sumptuous meal prepared by his wife, Charlie.