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Trip Reports
TANZANIA
BIRDING TRIP REPORT
Tanzania 2003
By Mark Sutton
The team
Mark, Linda and Brent Sutton, John and Janette
Martin, Pete Antrobus (AKA Tripod), Debbie Hough.
Introduction
Our initial plans were to spend the first half
of the holiday in Kenya, with the second half in Northern Tanzania,
but due to terrorist threats the UK Government were advising against
travel to Kenya. As a result we could not get insurance cover for Kenya,
this combined with our personal safety concerns meant we changed our
plans to a purely Tanzanian trip at quite short notice. Fortunately
the airline, Emirates, allowed us to change our flights, the down side
being that we had to book new tickets through Emirates and wait for
ten weeks to get a refund on the original Kenyan flights. Quite an expensive
option, in the short term.
All the accommodation and transport, including
the internal flights, were arranged through Anthony Raphael of Birding
and Beyond Safaris, who I had used on my trip to Kenya two years previously.
I would certainly recommend Anthony from Birding and Beyond Safaris
to anybody considering a trip to E. Africa. Further details can be found
on the website: www.tanzaniabirding.com or e-mail tours@tanzaniabirding.com
Transport
We used a 4x4 Safari Minibus, with driver, throughout
our time in mainland Tanzania. A safari minibus, with its roof, which
can be raised, is ideal for game viewing, birding and photography in
the game parks. Our driver Arnold was very knowledgeable about the sites
visited, with a good knowledge of the mammals, but not birds. He was
extremely good company and looked after us very well. On Pemba Island
the Manta Reef Lodge provided a vehicle and driver.
Health
No major health problems were encountered other
than a 24-hour stomach upset which I had. We all took Anti-malarial
precautions either in the form of Larium, Doxycycline or Malarone
Food
Food was of a good standard, with packed lunches
being provided by the hotels / lodges on a number of occasions. In addition
Arnold usually came equipped with a flask of hot water, tea & coffee.
Weather
Generally dry throughout except for heavy thunderstorm
overnight in the Serengeti.
Books & Tapes
Trip reports: We obtained some information from
trip reports found on the Internet, but with the exception of the Serengeti
/ Ngorongoro area could found very little information on the areas we
visited.
Field Guides:Field Guide to
the Birds of East Africa - Terry Stephenson & John Fanshawe, published
by T& A D Poyser. The format of having the text and range map opposite
the illustration is very useful. but some of the illustrations were
not up to the standard you would expect from a modern field guide, as
they did not capture the true appearance of the bird.
Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania - Zimmerman,
Turner and Pearson published by Helm. A very good guide, I found the
text far more informative than the Poyser guide, in addition the maps
were more detailed. On the down side it only covered Northern Tanzania.
The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals
(Poyser)- very good.
Other Guides:Where to watch
birds in Africa - Nigel Wheatley, published by Helm - Invaluable.
Lonely Planet, Tanzania- As
usual an essential companion to any trip.
Road Map to East Africa - purchased on previous
trip to Kenya
Sound guides: African bird sounds volume 2, an
11 CD set, with target species transferred to tape. This useful CD does
not cover E. Africa, so many of the most sought after species are not
covered. A CD covering E. African is apparently due to be published
in 2004.
Accommodation
11th & 31st Beachcomber Resort.Situated on the Indian Ocean, a couple of hours drive from the airport.
A good standard of accommodation, with swimming pool makes it an ideal
place to chill out at the beginning / end of a trip. Listed in the Lonely
Planet guide, under the Northern Beaches section.
12th Manta Reef Lodge.Situated
in a beautiful beachside location in the North of Pemba, only a short
drive from the Ngezi Forest. The lodge provided transport to & from
the airport, as well as a vehicle and driver during our stay. Listed
in the LP guide under Kigomasha Peninsula.
13thA basic hotel in the town
of Morogoro, the name of which was not noted.
14th Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel.A pleasant, but basic hotel situated about 500m south from the HQ of
the Udzungwa Mountains NP. Listed in the LP guide under Udzungwa Mountains
NP.
15th & 16th Mkumi Genesis Motel.A basic but adequate motel , situated in the outskirts of Mikumi town.
Listed in ther LP guide under Mikumi.
17th & 18th Amani Conservation Centre
Rest House.Situated in the East Uasmbara Mountains at the
Amani Nature Reserve, basic but excellent accommodation, but probably
only accessible with a 4WD. Listed in the LP guide under Amani NR.
19th & 20th Muller's Mountain Lodge.Situated in
the West Uasmbara Mountains near the town of Lushoto. Superb accommodation
& food - highly recommended. Listed in the LP guide under Lushoto.
21st Elephant MotelSituated
1km SE of the town of Same. A modern, but basic Motel, listed in the
LP guide under South Pare Mountains.
22nd Maasai Safari Centre.This
Lodge is located a little outside the regularly crowded large tourist
Hotels in the middle of the busy Arusha town. It has an excellent garden
and comes highly recommended, but regrettably it is not listed in the
LP guide & I don't have any contact details.
23rd Tarangire Porini Camp (tented camp).Situated in dry bush, just outside the northern perimiter of the NP.
The highlight here was the drinking pool, which attracted large numbers
of birds which could be watched and photoghaphed from the comfort of
the restaurant. Listed in the LP guide under Tarangire NP.
24th Tarangire Tented Safari Lodge.This luxury tented camp, compete with swimming pool is situated within
the grounds of the Tarangire NP. Listed in the LP guide under Tarangire
NP.
25th & 26th Serengeti Sopa Lodge.This up-market lodge, complete with pool, is situated in the centre
of the Serengeti NP. Listed in the LP guide under Serengeti NP.
26th & 28th Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.This up-market lodge, complete with pool, is situated on the eastern
rim of the crater, close to one of the access roads to/ from the crater
bottom. Listed in the LP guide under Ngorongoro Crater.
29th Migunga Forest Camp.The
fairly basic, but adequate, tented camp is set on 35 acres of yellow
acacia forest in a secluded part of Migungani Village and on the boundary
to the Lake Manyara NP. The camp consists of nine self-contained tents
with Bathrooms having running hot and cold water, showers, and flush
toilets. There is a dining room and bar under thatch. Electricity is
12 volt supplied by solar power. Listed in the LP guide under Mto Wa
Mbu. swala@swalasafaris.com
Sites visited
We relied heavily on the local knowledge of Arnold,
our diver, at most sites; as a result exact locations for some of the
sites are not know.
Pemba Island: All birding was done either from
the grounds of the Manta Reef Lodge, or in and around the nearby Ngezi
Forest. You should obtain a permit to bird the forest, from the office
at the start of the track which runs through the middle of the forest,
and which eventually leads to the Lodge. Not covered in Wheatley
Kilombero River and Flood Plains:The town of Ifakara lies on the edge of the floodplain. Bird the road,
which leads south from the town, down to the ferry across the river.
Covered in Wheatley.
Udzungwa Mountain Forest National park:The park HQ, where you have to arrange a guide, lies about 500 M north
of the Udzungwa Mountain View Lodge. You can bird this area, but it
is apparently better habitat on the waterfall trail, about 10 km further
north, which is where we spent the morning. Covered in Wheatley.
Miombo woodlands, Mikumi:The
dirt road running north from Mikumi to Ulaya cuts through some excellent
miombo woodland. We birded this road a couple of kms north of the town
& also a side road off to the west (Pipeline Road). An advantage
with this area over the NP is that you can bird on foot. Not covered
in Wheatley
Mikumi NP:The main road from
Dar es Salam to Mikumi cuts through the NP, and quite good birding can
be had along this road itself, although other traffic can be a problem.
The park lies on the eastern edge of Mikumi, with the main entrance
lying about 15km from the town. Tsetse flies were a nuisance in part
of the park, although they do not apparently carry sleeping sickness.
Covered in Wheatley.
Amani NR:This reserve is situated
in the East Usambara Mountains and is a mosaic of small patches of woodland
and cultivation. The majority of our birding was done within walking
distance of the Rest House, either along local roads or on the trail
to a viewpoint, which leads from the Rest House itself. A 4WD is required
to reach the reserve. Mentioned in Wheatley
Sawmill Track, West Usambaras: I do not know the
location of this site other than it was about 45 minutes drive from
Muller's Mountain Lodge. We walked the track for about 1km as it ran
through a narrow section of remnant woodland. Not covered in Wheatley
Track through Remnant Forest near Muller's
Mountain Lodge:This track was about a 10-minute drive from
the Lodge and ran through a small section of degraded woodland. Again
we relied on Arnold's local knowledge. Not covered in Wheatley
Taveta Golden Weaver Site:This
site is situated along the main road to the town of Same, where a reed
fringed river, boarded by rice fields, transects the road. Not covered
in Wheatley
South Pare Mountains:We birded
the patched of dry scrub on the hillsides to the north east of the town
of Same. Access was along a dirt track off the main road near the Elephant
Motel. I suspect that any area of scrub in this area will produce similar
birds, as we did not manage to see the target White-eye, only Abyssinian.
We suspect it is located, higher up in the forested mountains. Not covered
in Wheatley
Tarangire:We birded two areas
1) The Tarangire Porini Camp, which is situated on the Northern edge
of the NP. You can bird on foot here as long as you are accompanied
by a guide from the camp. 2) Tarangire NP, as with most NP's, most birding
is from the vehicle. The only areas you can bird on foot are in the
picnic sites and around the Lodge. Covered in Wheatley.
Olduvai Gorge: This site lies in the northern
section of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is only a short detour
from the journey to the Serengeti. We only birded around the museum
& the picnic site, which, as usual, attracted many birds.
Serengeti:The majority of the
birding is from the vehicle, although the picnic sites at Seronera and
at the Naabi Hill Gate exit for the park were very birdy. Covered in
Wheatley.
Ngorongoro Crater:As above,
the majority of the birding was carried out from the vehicle, except
for at a couple of picnic sites. We did a full day in the crater &
covered most of the area including the soda lake, and a couple of other
lakes & marshes. We also birded around the grounds of the Hotel.
Covered in Wheatley.
Lake Manyara:From the vehicle
we birded the woodland around the edge of the lake, as well as an accessible
section of the lakeshore. We also birded on foot, around the Migunga
Forest Camp, on the edge of the reserve. Covered in Wheatley.
Itinerary
11th August
We arrived in Tanzania at dusk, 30 hours late
due to a delayed departure in Manchester. This delay caused us to miss
our connection in Dubai by half an hour. We then had to endure a 30-hour
wait in Dubai, albeit in a very comfortable hotel, before the next available
flight to Dar es Salaam. Arnold, who would be our driver for the duration
of our holiday in mainland Tanzania, met us at the airport. We drove
to the Beach Comber Resort where we arrived well after dark, but luckily
the hotel obliged in making a late meal for us all, before we crashed
out. It had been our intention to fly to Pemba Island today, but had
missed the flight. Luckily Anthony had managed to postpone our flight
by a day, which resulted in us only having one night on the island instead
of two. This meant we had a rather rushed start to the holiday &
missed out on a days chilling out on Pemba.
12th August
Managed to get 15 minutes birding from the beach
at dawn, before the 6:30am breakfast and transfer to the Airport for
the scheduled flight to Pemba. The flight departed at 8:35am and flew
via Zanzibar, arriving on Pemba at 10:10. On arrival at Chake Chake
Airport in Pemba, we were met by staff from the Manta Reef Lodge, who
transferred us to the hotel, which took about two and a half hours.
After Lunch and a couple of hours birding around the grounds, a member
of the hotel staff drove us to the nearby Ngezi Forest, where we birded
until late in the afternoon and then birded the forest edge until dusk.
We returned to the Hotel for an evening meal after which we went back
into the field in search of the Scops owl.
Highlights. Hotel grounds: Pemba White-eye, Pemba
Sunbird & Madagascar Bee-eater.
Ngezi Forest area:Mangrove Kingfisher,
Ethiopian Swallow & Pemba Scops-owl.
August 13th
The morning was spent birding the forest edge
in search of the Green Pigeon, our last remaining Pemba endemic. After
Lunch we caught an afternoon flight back to Dar Es Salaam, again via
Zanzibar. We originally intended to try and drive as far as Mikumi ,
but as it was getting late we decided to stay over in Morogoro and continue
to Mikumi in the morning.
Highlights. Ngezi Forest area: Pemba Green-pigeon
& Dickinson's Kestrel.
14th August
We made an early start, passing through Mikumi
NP, which gave us our first taste of Tanzanian National Parks, before
stopping at the Mikumi Genesis Motel for breakfast. After breakfast
we drove through the Udzungwa Mountains, stopping at Udzungwa Mountain
View Lodge to unpack before carrying on to the Kilombero Flood Plains
where three Tanzanian endemics occur, two of which are, as yet un-named
cisticolas. We birded the floodplains and river until late afternoon
before returning to the Udzungwa Mountain View Lodge after dark.
Highlights. Floodplain and River: White-crowned
Plover, African Skimmer, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Kilombero Weaver, White-tailed
Cisticola and Kilombero Cisticola.
Journey back to the Lodge, at dusk: Usambara Eagle-owl
& Square-tailed Nightjar
15th August
We rose at dawn & drove a short distance to
the HQ of the Udzungwa Mountain Forest National park, where we met up
with one of the rangers. After coffee and much debate about whether
to bird around the HQ or the waterfall trail, we finally opted for the
waterfall trail which was about a 10 Km drive away. After a fairly quiet
mornings birding we returned to the Lodge for lunch. We failed to see
any of the local specialties, which in reality require a lot more time
and effort.
After lunch we drove to Mikumi, where we checked
into the Genesis Motel.
In the afternoon we birded the Miombo woodlands
North West of Mikumi this is a good area for a number of southern specialties,
with the advantage of being able to bird on foot, which is not possible
in the adjoining reserve. It would appear that none of the Tanzanian
parks are fenced in, which means that the animals are free to roam where
they like. As a result Elephant & Buffalo can be encountered, so
care must be taken.
Highlights. Udzungwa Mountains: Green headed Oriole,
Red-capped Robin-chat & Yellowbill.
Mikumi: White breasted Cuckooshrike, Greencap
Eremomela, Southern Blue-eared Glossy-starling & Pale Batis.
16th August
The morning was again spent birding the miombo
woodland, before returning to the lodge mid morning. We spent the rest
of the day in the Mikumi National Park, where we had lunch at the hotel
near the entrance gate. We finally left the park after dark; which is
apparently not allowed and resulted in Arnold being reprimanded by the
guards on leaving the reserve. The night was spent at Mikumi Genesis
Motel.
Highlights. Miombo woodland: Böhm's Spinetail,
Racket-tailed Roller, White-headed Black-chat, Tiny Cisticola, Miombo
Wren-warbler, Rufous-bellied Tit, African Penduline-tit and Orange-winged
Pytilia.
Mikumi National Park: Red necked Spurfowl Black
bellied Bustard, Croaking Cisticola Northern Pied-babbler.
17th August
After an early breakfast, we set out for one of
the longest drives on our trip. On the approach to the Eastern Arc Mountains
we made several stops in the cultivated areas for Zanzibar Bishop, but
only managed to find, good numbers of Black-winged Bishops. We arrived
at the Amani nature reserve rest House shortly after dark.
18th August
The whole day was spent birding the Amani area
with a short and uneventful visit to an area of riverine woodland &
tea plantations in the afternoon. In the morning we birded the main
track above the accommodation and after breakfast the patches of woodland
and cultivated areas around the village. The late afternoon & evening
was spent on the trail leading from the center.
Highlights:Fischer's Turaco,
Green Barbet, White-starred Robin, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Forest
Batis, Usambara Hyliota, Yellow White-eye, Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird,
Banded Green Sunbird and Kenrick's Starling.
19th August
The morning was spent birding the trail leading
from the center, to the viewpoint before returning for lunch, where
I met up with John & Pete who had both managed to independently
see Long-billed Tailorbird in a small gully besides the road, just above
the center. A brief search of the area failed to provide the desired
grip-back.
After lunch we set off for Muller's Mountain Lodge,
an old German colonial house, in the West Usambara Mountains. The journey
took the rest of the afternoon, except for a short stop in the West
Usambara foothills, so we arrived at the lodge at dusk. We were just
making ourselves comfortable in front of the log fire, when John came
in with the news that a Nightjar was calling from a tree in the garden.
We dashed out to enjoy excellent views of Usambara Nightjar, which was
soon joined in the next tree by a medium sized Eagle-owl, which proved
to be Usamabra Eagle-owl. A pretty good introduction to the West Usambaras!
Today was Linda's 40th birthday, so Muller's Mountain
Lodge, which is renowned for its fine cuisine, was the ideal place to
celebrate the occasion.
Highlights. Amani: Crowned Eagle, Orange Ground-thrush
& Amani Sunbird.
W. Usambara foothills: Nyzana Swift, Cliff Chat
& Hunters Sunbird.
Muller's Mountain Lodge: Usambara Nightjar &
Usamabra Eagle-owl.
20th August
After an early breakfast we birded the sawmill
track, about a half hour drive from the lodge, before returning for
lunch. The early afternoon was spent birding around the lodge, before
heading off to a nearby area of remnant forest. The night was again
spent at the Lodge.
Highlights. Sawmill track: Tiny Greenbul, Fulleborns
Black Boubou, Abyssinian Hill-babbler, African Tailorbird & Red-faced
Crimsonwing.
Remnant Forest: Hartlaub's Turaco, Moustached
Tinkerbird & Waller's Starling.
21st August
The morning was again spent at the nearby remnant
forest before departing mid morning with a packed lunch. We stopped
for a short lunch break in the foothills before descending back onto
the plain and the journey to Same, where we would spend the night. Arnold
knew of a reliable site for Taveta Golden Weaver on this section where
a reed fringed river, boarded by rice fields, transects the road. Shortly
after entering the fields a large raptor flew towards us obligingly
hovered overhead, giving excellent views. We all concluded that it was
a Short-toed Eagle, a potential First for Tanzania! After an hours searching,
I managed to locate a male weaver, which promptly disappeared before
the others arrived & could not be relocated. A few Kms further down
the road we stropped to bird an area of thorn scrub & fields, were
Linda managed to locate another male amongst a mixer weaver flock.
The night was spent at the Elephant Motel on the
outskirts of Same.
Highlights. Remnant Forest: Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
& Cabanis's Greenbul.
Journey to Same: Short-toed Eagle, Pink-breasted
Lark, White-browed Scrub-robin, Red-fronted Warbler, Pygmy Batis, Black-bellied
Sunbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Rosy-patched Shrike, Fischer's
Starling &Taveta Golden Weaver.
22nd August
After Breakfast, we birded an area of dry bush,
in the foothills of the South Pare Mountains only a short journey from
the Hotel. Our main target here was South Pare White-eye, a potential
split from Broad-ringed White-eye. After about half an hour John managed
to locate a party of White-eyes, which we are convinced were Abyssinian,
although Anthony later insisted South Pare is the only White-eye in
the area. The altitude (c1,00m) was lower & the habitat much drier
than we expected South-pare White eye to occur in. We birded a couple
of locations in the area until returning to the Motel for lunch.
After lunch we drove to Arusha & booked into
Maasai Safari Tourist Lodge. The Lodge is located a little outside the
center of town and away from the crowded tourist hotels and is set within
a very pleasant garden. The afternoon was spent chilling out & birding
in the hotel grounds, where we met up with Anthony, who brought with
him John & Jeanette's long lost suitcase.
Highlights. South Pare: Brown Snake-eagle, D'Arnoud's
and White-headed barbets, Northern Brownbul, Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul,
Tiny Cisticola, Grey Wren-warbler Black-headed Batis, Sulphur-breasted
and Grey-headed bush-shrikes, & Green-winged Pytilia.
Hotel: Brown-breasted Barbet, Tropical Boubou.
23rd August
Most of the night was spent dashing to the toilet,
presumably from something I ate or drank, as a result I started the
day feeling pretty rotten and not really up to walking over sun scorched
plains looking for a Lark. Luckily no one else had contracted my stomach
upset, so I relied on the rest of the guys putting in all the effort
as I tagged on behind. After about an hour of walking over the plains,
situated to the North of Arusha, a pair of Spike-heeled Larks were located.
This isolated population, a potential split, is only found in this area
of Tanzania. We continued a few kms further along the road until we
reached a patch of acacias, which were birded for a further half an
hour before returning to Arusha and dropping Anthony off at his office.
In the afternoon we drove to Tarangire Porini
Camp, a tented camp, which is set in 200 acres of un spoilt wilderness
on the border of the Tarangire National Park The dining area overlooks
a small drinking trough, which was alive with birds coming into drink.
The rest of the guys went birding, on foot, with a local guide, whilst
I stayed behind to watch the drinking pool, as I was still feeling pretty
rough.
Highlights. Roadside birds traveling to/from the
plains: Lammergeier, Red-and-Yellow Barbet, White-fronted Bee-eater,
Capped and Schalow's Wheatears.
Open Plains: Spike-heeled Lark, Eastern Chanting
Goshawk and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Acacia: Fawn-coloured Lark and Banded Parisoma
Porini Camp: Chestnut and Swahili sparrows, Chestnut
Weaver, Green-winged Pytilia, Blue-capped cordon-bleu, Crimson-rumped
Waxbill, Grey-headed Silverbill, Red-bellied Parrot, Yellow-collared
Lovebird, Bare-faced Go-away-bird & Dark Chanting Goshawk.
24th August
The early part of the morning was spent overlooking
the drinking trough, which was again alive with activity. After a leisurely
breakfast, we departed for Tarangire National park, a short drive a
way. En route to Tarangire NP we stopped at a couple of roadside pools,
which were teemed with Chestnut-backed sparrow-larks. Upon reaching
the park we headed to a picnic site where you could leave the vehicle
and ate our packed lunch. After a couple of hours, we made our way to
the Luxury Tented Camp where we chilled out in the pool. The late afternoon
& evening were spent on a game drive in the vicinity of the camp.
Highlights: Porini Camp: Jameson's Firefinch,
Black-faced Waxbill, Straw-tailed Whydah, Gabar Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon
& Von Der Decken's Hornbill
Tarangire NP: Secretary-bird, Martial Eagle, Coqui
and Crested francolins, Yellow-necked and Red-necked spurfowls, White-bellied
Bustard, Yellow-throated Sand grouse, Ashy starling, White-headed Buffalo-weaver,
and a single Rufous-tailed Weaver at dusk.
25th August
After an early breakfast, we checked out of the
Tarangire Safari Lodge and began the long drive to the Serengeti. We
started the journey on good roads, which changed to a rutted dirt road
as we climbed the rift valley escarpment just past lake Manyara. We
drove around the mainly forested Ngorongoro crater, where we made a
brief stop in a area rich in wild flowers & Sunbirds. We continued
on the Olduvai Gorge where we stopped to eat our packed lunch. This
area is worth visiting, not only for the museum dedicated to the finding
of mans earliest remains, but also for the birds, which feed at your
feet around the picnic tables.
After lunch we continued, entering the vast expanse
of the Serengeti plains. As soon as we turned off the main track and
started to head towards our hotel, we came across a female Lion suckling
three small cubs, which gave very close views. Within minutes of leaving
her we encountered a female cheetah and three well-grown cubs at a fresh
kill, shortly followed by a large male Lion, which soon got scent of
the kill and chased off the Cheetah family, scattering the cubs in all
directions. A pretty impressive introduction to the Serengeti!
We arrived at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge at dusk,
where the hot showers & luxurious rooms were most appreciated after
a long drive.
Highlights: Dusky Turtle Dove, Malachite and Golden-winged
sunbirds, White-bellied Canary, Greater Kestrel, Kori, White-bellied
and Hartlaub's bustards, Two-banded Courser & Rufous-tailed Weaver.
26th August
After breakfast we heded out for a full day in
the Serengeti. Arnold drove slowly through an area of Acacia woodland,
which lies along the main track near the hotel. We stopping to check
any bird flock's we encountered, before picking up a Grey-breasted Spurfowl,
the last endemic of the trip near one of the river crossings. We continued
onto a nearby lake before heading out onto the grassy plains and a picnic
site near Seronera, where we ate our packed lunch. The picnic site was
alive with birds feeding on scrap, including our only Usambiro Barbets
of the trip. Drove back to the hotel to pick up the girls who had spent
the morning chilling out & enjoying the delights of the hotel swimming
pool. We left the hotel at 4pm and headed back towards the lake, where
luckily for the girls a Leopard we had seen in the morning, was still
in its tree. The drive back to the Hotel was delayed by a large herd
of elephants, crossing the road, which were not very impressed by out
presence. We drove past a spectacular fire on one of the hillsides,
which had been caused by thunderstorms we had seen distantly earlier
in the afternoon.
In the evening we were treated to an impressive
thunderstorm around the hotel whilst eating dinner. Back at the room
the views from the balcony, across a lightening lit Serengeti, will
leave a lasting memory.
Highlights. Acacia Woodland & riverine scrub:
Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Meyer's Parrot, Fischer's Lovebird, Sharpe's
Pied-babbler, Buff-bellied Penduline-Tit, Red-throated Tit and Abyssinian
Scimitar-bill & Yellow-throated Petronia.
Open plains: Black-winged Lapwing, Temminck's
and Two-banded coursers.
Picnic Site: Usambiro Barbet, Grey-capped Social-weaver.
Scattered trees near the picnic site: Silverbird.
27th August
We packed & left the hotel, starting to retrace
ours steps back to the Ngorongoro crater where we would spend the next
two nights. The tracks across the plains proved hard going after the
overnight rains & Arnold had to be quite selective about which tracks
to use, as some were almost impassable. We stopped for lunch at Naabi
Hill Gate exit for the park, where we were again treated to close views
of the many birds which came down to scraps of food.
We arrived at the hotel Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
at 18.30, where we managed a last hours birding around the grounds before
dark. After taking a shower, a Mountain Nightjar could be heard from
the room, but it could not be located. When we met up with John for
Dinner, he gripped me off with the news that he had seen the nightjar
outside his room!
Highlights. Naabi Hill Gate : Buff-bellied Warbler,
Banded Parisoma Hildebrand's Starling & Rufous-tailed Weaver.
Sopa Lodge: Verreaux's Eagle-owl & White-eyed
Slaty-flycatcher.
28th August
First light found us exploring the grounds of
the hotel, before taking an early breakfast & departing for a full
day in the crater.
We covered a large part of the crater bottom,
taking lunch at a lakeside picnic site, before ending up at the soda
lake late afternoon from where we headed back to the hotel.
The memorable day finished back at the hotel,
with a pair of Montane Nightjars performing under a spotlight near the
swimming pool.
Highlights. Sopa Lodge: Grey-capped Warbler, Broad-ringed
White-eye & Montane Nightjars
Crater: Rosy-throated Longclaw, Grey-rumped Swallow,
African Marsh-Harrier, Lesser Flamingo, Banded Martin, Grey Crowned-Crane,
Hildebrand's Francolin, Yellow Bishop & Chestnut-banded Plover.
29th August
The early morning was spent birding around the
grounds of the hotel including the nearby staff quarters and football
pitch, before heading off on the journey to Lake Manyara. On arrival
at Lake Manyara we ate our packed lunch at the picnic site by the entrance
gate, after which we entered the park, spending the rest of the day
on a game drive with a visit to the lakeshore.
In the evening we drove the short distance to
the Migunga Forest Camp, which is set in 35 acres of yellow acacia forest
in a secluded part of Migungani Village. The camp consists of nine self-contained
tents with Bathrooms having running hot and cold water, showers, and
flush toilets. There is a dining room and bar under thatch. Electricity
is 12 volt supplied by solar power.
Highlights. Sopa Lodge: Hunter's Cisticola, Cinnamon
Bracken-warbler, Red-collared Widowbird & Tacazze Sunbird.
Lake Manyara: Giant Kingfisher, Black Cuchooshrike
& White Helmetshrike.
30th August
We spent a couple of hours birding the acacia
woodland and the nearby grassland before heading back to camp for an
early lunch.
After lunch we drove to Arusha airport where,
after saying our goodbyes to Arnold and Anthony, who had driven out
to meet us, we departed on the 13.00 flight to Dar Es Salaam, via Zanzibar.
We were collected from the airport by a taxi arranged by the Beachcomber
Hotel. The hotel had been taken over by a wedding reception and the
hotel wanted us to eat at a nearby hotel, but after much insistence
we were fed on the balcony of the hotel overlooking the reception party
and the Indian Ocean.
Highlights. Migunga Forest Camp: Klaas's Cuckoo
&. African Golden Oriole.
31st August
Spent the morning birding the mangroves &
beach around the hotel, as well as chilling out in the pool.
Transferred to the airport for the afternoon flight
that left on time and arrived in Dubai late evening. Onward flight early
the next morning arrived in Manchester early afternoon of 1 September.
Highlights. Beachcomber Hotel: Dimorphic Egret
<back to top>
TANZANIA
BIRDING TRIP REPORT
Tanzania February 12 - 26th 2005
By Keith Riding
Saturday, February 12th, 2005.
We had travelled from Uganda to Dar es Salaam and booked into a hotel
the previous day, that Anthony had arranged for us. Anthony met us whilst
we were eating breakfast. I had been out at dawn and returned to pick
up Mog for breakfast at 0700 hrs. We quickly checked out and met Gaitan,
our driver. We drove out of Dar, chatting earnestly. We didn’t really
see much until we reached Mikumi National Park. Gaitan drove slowly
though the park. We saw some interesting birds, but we weren’t allowed
out of the bus. Yes, it was a small bus that we had all to ourselves.
We stopped for lunch at the Mikumi Genesis Hotel. Anthony and Gaitan
ate elsewhere. After lunch, we drove out of the park and at the town
of Mikumi; we turned right up a dirt track into a Miombo forest, which
was lovely. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed out of the bus here either
as the army was around, but we saw some nice birds anyway. We carried
on to Udzungwa National forest for about an hour, arriving at a very
basic hotel, the Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel, in the middle of the
forest, where we had a wonderful cooked supper of Impala, with soup
for starters and crepes for dessert. There was even an air-conditioner
in the room if we wanted it.
N.B.I entered the bird sightings
into the software program “BirdBase” and the output is in this format.
The ones in red are ‘lifers’ and the comments are in blue, just to make
it easier to read.
Dar es Salaam; Sea Cliff Hotel at dawn.
Trip Date: 12-2-05
Species Seen: 7
House Crow
House Sparrow
Somali Bunting
F Brown-breasted Barbet
White-browed Coucal
Yellow Bishop
Red-collared Widowbird |
Corvus splendens
Passer domesticus
Emberiza poliopleura
Lybius melanopterus
Centropus superciliosus
Euplectes capensis
Euplectes ardens |
Morogoro to Mikumi National Park;
Trip Date: 12-2-05
Species Seen: 28
African Palm-Swift
Barn Swallow
Sacred Ibis
Black Kite
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu |
Cypsiurus parvus
Hirundo rustica
Threskiornis aethiopicus
Milvus migrans
Plocepasser mahali
Uraeginthus angolensis |
Several were seen throughout the day.
Helmeted Guineafowl
Spotted Flycatcher
Lilac-breasted Roller
Rattling Cisticola
Tawny-flanked Prinia
F Pale-billed Hornbill |
Numida meleagris
Muscicapa striata
Coracias caudata
Cisticola chiniana
Prinia subflava
Tockus pallidirostris |
About a dozen birds were seen throughout
the day.
European Roller
F Zanzibar Bishop |
Coracias garrulus
Euplectes nigroventris |
Several males and females were seen washing
themselves in a pond.
F Bertram's Weaver |
Ploceus bertrandi |
Several males and females were seen washing
in a pond.
Long-tailed Fiscal
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Red-faced Cisticola
|
Lanius cabanisi
Euplectes axillaris
Cisticola erythrops
|
Anthony recognized the song and we saw
one fly up from the grass into a tree.
White-backed Vulture
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Spotted Morning-Thrush
|
Gyps africanus
Tchagra australis
Cichladusa guttata
|
Anthony heard these
Southern Ground-Hornbill
Striped Kingfisher
|
Bucorvus leadbeateri
Halcyon chelicuti |
A couple were seen.
European Bee-eater
Marabou Stork
Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Common Bulbul
House Sparrow
|
Merops apiaster
Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Buphagus africanus
Pycnonotus barbatus
Passer domesticus
|
Near Udzungwa just after Mikumi; A Miombo
Forest.
Trip Date: 12-2-05
Species Seen: 11
Red-eyed Dove
European Bee-eater
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Retz's Helmetshrike
|
Streptopelia semitorquata
Merops apiaster
Euplectes axillaris
Turtur chalcospilos
Prionops retzii
|
Several were seen foraging in a tall tree.
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
|
Pogoniulus bilineatus
|
One was heard.
White-headed Black-Chat
|
Myrmecocichla arnotti
|
Two pairs were seen.
Fork-tailed Drongo
Black-crowned Tchagra
|
Dicrurus adsimilis
Tchagra senegala
|
We saw the Brown-crowned Tchagra earlier.
Yellow Bishop
African Pied Wagtail
|
Euplectes capensis
Motacilla aguimp
|
En route to Udzungwa; from Mikumi.
Trip Date: 12-2-05
Species Seen: 5
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Red Bishop
Wire-tailed Swallow
Lesser Striped-Swallow
African Harrier-Hawk
|
Halcyon albiventris
Euplectes orix
Hirundo smithii
Hirundo abyssinica
Polyboroides typus
|
Sunday, February 13, 2005.
Anthony and Gaitan were due to call for us at
0630 hrs for breakfast, so I got up a little earlier to see if there
were any Owls in the garden. There were not, but I did hear one calling
in the night. The four of us had a nice breakfast together and we left
at 0700 hrs. We gave them a nice tip because they gave us a great supper
and Mog took a picture of Teddy.
We drove for about two hours on a terrible road, (it should have taken
one and a half hours), to Kilombero Marsh, a vast expanse of marsh alongside
the Kilombero River. We got out of the bus about a quarter of a mile
from the river and walked to it. Almost immediately, Anthony found the
White-tailed Cisticola, a recently discovered bird (about 1999, I think)
and then the Coucal and the special Kilombero Weaver. A little later
he found the Kilombero Cisticola. At the river he found the Lapwing.
On the way back I found a lifer for him, the Fulleborn’s Longclaw. We
had a good morning! Back at the hotel, we had lunch together and then
quickly packed and took off again.
On the road we got stopped by a policeman wanting a bribe, but Gaitan
refused to pay and paid the full penalty of 60,000 shillings, which
made the policeman write out a ticket with his number on it. Gaitan
will contest the ticket later. We stopped in the Miombo forest again,
and this time, I managed to get Anthony out of the bus and keep him
out, although he wouldn’t walk, ostensibly because of the army being
in the forest. ( This very excellent birding area has been occupied
by the Tanzanian army,walking and use of Cameras by foreigners is prohibited
) We saw a few more species than if we had stayed in the bus, I believe.
It was a long drive in the wonderful hours between 1700 and 1900 when
everything cools down and the light is great. When we arrived at the
Morogoro Kola Hills Hotel, Anthony settled us in and then took off promising
to call for us about 0900 hrs in the morning.
Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel & journey
to Kilombero Marsh;
Trip Date: 13-2-05
Species Seen: 20
Common Bulbul
Black Kite
Pied Crow
African Wood-Owl
|
Pycnonotus barbatus
Milvus migrans
Corvus albus
Strix woodfordii
|
One was heard in the early hours. I described
the call to Anthony and he told me.
Trumpeter Hornbill |
Ceratogymna bucinator
|
Several were crying in the dawn light
and one was seen.
Village Weaver |
Ploceus cucullatus
|
A medium sized colony was in some Palm
trees.
Emerald-spotted
Wood-Dove
Striped Kingfisher
Yellow Bishop
Red Bishop
Zanzibar Bishop
|
Turtur chalcospilos
Halcyon chelicuti
Euplectes capensis
Euplectes orix
Euplectes nigroventris
|
Several were seen again today.
Fan-tailed
Widowbird
Red-necked Falcon
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Southern Brown-throated Weaver
|
Euplectes axillaris
Falco chicquera
Halcyon albiventris
Ploceus xanthopterus
|
Three or four small colonies were seen
en route. Anthony said that he discovered them last year.
F Bat-like Spinetail |
Neafrapus boehmi
|
I spotted two of these birds whilst we
were at the Southern Brown-throated Weaver site.
Pin-tailed Whydah
Red-eyed Dove
Fork-tailed Drongo
White-fronted Bee-eater
|
Vidua macroura
Streptopelia semitorquata
Dicrurus adsimilis
Merops bullockoides
|
Kilombero Marshes; It was a vast area,
but disturbed.
Trip Date: 13-2-05
Species Seen: 29
Coppery-tailed Coucal |
Centropus cupreicaudus
|
Several were sitting up high on clumps
of grass and calling.
F White-tailed
Cisticola |
Cisticola sp.
|
One was seen almost right away and later
others were seen.
African Openbill
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Red-headed Quelea |
Anastomus lamelligerus
Euplectes axillaris
Quelea erythrops
|
Small flocks of these birds swirled over
the marsh.
Pied Kingfisher
F Kilombero Weaver |
Ceryle rudis
Ploceus burnieri
|
A small colony was found and then others
were seen later as we walked to the river.
Gray-headed Sparrow |
Passer griseus
|
The southern variety was seen.
Palm-nut Vulture |
Gypohierax angolensis
|
Several flew over.
Jameson's Firefinch
Rufous-tailed Shrike |
Lagonosticta rhodopareia
Lanius isabellinus
|
I saw this bird in Greece.
F Kilombero Cisticola |
Cisticola sp.
|
This was the most difficult to find today,
but it had a characteristic call or song.
Spur-winged Goose
African Marsh-Harrier
Long-tailed Cormorant
European Bee-eater
Village Indigobird |
Plectropterus gambensis
Circus ranivorus
Phalacrocorax africanus
Merops apiaster
Vidua chalybeata
|
Three were perched on separate wires.
Zebra Waxbill
Black-headed Heron
Gray Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
White-headed Lapwing |
Sporaeginthus subflavus
Ardea melanocephala
Ardea cinerea
Actitis macularia
Vanellus albiceps
|
One was seen through the telescope on
the far bank of the river.
African Fish-Eagle
F Racket-tailed Roller |
Haliaeetus vocifer
Coracias spatulata |
One was sitting on a telephone pole.
F Dickinson's Kestrel |
Falco dickinsoni |
A gray Kestrel with a white head was
on a telephone pole.
F Fasciated Snake-Eagle |
Circaetus fasciolatus |
One was seen flying.
Red-collared Widowbird
F Fuelleborn's Longclaw |
Euplectes ardens
Macronyx fuellebornii |
I heard the two note song of this bird
and searched for it, finding it high up on top of a bush. I pointed
it out to Anthony. It was a lifer for him.
Long-crested Eagle |
Lophaetus occipitalis |
Kilombero to Miombo Forest at Mikumi;
Trip Date: 13-2-05
Species Seen: 4
Gabar Goshawk
Lilac-breasted Roller
White-winged Widowbird
Hamerkop |
Micronisus gabar
Coracias caudata
Euplectes albonotatus
Scopus umbretta |
Mikumi Miombo Forest; A second visit.
Trip Date: 13-2-05
Species Seen: 9
Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
F Variable Indigobird |
Melierax poliopterus
Vidua funerea |
This was right next to the Chanting Goshawk.
African Gray Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Drongo
F Pale Batis |
Bradornis microrhynchus
Dicrurus adsimilis
Batis soror |
Both male & female were seen.
White-headed Black-Chat
Rufous-bellied Tit
White-winged Black-Tit
Retz's Helmetshrike |
Myrmecocichla arnotti
Melaniparus rufiventris
Melaniparus leucomelas
Prionops retzii |
Mikumi to Morogoro; The Morogoro Kola
Hill Hotel.
Trip Date: 13-2-05
Species Seen: 15
White Helmetshrike |
Prionops plumatus |
A few were together.
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
Helmeted Guineafowl
Green Woodhoopoe |
Telophorus sulfureopectus
Numida meleagris
Phoeniculus purpureus |
A very good view was had of two birds.
Marabou Stork
Red-billed Oxpecker
White-bellied Bustard
Red-faced Cisticola
European Roller
Purple-crested Turaco |
Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Eupodotis senegalensis
Cisticola erythrops
Coracias garrulus
Tauraco porphyreolophus |
One flew over the road.
Abdim's Stork
Lesser Striped-Swallow
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Cattle Egret
F Miombo Blue-eared Starling |
Ciconia abdimii
Hirundo abyssinica
Melierax metabates
Bubulcus ibis
Lamprotornis elisabeth |
One was seen.
Monday, February 14th, 2005.
I was up at 0640 hrs for a quick look around before breakfast at 0730
hrs. This was a buffet with local doctors attending a conference. At
0900 hrs. Gaitan and Anthony came for us and we set off right away to
drive to Amani, hardly stopping on the way. We did stop off for lunch
at a nice place by a road junction. We turned right to Amani and to
the left pointed Arusha, so we’ll likely pass that way again. Once in
the Amani Park, we arrived at 1600 hrs and walked the lower forest.
We walked up the mountain a fine distance and saw a few birds. After
a while we drove up the rest of the way and had a short walk before
dark. After dark at 1930 hrs we had supper with Anthony & Gaitan.
Morogoro Kola Hill Hotel; A quick look-see
before breakfast.
Trip Date: 14-2-05
Species Seen: 5
Collared Palm-Thrush |
Cichladusa arquata |
Three birds were calling.
House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
There were many around the grounds.
Pied Crow
Common Bulbul
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu |
Corvus albus
Pycnonotus barbatus
Uraeginthus angolensis |
On the road to Amani; We only stopped
for pit stops.
Trip Date: 14-2-05
Species Seen: 6
Red-collared Widowbird
F Black Bishop |
Euplectes ardens
Euplectes gierowii |
This bird has more red on the front.
Yellow Bishop
Zanzibar Bishop
Lilac-breasted Roller
Red-faced Cisticola |
Euplectes capensis
Euplectes nigroventris
Coracias caudata
Cisticola erythrops |
This has a very loud call for such a small
bird.
Eastern Usambara lower mountain; We walked
up hill.
Trip Date: 14-2-05
Species Seen: 13
Little Greenbul
F Green-headed Oriole |
Andropadus virens
Oriolus chlorocephalus |
We saw a young bird and heard the mother calling.
F Half-collared Kingfisher |
Alcedo semitorquata |
We saw two of these beautiful birds in
the stream.
Mountain Wagtail |
Motacilla clara |
Two were also in the stream.
Eastern Mountain-Greenbul |
Andropadus nigriceps |
Anthony heard one.
Square-tailed Drongo
Sombre Greenbul
African Paradise-Flycatcher
Forest Weaver |
Dicrurus ludwigii
Andropadus importunus
Terpsiphone viridis
Ploceus bicolor |
Two were seen.
White-eared Barbet
Trumpeter Hornbill
Western Olive-Sunbird
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler |
Stactolaema leucotis
Ceratogymna bucinator
Cyanomitra obscura
Hippolais pallida |
East Usambara high altitude; Around the
chalet.
Trip Date: 14-2-05
Species Seen: 7
Black-bellied Glossy-Starling |
Lamprotornis corruscus |
Two were high in a tree.
Waller's Starling
Western Olive-Sunbird
F Amani Sunbird |
Onychognathus walleri
Cyanomitra obscura
Hedydipna pallidigaster |
A brilliant bird!
Collared Sunbird |
Hedydipna collaris |
This was in the same tree as the other
Sunbirds
F Uluguru Violet-backed
Sunbird |
Anthreptes neglectus |
This was another brilliance in the same
tree.
African Pied Wagtail |
Motacilla aguimp |
Tuesday, February 15, 2005.
Anthony & I birded from 0630 – 0815 hrs and we had a wonderful time,
finding a really good spot where there were lots of birds. After breakfast,
the three of us (Gaitan had a morning off) hiked up to the peak where
there was a great lookout, over the forest and several tea plantations.
Lunch was at 1300 hrs and we ate together. At 1530 hrs Gaitan drove
us down the mountain and around the tea plantations which produced more
birds. We arrived back about 1900 hrs. just at dark and then ate together
at 1930 hrs. Anthony and Geitan told us some very nice stories about
their travel experiences with different birders they have taken out.It
was interesting how their kind of Job lets them exposed to people of
different thinkings.
Amani National Park; E. Usambara Mountains
before breakfast.
Trip Date: 15-2-05
Species Seen: 30
Common Bulbul
Trumpeter Hornbill
Western Olive-Sunbird
Green Barbet |
Pycnonotus barbatus
Ceratogymna bucinator
Cyanomitra obscura
Stactolaema olivacea |
We heard this before we saw it.
Scarce Swift |
Schoutedenapus myoptilus |
Two flew overhead.
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
White-eared Barbet
White-browed Robin-Chat |
Chlorocichla flaviventris
Stactolaema leucotis
Cossypha heuglini |
Two were singing and where they were
was an excellent site for birds in general.
F Broad-ringed White-eye |
Zosterops poliogaster |
Several were seen throughout the morning.
Black Sawwing
African Green-Pigeon
Green-headed Oriole |
Psalidoprocne holomelas
Treron calva
Oriolus chlorocephalus |
We saw this well and it was calling a
lot.
Eastern Mountain-Greenbul
Amani Sunbird
Gray Cuckoo-shrike
Black-bellied Glossy-Starling
African Penduline-Tit
F Short-tailed Batis |
Andropadus nigriceps
Hedydipna pallidigaster
Coracina caesia
Lamprotornis corruscus
Anthoscopus caroli
Batis mixta |
Anthony calls this "Forest Batis".
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird |
Pogoniulus bilineatus |
We saw this, whereas usually we hear it
and never see it!
African Gray Flycatcher
F Pallid Honeyguide |
Bradornis microrhynchus
Indicator meliphilus |
I spotted this, but Anthony confirmed
it.
F Cabanis' Greenbul
African Dusky Flycatcher
Cameroon Scrub-Warbler
African Palm-Swift
F Yellow-crowned Canary |
Phyllastrephus cabanisi
Muscicapa adusta
Bradypterus lopezi
Cypsiurus parvus
Serinus flavivertex |
One was in the scope.
F Yellow-bellied
Waxbill |
Estrilda quartinia |
A small flock flew by.
Black-and-white Mannikin |
Spermestes bicolor |
An other flock was this species.
Tawny-flanked Prinia
F Cabanis' Bunting |
Prinia subflava
Emberiza cabanisi |
Two birds were perched in front of us
for a while.
Amani National Park; E. Usambara Mtns.
after breakfast.
Trip Date: 15-2-05
Species Seen: 13
Trumpeter Hornbill
Long-crested Eagle
African Paradise-Flycatcher
African Dusky Flycatcher
Cameroon Scrub-Warbler
F Fischer's Greenbul |
Ceratogymna bucinator
Lophaetus occipitalis
Terpsiphone viridis
Muscicapa adusta
Bradypterus lopezi
Phyllastrephus fischeri |
This was probably the dullest bird with
Fischer's name attached to it.
F Crowned Hawk-Eagle |
Stephanoaetus coronatus |
This was a first.
Square-tailed Drongo
Forest Weaver |
Dicrurus ludwigii
Ploceus bicolor |
There were three in a mixed flock of birds
around the Drongo.
Green Barbet
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
African Swift
F Mountain Buzzard |
Stactolaema olivacea
Chlorocichla flaviventris
Apus barbatus
Buteo oreophilus |
One flew over.
Amani National Park; E. Usambara Mtns.
Tea Plantation 3-7 pm
Trip Date: 15-2-05
Species Seen: 30
Lesser Striped-Swallow
Common Fiscal
Spectacled Weaver
Broad-ringed White-eye
Abdim's Stork |
Hirundo abyssinica
Lanius collaris
Ploceus ocularis
Zosterops poliogaster
Ciconia abdimii |
One was perched high up on a tree.
Tawny-flanked Prinia
F Kenrick's Starling |
Prinia subflava
Poeoptera kenricki |
One was in the 'scope.
Black Sawwing
Palm-nut Vulture
African Harrier-Hawk
White-rumped Swift
Square-tailed Drongo
Western Olive-Sunbird
African Pied Wagtail
Mosque Swallow
F Peters' Twinspot |
Psalidoprocne holomelas
Gypohierax angolensis
Polyboroides typus
Apus caffer
Dicrurus ludwigii
Cyanomitra obscura
Motacilla aguimp
Hirundo senegalensis
Hypargos niveoguttatus |
Mog spotted these two flying out of tea
bushes.
White-necked Raven |
Corvus albicollis |
Two flew over.
White-browed Robin-Chat
Speckled Mousebird
Black-and-white Mannikin
Red-faced Cisticola
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Grosbeak Weaver |
Cossypha heuglini
Colius striatus
Spermestes bicolor
Cisticola erythrops
Halcyon albiventris
Amblyospiza albifrons |
Three birds were by a wonderful, newly
built nest.
Scaly Francolin |
Francolinus squamatus |
Two birds were making a noise, but we
couldn't see them.
Black-throated Wattle-eye
F Cinnamon Bracken-Warble | |