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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.
13th A 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 Motel Situated
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 September 9th - 27th 2005
Published by Jack Stephens (jstephens62 AT comcast.net)
Participants: Jack Stephens
I wake up and go outside to explore the garden.
A flock of warblers is moving through the flowers, except they aren’t
warblers, they are AFRICAN YELLOW WHITE-EYES. A flock of crows call
in the distance. They sound odd, probably because they aren’t crows,
but HADADA IBIS. The flycatcher in the tree looks familiar in silhouette,
but when the light changes, it is a bird I have never seen before, AFRICAN
PARADISE-FLYCATCHER.
This is the first day of our 17-day tour through
northern Tanzania. My wife Ellen is still sleeping in our room, next
door to our good friends Dan and Carol. In an hour our driver Geitan
and our bird guide Anthony will arrive to take us out and start our
safari. They are part of the core team of Birding and Beyond out of
Arusha. Incredibly, while this is scheduled as a birding trip, I am
the only birder in our group. Ellen, Dan, and Carol go months without
even touching a pair of binoculars in the states. However, they have
shown an incredible ability to rise to the avian challenge on previous
trips. They are great at spotting birds, and get exited about the flashier
species. They even convinced me to look at an occasional mammal.
We decided to do the standard “northern circuit”
of Tanzania: Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara,
Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti. One option that Birding and Beyond
offers is an extension to Speke Bay Lodge on Lake Victoria, where we
picked up several species .at the eastern edge of their range. We also
got to see the lake fly eruption on Lake Victoria, but more about that
later.
It was quite dry while we were there, which made for easy viewing of
game. We probably would not have seen some of the predator hunts that
we saw in the wet season. There was no concern about roads being impassable
due to rain or mud. On the other hand, the birds were not singing, and
the whydahs and widowbirds were in non-breeding plumage.
ITINERARY
Sept. 12: Arrive Arusha, Maasai Safari Lodge
Sept. 13: Arusha National Park
Sept. 14: Drive to Tarangire National Park, night in Tarangire Safari
Lodge
Sept. 15-16: Tarangire NP, Tarangire Sopa Lodge
Sept. 17-18: Lake Manyara, E Unoto Retreat
Sept. 19-20: Gibbs Farm
Sept. 21: Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Sept. 22-23: Serengeti National Park, Ndutu Lodge
Sept. 24-25: Speke Bay Lodge
Sept. 26: Serengeti National Park, Ndutu Lodge
Sept. 27: Leave from Arusha
September 9th
We fly British Airways from Seattle direct to
London. It is an overnight flight; eyeshades and Ambien work better
for Ellen than for me. Our seats are in the back next to the lavatories,
which have a regular stream of patrons, including a few that strike
up conversations. I make a mental note to avoid those seats in the future.
September 10th
After an easy pass through immigration and customs
in Heathrow, we connect onto KLM to Amsterdam. KLM proves to be very
picky about carry-on weight. They balk at my carry-on that has my scope
and camera in it; it exceeds their limit of 10 kg. I pull the scope
and camera out, check the bag, and carry them loose with my small bag
which has my binocs. A short 45 minute flight has us into Amsterdam
by 5PM. We make our way via the train into downtown, and then flag a
cab that takes us to our B&B.
September 11th
KLM is the only airlines that flies direct from
Europe to Arusha. Since the flights are so long, and since Dan has never
been to Europe, we scheduled a full day in Amsterdam on the way over.
We have a great day walking the city, and take in the Rijksmuseum, the
Van Gogh museum, the Anne Frank House, and the red light district in
a day. Amsterdam is a great city for the casual American visitor; everyone
speaks English, the city is accessible by foot, prices are reasonable,
and there is a lot to see. Our host is an expatriate American who has
lived there for years. I can see why.
September 12th
We catch the morning flight to Arusha. I think
that the weight restriction on carry-on that I ran into was due to the
small size of the plane from London to Amsterdam, but no, they still
have the 10 kg limit. So once again I re-shuffle my optics and check
the rest. The flight is long, but anticipation grows as we cross the
Mediterranean and cross over the coast in Libya. Night has fallen by
the time we land in Arusha, and after negotiating our visas, immigration
and picking up our bags, we quickly find our guides Anthony and Geitan
and head off.
We have booked with Birding and Beyond, a company
based in Arusha that specializes in birding tours. They are a smaller
company, and don’t have the name recognition of some of the bigger operators.
They offer custom, personalized service however, and I don’t see how
we could have done better.
On the drive in from the airport Dan is chatting
with Anthony and Geitan. Dan is a bit “out there”, and once he determined
that they had all three been raised Roman Catholic, they were soon singing
hymns in Latin and trading Sister Gertrude stories. I sigh that this
is going to be a long trip.
September 13th
The first two nights we stay at Maasai Safari
Lodge in Arusha. This is very small place, tucked behind a residential
area on the outskirts of town. The electricity and hot water are iffy,
but the rooms are pleasant and large, and there is small garden that
attracts a nice variety of birds. After that first morning walk and
breakfast, Anthony and Geitan arrive to take us on our first full day.
We tick off VARIABLE SUNBIRD, AMYTHEST SUNDBIRD, COMMON BULBUL, and
AFRICAN BLACK SWIFT, and then head off to Arusha National Park, just
an hour away from town.
Many of the standard tours skip this park, which
is a shame. It has a mixture of montane forest, grassland and lakes,
and proved a great kick-off location for our trip. After a short drive,
we enter the park and within minutes come to a clearing loaded with
Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, and Warthog. It seems like
a scene from the Garden of Eden. Even though we will see these species
many times again, that first view is magical.
While we are watching the mammals, the birds are
coming fast, including fly-by LIZARD BUZZARD and SILVERY-CHEEKED HORNBILL.
Arusha is the only park we will visit that allows
walks with an armed ranger. So for $20 Roger accompanies us for the
next two hours in his green fatigue uniform and AK-47. I think that
the AK is a bit much, until we spook a Cape Buffalo just 30 yards away
hunkered done in some brush. Roger says that they usually run away like
this one did, but at least once he has had one run at the group. A few
rounds in the air and it turned tail, but suddenly I am happy Roger
and his gun are there.
We see our first AUGER BUZZARD soaring overhead,
and get great views of a BROAD-BILLED ROLLER in the scope. After a visit
to a waterfall and a walk through the woods, we return to the car, thank
Roger, and head off. We score some good mammals, including Red Duiker,
Sykes Monkey and Black-and-White Colobus Monkey. A visit to two lakes
yields SOUTHERN POCHARD, HOTTENTOT TEAL (don’t you just love that name?),
INTERMEDIATE EGRET, LITTLE GREBE, LONG-TAILED COMORANT, and GREAT CORMORANT.
At the end of the day we stopped by an orphanage
for a visit. We had asked Anthony ahead of our trip how we could best
give back to the people of Tanzania, and he had suggested this orphanage,
and an elementary school that we would visit later. We brought some
school supplies, soccer balls, vitamins, and candy with us, and expected
to just drop it off and then leave. It turned out that they had a much
more formal visit in mind. We sat down and heard about the history of
the orphanage from the director, met with the assistant director, the
staff member who keeps their books, and then toured the facility. It
is basically a three room building with 40 children in two bedrooms,
about 6 children to a double-sized bunk bed. We then sat down as the
older children performed several songs and synchronized dances. There
were some great singers in the group, and the songs were real toe-tappers.
I was quite surprised to learn from Anthony that all the songs warned
of the dangers of AIDS. After the performance it was time for us to
distribute the treats, as well as some impromptu soccer practice with
Dan and the children.
That evening we enjoyed an authentic African meal
at Maasai Safari Lodge with our host Cornelius. He is a retired veterinarian
who worked for 15 years with the game animals on the Serengeti, mainly
doing research. It is hard to imagine treadmill tests on elephants,
but he assures us that it can be done. You do need a really big treadmill,
however.
Best Bird of the Day (as defined by my non-birding
compatriots)
WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER. We had stunning scope looks on our walk in
Arusha NP.
Hardest to Find Bird of the Day (as defined by
Anthony, based on location and time of the year) BLACK-THROATED WATTLE-EYE.
Seen on our walk in the forest.
Biggest Miss of the Day (as defined by me, usually the ones Anthony
saw and I didn’t) HARTLAUB’S TURACO. Anthony saw one in trees during
our walk and one run across the road in Arusha NP, they were gone by
the time I looked. Highlights of the day (as defined by us all) The
first view of wildlife in Arusha NP. The visit to the orphanage.
September 14th
We left Cornelius and drove to Tarangire National
Park. The road down was good tarmac, with occasional villages and lots
of bicycle traffic. On the way down Anthony spotted our only PYGMY FALCON
perched along the side of the road, trying his best to look mean despite
his size. We also started to see the beautiful SUPERB STARLINGS. “You
will soon be tired of them” Geitan said, and his was almost right.
The entrance to Tarangire proved very birdy, with first views of ASHY
STARLING, SPECKLE-FRONTED WEAVER, GREEN-WINGED PYTILIA, and RED-CHEEKED
CORDON-BLEU. Anthony heard and we eventually found a PEARL-SPOTTED OWLET
in a tree behind the entrance gate.
Driving in we saw our first lions, two females
lounging underneath a tree just off the side of the road. After appropriate
looks and photos, we started off and then realized why they appeared
so satisfied. There was a freshly killed zebra just behind the tree.
Since this was just off the main road, we would visit this kill several
more times during our stay.
The first night we stayed in the wonderful Tarangire
Safari Lodge. It is situated on a bluff overlooking the Tarangire River.
When we pulled in there were herds of elephant, zebra, wildebeest, troops
of baboon, along with TAWNY EAGLE, WHITE-BACKED VULTURE, RUPPELL’S GRIFFON
VULTURE, and SECRETARY BIRD all soaring at eye level. We have another
Garden of Eden moment.
At the end of the day we pass the zebra kill. There is a rib cage and
parts of hindquarters left, but no vultures to my surprise.
That night we sleep in a tent with a permanent
roof, queen-sized bed, and our own toilet and shower. We loved the experience
of feeling closer to the bush, and loved our stay at Tarangire Safari
Lodge. The food was great, the staff friendly and the views superb.
That night I am awakened to the sound of warthogs outside our tent.
Very cool.
Best Bird YELLOW-COLLARED LOVEBIRD. “They look
like little jewels.”
Hardest Bird CUT-THROAT FINCH. Two found at Tarangire entrance.
Highlight: Lions at the kill
September 15th
We spend the day driving around the park. The
zebra kill now has a large group of WHITE-BACKED and LAPPET-FACED VULTURES.
New birds come fast and furious, including the common VON DER DEKEN’S
HORNBILL, RED-BILLED HORNBILL, AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL, YELLOW-THROATED
SPURFOWL, RED-THROATED SPURFOWL, RUFOUS-TAILED WEAVER, and LITTLE BEE-EATER.
A visit to a river bed with some standing water yields BLACK CRAKE,
PIED KINGFISHER, ARROW-MARKED BABBLER and a BEARDED WOODPECKER.
We see many elephants. At one point a herd walks
right by our parked car, and a juvenile reaches up with its trunk and
almost touches the tourists in the car behind us. A female with a baby
stops to scratch against a tree, so close we can hear the scratching.
Geitan says that sometimes they scratch and the tree falls down.
Anthony finds a spot for MADAGASCAR BEE-EATER. Soon we find SULPHUR-BREASTED
BUSHSHRIKE, SPOTTED MORNING-THRUSH and our first HILDEBRAND’S STARLING.
We pass a Vervet Monkey spread-eagle in a tree,
revealing sky-blue scrotum and a cherry-red phallus. Very amusing. We
also find a group of Pygmy Mongoose in their termite mound nest, extremely
cute little guys.
That night we move to the Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
As we drive in we see our only RED-HEADED WEAVER, while SPECKLED PIGEONS
coo from the rooftops.
Best Bird: RED-AND-YELLOW BARBET.
Just a stunning bird. It rightfully belongs on the cover of the Stevenson
field guide
Hardest Bird: OVAMBO SPARROWHAWK. One flew in a perched
overhead, a lucky find.
Missed Bird: ABYSSINIAN SCIMITARBILL. One was perched
in dense scrub near our car. Anthony and I have one of those “It is
right THERE” moments when in flies off.
Highlight: “Blue-balled Monkey”
September 16th
Another day in Tarangire. We head to a marsh,
and pick up or first views
HAMMERKOP, COLLARD PRATINCOLE, AND COMB DUCK. Over 80 elephants are
out in the marsh feeding. RED-BILLED BUFFALO-WEAVERS and PALM SWIFTS
are common, along with a few WHITE-HEADED BUFFALO-WEAVER and SLATE-COLORED
BOUBOUS. Raptors are everywhere, including EASTERN CHANTING-GOSHAWK,
BATLEUR EAGLES, BROWN SNAKE-EAGLE and BLACK-THROATED SNAKE-EAGLE. This
day is somewhat quieter than the day before, and we come to appreciate
the peacefulness as well as the excitement of the bush.
Best Bird: MARTIAL EAGLE. An
impressive raptor, seen both soaring and perched
Hardest Bird: LESSER KESTRAL. Declining and endangered,
one seen perched.
Missed Bird: RED-FRONTED TINKERBIRD. Seen by Anthony
briefly, then flew.
Highlight: AFRICAN HAWK-EAGLE. A pair was chasing a
francolin. One hit it, the feathers flew, but the francolin escaped.
September 17th
We drive today from Tarangire to Lake Manyara.
On the way we pass the zebra kill,
and there is now little left but a backbone and some scraps. We also
see our second set of lions, this time a group of three with a wildebeest
kill in the bushes. We stop at the Tarangire Safari Lodge for lunch
on the way out. The food is great (Mexican, no less), and we pick up
YELLOW-BELLIED GREENBUL and COQUI FRONCOLIN for good measure.
The road to Arusha leads us to the turnoff to
Lake Manyara, and Anthony says this used to be one of the worst roads
in the country. Then the Japanese came in, and now there is glass smooth
blacktop all the way to the entrance gate to Ngorongoro Crater. The
Japanese offered to continue on all the way to Lake Victoria, but the
Tanzanians thought that such a road across the Serengeti would only
bring more people, faster driving, and more disruption to the animals.
They consciously choose less development, even when someone else was
paying the tab. Interesting. The contrast was stark as we left the Japanese
road and headed in on the rough dirt track to E Unoto Retreat, just
outside of Lake Manyara NP. We passed through some of the most desolate
terrain we would see on the whole trip, bare dirt and rock with hardly
any vegetation. We started to kid that someone should put a model Mars
rover out there, it looked that barren. We did pick up some good birds
however, including FISHER’S SPARROW-LARK and SOMALI SHORT-TOED LARK.
I was starting to worry, but just as we got to the lodge the landscape
turned green. The E Unoto Retreat is nestled up against the Rift Valley
escarpment. It is owned by an American, but managed by the Maasai.
We spend the remainder of the day looking around
the environs of the lodge, picking up VIOLET-BACKED STARLING, BRONZE
MANNIKIN and LESSER STRIPED-SWALLOW.
Best Bird: SADDLE-BILLED STORK.
Killer views in Tarangire just as we were leaving
Hardest Bird: GRAY KESTRAL. Seen perched in Tarangire.
Biggest Miss: RED-FRONTED BARBET. Seen by Anthony as
we drove up to E Unoto and not relocated
BLUE-NAPED MOUSEBIRD. Seen by Anthony several times on our walk, but
always as fly-bys at a distance.
September 18th
We spend the day in Lake Manyara National Park.
Because of the ground water here, it is relatively lush forest, the
habitat is much closer to Arusha NP than Tarangire. As we toured the
visitor’s center while Geitan handled the paperwork for entry, we were
shocked by what we read in the guestbook at the visitor’s center. Several
tourists who had exchanged their currency for Tanzania shillings were
denied entry to the park; they take only US dollars!
Manyara offered our first view of hippos, with
first views of BLACK-WINGED STILT, GREY-CROWNED CRANE and our only view
of PALM-NUT VULTURE and BLACK HERON. At a picnic spot, a tame RED-AND-YELLOW
BARBET kept us company, while CLIFF CHAT pairs worked the surrounding
trees.
Best Birds: SILVERY-CHEEKED HORNBILL.
The casque on the bill is quite impressive
RED-AND-YELLOW BARBET. A bird that never disappoints.
Hardest Birds: CRESTED GUINEAFOWL. A pair was located
near the entrance to the park
PETER’S TWINSPOT. A single male off the side of the road in Manyara
Highlight: Manyara’s famous tree lions. Two females
were found in a tree, affording good looks and photos.
September 19th
We leave E Unoto Retreat and stop at a Maasai
primary school for the distribution of our remaining supplies. Again
we are received by the director and have a tour of the school before
we distribute our gifts. The children seemed so happy with their new
pencils; we reflected on this moment when we stopped by the toy department
in Harrod’s in London on the way back. Our society seems like wretched
excess in comparison.
We stop in town for a spot where Anthony has previously
seen VERREAUX’S EAGLE-OWL. We walk through yellow acacia woodland, and
get good looks at AFRICAN GOSHAWK and OPEN-BILLED STORK, but no owl.
We spend about an hour, and I am ready to throw in the towel, when the
owl flies right by us and lands in a tree. I get good photos with my
camera, but I now wish I had gone back to the car for the scope for
and digiscoping camera and gotten a shot that way. We then drove to
Gibbs Farm on the slope of the Ngorongoro crater. The farm has been
there for decades and has wonderful gardens, great staff and fabulous
views of the valley below.
The parking lot had a tree filled with BRONZE
SUNBIRDS and occasional COLLARED SUNBIRDS. SPECKLED MOUSEBIRDS were
plentiful, as were BAGLAFECHT’S WEAVERS (two races). We loved Gibbs
Farm.
Best Bird: VERREAUX’S EAGLE-OWL
Hardest Bird: AFRICAN GOSHAWK
Highlight: All the children in the school holding up
their pencils and cheering.
September 20th
We took a walk into the Ngorongoro Conversation
Area behind Gibb’s Farm large organic vegetable garden. We could not
go in early, because the elephants and buffalo come down from elevation
to the surrounding forest in the night, and it is not safe to bump into
one in dense forest.
The walk was somewhat quiet. We did have soaring
a MOUNTAIN BUZZARD and BAT HAWK, along with a GREY-CAPPED WARBLER. Finally
we saw what Anthony was looking for, a brief but stunning view of SCHLOW’S
TURACO. It is emerald green above and deep scarlet below, and it just
stopped me in my tracks.
Best Bird: SCHLOW’S TURACO
Missed Bird: MOUSTACHED TINKERBIRD, heard by Anthony
but not seen.
Highlight: Gibbs Farm gardens, food, and staff.
September 21st
That morning Anthony and I met early to bird the
gardens. We had numerous OLIVE THRUSHES at ground level, and in the
canopy were CARDINAL WOODPECKER, BLACKCAP and WHITE-TAILED BLUE-FLYCATCHER.
Moving down to the gardens we found migrating EURASIAN BEE-EATERS along
with TAMBORINE DOVE, BLUE-SPOTTED WOOD-DOVE, and a flock of AFRICAN
CITRIL.
We then gathered ourselves together and left Gibbs Farm for the Ngorongoro
Sopa Lodge. As we gained elevation we encountered CINNAMON-CHESTED BEE-EATERS,
a specialty of the area. After checking into the Sopa lodge we descended
into the crater. Ngorongoro crater is a wonderful area, but it is heavily
visited and at times we felt like we were in an animal park. We picked
up some good birds including YELLOW-BILLED KITE at a picnic spot. The
lake in the crater was almost dry, but a small stream of water was enough
to bring in PIED AVOCET, GREATER FLAMINGO, CAPE TEAL and YELLOW-BILLED
DUCK. We also got to see COMMON OSTRICH mating, which involves quite
a bit of wing waving and neck gyrations on the male’s part.
After calling it a day, we left the lake and headed
back to the lodge. We soon came across a group of cars by the side of
the road, usually a good sign. Sure enough, there was a Cheetah with
a kill. We had been warned that too many cars could stress the animal
and put it off its kill, so we just looked briefly and then headed off.
Anthony spotted something in the distance, and urged Geitan to hurry
up. After a kilometer or more, we find that he had spotted a pair of
Rhinoceros, mother and baby, who gave us somewhat distant but satisfying
views. We were lucky, in that rhinos had not been seen in the crater
in four days. Flushed with success, we continued back, saw a small group
of cars around a tree, and got a good look at our only Leopard of the
trip. Ngorongoro lives up to its reputation!
Best Bird: GRAY-CROWNED CRANE,
close in and in good light.
Hardest Bird: YELLOW-BILLED DUCK
Highlight: Cheetah, Rhino, Leopard, 1-2-3, all in 40
minutes
September 22nd
Anthony and I birded the Sopa lodge grounds that
morning, and picked up some good birds including GOLDEN-WINGED SUNBIRD,
TACAZZE SUNBIRD, WHITE-NAPED RAVEN, and STREAKY SEEDEATER. We left the
Sopa Lodge after breakfast for one last tour through the crater. We
watched a pride of 11 Lions try unsuccessfully to stalk a mixed heard
of Zebra and Wildebeest. Most appeared to be juveniles, and didn’t seem
to know quite what to do. After lunch in the crater, we pressed on for
the long, dusty, bumpy, hot drive to Ndutu Lodge on the eastern fringe
of the Serengeti. Did I mention it was dusty? More than once I wished
for Japanese engineers that afternoon.
Best Bird: AFRICAN WOOD-HOOPOE,
at a picnic spot in the crater
Hardest Birds: CINNAMON BRACHEN-WARBLER, on the grounds
of Sopa Lodge. A notorious skulker.
CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER, with chicks on the lake in the crater on our
second visit
Biggest Miss: AFRICAN QUAILFINCH, seen by Anthony as
we drove by in the crater.
September 23rd
After settling into Ndutu Lodge the night before,
we enjoyed looks at the FISHCER’S LOVEBIRD and GREY-BREASTED SPURFOWL
that would come to their water pool outside the dining room. The drive
that day was somewhat quiet bird-wise; the lake behind Ndutu Lodge was
dry, but we still managed good looks at SECRETARY BIRD and EASTERN CHANTING
GOSHAWK.
Unlike Ngorongoro, we were entirely alone near
Ndutu when we spotted a Cheetah stalking a lone immature Impala. The
cat and the antelope stared at each other while the cat moved very slowly
forward. When he finally charged, the Impala ran towards us, into trees
and away. The Cheetah walked over to the road, plopped down in front
of us to recover from the chase. After awhile he moved off the road
so we could continue, allowing very close views. Two kilometers later
we spotted a second Cheetah stalking a head of Grant’s Gazelle. She
was able to hide and let them approach her. After an hour when she finally
charged, she was on one gazelle in literally 2-3 seconds. She dragged
her kill to some clumps of grass where she started to feed, all the
while keeping a watchful eye for any predators that might come to take
her prize away. Watching this hunt was one of the most memorable parts
of the trip. It occurred to me later that an all-out birding group probably
would have not stopped and spent the time to watch the drama.
Best Bird: BLACK-LORED BABBLER,
my 300th bird of the trip
Memorable Moment: Cheetah hunt.
September 24th
This day we had a gruelling drive across the Serengeti
to Speke Bay Lodge, a total of 10 hours in the van. The western Serengeti
was more scenic than the eastern half, with more trees, hills and rivers.
Anthony and Geitan managed to find a WATER THICK-KNEE and STRIATED HERON
along the river edge. Anthony’s sharp eyes picked up a YELLOW-THROATED
LONGCLAW hidden in the grass as we bounced along. We were happy to reach
the western entrance to the park, pull onto tarmac road and make our
way to Speke Bay Lodge on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Best Bird: YELLOW-BILLED STORK.
One fishing in the Grumeti River
Most Difficult Bird: AFRICAN GOLDEN WEAVER. One perched,
also river-side.
Biggest Miss: Probable African Cuckoo, seen flying
dead away from us in the car, but not a good enough view to identify
Highlight: Two female lion with four cubs and kill,
just off the road in the Serengeti
September 25th
I was starting to question the wisdom of the long
drive to Speke Bay after the previous day’s drive. Getting up the next
day however, the new birds just started rolling in, and then it seemed
like a capital idea. Anthony and I quickly had both RED-CHESTED and
SCARLET- CHESTED SUNBIRDS, along with BLACK-HEADED GONOLEKS, SLENDER-BILLED
WEAVER, and SWAMP FLYCATCHER. On the shore of the lake were numerous
GLOSSY ISIS, HADADA IBIS, RUFF, PIED KINGFISHER and WATTLED LAPWING.
I managed to find one TEMMICK’S STINT in a group of LITTLE STINTS, while
GREY-HEADED GULLS could be seen with the scope in the distance. I managed
to find a few GULL-BILLED TERNS and WHITE-WINGED TERNS amongst the flocks
of WHISKERED TERNS. Anthony is surprised to learn that we have Gull-billed
Tern in the US.
Anthony and I bird the grounds of the lodge and
in addition to SPOTTED THICK-KNEE he is pleased to pick up a HEULGIN’S
COURSER. The courser hunkers down and allows me to approach if I move
very slowly (“Like a cheetah” Anthony jokes) and I get great photos.
That afternoon Anthony comes to get me, he says
we are going out looking for nightjars. “But it is daylight, shouldn’t
we wait for dusk?” I ask. “No, we look for them on the ground” Anthony
replies. So we stand under some trees, looking at the leaf-litter not
20 feet away with our binoculars. Apparently this makes them easier
to see. Within a few minutes we pick up both SQUARE-TAILED and SLENDER-TAILED
NIGHTJARS, and I learn a new birding technique.
We happen to be at Lake Victoria during the five
days a year that the lake flies are mating. Within 100 yard of the shore,
the bushes are literally covered with mosquito-sized flies. They don’t
bite, but as you walk by they swarm and fly into your eyes, ears, and
nose. Clouds of them look like dense fog in the distance. We are there
on day 2 and 3 of the flies, and as some die there are piles of dead
flies underneath the walkway lights at Speke Bay. The ANGOLA SWALLOWS
are working as hard as they can to take their toll on the flies, but
there are so many that it hardly makes a dent.
The flies are an annoyance, but also quite a spectacle
of nature. I try to imagine the number of flies if they are covering
the whole of Lake Victoria, and my brain can’t handle numbers that quickly
become astronomical.
Best Bird: SCARLET-CHESTED SUNBIRD
Hardest Bird: HEUGLIN’S COURSER
Memorable Moment: Lake Victoria lake fly eruption.
September 26th
Originally we were going to spend this day in
Speke Bay and then fly back to Arusha on the 27th for the evening KLM
flight back. Speke Bay was full however, so we drive back to Ndutu Lodge
and spend the night there. On the way out I was concerned about all
the driving, but it turned out wonderfully. For those two days we got
to relive parts of our safari as a perfect ending to a great trip.
The drive back to Ndutu Lodge was not as long
as on the way out, probably because we were birding a bit less. We still
managed to pick up good species, including early migrant EURASIAN SWIFTS
and a BLACK-BILLED BARBET at riverside that Anthony was quite pleased
to find. We find WHITE-HEADED VULTURE perched and soaring.
That night at Ndutu Lodge, I hear an owl hooting
at dusk. I try to find it, but it stops, and I decide to respect the
signs warning guests of the lodge not to go wandering into the bush.
Best Birds: SOUTHERN GROUND-HORNBILL.
A small group just off the road
AFRICAN HOOPOE. Very impressive, even for non-birders
Hardest Bird: BLACK-BILLED BARBET. Riverside in the
western Serengeti.
September 27th
Our last day in Africa. We are ready to go home
to our families, but sad to leave. We pass our last lion of the trip,
a lone female surveying the Serengeti from a kopje. We drive back via
the Ngorongoro crater rim, and have a lovely lunch at Gibbs Farm. Our
last baobab tree is on the descent of the rift valley escarpment down
to Lake Manyara, and my last lifer is a MOTTLED SWIFT flying nearby.
Anthony and Geitan have thoughtfully arranged for us to have a shower
and changed of clothes in a tented camp in Manyara before the long trip
home. I still have the image of the camp with its manicured lawn, the
yellow acacia trees with AFRICAN GREY HORNBILLS flying through the branches,
and Vervet Monkeys foraging below. There is no place quite like Africa.
It is dark by the time by the time we reach Arusha,
and on the way to the airport we have to pull over for a police motorcade
with lights flashing. It is the defendants in the Rwanda genocide trials
Geitan tells us, being escorted from the courtroom where the trials
are taking place to their quarters. We reach the airport, and after
an emotional farewell with Anthony and Geitan we are off.
TIPS FOR BIRDING AND TRAVEL
BIRDING AND BEYOND
It is hard to say enough complimentary things
about Birding and Beyond. Anthony and Geitan became our friends during
the time we were there. They are both phenomenal in picking out wildlife,
both avian and otherwise. While Geitan was driving, Anthony was ALWAYS
scanning for the next sighting, even when we were tired and nodding
off. Anthony knows his birds (Geitan isn’t any slouch in this department
either). Geitan knows the mammals and history of Tanzania, both have
the ability to make you feel well cared for. While we did not have a
chance to meet Tina, who makes the arrangements back in Arusha, she
did a great job in getting us the best rooms at each lodge. (best views,
double vs. single beds, etc.)
Anthony is now a co-leader for one of the major
US birding tour companies when they come to Tanzania. They do the same
tour that we were on, with 16 people instead of 4, stay in the same
lodges, same number of days, for twice the price. It is good to be smug.
FIELD GUIDES
I took Stevenson and Fanshawe’s “Guide to the
Birds of East Africa”, as well as Sinclair and Ryan’s Birds of “Africa
South of the Sahara” (Ian Sinclair guides for Birding and Beyond on
occasion, by the way). Anthony had a copy of Stevenson and a copy of
Zimmerman’s Birds of “Kenya and Northern Tanzania.” While we had three
field guides, we basically used Stevenson 99% of the time, and I think
you would be fine to use it as your only reference. I have made up a
quick-reference index for the Stevenson book in Excel format, which
I will happily share if you e-mail me the request.
GETTING READY
Having said the above about the field guides,
they do have their own strengths, and I used all three to get ready
for the trip. The most helpful thing I did was to buy a copy of the
VHS tape “A Nature Safari to Kenya and Northern Tanzania” from the ABA,
and watch it with the sound off. As each new bird would come into view,
I would pause the tape, try to identify it, and then write down my ID.
I then went through and saw how I did. I would get most, and miss some,
but it allowed me to hit the ground running once we got to Tanzania.
SCOPE
I almost didn’t bring my scope, since I thought
it wouldn’t work well in the car, and we would be outside of the car
so little. What a mistake that would have been. We used it daily, propped
inside of the car, and when we were outside at the lodges, at lunch
sites, and when we were outside of the parks.
CAMERA
I used a Nikon 8800 8 megapixel point-and shoot
with a 10X optical zoom, and a 1.7X converter. It was great to have
that degree of magnification, and I got some great pictures with it.
On the down side, it is somewhat slow, both with time between hitting
the shutter and exposure, and the time it takes to process the image
before you are ready to shoot again. I also found the auto-focus would
get confused with vegetation between me and the subject, and the manual
focus mechanism is cumbersome. If I had it to do over again I would
look into a digital SLR. However, since I am not really a photographer,
I would have a hard time spending more on my camera than I did on my
scope!
I also used an Epson P-2000 digital storage device.
It performed flawlessly, and allowed my to take an essentially unlimited
number of pictures stored on the 40 gb hard drive. It is also handy
for showing pictures on our TV when we returned.
KEEPING TRACK
When you see close to 100 species a day, day after
day, with most lifers, it is hard to keep track of what you have seen
(what a great problem to have!). I used the Birds of the World add-on
to Avisys to generate a hard copy list of all Tanzanian species, added
in some blank pages for notes and mammals list, and had it bound at
Kinkos. I used a pocket digital voice recorder in the field, then I
would check off what I had seen that night on the bound checklist. It
makes this trip report much, much easier to write.
CASH
The preferred currency for everything except minor
purchases is US dollars. Make sure you bring crisp, new bills. One lodge
would not accept the older “small head” US bills in large denominations,
because of the concerns of counterfeit bills coming in from Europe.
VISA LINE
On the flight into Arusha, try to sit near the
front or the back of the plane, so you can get off quickly. Then head
immediately for the window where you purchase your visas. This line
gets quite long, and it is good to be at the front.
NYLON CLOTHES
We took only nylon travel clothes, and there is
no other way to go. They wash out in the sink, and are dry by the next
day. It allows you to pack light. Many lodges do have laundry service
however, at E Unoto Lodge it was free.
SWAHILI
Tanzanians are very polite and gracious people.
Every conversation must start with an exchange of something like “How
are you today?”, “Very well thank you, and you?” “Quite well, thank
you”. While essentially everyone speaks English, they are obviously
pleased with any Swahili that we learned. They will be even more pleased
if you acknowledge that their language is actually named Kiswahili;
Swahili is a misnomer used by foreigners. A dozen words go a long way,
learn these before you go and then build from there:
Hello Jambo
How are you? Habari?
How are you today? Habari ya leo?
How are you this morning? Habari ya asubuhi?
How are you this afternoon? Habari ya mchana?
How are you this evening? Habari ya jioni?
Well, good Nzuri
Very well, excellent Nzuri-sana
Please Tafadari
Thank you Asanti
Thank you very much Asanti-sana
You are welcome Karibu
You are very welcome Karibu-sana
Sorry Pole
Very sorry Pole-sana
Slowly Pole-pole
LAY OVER
We decided to spend two nights in Europe both
going and coming. While is cut down some on our Africa time, it did
provide a nice European “book-end” to the Africa experience. We stayed
in Amsterdam on the way over and London on the way back. Between the
two I preferred Amsterdam. It is more exotic with its canals and bicycles,
very accessible, and cheaper than London.
GIVING BACK TO TANZANIA
We wanted to give back in some way to the people
of Tanzania. Many tours will hand out treats to children as they drive
by, and we did do some of this. The downside is that it encourages the
children to beg for treats with each car that passes. Much better I
think to visit a school or orphanage and give supplies to them. Pens
and pencils are in high demand, along with some items unique to their
situation (the orphanage needed mosquito nets). We also made a cash
donation to both places, but this is entirely at your discretion. Ask
your tour operator what they would suggest. Don’t pass up this opportunity,
it is a great way to connect to the people, and gave us some of the
best memories of the trip.
Jack Stephens
Edmonds, WA
Jstephens62@comcast.net
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KENYA BIRDING TRIP
REPORT
Kenya 2001
By Mark Sutton
Introduction
This report covers a birding trip taken to Kenya,
covering sites north of Nairobi. The group consisted of myself, my wife
Linda, 8 year-old son Brent, my brother Richard & his girlfriend
Ann-Marie. This was our first trip to East Africa, but had birded Africa
previously in South Africa (twice) and the Gambia. We were initially
going to arrange a completely independent trip, but found that hiring
a minibus & driver was not much more expensive, and the thought
of somebody else with local knowledge, doing the driving was very tempting.
We eventually booked the vehicle through Anthony W. Raphael of Birding
and Beyond Safaris, who also pre-booked most of our accommodation and
provided very useful advice & site information. Our driver, James,
proved to be a very experienced safari driver and had a good knowledge
of the sites we visited, as well as being good company.
Transport
We hired a safari minibus for the duration of
the trip; this is a minibus where the roof lifts up to allow the passengers
to stand. This is extremely useful for birding and mammal watching in
the National Parks. The vehicle capacity was about 10 passengers (but
realistically about 7 plus baggage) so it proved to be very spacious
and comfortable for the 5 of us.
Health
No problems - we all took either Larium or Doxycycline
anti-malarials, Brent had to take Larium as Doxy. is not suitable for
children.
Food
Food was generally very good even for vegetarians,
with most meals being taken in the hotels.
At the Kakamega forest we had to cook our own
meals, but cooking utensils & firewood were provided at both sites.
At the mount Kenya met. station all food was provided & cooked by
the guides, as part of the package.
Weather
We visited Kenya during the "mini" wet
season, but this had little effect on the birding, although it made
some areas difficult to drive and stopped the vehicle driving up Mount
Kenya to the Met. Station.
We were unable to get to a couple of sites around
Siaport, Lake Victoria, due to the poor road conditions.
Books & Tapes
Trip reports: The following 2 reports proved to
be very useful:
Bird watching in Kenya Feb/March 1995 by Mike
Hunter
Birding in Kenya (1980 to 83) by Steve Whitehouse.
Site Guides: Where to watch birds
in Africa - Nigel Wheatley, published by Helm - Invaluable.
Field Guides: Field Guide to
the Birds of East Africa - Terry Stephenson & John Fanshawe, published
by T& A D Poyser. This had only been recently published and proved
to be an excellent field guide. The format of having the text and range
map opposite the illustration is very useful.
Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania - Zimmerman,
Turner and Pearson published by Helm. A good guide, but I preferred
the East African guide.
The Kingdom Field Guide to African Mammals (Poyser)
- very good.
Sound guides: African bird sounds volume 2, 11
CD set , with target species transferred to tape.
Costs
The "Safari" cost USD 5,350, which was
split between the 5 of us. This included the vehicle & driver plus
all running costs, most accommodation and food at the hotels and the
cost of the Mount Kenya trip (4WD, guide & food).
National park & site costs:
Hells Gate N.P. USD 15$ per person
Lake Nakuru USD 27$ per person
Kakemega approx KSh 100sh per day per group plus guide tips.
Saiwa Swamp N.P. USD 15$ per person.
Thomson's Falls KSh 100sh.
Mount Kenya N.P. USD 15$ per person.
Samburu N.P. USD 27$ per person.
Nairobi N.P. USD 20$ per person.
Flights, booked with Sabina through Trail finders
cost £419 from Manchester (incl Airport Taxes). We had to transfer
to Swiss Air at the last minute, due to Sabina going into liquidation.
Accommodation
Lake Naivasha Hotel - Expensive
@ £60.00 per room B&B, very comfortable with easy access to
the Lake.
Stem Hotel - Just before Nakuru
on road from Lake Navasha, B&B included in the package price. A
little shabby but clean and comfortable. Swimming pool.
Sunset Hotel - Kazumu. Half Board
included in the package price. Used by bird tour companies. Good standard
hotel. Swimming pool.
Golf Hotel - Kakamega. Half Board
included in the package price. Used by bird tour companies. Good standard
hotel. Swimming pool.
Isechenco Guest House - Kakamega
Forest. Self-Catering included in the package price. A row of wooden
chalets on stilts in the middle of forest. Very basic but excellent.
Cooked on open fire.
Udos Bandas - Kakamega Forest.
Self-catering included in the package price. Several thatched bandas
of various sizes. Good clean accommodation. Cooked on open fire. Pit
toilets.
Alakara Hotel - Kitale. B&B
included in the package price. Shabby noisy hotel in the middle of Kitale.
Good restaurant.
Roberts Camp - Lake Barringo.
Self-Catering. Stayed in excellent bandas. Camp next door to Lake Barringo
Club where swimming pool can be used for 200 shillings per day.
Naromoru River Lodge - Half Board
included in the package price. Used by bird tour companies. Excellent
accommodation and food plus swimming pool. ahl@africaonline.co.ke
Met Station - c/o Naromoru River
Lodge, Mt Kenya. Wooden dorm type chalets very basic with pit toilets.
Food provided and cooked by hire staff.
Samburu Lodge - Samburu Game reserve, Full Board
included in package price. Used by tour companies, excellent standard
excellent pool.
Wajee Bungalows - Wajee Camp
Nature Reserve. Pre booked bandas but upgraded to bungalow at an extra
1000 shillings. Basic but clean and comfortable.
Blue Posts Thika - Near Kieni
Forest. Half Board included in package price. Good standard hotel.
Paradise Hotel - Centre of Niarobi.
Clean and comfortable, cost 2600 shillings for triple and 2100 shillings
for a double.
Contacts
Birding and Beyond Safaris, Tel +255 744 286058
tours@tanzaniabirding.com
Web site www.tanzaniabirding.com
Itinerary
10/11 Am: Arrived Nairobi at 06.45, met Anthony
and our driver James. Drove to Naivasha, with a short stop at Limuru
Pond.Pm : Birded around hotel grounds and lake shore.Highlights: Limuru
Pond - White-headed Duck. Naivasha- Fischers and Yellow-collared Lovebirds
(Plus hybrids?), Sharpes Pied babbler.
11/11 Am: Birded around grounds
before going into Hells Gate N.P.Pm: Drove the 70Km to Nakuru stopping
briefly to view Lake Elmenteita from the road. Spent the evening birding
along the road to the South of the N.P.Highlights: Hells Gate - Hildebrants
Francolin, Schalow's Wheatear. On route - Adnims Stork, Lake Elmenteita
- Lesser Flamingos.
12/11 Am: Spent the morning in
Lake Nakuru N.P.Pm: Spent the afternoon travelling to Kisumu, briefly
calling into a site for Sharpes Pipit, arriving at the hotel at dusk.
Nakuru to Kisumu 200Km which look 3 hours Highlights: Nakuru - Grey-rumped
Swallow & Mocking Cliff-chat. On route - Sharpes Pipit & African
Openbill.
13/11 Am: Early morning spent
around the hotel grounds & nearby gardens, before moving to Hippo
Point after breakfast.Pm: Journey to Kakamaga. Birded an area of fields
& wet grassland to the West of Mumias bridge before moving to Mumias
bridge. The evening was spent around the hotel grounds.Highlights: Hippo
point - Carruther's Cisticola, Black-billed Barbet, Marsh Tchagra &
Black-headed Gonolek. Mumias area - Blue-breasted Bee-eater & | 