Sunday 24 February 2013

Tanzania Dreaming - Part 5: Ndutu and the migration

Flat featureless plains packed with migrating wildebeest. 
Ndutu was our next destination, still within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and calving grounds of the annual wildebeest migrating. Once a year with the rains, Ndutu comes to life when the migrating herds stop to calve and feed on the nutrient rich grasses. Nudutu features a alkaline and fresh water lake, but the main attraction is the open plains packed with game. 


More featureless plans with more game

The scavengers follow the herds for the time of plenty
In terms of predator sightings, cheetah offers us the best sighting. We arrived at what was a kill that had been polished off by a mother and 2 cheetah cubs. The cats we relaxing after the feed and grooming each other offering perfect shooting opportunities first thing in the morning. 
The last of the scraps

Mum and cub chilling out after a feed

This make raised his head for a moment from his afternoon nap under a tree. 
 We didn’t have the best of luck with lion sightings despite the abundance of game. Sleeping lions are not much fun to watch and we saw a few of those. We did get some one single lion sightings in good sun. 
This guy we suspected was mating but didn't perform for the camera. 

Ndutu offers decent birding opportunities although we were not prepared to spend too much time as we were only there for one night. Yes despite all the planning we somehow got the dates wrong for Ndutu for this of the year. 

This lioness offered the best lions shooting opportunity but was unfortunately alone.

Fishe's lovebird is around but getting a up close shot is a challenge. 

Collared pratincole, first time sighting and took us a while to work it out. 

This Marabou seems happy on its own island. 

Ndutu has one very strict rule where you are not allowed to enter the Serengeti section. It’s highly irritating when the game runs around and you cannot follow. With odd rules and the excitement of migrations and predators, it’s easy to forget about the smaller guys which we are constantly guilty of. 


Steenbok 

Bat eared fox

Black backed jackal
<< Part 4: The Crater                                         Part 6: Into the Serengeti >>

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