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| Ruaha National Park |
One year after
we broke the timing belt en route to Ruaha which led to a string of expensive
repairs and after fixing a new clutch and four new heavy duty shocks after our
last Serengeti trip earlier this year, we were finally heading to Ruaha National Park in the Southwest of Tanzania.
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| Bush times are good times |
We
were off early as usual and the first stop was to check out the TanSwiss lodge
in Mikumi town which doubled as a toilet break. This was more of a recon
mission as the lodge is closest to our long weekend destination Mikumi National
Park.
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| Woodland Kingfisher |
The central
highland steep passes were a bit nerve-wracking particularly dealing with
trucks crawling at 10 KMH up the pass with buses flying down from the opposite
direction. Our destination was River Valley campsite just outside Iringa on the
TanZam highway. After fuelling up we checked in to find we were the only guests
for the night. We opted for a banda and dinner at the lodge and spent the
evening with two lodge dogs looking for birds. It was surprisingly quiet as far
as the birds went – considering the campsite is right next to the river, it was
a major surprise.
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| River Valley Lodge Iringa |
Next morning
was better in terms of birding with a pair of purple crested Turaco’s making an
appearance along with plenty of bird calls which yielded a pair of tropical
Boubou’s and an African Paradise Flycatcher. By 9am we were on the road heading
out of Iringa town down the escarpment into the Ruaha flats counting the
conspicuous white churches in rural villages along the way. (We counted 8 Greek
Orthodox churches on the road to the national park.) One of the reasons we had
picked Ruaha ahead of the Serengeti was the awful road from the NCA to Seronera
and this road was deteriorating and was soon no better.
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| The road that never ends, the final 60 KMS to the Ruaha gate |
Thankfully the really badly corrugated sections were relatively short
and finally we reached the ‘road that never ends’, the final 60 KM to the park
gate which was smooth and a huge relief but it was not going to stay that way
for long as this road was on the way to corrugation hell in the near future.
The park gate was a pleasant surprise with us as the only tourists checking in.
We are used to the usual masses at Naabi hill gate at the Serengeti, which can
take over an hour to just check in but this was a breeze. It is a recurring theme and one of the
highlights of Ruaha - low tourist numbers.
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| The Ruaha gate, no crowds, we are the only car! |
We stopped for lunch at the bridge where everyone seems to stop and
were stunned at the river consisting of pools of water. We were half expecting
it to be flowing, given it was flowing in August when we were last here, albeit
5 years ago. We were aware of irrigation activity upstream which was having a
profound impact on the water levels of the river in the park and
downstream. This was a serious issue and
surely a threat to this entire eco-system. We understand that people’s wellbeing
must always take precedence but this was a disturbing sight.
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| Hippos at the bridge |
Next stop was the campsite which we had been warned would be crowded
at this time of the year but there was just one party, a couple of South
African ladies, on route to the Serengeti stopping over to check out Ruaha.
They informed of the nearest lions, along the Ruaha river and noted they hadn’t
seen a single other vehicle the whole day. We were aware Ruaha had very little
tourists but this was getting to the remote wilderness levels of Botswana.
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| Ruaha public camp site |
The plan for the day was to check out the Ruaha river drive up to the
confluence and see if we could find the lions the ladies had told us about and
get an idea of what else was happening on the riverfront. Despite the river
being restricted to a few pools of water, there was plenty of bird activity on
the river with good numbers of Saddle-billed storks and Grey-crowned cranes. We
also had a decent sighing of a two male Kudu resting under a tree, a Ruaha
special and missing from the rest of Tanzania other than Selous Game Reserve.
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| Grey Crowned Cranes |
What was also apparent was the main river side drive had been badly
affected by the last rains which meant you had to keep going back to the main
road to work around the numerous washouts on the river side drive. There was
also significant tree damage to the beautiful old trees on the river side which
we were informed was the handy work of elephants but they were doing a lot of
damage no signs of new growth of these beautiful shade trees along the river.
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| Ruaha River drive |
We finally came upon a passing tourist vehicle who informed us of a
couple of lions which looked suspiciously like a mating pair but they were too
far off the road to spend time with even though it was apparent that others had
driven up to the two lions. As a rule we do not drive off road at sightings as
this damages the terrain and disturbs the animals. We continued exploring the
river bank to the confluence before turning back. Not being familiar with the
park, we weren’t sure how long it would take to get back and decided to head
back.
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| No shortages of African Fish Eagles around |
Before long it was apparent it was a reasonably quick drive back and
with time up our sleeve, we decided to check out some tracks going in-land.
This park is remarkably well sign posted, probably the best in Tanzania on par
with Mikumi which makes getting around pretty easy. We ended up at Kimilamatonge
hill at dusk to try out luck at leopards, but time was running out and soon we
headed back to our camp.
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| European Roller |
Approaching the campsite, there was a large herd of elephants close to
the campsite which always adds to the excitement. At the campsite it was still
only the two ladies from the afternoon and we settled down to set up camp for
the night. As the light disappeared, the herd of elephants moved closer to the
campsite looking to access the river for an evening drink. There was also lions
roaring from both sides of the river and Christmas Eve was going to be a noisy
one.
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| All set for the night |
Later that evening, a second herd of elephants approached our
campsite, much too close to our liking, forcing us to get in the car. There
were probably 5 elephants heading for the river landing located in the middle
of the campsite between the two camps. The ladies had warned us of animals
using the landing in the campsite so we knew where the ele’s were heading. As
always with elephants they get amazingly close when relaxed and feeding and
this lot were all around us before slowly heading for the river. The larger
herd from earlier in the evening were still in the river so plenty of ele’s in
the river while we headed to bed.
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| These colorful lizards were everywhere |
That night the lions roared from both sides of the river the whole
night and in the morning, we got up convinced the lions on our side of the
river should be on the road. Once out of the tent sure enough our Christmas
present from Ruaha were right there in the veldt, a mating pair of lions! We
were up and away in a flash but it was still bad shooting light so we decided
to hang around. As the sun came up the mating pair moved closer to us and
finally walked straight towards us and settled in the shade of our car. It’s
seldom we move away from lions but this was way too close and we had to put
some space between us and the lions, so we backed off about 10 meters. Finally
they got up and moved to the shade of a small bush even closer to our campsite.
Knowing that mating lions don’t move too far, we were aware that they could be
virtually on top of us in the evening.
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| Perfect pair, perfect Christmas present! |
Our plan was to get to Kamilamatonge at dawn to check our luck for leopard
which is where we ended up. Kamilamatonge is a huge rocky hill with a million
small rocky outcrops for a leopard to sit on. There was leopard spoor on the road
confirming the presence of leopards, but we had no luck. We did spend time to
identify the Buff-crested bustard which was another lifer for us. The day’s
plan was to check out the park to get to know areas we hadn’t been to in our
previous visit and work out where the game was. We were headed for the Mndonya
Old River camp area which was a long drive from the center of the park which we
hadn’t been to before.
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| Crowned Hornbill |
On route we stopped at the rather meaningless rope bridge! No idea
what purpose this bridge is supposed to serve, especially across a dry sand
river which probably flows once year at most. Next stop was Mdonya special
campsite which was nothing special – just an empty patch of dirt which looked
like it hadn’t been used in a while. But we did have our second bird lifer of
the trip with an Isabelline Shrike along the way. Next stop was the Mdonya
public camp site which was still under construction and occupied by a family
who were having Christmas breakfast on the dry sand river.
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| Bee-eater with bee! |
There was very little game around and the tsetse flies were getting
out of control so it was shutters up to get some relief and an opportunity to
travel in air conditioned comfort in the heat of the day. In all this time we
had to yet to see a car the whole day and finally one was coming towards us. It
was the folks running the Mdonya Old River Camp who were both friendly and
handy with a lot of valuable information on the prides in the park and the
roads. They suggested we take the road to Mwayembe swamp and then on to Mbagi,
the best game viewing area of the park.
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| Black-faced Sandgrouse |
After a brief moment of loss of direction that saw us in the Mdonya
camp itself, we were headed to Mbagi. The area around Mdonya was lush and full
of life and we even spotted a Purple Crested Turaco in the trees and a herd of
female Kudu on the road. There were ele’s around but things began to get quiet
once we headed out of the Mdonya area. While the drive was interesting and the
road in good condition the game was thin till we reached Mwayembe swamp which
has a scattering of game including an Ostrich.
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| A Baboon keeps watch |
Once we got to the Mwagusi river, the game activity increased and we
finally came upon our first game drive vehicle who informed us of a lion
sighting on the dry riverbed. Driving along the river we found a small pride of
3 females and 4 small cubs resting in the shade of a tree right next to the
river crossing point offering great views. While were checking out the pride
the vehicle that gave us the tip about the lions was back claiming there was a
leopard seated under a tree! What’s more he was willing to drive us to the
sighting which was apparently only around the corner. As luck would have it the
leopard had moved within a few minutes of being spotted, so we missed it.
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| Lion Mum's love |
When we got back to the lions they were just getting back from
drinking from a small puddle of water on the road so effectively we had just
missed a leopard sighting and the lions drinking as a result of chasing the leopard.
It was time for lunch and we moved a short distance away from the lions up the
river and had lunch under a tree on the river bank. Meanwhile, the elephants were moving about in
the area drawn to the middle of the dry river bed to dig for water and then to
a mud wallow on edge of the river. All herds appeared to cover these two points
as they came and went.
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| Ele's preferred to dig for water |
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| One of many crossing points on the Mwagusi River |
We decided to move down the Mwagusi River checking out the different
points to cross between the two banks and places of animal concentration. There
were a lot of elephants in this part of the river making getting around the
thickly vegetated river banks nervy at times with them hogging the large shade
trees along the narrow roads. After the Mwagusi causeway it was in to the
Baobab forest - a section of the park where the density in Baobab tress is
extraordinary.
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| Baobab forrest |
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| Imps follow the tracks across a crossing point |
We were back on the Ruaha river for the evening chasing another mating
pair of lions. A sighting of Grant’s gazelle, the first outside the Serengeti
for us, was a surprise but apparently Ruaha is the southern extend of their
range. The mating pair were next to the river and close to the National Park
Cottages but we left them to chase leopard at Kimilamatonge Hill. Another 5
km/h crawl around the rocks with eyes on the rocks and trees and ground and
road but still nothing. Chasing leopards requires intense concentration and a
keen eye and we were all focused but as always the leopard was elusive.
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| Little Bee-eater |
The lions roared all night from the edge of the camp with sporadic
responses from across the river and we fell asleep and woke up to lions roaring
who hadn’t stopped all night. In the morning we picked out the culprits who had
moved into the dry river bed. The target for the morning was to head to the
pride on the Mwaguisi river and see what they were up to so after getting
sorted with the morning rituals we were on the quickest route to the pride,
getting another bird lifer on the way in the form of a Hildebrandt’s Francolin.
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| Hilderbrandts Francolin |
We only reached the pride by 7.30 and was surprised not to see another
car. They had moved all of 25 yards in to the dry river since we last saw them
which was convenient. All the females and cubs were out in the sun so the hope
was they would drink from the small puddle on the road which would have given
us awesome reflections and sun positioning for shootings. All was set but as
luck would have it, the lionesses got up and moved to the shade without
drinking and the cubs followed suit. There was still a lioness in the riverbed
and we decided to wait and take our chances, having our coffee with the pride
in the meantime.
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| Lioness in the morning light |
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| Patience finally paid off |
In between the long wait, birds came and drank at the puddle and a whole
flock of Helmeted guineafowls kept us occupied for a while before the remaining
lioness finally got up and repaid our patience by drinking at the puddle, but unfortunately
not at the angle we were hoping for. Happy with the show we headed down the
river to explore this area of the park a bit as we hadn’t spent too much time
here other than hanging with the lions. We turned in to check out the
‘breakfast picnic site’ which is probably one of the best picnic spots in
Tanzania.
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| While waiting for the Lions |
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| Helmeted Guinea Fowl |
Set on the Mwagusi river, with a huge rock that slides down in to a
water hole and with water seeping to the surface on both sides of the bend in
the river, this was a spot worth spending some time. There were kudu, impala
and giraffe on the river bed and it was too early for other tourists so we had
the spot to ourselves for an early lunch and to check out the birds. After
being entertained by a tree squirrel for quite a while, we decided to move as
the others started to arrive for lunch.
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| Breakfast point picnic site, probably one of the best in Tanzania's parks |
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| A lone Giraffe readies for a drink in the remnants of the Mwaguis river |
We decided to spend the hottest part of the day checking out the Ifaguru
area and the opposite side of the Mwagusi River. The Ifaguru special camp site
was located in a nice spot but it was noticeable the park authorities had
cleared an area for the campers away from the shade which is kind of strange. (but
surprisingly predictable…) The drive towards the ‘little Serengeti’ was
uninteresting mainly because of a recent fire that had burnt out everything, so
we crossed the dry river bed at the last picnic site before the confluence.
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| Red-billed Firefinch |
It was another run down the Ruaha River for the evening but this time
we gave ourselves more time to spend at Kimilamatonge rocks including the small
rock. More crawling around rocks straining at every rock and tree and corner
but still no leopard. After another failed search we were back to an empty camp
pleasantly surprised to have the camp to ourselves. That night we had 2 Jackals
running around the camp and genet show up for a short time. Genets are really
cool, but we are yet to get a clear shot at this nocturnal chap.
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| Most of the Zebs had left the river |
While we could hear the odd lion, it was a relatively quiet night.
Early in the morning there was a roar close to the camp and we decided to check
it out before yet another mission in search for leopards. As we were leaving
the camp we spotted two lionesses that were walking from behind the toilets we
had just used! We decided to leave the two in our quest for leopards but it was
more of the same, intense search with no luck and we decided to head to Mbagi
where the greatest concentration of animals in the park were.
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| Price for begging for milk |
For the third day in a row the pride hadn’t moved and we spent a short
time with them contemplating our next move. We had come across a cool spot for
birding on the opposite bank where the sand river had a pool of water. En route
we came across our first buffalo of the trip, a couple of dagga boys giving us
the stares as we stopped for shots. As we got to our birding spot, a massive
herd of buffalo broke through the bush heading for a drink in the sand river.
It was a perfect set up for us as the pool was in the middle of the river and
we could comfortably shoot from the opposite bank.
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| Small strip of water for a huge herd |
After the drink the buffalo started heading down river in the
direction of the lions and we got all excited about a possible interaction
between the two even though it was blazing hot. The chatter in the car was
where to position ourselves in the unlikely event of a hunt and we decided to
wait on the opposite side to the lions in the hope the buffalo would run away
from the lions across the river. The buffalo got close and the lions had a good
look but just at the critical moment, the buffalo headed off the river and
vanished in to the bush and lions stayed put.
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| The pride didn't move for 3 days |
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| The cubs were already comfortable with vehicles |
Rather appropriately timed, a large herd of elephants were heading for
a drink in the river and we were off to our shooting spot. Strangely the elephants
preferred to dig holes in the river rather than drink from the shallow water
hole the buffalo had drunk from. The elephants are great to watch near water
and this was no different. The highlight was a tiny baby elephant, still unable
to use the trunk, insisting on sticking his head in to the ground to get a
drink, and then refused to leave, despite his mom pushing her along with her
leg. He really was tiny even for a drink of water.
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| Digging for water under the sand |
The elephants then moved to the mud wallow on our side of the river
were the road is too close to the wallow and disturbs the ele’s so we decided
to go the long way around heading for the picnic site for a spot of birding and
relaxing. No luck as the crossing point had another small herd digging holes
for water and we weren’t ready to drive between them on a sandy track. So it
was back tracking to the main road where we came across a tourist car with news
of lions and buffalo. Given there was a local guide we asked if we could follow
them without realizing they were referring to the lions we had been watching
earlier and we ended up having to guide them to the spot.
We headed for the breakfast picnic site to bird and shoot and it’s a
pretty cool spot to hang out. Something always seems to be around for a drink
and this time there were zebra, impala and giraffe. After having lunch and a
spot of birding we crossed over to the Ruaha River for the afternoon. The park
has plenty of Yellow-collared lovebirds but getting a clear shot of these
beautiful birds eluded us until the afternoon. We were actually chasing a lifer
in the Holub’s golden weaver when a couple of lovebirds settled obligingly on
an open stalk.
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| Holub's Golden Waver |
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| Yellow Collared Lovebird |
Further down the river, we stopped to check out a couple woodpeckers
when a White-capped black chat made an appearance. This bird is soon to be
pronounced as a Ruaha subspecies along with the Red-Billed Hornbill. The story
we gather on the Ruaha Hornbill is that a keen eyed ornithologist noted the
Red-Billed Hornbill in the Singapore Zoo had a white eye as opposed to a black
eye. The follow up of this event has led to the discovery of a new Subspecies
soon to be named after this park.
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| Ruaha Hornbill |
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| Ruaha Black Chat |
As the evening drew to a close it was back to Kimilamatonge hill
looking for leopards with the same result as before. We had a bit of time up
our sleeve and decided to set up camp earlier for sundowners at the camp. There
were two new arrivals, a tour group and a local guy who had his family in the
village and presumably had no room for him (or he wanted to camp and his family
had said no way!). The tour group were in an unhappy mood upon realizing that
they would be left alone in the night. Frantic calls were being made to their
tour operator about the lack of a ranger at the campsite and on the condition
of their tent. They soon showered and left for meals presumably in the village.
We warned them about the animal landing right in front of their tent and the lions
in the vicinity for the last 3 nights, which probably didn’t help their
situation but we felt they had to be told.
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| Giraffe family |
It was quiet night compared to the previous nights and the plan for
the next morning was to check the small rocks for leopard and head to the Ruaha
River for the morning for a change. Still no leopards but we got a nice
sighting of a bat-eared fox taking in the morning sun. The river was quiet and
what little action there was in the form of elephants turned out be in a spot
we couldn’t get to the edge. With nothing to keep us occupied, it was back
heading to Mbagi through the Baobab forest.
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| Bat-Eared Fox |
We crossed the Mwagusi River at the causeway to start the run up from
the opposite side where the road appeared closer to the river. We saw first a
few giraffe that were looking tense and then some impala. This led to what I
consider some great guiding work by Cheryl who wanted the engine cut in order
to listen. There was the unmistakable alarm call from the impala so we crossed
the river to investigate. Both the impala and the giraffe had certainly seen
something and the alarm calls kept coming from further ahead and following them
led to a lioness across the river, then another two on our side of the river.
It was great to at find our own lions who were close to the breakfast picnic site
where there was water.
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| The lions that we found |
We needed a toilet break which was only less than a kilometer up the
road where there was a bull elephant with a collar having a drink at the water
hole. There was other game about too and we felt there were possibilities but
as luck would have it nothing transpired and the lions settled down and did what
they do best during the day - sleep. A herd of elephants arrived and
interesting they too opted to dig in the sand river water rather that the
numerous water sources in the river including the sizable water hole the bull
drank from.
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| Impala |
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| This squirrel kept us occupied at the picnic site |
It was lunch time and no one was about the picnic site so we decided
to pull up under a tree and have lunch and check out the activity in the river
bed. When the tourist cars started to arrive for lunch we decide to move along
the river. There was nothing overly interesting to keep us occupied so it was
just driving around till it started to cool down enough to head for the rocks
in the desperate search for leopard.
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| Violet tipped Courser |
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| Ashy Starling is a common sight in the park |
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| We seem to be seeing African Painted Snipe all over this year |
After seeing fresh leopard spoor at small rock the plan was to get
there and stop and wait and hope something happens. When we arrived it was kind
of disappointing to see a herd of impala and kudu walking around the rocks all
relaxed. The kudu were all males with beautiful horns and kept us occupied but
didn’t ever looked alarmed. We made a few rounds of the rocks and more waiting
and more rounds and finally it was over. The last day at Ruaha was upon us with
no leopard and it was down to the campsite. A big bull elephant made a
beautiful pose in the setting sun close to the campsite and we were done.
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| Ruaha mascot - male Kudu |
The crew from previous night were there too but they had their meals
in the village so disappeared soon. We had a hyena around the camp which was
cool as we heard it at night but never saw it. He walked right up to the car
and seemed really calm and we were surprised it wasn’t around before. The genet
also made an appearance close to our car but otherwise it was a quiet night.
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| A Vervet Monkey searches for grubs under Elephant dung |
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| Piglets at play |
The next morning was one last shot at small rocks and Kimilimatonge
hill looking for leopards with no luck again. Oddly there were others out
before us but were spending time watching the sunrise while we were desperately
trying to find a leopard. The plan was to head towards Ruaha River lodge area
for the morning until it was time to head out. This side of the park is not
conducive for game viewing with thick bush and very little river access. When
we turned around and were heading back, fresh lion spoor on the road meant luck
was just not with us as they must have been on the road by just minutes.
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| African Hawk Eagle |
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| Goliath Heron |
We had brunch by the bridge by the exit and our trip was done. This
was an old fashioned trip where the game viewing was relaxed without the
maddening crowds of the Northern circuit or the wild chase for sightings. The
game driving by the rivers was relaxing and we had to find our own game and in
the process we had counted 104 birds, the first time we had crossed the century
mark on a single trip. The roads were a breeze and the camping was quiet with
plenty of animal activity in the camp site.
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| Black Capped Night Heron |
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| Water Dikkop |
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| African Openbill |
We had a few days up our sleeve and our next destination was Udzungwa
National Park which required re-stocking for a few days from Iringa and an
overnight stop. We had tried to get tips on where to get ice in Iringa ahead
but with the only lead was a telephone number of a guy spoke no English. The
fuel station attendant guided us to the Babanusa restaurant as a possibility.
They had no ice but the helpful guy in charge asked the chef to accompany me to
find ice. A back street stroll through the streets of Iringa and a knock on a
door which looked suspiciously like a drug den also revealed no ice. The guy in
charge was willing to talk to the person of who I had a number but there was no
answer so we were out of options.
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| Grey Headed or Swahili sparrow |
Babanusa did have some great local cuisine which was perfect for lunch
and we got more directions to possible ice locations which we couldn’t even
find. We did stumble across the Sokoni to stock up on food and a chance
sighting of a Farmers’ Choice freezer in the shop solved all problems including
ice. So if you are in Iringa and need to stock up get to the mini supermarket
opposite the Police station next to the Sokoni which has alcohol, frozen meats
and ice blocks.
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| Rufiji River, Crocodile camp |
Given we had the time we decided to head to Crocodile Camp which is
about 120 kms from Iringa and an opportunity to check out a new area. Crocodile
camp is kind of odd in that it’s in the middle of nowhere between the river and
the road. Apparently elephants are known to cross the river at this point from
the bordering western side of the Udzungwa national park. The camp ground here
is rather stark and right next to the chalets and toilets and uninteresting so
we opted for a chalet. The place is full
of monkeys so keep the car closed to avoid raids.
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| Crocodile camp |
Next morning we were up and over the pass into Mikumi town and heading
towards Kilombero en route to Udzungwa. This is a relaxing drive through
agricultural land dotted with forest patches and streams draining off the
mountains. The one side of the road is dominated by the Kilombero sugar cultivation.
Kidatu, what must be the longest village in Tanzania finally comes to an end
when the tarmac ends and the dusty track leads to Hondo-Hondo camp which
borders the Udzungwa National Park.
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| Road to Kilembero |
The camp site is perfect for roof tenters with space to get the car in
and shade and excellent facilities including an open kitchen with running
water. After the formalities of checking in we checked out the nature walk
around the camp. The restaurant and bar is a great location to chill out with a
spectacular view of the mountains. Back at the camp site, we were rewarded with
a first time sighting of a Magpie mannikin in the camp site but otherwise it
was a case of an infestation of bulbuls.
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| Hondo Hondo Camp Site |
In the evening we went to check out the surrounding area and ended up
at the government run Twiga Hotel which is advertised along the way. The
highlight here were the huge old mango trees but otherwise a clean but old
fashioned place with very little to get excited about. There is a large camp
grounds to get your car in to but all in all we were not impressed. We drove
around the villages looking for a possible biding spots but in the end decided
it was best to check out the Hondo-Hondo grounds. We were amused along the way by
a baboon being chased through the fields by villagers and their dogs.
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| Brick Kiln in the village |
At the Hondo-Hondo camp, the place to be was relaxing with a beer on
the sun chair with an awesome view of the mountains. The birds are hard to pick
as they are high up in the trees at a distance from where were sitting. The
hornbills are easy to make out as are the Black and White Colobus Monkeys. Late
evening the star of show, the Udzungwa Colobus Monkey showed up. They are
similar to the Zanzibar Red Colobus except these don’t have red on their back
but only the head.
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| Hondo Hondo sundowners |
We were up early next morning for a bird walk with a guide at the Magombero
forest, an island of forest patch surrounded by farmland. This is a community
owned forest has somehow managed to survive the logging around it. Like so many
of the tourist rip off agendas around, apparently we needed two guides to
accompany us in to the forest! This is also the reason we hadn’t bothered to go
in to the Udzungwa national park where you need to be accompanied by a clueless
local calling himself a guide. The Zebra waxbills was the first significant
sighting en route to the forest and the target for the day was the Narina trogon.
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| Narina Trogon |
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| Cooked brunch at Hondo |
Entering the forest is exciting with huge trees and the sound of birds
and elephant dung all over the place. We were told when the rains arrive, the elephants
shelter in this forest after nightly crop raiding. It was noticeable and a
relief that the dung was old, probably months and the rains were yet to arrive.
The Red-capped robin was the next highlight followed by Peter’s twinspot. Both
variety of Monkey were also in the trees and then the guide drew our attention
to the call of the Trogon. It was here and now needed to be tracked which
required hacking through the bush at times to track it down. Finally, we
spotted the reason we were in this forest, the brilliantly colored Narina
Trogon high up in the branches.
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| Udzungwa Colobus Monkey |
Blue Mantled Flycatcher, Dark Forest Weaver and the Square Tailed
Drongo made up our list of lifers for the forest walk and we left with plans to
return to track down the elusive African Pitta which is apparently a resident
in the rainy months. We were informed of a New Year’s Eve party with a bonfire
and traditional drummers from the village to take place that evening in the
campsite. This was simply not our cup of tea and we decided to pack up and head
towards Mikumi National Park looking for a quiet evening, which was highly
unlikey but anything seemed better than what was at store at the camp site that
evening.
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| Black and White Colobus |
We noted another ‘mad man’ walking along the road in the middle of the
national park. Last time we found another walking amongst lions inside the
park. At the entrance gate to Mikumi we were pleasantly surprised to be told
the camp site was unoccupied and the lions were spotted close to the airstrip.
Already this was sounding like an excellent plan and we were immediately off to
check out the lions. It was Scruffer, one of the pride males, roaring in the
middle of the day which was most unusual.
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| Scruffer...we think! |
After walking around in the bush Scruffer disappeared in to the ravine
and we went out to have a look around. The water levels at both Hippo Pools and
Jacana Dams were surprisingly low for this time of the year. In fact it had
receded since we were last here earlier in the month despite it being the short
rains. The plan was to get back to the lions later in the evening and check out
whatever else was around till then. Then rather unexpectedly, we came upon a
scene of the pride females being closely watched by 4 Jackals and a bunch of
vultures. They were at a distance but the presence of cubs meant this was
Milky, Shorty and the pride.
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| Vultures waiting for an opportunity |
Given it was New Year ’s Eve, we decided to retire early to the camp
but on the way back there was a vicious fight between two Superb Starlings
closely watched by 3 others. It appeared one was pegged down and being beaten
up by the other, but the 3 birds closely watching were also having a go at both
fighting birds. It looked like a fight to the death and at one stage the
fighting birds just seemed to have gone quiet when everyone suddenly flew away
still chasing each other.
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| The very loud Crowned Lapwing |
Next morning’s plan was of course to chase the lions of course and the
hope was the pride had caught up with Scruffer. Just on the edge of elephant
running plains, Super Sub was eyeing up a huge male buffalo with one of the
cubs. This was the dream start to a new year – lions on the road first thing in
the morning! As the two youngsters moved in to the veldt we could see the rest
of the pride scattered on the plains and as hoped, the pride had caught up with
Scruffer.
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| First shot 1 January - Super Sub on the road with the pride |
It was time for coffee with the lions and the pride moved around the
plains till suddenly from nowhere a herd of elephants started to charge through
the bush trumpeting. Even the lions seemed stunned as were we and this is now
probably the fifth time we have witnessed entire herds of elephants running on what
we call “elephant running plains”. We still cannot work out why this would be
the case but this keeps happening in this part of the park time and again. We
are not talking about an odd elephant running around but entire herds running
and trumpeting and it’s now too many times to be considered a coincidence and
is now a mystery.
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| The lions watch the ele's run on elephant running plain! |
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| Members of the pride relaxing in the veltd |
After the elephants calmed and moved off the plans, Shorty stalked an
Impala for a while before the pride settled down under a bush away from the heat
and we decided that was as good a start as one could hope and got back to the
camp site for brunch and pack up to leave. On the way back we drove past the lions
again who had all vanished in to the bush except Super Sub who was eyeing up
Wildebeest in the distance. Again, yet another herd of elephants were running
for their life on elephant running plains. This was crazy, for no apparent
reason at all, entire herds were running through the plains and will need
further investigation.
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| A distant Impala caught her attention |
Finally, we were on the tarmac heading back to Dar after a great road
trip that took in Ruaha, Udzungwa and Mikumi over Christmas and New Year. The
car had held up except for the new clutch which seemed a bit lethargic but it
got us in and out of the bush. The good news was we were planning to get back
to Mikumi within a couple of weeks over the next long weekend…
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| Yellow Billed Ox-Pecker |
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