Wednesday, Nov. 8/ 17 Mdonya

Up at 6:30 and ready for breakfast at 7:00. We have good choices, crepes, toast (they make their own bread), nice organic jams bought locally, orange juice, tea, coffee, and eggs any style you want. After filling our bellies it was back to the tent and prepare for our 8 am departure. Hassan, Thomas, and Sonsten are waiting for us and greet us with their natural smiles and good humours.

About 5 minutes after leaving camp it was Wild Kingdom out there. We saw 11 giraffes, 16 zebras and the usual multitude of impalas all at the same drinking hole. Wendy was extremely excited as we saw giraffes bending down to drink. Second in line were the zebras, and finally the impalas. There seems to be a system of who goes first, and who follows. A further look down the water we saw 2 wart hogs. We also saw some banded mongoose and one crested Barbet.

So cool to see them bend to get a drink.

Wild kingdom: impalas, giraffes, zebras

These docile animals get along great.

A Crested Barbet

As we drove on, we came upon 5 bush bucks with a small baby. They were eating tree fruits near the road. We then saw two more wart hogs eating and three more a little further away.

There are also lots of birds if you chance looking up. We saw an Eastern Chanting Goshawk. Our guide tells us that there are 575 species of birds documented in Tanzania. Someone spots another bird and we are told that it is a Tawny Eagle. There are lots of Hornbills around and then we learn that there are many different types. We were lucky to see a Von Der Decken specie. There are also lots of social Weavers that nest in Acacia trees. Near a dry water bed we see two huge nests in a tree. We then spot the occupant, a Hammerkop, called that because of the head looking like that tool.

We saw dikdiks before, but they are so quick that we missed photographing them. Today they posed for us a bit better. We saw three or four of them. We saw many Bateleur (flying eagles), a grey Kestrel, some purple rollers. The bird sighting was amazing. It seems that whenever we don’t see any big animals, we look up and see so much.

A Von der Decken Hornbill. (heartlike marking on neck)

A Wart Hog

A Bateleur

A Dikdik (small antelope)

Family of Bush Bucks

a Grey Kestrel

There was a small leopard turtle. Hassan picked it up and gave us a lesson on this breed.

We then drove down to a river bed where we saw many elephants. One of them was brave enough to strut its stuff right in front of the jeep.  It was so cool. We also saw three Greater Kudus in this area. 

A little later, we encountered our first Water buck.

A leopard turtle

A female Greater Kudu

A Water Buck

A male Greater Kudu

We were told that we would see Crocs and Hippos today and sure enough they knew exactly where to take us. It was a pretty full river with plenty of different sized crocodiles, many hippos, some in the water and some out grazing, and a lot of water fowl. It was such a picturesque area. Just beautiful. The birds that we saw were: a Jacanda, the Jesus bird because it has long feet and seems to walk on water, the Marabou stork (beautiful colours), an open-billed stork (black), Egrets, an Egyptian goose, an African fish eagle, and a three-banded plover.

A Crocodile

   

A 3 banded Plover

An Egyptian Goose

A Marabou Stork

An African Fish Eagle 

Looks like it has 3 jaws. Love water reflections. (closer version of the other croc photo)

Hippos sun tanning

We saw many crocs of all sizes and lots of Rhinos, some sunning, some laying in the water and some eating. What a great location. We were allowed to get out of the jeep for a bit to walk around and take pictures but it was so hot that after 25 minutes or so we were on the road again.

We saw more birds, the black-winged stilt, and the Northern crowned brown shriker.

It’s very hot so a lot of the big animals are lying in the shade. We spot a male lion under a Baobab tree and 3 female lions doing the same thing.

Our guide spots a bee hive. This one is built on the bark of a Baobab tree. Pretty amazing to see so many bees out there. They look more like our wasps.

We see all of this before lunch. Our lunch stop is a planned area with facilities. Thank goodness as we are drinking lots of water. We do spot some smaller birds and a great crown crane.

3 females lounging around

Bee hive

Our lunch spot

Male lion resting

After lunch we head out and have a new find, a Grant’s gazelle. There are actually three of them.

One bird that is difficult to catch on film is the little bee eater but we finally succeed. We also find a superb Glossy Blue Starling that has awesome colours. There is a water buck in the river nearby.

We luck out and see two more lionesses, again resting under a tree.

We see a group of giraffes and notice that one of them is obviously pregnant. This is the time of year for babies and births. We have seen lots of baby monkeys, elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, baboons, and more.

We come to an area where a leopard has left his kill in a tree. It’s an impala, half eating, just hanging there. The leopard will return later knowing that no other animal can get to his food. We do see a leopard making its way down a tree. Very cool. We also spot a Go Away Bird, a very original name for sure. There are baboons everywhere. Many babies here.

We see a Martial eagle as well before we head back to camp. It’s unreal and surreal to see all that we have seen in two days and there’s so much more to come.

Leopard coming down a tree

Love the way the baboons just sit there.

Can't remember or find the name of this bird. It was nesting.

Grant's Gazelles

Water Buck

Glossy Blue Starling. The colours show up much better when the sun shines on them.

A Martial Eagle

A Go Away Bird

Pregnant mama

A Roller

Mom grooming the little one.

Back at camp we relax, shower, write the blog for about an hour then meet up with all of the other guests for drinks around 7-7:15 pm. Dinner is always at 8.

It’s fun to sit beside someone different and learn all about them. There is a couple on their honeymoon and they are very energetic. Most of the others are retired or near retirement. Rebecca and Andrea are always there as well. There are two fires going as we sit under the stars. Tonight, dinner is served under the stars, very cool.

Dinner starts with a cucumber soup, then we are served rice, pork with sauce, green beens, and …. Dessert is a cinnamon cake but the servers tell us that it’s pineapple cake. Where’s the pineapple???

We return to our rooms around 9:15 and in bed around 10.

It’s an entertaining night as we are awoken at some point by the impalas snorting and moving about. It last longer than usual. We learn in the morning that hyenas were lurking about and making them nervous. I did see a monkey on our deck at that time but he didn’t stay long.  There are lots of monkeys around the camp.