TSAVO WEST IN JUNE (winter) Part two

[PHALANX]

Staying for nine days also enabled me to get to know the dining room staff that were very friendly and helpful, and within a few days knew my likes & dislikes. When they had a few spare moments they would always come and chat, which was nice. Breakfast & lunch was Buffet, though soup at Lunch was served at the table, but the evening meal was served at table which is nice, though in the high season this may not always be the case & Service was always with a smile.

Kilaguni was the first lodge to be built in Kenya and for all its age you would never believe it. The rooms are very nice & comfortable. The grounds are well maintained and a pleasure to walk around. The swimming pool was in a quiet area and was also well maintained. When you are sitting on the veranda you can see why they chose this spot. Straight ahead of you are the beautiful Chyulu hills, green and resplendent after the rains, and to the left is the magnificent Kilimanjaro, Wow!It is so big you feel you could jump in your car and drive there as it’s size makes it appear so close. Kilimanjaro was covered in cloud during my first four days and I had forgotten it was there. Then one morning I awoke and looking out from my balcony there it was in all its glory. The best views are from the veranda, so a quick wash & dress I grabbed my cameras and headed there. It was a truly  wonderful sight, but as I got to the dining room the sun was just coming over the top of the lodge and literally lit up the top of the mountain. It was as if someone had switched the light on. You only get a short period when the light is right to get those memorable shots, and then I sat back with a coffee and enjoy the show as the light changed with the rising sun. By the time the sun broke clear and lit up the Chyulu hills Kilimanjaro was slowly being enshrouded in an ethereal haze. It stayed clear through to 10am, so Breakfast was a delight.

With a start to the day like that, would the rest of it live up to such splendour? Well it did. I had one of my best bird walks, topped by two Bateleur eagles, which had a roost in a tree just outside the lodge grounds, a grey headed bush Shrike & Spot flanked barbet among many others.

Over a three day period during my stay there was a large herd of Eland sheltering in the woodland in front of the lodge. I so wanted them to come and drink as they are my favourite antelope. On the fourth day they obliged and not only that but where I thought there to be around forty of them, there were actually 70+. A small herd of Zebra arrived at the same time and it was a beautiful scene to behold. I shoot film as well as stills and at one point I did not know what camera to use there was so much going on.

Over my nine days I would not say game was abundant, but at times it was plentiful. It was mostly small herds of Zebra which came & went through out each day. A smattering of Giraffe, a large local herd of Impala, and several Black back jackal along with wart hogs entertained. The occasional Buffalo put in an appearance as did a few fringed eared Oryx.

Night time introduced Hyena. They came every night usually 4/5 of them and on one night with a young juvenile. Introducing it to the world of the night I guess. Two elephants with a youngster appeared one night and were not too pleased to see the Hyena. The Zebra were as regular at night as they were during the day. A plus for me was a Verreaux’s eagle Owl which showed on most nights. It was fascinating to watch him hunt, and on one occasion he hunted from the ground chasing his prey in the grass.

 

Driving around Tsavo west was sheer joy. The scenery is straight from a film set. Majestic craggy hills, valleys and open bush. Then you see a Lesser Kudu and Wow!

And you think I want to live here, ,. June is probably the most beautiful time here. The roads are bordered with Dessert cotton, the grasses are still green, the Convolvulus decorates everything and everything has given birth. There are more young Zebra than Impala at times. The birds are happy with an abundance of insects and all is well with the world, well for nine days anyway. A memory that will stay with me is when a small herd of Giraffe ran across the road ahead of us with the backdrop of Tsavo’s wonderful scenery, it was like they were in slow motion, heaven.

 

It was almost time to go and there were two birds I had wanted to see and had not as yet, the red & yellow Barbet & the golden breasted Starling. They had proven elusive, but on the last morning I got to see the golden breasted Starling, half a loaf and all that. I left a happy man. 126 different birds spotted, all the game except for the cat’s, so all in all, June is a beautiful time to visit Tsavo west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by PHALANX

[Marks]

What a tremendous number of eland!

I enjoyed Part 2 just as much as the first part. The views of Kilimanjaro are stunning, and as always I enjoy seeing the layout of different lodges and camps.

[Game Warden]

Some stunning scenery to be admired from the lodge veranda in this stay @PHALANX

Matt

[PHALANX]

14 hours ago, Marks said:

What a tremendous number of eland!

I enjoyed Part 2 just as much as the first part. The views of Kilimanjaro are stunning, and as always I enjoy seeing the layout of different lodges and camps.

Hi, if you want to see more of the lodge i put a film on you tube. Enjoy!

 

[Marks]

Love the video! The lodge looks exceedingly comfortable and attractively decorated (with a killer view). I think what I like about getting an extended look at different camps is that it really allows you to imagine being there - especially when muddling through the mundane workday.