Lakes, Baobabs, Falls and Islands - Green Season in Southern Tanzania

[michael-ibk]

Birding had kept us busy - it was almost 1100 when we finally stopped for breakfast. Jimmy and Ayoubou chose a lovely spot at the banks of the Mdonya river.

 

 

 

 

 

It had been a lovely morning - not least because we found out that we had really struck gold with Jimmy and Ayoubou. We had told Expert Africa that good guiding was vital, and we´d really like to have somebody who knows his birds. In the Selous this had not really been the case but we were more than happy here - we had a champ combo. Jimmy is a young lad but with a lot of passion for his job. His knowledge was astounding, a chirp here, a faint song there, he knew immediately which species we were after. And Ayoubou was equally impressive, he´s been working in Ruaha for many years, and his knowledge and love for the park always shone through. I would really not call him a driver, he was an excellent guide in his own right. I discussed this with Manager Kings who told me they had offered Ayoubou a guiding position - but he loves driving so much that he´s always been hesitant to accept the promotion. Anyway, it was so much fun and good luck to have these two great guides with us. And since both are passionate birders they enjoyed having the opportunity to hone their skills for once as well - they told us it had been three months since they last had guests with more than a passing interest.

 

 

A very annoying twig in the way of a Bush Hyrax.

 

 

A Tawny Eagle

 

 

 

Two Starling cousins - the aptly named one Superb really had more luck when evolution chose the colours.

 

After a while we enjoyed a lovely, relaxed sighting of an Elephant family and stayed almost 45 minutes with them.

 

 

 

 

 

Always lovely when they have little ones:

 

 

 

 

We saw way more of them than in the Selous. The last major survey thankfully seems to incidate that their numbers have stabilised. "An estimated 20,145 elephants were recorded during the 20 day survey, which consisted of 380 aerial transects over 20 days. The survey covered 29,855 square miles (77,326 square kilometers) of the Katavi-Rukwa and Ruaha-Rungwa landscape and included parks, game reserves, and other protected and conservation areas. The often neglected Lukwati-Piti Game Reserve area in the center of the survey area is of key importance, especially as a seasonal wildlife refuge. The results confirm that this landscape is the most important in Eastern Africa in terms of elephant numbers and contains the largest population on the continent outside of Zimbabwe and Botswana. " (https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13470/Massive-Wildlife-Survey-in-Tanzania-Points-to-Elephant-Recovery-In-Key-Landscape.aspx)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by michael-ibk

[MartinDT]

 

 

 

[MartinDT]

Sometimes one gets lucky. I took these just outside Mdonya camp in Feb 18

[Alexander33]

@michael-ibk

 

Michael, I’m so glad you’ve picked back up on your report. Your photos make me ache for a Green Season safari, and Ruaha at that time of year looks captivating. 
 

So much has transpired since the first part of this annus horribilus, as you so aptly phrase it.  We were in Kenya just around this same time.  I haven’t even started a report (so kudos to you for your efforts here), but in a way, the whole enterprise seems like ancient history now. I definitely feel a sense of “before” and “after” with regard to the pandemic that has unfolded before us (wondering if we’ll ever be the same), and I’m thoroughly enjoying being transported back to those few moments just “before.”  Thank you for this. 

[campsafari2015]

Wow, I love the coursers and the violet-backed starling! Welcome back

[Caracal]

@michael-ibk I'm forgiving of the twig! Love that hyrax portrait.

I too love the DikDiks. Another favourite of mine is the Blackbacked jackal and I'm wondering about the marks on its legs?

Fascinating to see that nestbuilding weaver. Is the other starling cousin with that elegant tail an Ashy Starling?

[TonyQ]

A lovely Elephant family and an excellent selection of birds.

It is hard to beat a bush breakfast by the side of a river - I think my favourite meal of the day!

[michael-ibk]

On 8/20/2020 at 10:13 PM, MartinDT said:

Sometimes one gets lucky. I took these just outside Mdonya camp in Feb 18

 

Lucky indeed - great sighting! We did hear Leopard once around the camp, and one other car had a fleeting glimpse of two while we were there.

 

On 8/21/2020 at 2:40 AM, Alexander33 said:

@michael-ibk

 

 I definitely feel a sense of “before” and “after” with regard to the pandemic that has unfolded before us (wondering if we’ll ever be the same), and I’m thoroughly enjoying being transported back to those few moments just “before.”  Thank you for this. 

 

You´re welcome Peter. And never doubt a "after" of the good kind will arrive eventually.

 

On 8/21/2020 at 6:47 AM, campsafari2015 said:

Wow, I love the coursers and the violet-backed starling! Welcome back

 

Many thanks - they are lovely birds indeed.

 

On 8/23/2020 at 2:59 AM, Caracal said:

@michael-ibk I'm forgiving of the twig! Love that hyrax portrait.

I too love the DikDiks. Another favourite of mine is the Blackbacked jackal and I'm wondering about the marks on its legs?

Fascinating to see that nestbuilding weaver. Is the other starling cousin with that elegant tail an Ashy Starling?

 

You are way more observant than me @Caracal, I had not really noticed. Maybe it´s just dirt on the Jackal? And yes, that´s an Ashy Starling.

 

On 8/23/2020 at 11:29 PM, TonyQ said:

A lovely Elephant family and an excellent selection of birds.

It is hard to beat a bush breakfast by the side of a river - I think my favourite meal of the day!

 

Thanks Tony, and fully agree with you, cannot wait for the next breakfast of that kind.

[michael-ibk]

In the afternoon we proceeded North to the Mgawusi Sand River. It was hot by now - birds jumped at every opportunity to cool off.

 

 

White-Headed Buffalo Weaver

 

Another Dik-Dik refusing to come out properly and pose:

 

 

 

Brown-Crowned Tchagra

 

 

 

The connecting road lead through pretty thick habitat - we hoped to find Lesser Kudu here but none ever showed up.

 

 

Little Bee-Eater Bee-Eating

 

 

What, you are taking a photo of me? Why, I´m just an Impala - nobody ever bothers about me?

 

 

Shut up Impala, we are photographing everything, even plants!

 

 

 

 

Ok ... you´re definitely weird.

 

 

 

The Mgawusi area was really lovely - very scenic.

 

 

 

Speckle-Fronted Weaver, a nice little species which was delightfully common.

 

What´s almost as good as breakfast by the river?

 

 

 

 

Lunch by the river of course!

 

 

The Squirrel pretended not to care but I bet it was all over our crumbs as soon as we were gone!

 

On the way back finally:

 

 

A Dik-Dik having read the "pose for tourists" job description.

 

 

I love their snouts, such a weird, almost comical look for an Antelope.

 

 

It heard that and decided to "play straight".

Edited August 30, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Our "lunch" was more of a "high tea" timing wise, and so we soon had to start again for the long way back to camp, passing Kimilamatonga Hilll again.

 

 

The perfect area for Hyrax of course.

 

 

 

Elephants popped up quite regularly.

 

 

 

 

A Red-Necked Francolin quenching its thirst.

 

 

 

A nice sighting of Helmetshrikes - such cool birds, and finally some good light.

 

 

 

 

 

Another obliging Dik-Dik. As I understand Ruaha has the "Thomas" subspecies of Kirk´s Dikdik.

 

 

Greater Kudu peeking out.

 

 

This obscured Senegal should not be here according to Stevenson/Fanshawe "Birds of East Africa." I lost some respect for that book since it has quite a few species for Southern Tanzania plain wrong, as the expert folks on the "Birds of Tanzania "FB group confirmed.

 

 

Our Jackal was still waiting for us closer to home. See @Caracal, no marks - it either took a good bath or it´s the other one of the pair.

 

 

 

 

End of Day 1.

[TonyQ]

Lovely landscapes, and the Dikdik are beautiful 

[Caracal]

I stayed at Mwagusi 20 years ago in the dry season and it's fascinating to see such an amazing difference with the beautiful green season and those spectacular cloud formations.

John and I  climbed Kimilamatonga Hill with our guide Batista  - the view from the top was spectacular and we looked down on a black eagle's nest with chick on a ledge below.

There was none of that green foliage on the climb. Wouldn't be up for that climb nowadays!

If it was the same jackal pleased to see it had cleaned up what must have been mud splattered legs for its next photoshoot!

Beautiful photos throughout and loving the variety.

[AfricIan]

The wildlife in Ruaha clearly hasn't been reading the scripts @michael-ibk, as well as the DikDik, nobody has told the Senegal Coucal that they shouldn't be in Ruaha, this one was in 2009!!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

8 hours ago, Caracal said:

John and I  climbed Kimilamatonga Hill with our guide Batista  - the view from the top was spectacular and we looked down on a black eagle's nest with chick on a ledge below.

 

 

Wow, that must have been a super-cool view from up there!

[michael-ibk]

 

To be honest, our second day was a bit of a disappointment. We decided not to do three full day drives in a row since we also wanted to enjoy the lovely camp a bit. (Yes, I know, I´m getting soft.) So again we did not proceed further than Kilimatonga Hill. And while it was of course a lovely, relaxed day we did not see many animals and the light was pretty awful most of the time - well, you can´t win them all.

 

 

Hildebrandt´s Francolin - it was waiting for us every morning just out of camp.

 

 

Black-Necked Weaver - not a species you see every day.

 

 

 

Purple-Crested Turaco - not an uncommon bird when there are fruiting trees around but quite a furtive species

 

 

Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove

 

 

This was by far our most exciting moment this day - Jimmy first thought we had a Leopard walking towards us on the road. But it was a Serval!

 

 

A tight crop, it was not comfortable with us getting closer.

 

 

And just like that, one step to the right and it was totally invisible. A very cool sighting but it lasted less than a minute.

 

 

Tchagra again

 

 

This Three-Banded Courser had an injured wing apparently. At first we thought it was playing that old trick to get us away from the chicks but the way it (barely) moved, never trying to lure us away or  something, and the fact that it was there the next day in more or less the same position made it clear this bird was not in a good state.

 

 

Cardinal Quelea - a lifer for me. Definitely more attractive than its infamous cousin.

[michael-ibk]

We enjoyed a late breakfast - totally different scenery today, no river but the very cool stone cliffs around the hill. Some mobile pics included here:

 

 

 

 

A good spot to try to catch Swallows:

 

 

 

 

This Apalis was also around trying to figure out why we were intruding:

 

 

 

Grey Kestrel

 

 

We tried the route North of the Mdonya River but after a while that track became too muddy - so we had to circle all the way back, resulting in a very late lunch in camp (around 13:50).

 

 

 

Many Giraffes enjoyed the open grasslands here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did see Warthogs occassionally - but difficult to photograph in the high grass.

 

 

 

Three-Banded Plover

 

 

 

Knob-Billed Duck - a totally boring, non-descript bird most of the time but pretty spectacular in breeding plumage.

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Not too far from camp we had some photo fun with a very obliging Flap-Necked Chameleon:

 

 

 

 

Chameleons just are the coolest creatures ever! How Jimmy and Ayoubou (I forget who) could spot it while driving is totally incomprehensible to me.

 

 

 

 

[Biko]

Brilliant pictures!

[Zubbie15]

For a disappointing day you're doing pretty well. Really enjoying seeing Ruaha in the green season. 

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @Biko and @Zubbie15.

 

Disappointing is of course relative - we had a good time and enjoyed our time out. How could we not in a beautiful park like this? But still, there are quiet days and action-packed days, and this one stood firmly in the first category. Tomorrow would be different.

 

We spent our afternoon drive close to camp. A lovely area but very quiet again.

 

 

 

 

Fork-Tailed Drongo

 

 

A Squirrel I inserted just for @inyathi to tell me what it is. (I feel a "Which Squirrel am I" thread coming up...)

 

 

 

 

Diederik Cuckoo

 

Again the big Fig Trees were hosting the usual suspects:

 

 

Turaco

 

 

And Green Pigeons, one of the few Pigeon species I quite like.

 

 

 

A Hyrax in a tree? Must be a Tree Hyrax? So we thought at the time but I think it´s just a Bush Hyrax like all the others.

 

 

I fought a valiant photo battle against this Grey-Headed Bushshrike, waiting for it to come clear but totally lost.

 

 

 

This Spurfowl was on high alert - and so were we. Ayoubou and Jimmy had heard the sawing growl of a Leopard. And after a while I of course imagined I had heard it too. But no Big Cat for us today - we waited for quite a while but the most exciting thing showing up were some Crested Guineafowl.

 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by michael-ibk

[TonyQ]

A great Chameleon series, and always a treat to see a Serval.

[inyathi]

@michael-ibk Great to see you carrying on your report, with more great sightings from one of my favourite parks, seeing wild dogs in Ruaha is very special, they're certainly not seen often and I've never seen a serval in Ruaha, even good to see crested guineafowls because you normally just see the ubiquitous helmeted.   

 

58 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

A Squirrel I inserted just for @inyathi to tell me what it is. (I feel a "Which Squirrel am I" thread coming up...)

 

It doesn't qualify as one of the larger mammals of Tanzania, so I don't have the right book to hand, but I've looked at one of my own squirrel photos taken in Ruaha and I think that it and also the squirrel in post 135 are ochre bush squirrels, this would seem to be the most common squirrel in the park. 

[Atdahl]

Wow, how can you call a day with a squirrel sighting "a bit of a disappointment"...

 

The serval sighting would have made my whole trip and chameleons are soooo cool.  But, I know each day is relative so some really good stuff must be coming up.

 

 

[campsafari2015]

I love all the birds! And the serval! and...everything! Really hoping the knob-billed goose looks like that in November.

[AfricanQueen]

Last November (in Mana) they were looking like that- first time I‘ve seen them that way 🤗