TANZANIA 2010: Tarangire NP part 2

Our game drives took us on parts of three circuits each giving us a taste for the diverse flora and fauna of the park. The eastern edge of the Burungi circuit had us following the river south through acacia savannah and doum palms (above) in the area known as Matete, named after the tall elephant grass. Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Crested Francolins and Helmeted Guineafowl were the common game birds in the park. Pairs of squawking Orange-bellied Parrots whizzed passed us as we paused at the bridge to look at Hamerkop and assorted sandpipers.

We welcomed sightings of Grey Kestrel, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver, Northern Pied Babbler, Winding Cisticola and Senegal Lapwing and Woodland Kingfishers at their nest hole in a Flat-topped Acacia. While watching a White-browed Coucal (above) preen we noted the oil gland at the base of the rump, as being similar to that of Anhingas.

The north western section of Burungi consists of Combretum-Dalbergia woodland mixed with savanna. Along the river valley Leopard is often sited so all eyes were focused on the landscape. Though we did not see one of these elusive cats we did come across circling White-headed and Lappet-faced Vultures, African Hawk-Eagle, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Striped Kingfisher, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Rufous-tailed Shrikes and social Magpie-Shrikes.

The Lemiyon circuits covers the most northerly triangle of the park and encompasses the ‘small serengeti’ an area open savanna growing on rich clay-like black cotton soil. Eurasian Bee-eaters that are continuously calling were heard before being spotted. It was not until a pair of Hueglin’s Coursers (above) moved a few feet off the track that these cryptic birds were noticed. We could not have asked for better looks as they stretched their wings and rested beside the track . A family of three Southern Ground-Hornbills worked their way through the grasses towards a Secretary Bird hunting in the same manner.

It was in wetter sections that our 4-wheel drive Landcruiser and Jonas’ driving skills were put to the test. Wet black cotton acts like quicksand and vehicles have been know to sink in and strand safari-goers! With no one else in sight to help us on this afternoon, that is certainly not something that any of us wanted to experience – but what do we do when a Hartlaub’s Bustard (above) comes walking down the track towards us, and we all want Jonas to stop? In this case we could not have been more fortunate in it being on a relatively dry stretch, or so we thought. Reluctantly Jonas stopped. The bird put on a show as it displayed. Jonas started up the vehicle and we all held our breathe. Slowly and skillfully we wiggled our way out of a potential predicament – whew, we got away with one – onto the lodge for sundowners and stories before we end up here for the night!

Overnight I  was woken by various creatures. I could hear a Red-chested Cuckoo and distant Pearl-spotted Owlet calling as well as the scops owl above my tent, but it was sound of elephants quietly ripping branches from shrubs and munching that really peeked my curiosity. It was 1AM and I sat on the edge of my seat in front of my tent in awe of having a massive matriarch only feet away striping the bark off the giant Baobab by scraping her tusks up and down. Then a smaller individual walking between my tent and Ben’s, sniffing the canvas window netting on his tent before joining the others to feed. For half an hour I was in another world amongst the world’s largest land mammals at night. I dared not say anything to waken the others or alert the elephants to my presence.

In the morning the elephants were still in the vicinity, and to my surprise no-one had realized that they had been there during the night, except for Ben who told me he pulled the blankets over his head, so as not to be noticed! Scott on the other hand was eager to see what he had missed (above).

On our way out of the park, we watched a Silverbird stealing nesting material from Rufous-tailed Weaver nests, and understood why a Flappet Lark was given its name, when we heard a displaying male making a loud flap-flap-flap sound with his wings as he steadily flew up into the sky in display.

However, we saved the best for last and the highlight was coming across a Cheetah and her two year-old cubs (above). She spotted prey and descended from her lookout on a termite mound followed by the cubs. A Kirk’s Dik-dik was now on the run and took cover in a dense shrub very close to where we were positioned. She had set this up this opportunity to teach the cubs how to hunt. With the three of them surrounding the bush, she flushed the Dik-dik for the cubs to go after but their inexperience in team work soon became apparent, and after a 40 yard chase the small antelope had made its escape.