TANZANIA: The Western Usambara Mountains

Situated between Mount Kilimanjaro and the Indian Ocean, the Usambara Mountains (above) rise steeply from the surrounding Maasai plains. The drive from Mombo, up the windy road of the Western Usambara’s takes in wonderful mosaic scenery of agricultural plots, leading to the largest town, Lushoto. Sadly these slopes have lost their forests and even the lush shallow ravines are farmed. These mountains were favored by Germans in colonial times and European style homes are dotted throughout the range, including Mueller’s Mountain Lodge were we stayed for two nights.

We spent most of our visit in the Magamba forest (above). Beginning in a more open area we soon had African Stonechat and Dark-capped Warbler in the field below the road and a Cinnamon Bracken Warbler along the hedgerow. A Banded Green Sunbird flew into the trees lining the road where we also saw Usambara Mountain Greenbuls, Eastern Olive and Amethyst Sunbird, and hopping out of the low bushes to feed on the road Cape and White-browed Robin-Chats. As we passed a puddle in the dirt road Mosque Swallows alighted to pickup mud for their nests.

Walking into the forest the activity was relatively quiet with the exception of Yellow White-eyes, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler and Usambara (Eastern) Double-collared Sunbirds (above).

A section of open forest was far more productive as Black Sawwings were everywhere picking off insects on the wing. This is what undoubtedly attracted Black Cuckoo-shrikes and a Grey Cuckoo-shrike. As Kendrick’s and Waller’s Starlings kept landing on bare branches at the tops of trees, Stripe-faced Greenbul (above), White-tailed Crested Flycatcher and Cardinal and Olive Woodpecker worked the insides of larger trees. We watched several rare Usambara Weavers, which are only found on the western side of the mountain range, collect nesting material.

Our only mammal was a Red-legged Sun Squirrel and we had a couple of Usambara Two-horned Chameleon (above) in different locations, each camouflaged to best suit the vegetation it was on.

We retraced our tracks back to the more successful of yesterdays spots. An Evergreen Forest Warbler was tantalizingly close, calling feet away from us in the bracken, but it never showed. A little further up we got good looks at two African Hill Babblers, and glimpses of an Orange Ground Thrush as it moved about behind low hanging vines. Red-faced Crimsonwing, Eastern Nicator and Fullerborn’s Boubou were all heard, but the boubou, which looks like a State-coloured Boubou, did show itself as it moved through the mid-canopy. Warblers can be tough to see in this dense habitat so it was nice to come across a confiding pair of African Tailorbirds (above).