Awesome African Adventure. Day 23 – May 1, 2025

Tarangire NP – II.

Awoke to the sunrise across Lake Burungi and monkeys gambolling across rooves and verandahs. There was also a Hyrax feeding on the grass beside the bungalows.

Suzie also awoke to Keith’s email about yet anorher flight cancellation- Ethiopian Air this time. So some discussions re options over breakfast. Response back to Keith to try and secure the alternative then we have to arrange flights out of the Serengeti or do a long very early drive back to Arusha. Time will tell.

Our day today is back into Tarangire NP to see what else we can see.

First sighting a Mbugwe (Moogway) Tribal house. They are farmers and hunters. The original inhabitants were moved on to other sites when the park was created.
Today’s Game Drive resulted in the following action.
Two young giraffe with
yellow billed oxpecker. The previous ones were red billed.
Speckle-Fronted Weaver – tiny little sparrow sized bird.
Flowers
African Grey flycatcher
Grey headed kingfisher. (Worked the camera perfectly).
Hibiscus
Zitting Cisticola – with a call of zit, zit zit zit! He was putting his whole body into his call.
Yellow-necked Spurfowl in a tree.
We saw a few elephants and couldn’t take a picture as they were hiding. Hard to comprehend that you cannot see something the size of elephant that is maybe 15 metres away.

A Kirk’s Dik-Dik looked like a spurfowl in the distance on the road ahead. We snuck up and she (jasmine according to JB) went into the grass and just sat and let us drive up beside her. She was feeding on the leaves for nutrients. They live in pairs and mate for life. JB shared that if they lose their partner (lion biscuit) they become confused and often walk into the lions (locals call this committing suicide due to loss of partner) at least that’s how I heard his story.
Tree Squirrels. There was a bunch of them running around.

Family of Dik-Diks. Dad, Mum, and daughter.
Zebra and Impala
Another Dik Dik family marking territory. They are so finely featured I’m a bit beguiled and way too many pics.
I took the front seat today. The roof above opens so you can still climb up/out for pics. I quite like it.
White-Browed Coucal. Parasitic and lay eggs in other bird’s nests such as weavers.

The elephants strip the baobabs for fibre and moisture in the cambium layer. The xylem and phloem has all the nutrients for the elephants.

The Tsetse flies were biting Mary yesterday. Today they are attacking us all. Mary and JB mostly -‘Mongrel Things’ states Mary.

A pair of Bare-Faced Go Away birds. They provide a warning call for all to hear. An enemy of the poachers.
Morning Glory plant is everywhere and the elephants love it. A white flower that climbs up other plants and provides a white highlight to the green carpet of the park.
Some more elephants.
Serval cat
Tarangire Hill.
Candllelabra Cactus tree.

The Baobabs are amazing. Such huge trees, some with early leaves, some fruiting others not. Their bark is all differently textured. Some shine on their trunks, some don’t. They have different colouring to the bark as well.

Leopards up the tree again today . Two this time spotted by JB. Hard to see initially but then you couldn’t unsee them. Fuzzy or sharp it was fantastic. JB was suggesting they were ready to mate. They honeymoon for three weeks. Gestation is three months. One to two cubs which are at risk of being killed. Survival rate for leopards is highest survival rate.

Black faced Sandgrouse
Grey Woodpecker male – Mary.
Chevy Impala Antelope
Grey Headed Hornbill
Male Impala named Jack.
Elephants out of the waterhole.
More elephants long shots.
Eastern Chanting Goshawk.
Ostrich
Slow winged goose
Grey Heron
Giraffe long shots.
Superb Starling on mass
Fishers sparrow lark
Two-banded Courser
Impala
Secretary Bird away on the distance.
Tower of Giraffes. (Tower when standing still, a Journey of Giraffes when on the move
Hammerkop

The vegetation keeps changing as we drive through the Park. From Bushland to Woodlands to Grasslands and the trees and bushes are forever morphing. The grasses and seed heads are so sculptural and different hues.
Lesser Kudu – a rare antelope. A long way off and not a great shot…but we saw them.
Elephants in the River away in the distance.
Long tailed Fiscal.
Lunched today at the Silale Picnic site that has views overlooking Silale Swamp.
Loksale Mountain range behind the green swamp.
Brown Snake Eagle
African Hoopoe
Silverbird.
Leopards in tree again
Dwarf Mongoose.
Black neck spitting cobra
Zebra and Giraffe.
Grey Headed kingfisher so close
Yellow necked Spur fowl on termite mound.
Elephant crossing.
Banded Mongoose

Home to the lodge for sundowner drinks and to pack ready for our next move tomorrow.

Dinner is served at the table with a soup starter then man after man bringing another component of the meal. It’s very hard to pace yourself as we don’t know what’s coming…a little bit of most things soon adds up. Then there’s dessert. Phew!!! Will be the straight and narrow when I return home – so much sitting and so much eating.