Tanzania - A Postscript

We were up early on our last day, the bags were packed and we had breakfast as the sun came up over Lake Burunge.  The restaurant area was on a deck extended out over the acacia scrub.

The morning's drama was a message that our flight was delayed leaving Kilimanjaro for Nairobi in the afternoon.  We were supposed to leave at 15.00, but we were now leaving at 17.00.  The problem though was this was not reflected anywhere other than in my message.

The plan was that we would be taken to Arusha where we would be handed over to another driver, given a picnic lunch and taken to Kilimanjaro.  This would have meant waiting for hours in the departures area there and we were not too pleased.  Finally there was confirmation that the flight was delayed, and we could stay in the hotel lobby, a much nicer location.  Hassam would then come and pick us up and take us to the airport.

Everything went according to the revised plans, the flight departed as advised and as we climbed away from Kilimanjaro airport we had some amazing views of Kilimanjaro the mountain

The clouds were clearing and you could see the summit and the green covered slopes.

This is the highest mountain in Africa, and was once an active volcano, but not any longer.

We arrived in Nairobi on time and transferred to our hotel for what was a short overnight stay.  It was an early start in the morning for the Nairobi flight to London, and we were home at Heathrow 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

It was an amazing trip, with some wonderful sightings.  For the record here are the details of the itinerary, and the birds and animals seen.

Flights: Kenya Airways; London to Nairobi. And Nairobi to Kilimanjaro

Arusha: Arusha Safari Lodge – Comfortable facilities, lovely grounds.

Lake Manyara: Lake Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp – Tented facilities with exceptional views.  We were lucky getting the tents, double storey lodges do not have the same views.

Serengeti: Kati Kati Tented Camp – Proper tents set in the park.  A wonderful experience, and one we would not have missed.  Two days are fine.

Karatu: Ngorongoro Farmhouse – Excellent facilities and again lovely grounds a very nice location and place to unwind after hard days driving

Tarangire: Lake Burunge Tented Camp – the location is not easy for the park, and we spent hardly any time here.  Didn’t feel as safe as in the other locations and we would have to question the filtered water.  Only cooling at night cannot be safe, and believe me it isn't

Safari Operator: Ranger Safari were excellent.  Our driver was an excellent driver in some most demanding conditions.  His ability to get us in the best positions for game viewing was also excellent.  Finally his help on the last day avoided a difficult end to a wonderful holiday.

Birds Trip 163	Lifers: 32
Common Ostrich	Black-tailed Godwit
Helmeted Guineafowl	Ruff
Yellow-necked Spurfowl	Little Stint
Red-necked Spurfowl	Common Sandpiper
White-faced Whistling Duck	Green Sandpiper
Egyptian Goose	Marsh Sandpiper
Hottentot Teal	Wood Sandpiper
Red-billed Teal	Common Greenshank
African Palm Swift	Temminck's Courser
Common Swift	Double-banded Courser
White-rumped Swift	Grey-headed Gull
Grey Go-away-bird	Whiskered Tern
Kori Bustard	Yellow-billed Stork
White-bellied Bustard	Abdim's Stork
Black-bellied Bustard	Woolly-necked Stork
White-browed Coucal	Saddle-billed Stork
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse	Marabou Stork
Rock Dove	Reed Cormorant
Mourning Collared Dove	African Sacred Ibis
Laughing Dove	Hadada Ibis
Namaqua Dove	Glossy Ibis
Black Crake	African Spoonbill
Common Moorhen	Black-crowned Night Heron
Grey Crowned Crane	Squacco Heron
Little Grebe	Western Cattle Egret
Greater Flamingo	Grey Heron
Lesser Flamingo	Black-headed Heron
Black-winged Stilt	Great Egret
Long-toed Lapwing	Black Heron
Blacksmith Lapwing	Little Egret
Spur-winged Lapwing	Hamerkop
Black-headed Lapwing	Great White Pelican
White-crowned Lapwing	Pink-backed Pelican
Black-winged Lapwing	Secretarybird
Crowned Lapwing	White-backed Vulture
Kittlitz's Plover	Rüppell's Vulture
Three-banded Plover	White-headed Vulture
African Jacana	Lappet-faced Vulture
Bateleur	Fischer's Sparrow-Lark
Martial Eagle	Red-winged Lark
Tawny Eagle	Rufous-naped Lark
Steppe Eagle	Red-capped Lark
Dark Chanting Goshawk	Common Bulbul
Western Marsh Harrier	Black Saw-wing
Pallid Harrier	Barn Swallow
Black Kite	Angolan Swallow
African Fish Eagle	Wire-tailed Swallow
Steppe Buzzard	Red-rumped Swallow
Augur Buzzard	Rattling Cisticola
Speckled Mousebird	Zitting Cisticola
Green Wood Hoopoe	Pectoral-patch Cisticola
Southern Ground Hornbill	Yellow-breasted Apalis
Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill	Rüppell's Starling
Von der Decken's Hornbill	Superb Starling
African Grey Hornbill	Hildebrandt's Starling
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill	Ashy Starling
Lilac-breasted Roller	Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Grey-headed Kingfisher	Red-billed Oxpecker
Striped Kingfisher	Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
Pied Kingfisher	Silverbird
Little Bee-eater	Sooty Chat
Black-throated Barbet	Northern Wheatear
Brown-breasted Barbet	Isabelline Wheatear
Red-and-yellow Barbet	Pied Wheatear
D'Arnaud's Barbet	Abyssinian Wheatear
Green-backed Woodpecker	Amethyst Sunbird
Lesser Kestrel	Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Brown-headed Parrot	Variable Sunbird
Fischer's Lovebird	House Sparrow
Chinspot Batis	Kenya Sparrow
Orange-breasted Bushshrike	Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Northern White-crowned Shrike	Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
Grey-backed Fiscal	White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Southern Fiscal	Rufous-tailed Weaver
Common Square-tailed Drongo	Speckle-fronted Weaver
Pied Crow	Spectacled Weaver
Southern Masked Weaver	Common Waxbill
Speke's Weaver	Bronze Mannikin
Fan-tailed Widowbird	Long-tailed Paradise Whydah
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu	Western Yellow Wagtail
African Pied Wagtail	White-bellied Canary
Yellow-throated Longclaw

Animals Trip: 35	Life: 8
Mammals
Lion Leopard Cheetah Serval Spotted Hyena Dwarf Mongoose Banded Mongoose Black-backed Jackal Golden Jackal Bat-eared Fox African Elephant Black Rhinoceros Hippopotamus Cape Buffalo Warthog Plains Zebra Reptiles Nile Crocodile Nile Monitor House Gecko Blue-headed Tree Agama	Defassa Waterbuck Impala Grant’s Gazelle Thomson’s Gazelle Coke’s Hartebeest Topi White-bearded Wildebeest Maasai Giraffe Kirk’s Dik Dik Bohor Reedbuck Grass Rat Rock Hyrax Blue Monkey Vervet Monkey Olive Baboon