Birds, a rat and our mountain.

We've had a quiet couple of weeks.  Work and home only.  I had a cold the first week and Jenny has it now (mine was worse).  Last weekend and this we barely ventured out.  Only a trip to the supermarket and a couple of walks down through our local shopping area for fruit and veg.

One shopping highlight is the opening last week of the new Sakina Supermarket.  The old one was a landmark and we still describe where we live in reference to the old location even though it has been closed for quite a while (before we arrived at least).  A while back, shutters went up and then suddenly the new shop was opened.  We popped in to check it out last weekend.  Not fully stocked yet but looking promising for many things we need.

We've had another rat.  It was popping in each evening after lights out but we have been careful not to leave any food out.  Everything is either in cupboards or containers.  I had my lunchbox on the counter with a frozen, home-made bread roll in it to thaw overnight.  The rat made a great attempt to get my roll so next night we set a trap and dispatched it.  So far none have come back.

This is quite tough plastic!

On Monday we came home and the Arrow-marked Babbler family was more than usually agitated about something in the garden.  I went to investigate and found a Spotted Eagle-Owl roosting on a water tank ignoring the Babblers.  It posed for several photos.  I assume it is still around somewhere but haven't seen it again (or heard it during the night).  A common bird but the first one for me.  Hope it stays to eat a few rats.

Spotted Eagle-Owl

I noticed a large nest that had appeared suddenly in one of the Acacias in the garden.  Landlord Paul told me that African Goshawks had nested before in the garden so that's what I assume these are.  I photographed a male near the nest on a couple of occasions but wasn't sure that it was an African Goshawk as it looked a bit small.  I put photos on the Facebook Tanzania birding page and others seem to think it is AG so we'll go with that for now at least.  It will be fun watching the chicks when they hatch in a month or so.

Almost certainly a male African Goshawk but what is it eating? A rat perhaps?

Our mountain has been showing off lately with clear skies.  Hopefully we will see snow on it one day - probably early in the next wet season.  It is about 12 km away in the photos below.

View from our friend Phil's house above Ngaramtoni.

View from Jenny's work at Olkokola (over the cowsheds).

Visa progress and Tarangire National Park

Our visa situation has improved.  Jenny has a stamp in her passport saying she can work (as a missionary!) and I have a new tourist visa (good now to October 1st) and my name is on the list of approved work permits.  Hopefully soon I will receive a letter acknowledging my work permit and then we can both get our residence visas.  I went to work every day last week (except Friday) and no longer worry every time a car comes into the grounds.

Huge old Baobabs are features of the park - but where are the new ones?

Part of a large mixed herd of Wildebeest and Zebra heading to water.

The only Secretarybird we saw.

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse - a lifer for me.

Ostrich are commonly seen in small numbers.

On Friday we went to Tarangire NP for two nights.  It is only two hours from home and a relatively easy drive - bitumen except for the last few km to the park entrance.  We arrived about 0930 and drove some tracks for a couple of hours before arriving at the Safari Lodge for lunch.  After lunch we drove more trails then did a big drive to Silale Swamp on Saturday.  The internal roads are often rough with lots of small rocks so we take it much slower than the many safari trucks.  Each afternoon we were back about 1700 for a swim (Jenny) and a beer (me) before dinner at 1900.

One can get quite close to elephants.

Rüppell's Vulture

Three-banded Plover

Yellow-spotted Hyrax

Double-banded Courser

On Saturday's drive we were heading back from Silale Swamp and came across about 6-7 safari trucks stopped together.  We stopped too and managed to see one of seven lions in the long grass before one of the other drivers indicated we had a flat tyre (rear passenger side).  Question: how do you change a tire when there are seven lions 100 m away in waist-high grass? Answer: as quickly as possible.  We drove a bit further away and one of the safari truck drivers very kindly helped so it didn't take long but we were all nervous and asked the other people to watch the lions carefully.

Giraffe were not often seen.

Von der Decken's Hornbill.  These two stole snacks from people having sundowners.

Unstriped Ground Squirrel at their burrow near our tent.

Zebra were everywhere.

Tarangire Safari Lodge is seriously pleasant.  We had a cosy tent with Dikdiks, Waterbuck and Ground Squirrels roaming around.  Each night we could hear a lion roaring not too far away.  The outdoor sundowner area has probably the best view of any lodge we've been to - over the Tarangire River with Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra etc. coming and going constantly.  Great food and friendly attentive staff - what more could you want?  This visit it was at near capacity but everything ran smoothly at meal times.  Our spare tire was not as inflated as it might have been so we asked for air on Sunday morning and the lodge mechanic promptly turned up with a compressor.  Then we looked at the punctured tire and found a ridiculously small screw embedded.  All the km of stony roads and we were brought undone by a screw!  The mechanic fixed our tire as well (no charge) so we were soon on our way with no need to find a tire repair place on the way home.

Red-and-yellow Barbet on a termite mound.

Spotted Thick-knee

We saw 118 bird species and many mammals.  Best birds were Yellow-throated Sandgrouse (lifer), Ostrich, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, White-bellied Bustard, Namaqua Dove, Saddle-billed Stork, Glossy Ibis, Secretarybird, Rüppell's Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Hoopoe, D'Arnaud's Barbet, Bearded Woodpecker, Pygmy Falcon, Banded Martin, Northern Pied Babbler, Silverbird, Chestnut Swallow, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Red-headed Weaver and Green-winged Pytilia.  Mammals included many Elephants, Zebra, Wildebeest and smaller numbers of Buffalo, Giraffe, Impala, Eland and Gazelle.  We also saw several Mongoose, Squirrel, Rock Hyrax, a Lion and a road-killed small, spotty cat (Genet, Serval or similar).  Still no Leopard!

White-headed Buffalo Weaver

Back to work tomorrow - no plans for more safaris until late September when friends are coming from Warrnambool and we hope to go with them to Lake Natron for a few days.

Elephants wading in Silale Swamp.