A visitor and a trip to Lake Manyara NP

Lesser Flamingos near and far.

Our friend Rhona arrived last weekend from Scotland.  We last saw her in Bukoba in 2011 where she was working at the Katoke Teacher Training College as a VSO volunteer.  Now she is about to commence a PhD in teaching methodologies and is heading back to Bukoba for 6 months.  First though she is dusting off her Swahili with a two week course in Usa River.  She stayed with us last weekend and again this weekend.  It was great to catch up.

Rhona and Jenny enjoying a picnic lunch at Lake Manyara

On the boardwalk over the hot springs.

Yesterday we all headed off to Lake Manyara NP and Jenny and I were delighted to find our residence visas were honoured and we got in for half price.  The rainy season arrived on October 1st and it has rained most days since - often heavily.  So the park this time was damp and green compared to the dry dusty condition back in August.  It was also much quieter with fewer safari trucks holding us up.  Elephants, on the other hand, were a nuisance. We encountered our first group about one minute inside the gate and had to wait quite a while until they cleared off the road.  Two other groups were less obliging and we turned around.  There's no arguing with four large bull elephants when you are in a small RAV 4.

These four bulls were not shifting and we had to turn around.

In August we had extra time in the park as we were staying in a nearby lodge.  This time we were a bit rushed and saw fewer bird species (83 instead compared to 104 in August).  We drove the 30 km to the Hot Pool picnic site in around 2½ hours with stops for elephants, birds, other mammals etc.  After lunch we wandered along the board walk counting Grey Herons (350), Yellow-billed Storks (70) and noting the vast flocks of Lesser Flamingos that stretched along the whole lake shoreline.

Lesser Masked Weaver

Peregrine Falcon (probably just arrived from Siberia)

Little Bee-eater

Juvenile Palm-nut Vulture (trying to consume a small Leopard Tortoise)

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Going back was a bit more leisurely but we reached the hippo pool in good time.  Just as we arrived the heavens opened and we thought that was it for the day but it stopped as suddenly as it started and we drove the swamp circuit track stopping often to observe all manner of ducks, waders, herons etc.  There was only one hippo in the pool today and it was enjoying being groomed by a Jacana.

Rufous-bellied Heron

Red-billed Teal

Black Crake

Common Sandpiper

Hottentot Teal

African Jacana grooming the Hippopotamus

We left the park later than I would have liked and had a rather unpleasant drive home in often heavy rain and decreasing light.  Few drivers put on their lights in Tanzania until it is absolutely dark.  I was even flashed by a police car at one point - telling me my lights were on.  Overtaking slow trucks is tricky when you can't see cars coming towards you in the gloom with no lights.  We managed to get home OK though and today we took Rhona back to the language training place in Usa River after a lovely lunch in a fancy safari lodge.

Some obliging Impala - normally they turn and walk away.