Safari part 3. Western Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

On Tuesday 7th January we left Speke Bay Lodge and Lake Victoria and re-entered Serengeti NP at the Ndabaka Gate.  It was a relatively short drove to our next overnight stop - Mbalageti Lodge.  On the way to the lodge we spied small numbers of Wildebeest and Zebra but not yet the large migration herds we were hoping for.  We saw over 50 species of birds including Silverbird, Steel-blue Whydah, Black-winged Kite, Grey Kestrel, Dwarf Bittern, Pygmy Falcon and Grey-breasted Spurfowl.  Some large crocodiles were loafing on the bank of the fast-flowing Grumeti River.

Yellow-throated Longclaw.

Grey-breasted Spurfowl.

Nile Crocodile.

Wildebeest with Western Cattle Egrets (and a Zebra).

Mbalageti Lodge was high on a hilltop with spectacular views over the plains.  To reach it we had to leave our car on one side of the Mbalageti River and get taken across in one of the lodge vehicles as the river was deemed to be running too high for clients to cross by themselves.  For once we had plenty of time once at the lodge for swimming and birding in the afternoon.

Changing vehicles for the river crossing.

Sensational view from the bar area.

Martial Eagle over the bar.

Black-headed Oriole.

Next morning we headed off to the eastern side of the park and our beds for the night in Kananga Tented Camp.  This was a long day and we spent quite a bit of time looking unsuccessfully for a Karamoja Apalis, a small grey bird with white wing patches that is occasionally found in areas of Whistling Thorn Acacia.  Over 90 bird species today with the highlights being: Eurasian Hobby, Black Coucal, Lizard Buzzard, European Bee-eater, Pallid Harrier, African Crake, White-headed Saw-wing, Chestnut Weaver, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill and Abyssinian Scimitarbill.

Rosy-throated Longclaw.

African Crake.

Yellow-winged Bat.

Silverbird.

Bat-eared Fox.

Kirk's Dikdik.

Black-backed Jackal.

Zebra and Common Ostrich.

Kananga Tented Camp is a series of tents on the edge of a treeless grass plain.  The grass was about a meter high except immediately around the tents where it had been slashed.  The lions that we were told were lurking close by apparently know not to enter the slashed area.  We had this camp to ourselves.

Kananga Tented Camp with the lion-proof grass slashing.

Next morning we left before dawn and soon came across a group of lion cubs.  There were three half-grown ones and four quite small ones.  We found their mothers a km or two away where they had presumably been hunting in the night.

Lion struggling to stay awake.

Lou shooing a Superb Starling that kept coming too close for Rob to photograph.

Superb Starling.

Hartlaub's Bustard.

We drove to the Naabi Hill gate and exited the park there into the adjacent Ngorongoro Wildlife Management Area.  Along the way we finally caught up with migration and were treated to Wildebeest and Zebra herds from horizon to horizon.  Another long day saw us reach Rhino Lodge just before dusk.  An astonishing 120 species of birds were recorded that day.  Highlights were many: Cape Crow, African Stonechat, Greater Kestrel, Rüppell's Vulture, Speke's Weaver, White-bellied Bustard, White Stork, Tree Pipit, Lesser Kestrel, Amur Falcon, Common Rock Thrush and Black Saw-wing.

Rüppell's and White-backed Vultures and a Marabou Stork on a Zebra carcase.

Thompson's Gazelle.

Secretarybird

Lappet-faced Vulture.

Black-winged Stilt.

Rhino Lodge was the first busy lodge we had stayed in.  It is situated on the Ngorongoro Crater rim at  2,270 m (about 20 m higher than the highest point in Australia - Mount Kosciuszko) and it was quite chilly.  The rooms had fireplaces and hot water bottles available.

Next morning we were on the road before dawn (again) for the drive down into the crater.  Stanley said "watch for lions" as he pulled out onto the sealed road.  This is a populated area with people, farms, cattle etc.  We had only gone a km or two when a male lion walked across the road in front of us and disappeared into the bushes.  The drive down the the crater floor (at 1750 m) was very steep and a bit scary in the semi-darkness.  The crater was marvellous with animals everywhere you looked.  We saw Golden Jackals, many Lions, several Rhinoceros, a couple of Eland, Thompson's and Grant's Gazelles as well as the usual Wildebeest, Zebra, Elephants and Buffalo.

Eland.

Golden Jackal.

Cape Buffalo.

Lion.

Black Rhinoceros

Birds were plentiful and we saw over 70 species including Anteater Chat, Caspian Plover, Black-winged Lapwing, Abyssinian Thrush, Abdim's Stork, Grey Crowned Crane, Lanner Falcon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Abyssinian Wheatear and Great White Pelican.

Black-winged Lapwing.

Pin-tailed Whydah.

Ngorongoro Crater.

Our last night was spent in the quite busy Eileen's Trees Hotel in bustling Karatu.  Back in civilisation!  Our safari was a long time in the planning and anticipation and then it went so quickly.  We collected the Rav from African Safari Glamping lodge where we had left it ten days earlier, farewelled Stanley and his trusty safari vehicle, fixed a flat tyre in Mto Wa Mbu and drove home without further incident.

Total bird count was 328 species with 11 lifers for me - several new mammals as well.

Safari part 2 - Lake Natron to Lake Victoria

January 2nd saw us up early and heading up the western side of Lake Natron towards the Kenyan border.  The road was rough but the scenery through rocky gorges was spectacular as we climbed from 600 m to 2000 m near Loliondo/Wasso towns and then dropped down again to 1750 m as we turned west into Serengeti NP via Klein's Gate.  Many birds along the way including several Wheatear species, displaying Kori Bustards, Northern Red-billed Hornbills and my first Long-tailed Paradise Whydah and Straw-tailed Whydah.  Many colourful Blue-headed Tree Agamas were basking on rocks along the way.

Isabelline Wheatear.

Kori Bustard putting on a show.

Northern Red-billed Hornbill.

Blue-headed Tree Agama.

From Klein's Gate it was a short drive south to Lobo Wildlife Lodge where we were to spend the next two nights.  This is a government owned but privately managed lodge built in, on and around a large kopje.  It has maybe 50-60 rooms and the biggest dining room-bar-lounge I've ever seen at a lodge.  We had the place almost to ourselves which was actually a bit overwhelming.

Looking down on the dining room.

Looking up to the lounge - not Jenny standing waaaaay back.

In May 2017 we visited Kidepo NP in the ne corner of Uganda and saw the ruins of Idi Amin's lodge.  It was remarkably similar in concept and situation to Lobo Lodge.  Compare the two photos!

Lobo Lodge, Serengeti NP.

Idi Amin's lodge (maybe being renovated), Kidepo NP, Uganda.

We went for a game drive on the first morning and got well and truly bogged in a side track.  Stanley had the necessary equipment to get us out so he and Rob did the dirty work while I stood on a large rock scanning for lions (and birds).  We also went on a late afternoon game drive but avoided the mud.

Our first Spotted Hyena for the trip.

A lifer - Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Klipspringer - at home among the boulders.

Topi mother and baby - so much grass.

Pygmy Falcon.

Elephants of assorted sizes.

Jenny and Lou liked the pools in some of the lodges.

Stanley and Rob digging, me on lion watch and Jenny supervising.

Out! - thanks to lots of digging, rock placement and two recovery tracks.

Next morning we were up early (there is a theme developing here) for extensive game driving south to the Seronera region of the park and then back north and east out of the park via Ikoma Gate to Grumeti Migration Camp for one night.  We had great birding there in the afternoon and following morning.  Again we had the place to ourselves.

A porcupine caught out after sun-up.

A Coqui Francolin in full voice.

Hippos - not sure what the front two are smiling about.

Dassies were everywhere in this picnic ground.

Our first Leopard!

Rob is in this picture somewhere - can you find him?

Grumeti Migration Camp lounge building.

View from our tent at Grumeti Migration Camp.

Off again through game reserves and villages on a good gravel road that took us to the large town of Bunda on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria.  This is 'our' lake as we lived in Bukoba on its western shore in 2010-11 and near its northern shore in Uganda in 2016-17.  We stayed in Speke Bay Lodge for two nights.  This is one of our favourite lodges with a great setting on the lake shore and with high quality acacia woodland to wander through.  We shared the lodge with one other couple.

African Paradise Flycatcher.

Pearl-spotted Owlet.

Jenny, Rob and Lou lunching at Speke Bay Lodge - a nice change from the lunch boxes we have had most days.

Grey-headed Kingfisher.

Swamp Flycatcher.

The swimming pool promised when last we visited in 2011 has not yet eventuated but it was nice to wander the woodlands and lake shore and then sit and watch the waves after a fairly frantic pace and lots of driving in recent days.