Ngorongoro Crater

Where to start? This was one of those ambitions I’ve had since childhood after watching a wildlife documentary about this pace but never thought I’d ever fulfil it. And it didn’t disappoint. After struggling to nail Lynes’s Cisticola on the downward journey and being constantly distracted by the awesome vista below, there were also views of Lanner, Northern Anteater-Chat, Purple Grenadier, Schalow’s Wheatear, Brown Parisoma, Yellow Bishop, Lappet-faced Vulture and Sooty Falcon. 

Northern Anteater-Chat

Red-rumped Swallows were perched beside the track

Nearing the crater floor we could see a few jeeps watching a group of Lions beside a small lake so headed down there, only to come face-to-face with a majestic Caracal about 30 feet away from us! What? We’d just been staking out an area that Caracal has sometimes frequented higher up and never thought we’d have a realistic chance and now here we were. 

Caracal

It had just killed an African Hare but been spooked and was tentatively trying to cross the track in front of us towards a kill that 4 Lions had made, but was now being taken over by Golden Jackals and Black-backed Jackals, with some White-backed Vultures also moving in. 

This Lioness was a bit feisty....

Vultures and Jackals at the kill

But after several minutes it decided against that course of action as a Lioness began chasing the Plains Zebras before turning her attentions to the Caracal. So it hightailed it out of there and disappeared up the slope. I’m sure some of the other jeeps weren’t even aware of the presence of this scarce mammal as they were too focussed on the Lion action. But we were elated and the huge surge of adrenalin really is something you need to experience at some time in your life. I love it! So we stayed around the water for some time, taking in the Lions, Kori Bustard, Thompson’s Gazelles, Fischer’s Sparrow-Larks, Red-capped Lark and other commoner species.

Fischer's Sparrow-Larks

Kori Bustard

After a toilet stop we drove out into the plains where amazingly we found another Caracal, albeit quite distant. We also saw Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Black-bellied Bustard, Spotted Hyena, a confiding Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Montagu’s Harrier, another sleeping Lion, some African Quailfinches coming to drink in a stream, before heading to the Hippo Pools. 

African Quailfinch

Rosy-breasted Longclaw

Needless to say they were full of Hippos and some waterbirds but with rain threatening we drove to the picnic site. Here there were many Fan-tailed Widowbirds in non-breeding dress, African Fish-Eagles, flocks of Red-billed Queleas and a hunting African Hobby.

Leaving here we headed back towards the escarpment, and along the way enjoyed watching displaying Black-bellied Bustards, Isabelline Wheatear, several Kittlitz’s Plovers and Plain-backed Pipit. 

Hildebrandt's Starling

Spotted Hyena

Entering a more lush area with lots of larger trees we saw some perched Lappet-faced Vultures, Dusky Turtle Dove, Hildebrandt’s Starlings, Ruppell’s Vultures nesting, both Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes, Broad-billed Roller, Black Storks, Martial Eagle and a pair of White-headed Barbets. And that was our day.

Lappet-faced Vulture

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Following a great night’s sleep we were up at first light and watching the family of Schalow’s Wheatears that Chris and Kevin had found late last evening. After breakfast and an accompanying Ruppell’s Robin-Chat we drove to the bottom of the highland forest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and spent the next 4 hours birding in excellent habitat. 

Brown-headed Apalis

In the car park we had Brown-headed Apalis and Grey-olive Greenbul, and just around the corner a pair of singing White-browed Robin-Chats competed with our first Grey-Capped Warbler that came in so close to us it was hard to focus the camera. 

Grey-capped Warbler

The path wound slowly and easily up into the hills and we picked off Lemon Dove, Black-throated Wattle-eye, a gang of Mburo White-eyes, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Mountain Greenbul, Thick-billed Seedeater and Brown Woodland Warbler. I was amazed when a pair of African Hill Babblers came straight into the tape and showed well, and even more stunned with eye-level views of Grey-headed Negrita that posed beautifully and very close for us. 

Grey-headed Negrita

We continued upwards and found Bar-throated Apalis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, flyover Steppe Buzzard and Martial Eagle, Eastern Honeybird and a roosting European Nightjar that our driver, Martin found. What a great morning.

Eastern Honeybird

European Nightjar

What a view into the Ngorongoro Crater

From here we drove up to the entrance gate and after getting the requisite permits headed to the crater rim. What a view greeted us and we stood in awe at the amazing sight of the Ngorongoro crater below us. Dave scoped a Black Rhino and we saw a male Pallid Harrier and our first Eastern Double-collared Sunbird. The number of animals below us was staggering and we couldn’t wait to get down there tomorrow. So we drove up the road to our picnic lunch and were just in time to get a heavy downpour, so we ate our picnic lunch in the vehicle and then fortunately the rain stopped. We saw Hunter’s Cisticola, White-necked Raven, Eurasian Hobby, several Mottled Swifts, Hildebrandt’s Francolin and Golden-winged Sunbird.

Hildebrandt's Francolin

Eastern Double-collared Sunbird

Mottled Swift

White-necked Raven

Abyssinian (Mountain) Thrush

Moving on we scored big time with a pair Oriole Finches loosely associating in a large flock that included Mburu White-eye, Mountain Thrush, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Streaky Seedeaters and even a pair of Schalow’s Turacos showed behind us. 

Mountain Yellow Warbler

Oriole Finch

Another male Oriole Finch was seen extremely close as it fed in some bushes, but our search for Jackson’s Widowbird drew a blank as we drove across the moorland only seeing Capped Wheatear, Grassland Pipit, Whinchat, Augur Buzzard and Northern Wheatear.

Lake Manyara

Well, what a great way to start the day with a cracking Peter’s Twinspot found as we entered Lake Manyara National Park. Unfortunately not everyone saw it and the numerous Green-winged Pytilias were scant consolation. 

African Pygmy Kingfisher

Driving into the park we had African Openbill, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Spotted Mourning-Thrush and some other commoner birds. Moving inside a pair of Green Wood-Hoopoes flew through, a Mountain Wagtail fed alongside a small stream and a Narina Trogon posed beautifully on a bare branch. 

Narina Trogon

Amongst some tall Acacias a Red-fronted Tinkerbird was seen, along with a pair of Common Scimitarbills. Our main quarry of Purple-crested Turaco had been proving elusive until we found a pair amongst some tall Fig trees. A few Crowned Hornbills then appeared, followed by Red Duiker, a Lioness dozing in a tree, Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin singing on a bare branch and both Yellow-green and Grey-Olive Bulbuls appeared.

At our lunch spot we walked out onto the boardwalk into the lake and found 20+ Chestnut-banded Plovers with some very close birds. Also here were Three-banded Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Lesser Sandplover, Pied Avocet and lots of Little Stints. With clear blue skies this was the hottest, driest day of the tour so far and we were certainly feeling the heat. 

Chestnut-banded Plover

Three-banded Plover

So had lunch in the shade before continuing on but the next few hours were pretty quiet, apart from nesting Holub’s Golden Weavers, Bateleur, and a group of scarce Crested Guineafowl. Result!

Crested Guineafowl

Our last stop of the day was at the famous Hippo Pools, complete with several Hippos. But there were so many waterbirds here and we spent an enthralling hour or so scanning through everything. I guess pride of place went to the fishing Black Heron doing his ‘night time, day time” routine. Although scoping Rufous-bellied Herons was also pretty cool. 

Black Heron

Blacksmith's Plover

Lesser Swamp Warbler

And we also saw Lesser Swamp Warbler, Hottentot, Cape and Red-billed Teals, African Spoonbills, Marabou and Yellow-billed Storks, numerous Long-toed Stints, Yellow Wagtail, Glossy Ibis, lots of common waders, African Jacanas, African Purple Gallinule, lots of Black Crakes, and more common species on top. A great way to end the day.