Tanzania Day 6 - EAST USAMBARA MOUNTAINS

Headed down to the Zigi Gate entrance of Amani Reserve and birded the dirt road and despite the numerous motorbikes and other traffic this proved to be a good move. We’d come here early doors to try and find Usambara Hyliota, a very difficult endemic indeed. Well, we spent several hours craning our necks up at the canopy of these massively tall trees and began feeling the temperature start to soar. However, eventually Abdul spotted a hyliota in display flight and we all got our bins on this tiny speck in the sky disappearing into the distance. Was that it? We continued to stake out the same spot and eventually we were rewarded with 4 Usambara Hyliota feeding frantically way above our heads. I even managed to get a scope on one bird as it lingered on a bare branch long enough for almost everyone to get on it. What a result!  

We also tinkered with a group of Tanzanian Illadopsis that once again proved very difficult to see, and then we hit a run of new species for the trip. We had a few decent views of a Green Malkoha (formerly Yellowbill), Little Greenbul, Fischer’s Greenbul, African Crested Flycatcher, African Paradise-Flycatcher, and a delightful Little Yellow Flycatcher. 

Other species seen included a Grey Cuckooshrike, Black-and-white Shrike-Flycatcher, many more Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, a pair of Trumpeter Hornbills, White-eared Barbet, and a displaying African Broadbill. Walking down the road a little way didn’t initially look promising but our persistence in the heat paid off with a group of Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrikes and a superb Mombasa Woodpecker.

Crowned Eagle

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

The rest of the day was rather bitty, with plenty of previously seen species and we tried once again in vain for Kretschmer’s Longbill. Yet we still added Crowned Eagle to our list, and enjoyed nice views of Purple-banded Sunbird, Half-collared and Brown-hooded Kingfishers, Moustached Tinkerbird, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Olive Sunbird and even managed to find Kenrick’s Starling to round off another great day in Tanzania. It hasn't been the easiest day to take photos with a lot of neck-craning high into the canopy but that's not what we are here for. Yet the birding is fantastic and we are killing it at the moment!

Tanzania Day 5 - EAST USAMBARA MOUNTAINS

Up early of course and targeting some really tough, skulking species. We drove just over an hour to a tea plantation and pretty quickly found a Long-billed Forest Warbler which showed very well, even allowing us some decent record shots. 

Long-billed Forest Warbler

But that only served to lull us into a false sense of security as we toiled for another 6 hours, making repeated attempts at finding a Sharpe’s Akalat. But first we added Long-crested Eagle, Black Cuckooshrike, Pale Batis, Violet-backed Starling and Mountain Wagtail to our growing trip list. At the forest warbler spot we also had prolonged views of White-browed Robin-Chat, as well as Moustached Tinkerbird, Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Green-headed Oriole and a White-tailed Crested Flycatcher. 

White-browed Robin-chat

Sadly, Kretschmer’s Longbill didn’t play ball today! Moving on, we had a really long walk to get to the Sharpe’s Akalat spot as the forest road was blocked by a couple of fallen trees and as I’ve already stated we made numerous attempts at calling one in – maybe around 20 tries! Eventually, one appeared when we had all but given up on our walk back to the vehicle. I even managed to scope it perched on a fallen tree for some of the group, but this individual hung around for ages and we were treated to repeated views. Oh yes! 

Sharpe's Akalat

A Grey Cuckooshrike was also new for the trip along this road, as was Lowland Tiny Greenbul, Square-tailed Drongo and Yellow-streaked Greenbul.

 

I think it was something like 2.30pm when we arrived back at the digs for lunch and we were out again at 3.30pm, to a new spot for Kretschmer’s Longbill. A Palm-nut Vulture and Long-crested Eagle soared over the lodge shortly after lunch and Abdul took us to his spot for Green Tinkerbird that gave mind-blowing views.  

Green Tinkerbird

Again, we didn’t find the longbill, but did have a few African Green-Pigeons, a spectacular Fischer’s Turaco, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, African Broadbill for myself & David, and several Black-bellied Starlings. This evening Aidan and I took a walk to look for the elusive eagle-owl without any luck, but we met up with Abdul & some local guys and were treated to six different species of chameleon. Amazing!

TANZANIA DAY 4 - Heading to the East Usambara Mountains

We had a 6am breakfast and then descended the West Usambara Mountains, driving for about an hour and a half to an area of steep hills and small rocky cliffs with a stream. We had two targets here – Grey-olive Greenbul and East Coast (Zanzibar) Boubou and both duly showed relatively easily. 

East Coast (Zanzibar) Boubou

A Sombre Greenbul caused a little confusion initially but in the end we had point-blank views of this rather distinctive greenbul with pale eyes, bill and legs. We spent a while scanning for Mocking Cliff-Chat without success, but did see Augur Buzzard, Brown-breasted Barbet, Moustached Tinkerbird, Rock Kestrel, Rock Martin, and a couple Collared Sunbirds. About a couple of hours later we stopped at a small marsh where a pair of Coastal Cisticolas showed quite well after a bit of a wait, and we also had an Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle fly over, some African Palm Swifts and a Hamerkop. 

Ayres's Hawk-Eagle

But it was rather hot and sultry here and a total contrast to the cool mountain weather we’d just left! After another hour we had reached the base of the East Usambara Mountains, stopping to see our first African Harrier Hawk of the trip on the way up. We stopped amidst splendid forest for lunch, but first birded along the road where Green-headed Oriole and Black-and-white Shrike-Flycatcher were seen. As we ate our picnic lunch, Abdul pointed out a Little Sparrowhawk perched nearby and boy did it look stunning in the scope. You can see the views we had through the scope in the video below.....

 

Leaving here we headed ever upwards until we entered Amani Forest Reserve and birded along a side track overlooking a deep valley. Many Silver-cheeked Hornbills were present, in fact none of us had seen so many hornbills in one place before. 

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill is ultra common here....

It was amazing. But we were here for rarer birds and sure enough, thanks to Abdul’s skill we nailed Purple-banded Sunbird first, and then the endemic Banded Green Sunbird. A pair of the latter were scoped for ages as they lingered around a tall, dead branch right at the edge of the canopy. Nice! 

We also enjoyed scope views of White-eared Barbets, saw our first Scarlet-chested Sunbird and several Black Saw-wings as well. Continuing the drive to the Park HQ we had a Brown-hooded Kingfisher perched on telegraph wires, and better still a Half-collared Kingfisher perched on a rock in the tumbling stream. 

Half-collared Kingfisher

Once we reached the Park HQ we birded the vicinity and found a superb pair of Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbirds, scoped a Green Barbet and then a Little Spotted (Green-backed) Woodpecker flew in and gave mind-blowing views. 

Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird

Little Spotted (Green-backed) Woodpecker

We also had our best views of Olive Sunbird to date, saw another Amethyst Sunbird, and a mixed group of birds feeding in the verges held Yellow-bellied Waxbill, African Citril and several Black-and-white Mannikins of the red-backed morph. Our base for the next 2 nights was the accommodation next to the Park HQ, which was a little ‘rustic’ and basic but the food wasn’t too bad at all, they had nice cold beers and you can have a hot shower. So it ticks a lot of boxes and negates the need for camping.

TANZANIA DAY 3 - West Usambara Mountains

We had a full day in Magamba Forest Reserve in the West Usambara Mountains, and boy were we looking forward to it. There’s a whole bunch of key species to target and if I’m being honest, everyone felt a little daunted at our chances of nailing them all. I mean, it took 10 attempts at seeing Spot-throat and it wasn’t until nearly 5pm that we finally succeeded, but you simply have to persevere with these birds. Anyway, our day started with a 5.30am breakfast followed by a 35 minute drive back up towards the Old Sawmill Trail, stopping along the way to bird a good section of forest and we were rewarded with a Black Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk, great views of African Tailorbird (although I much prefer the alternative name of Red-capped Forest Warbler), Yellow-streaked Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Olive Sunbird and several Usambara Double-collared Sunbirds. 

 

Once we reached the trail a quick scan of the lake revealed a pair of African Black Ducks, but we didn’t stop too long to admire the not-so-delightful qualities of them! Once inside the forest we quickly picked up a pair of Usambara Akalats, belying their skulking reputation by showing rather well and higher up the conifers than everyone was expecting. The trail started to climb steadily and we continued with a Fulleborn’s Boubou for a couple of us, Black-headed Apalis, Forest (Dark-backed) Weaver, and a couple Black-fronted Bushshrikes in the canopy. Our first of 11 attempts at Spot-throat resulted in a bird calling back at us but never showing. So we tried a couple more times along the trail (well three more actually) before retracing our steps and seeing White-tailed Crested Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler. 

Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler

Once out on the main track we spent a while scanning for Usambara Weaver and when Abdul heard one we managed great views of female perched in a tall conifer before being enticed to fly into the tree right next to us. 

I managed a phonescoped image of Usambara Weaver

This was a major target and one that can leave you hanging with no guarantees of catching a sighting. What a result!  The session before our picnic lunch turned up another Fulleborn’s Bushshrike, another Usambara Akalat, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Stripe-faced Greenbul, several Red-faced Crimsonwings and best of all, a superb Usambara Thrush that flew in and perched over the track right in front of us. 

Usambara Thrush

 Lunch at the picnic site was enlivened by a pair of White-necked Ravens waiting eagerly for any scraps. From here we drove back down the road, stopping to scope a Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater. The same spot also held several Southern Citrils, and yet more Usambara Double-collared Sunbirds. By now it was mid-afternoon and we drove to a different section of Magamba Forest that had several great trails leading into this superb forest.  A Tambourine Dove was spotted on the main track as we pulled up at the first trail, and this led to another bunch of decent sightings beginning with an Olive Woodpecker, Shelley’s and Cabanis’s (Placid) Greenbuls, and better yet a diminutive Mountain Tiny Greenbul – a very difficult bird to find. We spent a while trying to get photos of a Forest (Short-tailed) Batis, which we duly did, saw another White-tailed Crested Flycatcher and another Forest (Dark-backed ) Weaver. 

Forest (Short-tailed) Batis

Several more futile attempts were made at seeing a Spot-throat, and despite us hearing a few they never came in to playback. So we headed to another trail that led steeply downhill and on this, our 10^th attempt at Spot-throat, we were treated to one fully out in the open next to and then on a large fallen tree for maybe 30 seconds before it disappeared. Wow, what simply stunning bird! Unfortunately, one of our group spectacularly failed to see it and we did make an 11^thattempt at seeing one in a different location but nothing showed. And that was our day, oh apart from spotlighting a pair of African Wood Owls in the lodge gardens before dinner and then enjoying some Safari beers. What a great day!

TANZANIA - EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS TOUR DAY 2 - WEST USAMBARA MOUNTAINS

We birded the road towards Mkomazi NP before breakfast, once again popping the roof open and using the vehicle to view from resulting in a fantastic selection of species. In fact we recorded 62 species in a very pleasant two and a half hours as we worked a track through brush country and small settlements. I can’t believe how many new trip species we had, but it was an impressive 25! Undoubtedly the best one was an immature Golden Pipit found by David and which lingered around our vehicle for ages. 

Golden Pipit

Aidan was pleased to nail his lifer Red-fronted Prinia and again, this showed superbly well. 

Red-fronted Prinia

The same spot also had White-browed Bush-Chat, Black-faced Waxbill, Black-bellied Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, and a pair of Red-faced Crombecs that all appeared in a flurry of activity around an acacia tree that also held both cordon-bleu’s, Brubru, Slate-coloured Boubou, Spotted Palm-Thrush, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-billed Firefinches and a pair of Red-billed Oxpeckers. 

Eastern Black-headed Batis

Green-winged Pytilia

Spotted Palm-Thrush

A close White-bellied Go-Away-Bird looked superb in the early morning sunshine, Peter found a White-browed Coucal, several Von der Decken’s Hornbills were around, and both Red-fronted Tinkerbird and Spot-flanked Barbet lingered long enough to give us every opportunity for great photos. 

This was the slightly more distant White-bellied Go-Away-Bird that caused some confusion

Spot-flanked Barbet

A couple of Eastern Black-headed Batis were also new, as were Tiny and Rattling Cisticolas, Amethyst Sunbird, and a few Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers. We then drove along the NP entry road and had a little walk, adding a flock of White-crested Helmet-Shrikes, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Lesser Striped Swallow, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Von der Decker's Hornbill and Hildebrandt’s Starling to our growing list. 

White-crested Helmetshrike

Von der Decken's Hornbill

We were back at th lodge for breakfast by 9am and added Verreaux’s Eagle, African Silverbill and Bronze Mannikinto the list before setting out on the 4+ hours drive to the West Usambara Mountains. We made one biding stop along the way, to look for Taveta Golden Weaver. Fortunately, we found a couple in a flock of Village Weavers feeding on some spilt grain beside a river. 

Spot the Taveta Golden Weaver....

In fact, the flock we going back and forth from there to a huge baobab tree that was fruiting. It was a feeding frenzy with Village and Taveta Golden Weaver mixing with Spectacled and a Golden-backed Weaver, joining groups of white-eyes, bulbuls and a Black-backed Puffback.

Black-backed Puffback

We also saw Grey-headed and Pied Kingfishers, many White-necked Ravens, a stunning male Black-bellied Sunbird, Sombre Greenbul, and a superb pair of Brown-breasted Barbets. Leaving here we saw our only Long-crested Eagle to-date beside the highway.

Not exactly what we were expecting to stay a couple of nights in.....

We reached Lesotho and started the climb up to our excellent lodge in the West Usambara Mountains situated at 1620m. A group of Black-and-white Mannikins were feeding in a tall tree beside the car park as we arrived, and they were of the red-backed variety. Lunch was ready and waiting for us, as by now it was 2pm and I have to say it was a very, very good meal. We left at 3.30pm and drove half an hour to the Old Sawmill Track where we parked up and walked along the dirt road. The first of several Eastern Mountain Greenbuls seen this afternoon got the ball rolling. Then a whole bunch of species came in to Abdul’s iPhone, mainly Usambara Double-collared Sunbirds, but with a bit of patience we nailed Red-faced Crimsonwing, Moustached Tinkerbird and a typically skulking Bar-throated Apalis. 

Moustached Tinkerbird

Just around the corner we had a brief African Tailorbird (Red-capped Forest Warbler) and a Fulleborn’s Boubou crossed the road. A Cinnamon-bracken Warbler eventually showed very well right in front of us, A Hartlaub’s Turaco was scoped, and in a large tree we saw several Eastern Mountain & Shelley’s Greenbuls, an African Dusky Flycatcher, whilst Jeff and I had an African Hill Babbler. We also scoped the undescribed race of Fork-tailed Drongo, that may well be split as Usambara Drongo in the future…?  After a few false starts we scoped some perched Waller’s Starlings in a dead tree, and followed this a little later with a perched Sharpe’s Starling in the scope. Some Black Saw-wings then appeared before Abdul spotted some Yellow-bellied Waxbills, and a Streaky Seedeater was the last bird of the day.

Tanzania - Eastern Arc Mountains Tour Day 1

 Well, here I am in a nice little hotel at Same, at the base of the Pare Mountains. It's been one hell of a ride to get here, starting on Friday back home in the UK when I woke up to the news of a global IT meltdown. Airports were closed, flights cancelled, banking systems down.... Somehow, we dodged the bullet and flew to Dar-es-Salaam without a hitch and took a domestic flight up to Kilimanjaro Airport, seeing a flock of Mottled Spinetails & Little Swifts over the airport.. 

Pre-tour drinks in Dar-Es-Salaam

Our local guide Abdul was there to meet us and we arrived at our hotel in Arusha around 9.30pm, absolutely knackered I have to admit!

So today (Sunday 21st July 2024) we left after breakfast and drove to Nyumba Ya Munga to bird the dry thorn scrub habitat. it took around 3 hours to reach the site, but this is Africa and roadside birding is brilliant! I don't particularly like drive-by birding but it was quite pleasant seeing Trumpeter & Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, African Palm Swifts, Northern and Long-tailed Fiscals, Hammerkop, Black-winged Kite, a Crowned Hornbill for Peter, and quite a few Superb Starlings. 

Our main roadside stop for a quick pee then turned into an excellent session as we had Rock Kestrel and Gabar Goshawk perched up on trees across the road. Our first Grey Wren-Warbler then appeared, along with African Grey Flycatcher, a pair of Tawny-flanked Prinias and a Variable Sunbird. A confiding Spotted Palm-Thrush was stunning, and certainly overshadowed the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus, non-breeding Vitelline Masked Weavers, and White-browed Sparrow-Weavers! Driving further we screeched to a halt for a Rufous-crowned (Purple) Roller and our first Northern Grey-headed Sparrow in a large tree right beside the road. 

it was around 10.30am by the time we reached Nyumba Ya Munga and turning off the tarmac road onto dirt road suddenly turned the heat up birdwise, despite the cool, overcast conditions. We were targeting Pringle's Puffback and Scaly Chatterer, so drove slowly with the roof up and side windows fully out as well. So we used the safari vehicle as a hide and turned up a feast of great birds, with a group of 7 Scaly Chatterers eventually coming in very close and hanging around for the most brilliant views and certainly the best ever view i've had of this species. 

Scaly Chatterer

At our first stop we also had a pair of gorgeous Green-winged Pytilias, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-browed Scrub-Robin, a group of Blue-capped Cordon-bleus, a lifer Tsavo Sunbird for everyone, a pair of Red-billed Quelea, several Purple Grenadiers, Yellow-spotted Bush-Sparrow,  a few Fischer's Starlings, D'Arnaud's Barbet, White-bellied Canary and a Northern Crombec. 

Tsavo Sunbird

The next stop overlooking some old corn fields was another fab stop, with African Grey Hornbill, Brubru, another D'Arnaud's Barbet, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Slate-coloured Boubou, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Black-necked Weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Reichenow's Seedeater, a pair of huge Southern Grosbeak-Canaries, Black-faced Waxbill, another Tsavo Sunbird and a superb pair of Somali Buntings. 

Rosy-patched Bushshrike

Somali Bunting

We also came across a pair of much-wanted White-headed Mousebirds that lingered beside our vehicle, a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle flew overhead and a few Northern White-crowned Shrikes were seen in a field.

Purple Grenadier

We also walked along a side track after the ever elusive Pringle's Puffback - a bird that would continue to elude us. But we enjoyed fine views of many Southern Grosbeak-Canaries, another Grey Wren-Warbler, Klaas's Cuckoo, Namaqua Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, singing Pink-breasted Lark, a confiding Slate-coloured Boubou, and at least 2 pairs of Pygmy Batis. Wow!

Southern Grosbeak-Canary

We eventually reached the lodge at Same at nearly 2pm, so we scoffed fish & chips or Chicken & chips quickly and had a little look around before leaving at 3.15pm. We had nice views of Wire-tailed Swallow, many Reichenow's Seedeaters, African Pied Wagtail, Hunter's Sunbird and surprisingly a group of Pale White-eyes. And then we were off on the hour long drive up into the South Pare Mountains for the endemic and very localised South Pare White-eye. We made one stop on the way up for a Striped Kingfisher and a pair of Trumpeter Hornbills but didn't hang around as time was ticking....

Looking up to the South Pare Mountains...

Well the South Pare White-eye duly obliged, despite the group of Southern Yellow White-eyes that caused a distraction to begin with, but the broad white eye-ring and grey bellies really stood out amongst the all yellow of the 'other' white-eye! If you get my meaning? The forest if really degraded and only remnant patches of what was once a magnificent forest remained and boy was it quiet up here. There wasn't one bird singing.... 

Great forest, or what is left...

Until a Bar-throated Apalis began calling and this skulker only gave glimpses to a couple of us. A Hartlaub's Turaco showed a little better, as did African Dusky Flycatcher, African Stonechat and Baglafecht Weaver. A pair of White-necked Ravens flew over and just before we left, a pair of Usambara Double-collared Sunbirds appeared. 

African Goshawk

Driving back down the mountain, an African Goshawk was perched beside the road and a Brown-hooded Kingfisher posed nicely on a bare branch to round off a really, really good first day's birding in Tanzania. We celebrated with quite a few bottles of the local brew... Kilimanjaro beer.... Cheers!