Here are my sightings for Tanzania 2006. It is not a comprehensive list of what I saw at each site but what I added to my trip list as I travelled through the National Parks in the the country.
I was joined by my brother for this part of my trip (1st part Namibia) and the focus was more on game viewing than birding.
I hired a fully equipt Landrover Defender from Safari Drive UK (www.safaridrive.com). Supplies were bought in Arusha before setting out for the parks. Petrol was available in most towns enabling us to keep the tanks full for the magority of the trip.
The truck had a two man ground tent. I camped at special campsites in the National Parks which basically means I was the only party there. Lion, Elephant, Hyena and antelope were a regular feature in the camps. A fire was the means of declaring the camp boundary. A fantastic experience but you had to keep your eyes about you!
Not many people seem to selfdrive in Tanzania, there are an abundance of tour companies who ferry people around but for me this was the right way to see such a spectacular country.
During the trip I witnessed the migration of Zebra and Wildebeast through the Serengeti and saw some very healthy Crocs along the way! I also saw Cheetah on the last day in the Serengeti. A first in the wild for me!
The scenery was breathtaking particularly in the Ngorogoro crater and Lake Natron at the bottom of the rift valley.
Lake Natron had the worst roads in particular the road to Lake Manyara adjacent to the Ngorogoro Crater. The Lake Natron area was the only area I had problems with aggressive Masai. Some of the Masai people have been spoilt by over generous tourists and now expect handouts from every passing truck! Not how they are portrayed on TV but I suppose that involved large sums of money too! I had been briefed by Safari Drive about the area prior to travelling and would agree this area is not for the inexperienced traveller!
Birding was also good with many species I had ticked elsewhere in Southern Africa but my trip was confined to the National Parks and not scouring the country for specials and endemics. Photos will be added in due course.
A fantastic African adventure with the delights of Nairobi airport thrown in to end the tour. What a place!! Chaos!! Unless you fly Kenya airway of course!
I just need to plan for next year now!!
Species seen as follows:-
01/07 Nrurdoto Lodge Arusha
Hadeda Ibis x2
Ring Necked Dove x2
African Green Pigeon x7
Speckled Mousebird x2
African Hoopoe x2
Spot Flanked Barbet x1
Wire Tailed Swallow x2
Common Bulbul x2
Arrow Marked Babbler x1
Beautiful Sunbird x1
Yellow White Eye x5
Common Fiscal x1
01/07 Kilimanjaro Airport
Grey Hornbill x3
Cardinal Woodpecker x1F
Lesser Striped Swallow x2
Red Rumped Swallow x1
African Pied Wagtail x2
Tropical Boubou x2
Pied Crow x4
Superb Starling x2
Grey Headed Sparrow x3
02/07 Nrurdoto Lodge
Yellow Billed Stork x1
Red Eyed Dove x1
Emerald Spotted Wood Dove x1
Violet Backed Starling x3
Red Winged Starling x2
02/07 Tarangire National Park
Rufous Bellied Heron x1
Egyptian Goose x1
Spur Winged Goose x1
Bateleur x1F
Yellow Necked Frankolin x3M,3F
Red Necked Francolin x1
Helmeted Guineafowl x5
Crowned Lapwing x1
Black Faced Sandgrouse x5M,4F
Laughing Dove x2
Yellow Collared Lovebird x1
Red Bellied Parrot x1M
Great Spotted Cuckoo x1Imm
Dideric Cuckoo x1M
White Browed Coucal x1
Spotted Eagle Owl x1
Lilac Breasted Roller x4
Red Billed Hornbill x2
Fork Tailed Drongo x1
White Headed Buffalo Weaver x3
Black Necked Weaver x1F
03/07 Tarangire National Park
Ostrich x1M
Intermediate Egret x2
Squacco Heron x1
Striated Heron x1
Marabou Stork x5
Brown Snake Eagle x1
African Marsh Harrier x1M,1F
Eastern Chanting Goshawk x1
Tawny Eagle x1
Buff Crested Bustard x1M
Blacksmith Plover x4
Namaqua Dove x2M
Purple (Violet) Crested Turaco x1
White Bellied Go Away Bird x3
Pearl Spotted Owlett x1
Pied Kingfisher x1
Green Woodhoopoe x1
Von der Deckens Hornbill x1F
Southern Ground Hornbill x2
Crested Barbet x1
Magpie Shrike x1M
Brown Crowned Tchagra x1
Blue Breasted Cordonbleu x1M, 1F
Purple Grenadier x1M, 1F
04/07 Tarangire National Park
Southern Black Flycatcher x2
04/07 Ngorongoro Crater (with guide)
Black Kite x2
Augur Buzzard x1
White Necked Raven x2
05/07 Ngorongoro Crater (with guide)
Black Headed Heron x2, 1Imm
Cattle Egret x15
White Stork x4
Sacred Ibis x3
Greater Flamingo c.500
Lesser Flamingo c.500
Cape Teal x8
Yellow Billed Duck x2
White Backed Vulture x31
White Headed Vulture x2
Secretary Bird x2
Kori Bustard x3M, 1F
Black Winged Stilt x5
Kittlitz Plover x2
Grey Headed Gull x1W, 1S
Whiskered Tern x1S
White Winged Tern x2W
Yellow Throated Sandgrouse x4M, 3F
Flappet Lark x1
Red Capped Lark x1
Capped Wheatear x4
Red Billed Oxpecker x12
Fan Tailed Widowbird x1M
06/07 Serona Serengeti National Park
Little Grebe x1S
Reed Cormorant x1, 1Juv
Darter x2Imm
Lappet Faced Vulture x2
Black Crake x1
Spotted Thick Knee x2
Double Banded Courser x1
Three Banded Plover x1
Bare Faced Go Away Bird x1
African Swift x1
Striped Kingfisher x1
Cinnamon Chested Bee Eater x1
Usambiro Barbet x1
Rueppells Glossy Starling x2
Grey Headed Social Weaver x2, 1Imm
07/07 Kirawira Western Corridor
Rueppells Griffon x1
Steppe Eagle x1
Long Crested Eagle x1
Woodland Kingfisher x1
White Browed Robin Chat x1
Yellow Billed Oxpecker x4
08/07 Kirawira Western Corridor
Gymnogene x1
Wattled Lapwing x2
Little Swift x3
Yellow Breasted Apalis x1M Imm
Green Backed Camaroptera x1
Grey Backed Fiscal x1
09/07 Kirawira Western Corridor
Pygmy Falcon x1M
09/07 Lobo Serengeti National Park
Red Faced Crombec x1
Ashy Flycatcher x1
Mocking Cliff Chat x1M
10/07 Lobo Serengeti National Park
Black (Verreauxs) Eagle x2
Martial Eagle x1Imm
Temmincks Courser x1
Little Bee Eater x1
Common Scimitar Bill x1
Bearded Woodpecker x1F
Rock Martin x2
Northern Anteater Chat x2
African Golden Oriole x1
Red Billed Buffalo Weaver x2M
11/07 Lake Natron
White Pelican c.50
Collared Pratincole c.15
Square Tailed Nightjar x2
Grey Headed Kingfisher x1
White Throated Bee Eater x1
Red Backed Scrub Robin x1
White Browed Sparrow Weaver x12
12/07 Lake Natron
Great Egret x1
Pied Avocet x1, 1Imm
Chestnut Banded Plover x1M
Greenshank x1
Grey Headed Gull x4
Speckled Pigeon x1
Malachite Kingfisher x1
Black Throated Barbet x2
13/07 Lake Manyara National Park
Pink Backed Pelican x2
African Mourning Dove x1
Tawny Flanked Prinia x1
Black Bishop x1S
14/07 Lake Manyara National Park
Glossy Ibis x1
African Spoonbill x4
Black Tailed Godwit c.30
Blue Capped Cordonbleu x1F
15/07 Nrurdoto Lodge Arusha
Collared Sunbird x1M
Baglafecht Weaver x1M
Another good list. Good show on the Pygmy Falcon.
Did the guys in Namibia tell you how the Pygmy Falcons share nests with the Sociable Weavers in the latter's massive nest communes?
Cheers
Marcell