Ndutu XII - David unwell, pond life, lion, cheetah
Just me and Malisa against the world. Well, not quite the world, but at least the wildlife of Ndutu.
12.02.2020 - 12.02.2020
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Baby Boomers - Tanzania 2020
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We have our picnic breakfast in the car on the plains, completely surrounded by the enormous herd of wildebeest.
We are thrilled when we spot 'our' baby in amongst the crowd – his mum is instantly recognisable by the manner in which her afterbirth is hanging. It's a relief to know that our grandchild survived the first critically vulnerable period of his life.
Zebra
This guys is missing his tail – probably a close brush with a lion or hyena!
Tawny Eagle
Marabou Stork
He's on the lookout for wildebeest placentas for lunch!
Pregnant Hyena
David is not feeling at all well, and asks Malisa to take him back to the lodge. He must be poorly, that's the first time I have heard him ask that in our seven safaris here. Hopefully it is nothing serious.
Once David is safely delivered at the lodge, where we take the opportunity to use the facilities, Malisa and I continue our safari “to see what nature has to offer us” as he always says.
White Backed Vulture
I'm intrigued as to how the vulture became so wet. It seems to me that he might have had an involuntary dip in the lake. He is looking quite bedraggled!
He is certainly busy trying to dry off, waving his huge wings around in the hot, still air.
Giraffe skeleton
Wildebeest crossing Lake Ndutu
With all the recent rains and subsequent flooding, Lake Ndutu has extended its shores considerably across the flat landscape, with shallow pools being creating where the usual path of the wildebeest was.
I think this much deeper section has taken the small group – or confusion, the collective noun of wildebeest – by surprise.
Oh my! There is a tiny baby in the group!
There seems to be some consternation, with the adults agitated and the baby nowhere to be seen. I hold my breath as I am terrified he may have drowned.
He is only tiny, likely to have been born earlier this morning. After a few tense seconds, he re-appears and all is well.
Thankfully, they soon reach shallower waters.
We can all breathe again now.
Speckled Weaver
Red Bishop
Pond Life
Lots of birds – and a few animals – gather down at the lake shore.
Greater and Lesser Flamingo
The lesser flamingo is the more colourful of the two species
Avocet
I had no idea that Avocet use the same principle for fishing as spoonbills – sweeping the bottom of the shallow water from side to side to disturb any living organisms that they can then scoop up and eat.
Greenshank
Kittlitz Plover
Marabou Stork
Common Sandpiper
Giraffe
Giraffe and Wildebeest
In places the earth appears to be dried out, with huge cracks. It is very deceptive, however, as the ground underneath is still very soggy, and as soon as you drive out onto it, the car sinks deep into the mud.
Ndutu Lodge have issued stark warnings to all its drivers and visitors, and will charge 300,000 Tanzanian Shillings to rescue you (ca £100 / US$130).
Oxpeckers
Feasting on a dazzle of zebras (the collective noun for a group of zebras)
Long Crested Eagle
She off hunting for lunch.
Lion
A lazy male lion relaxes in the shade. It's amazing how we've predominantly seen male lions on this trip, no large prides with females and cubs as we have on previous visits.
We let sleeping lions be, and go off to see what else nature has to offer us today.
Tawny Eagle. "You looking at me?"
Wattled Starling
Cheetah
Malisa thinks we should return to see what the cheetah cubs are doing. We find them not far from where they were yesterday, and today they are mostly sleeping in the shade, occasionally turning over.
After a while the other clients get bored, and one by one the cars leave until eventually it is only us and a car with two serious German photographers left. Our patience pays off when the cheetahs get up from their slumber and start to play!
A few more cars arrive in time to see the cubs trying to climb a tree stub, somewhat precariously!
At one stage one of the cubs walks straight towards our car, and I am sure (hoping) she is going to jump on the bonnet of the Landcruiser!
She veers off last minutes and heads for another car, but doesn't climb on board that one either.
After nearly three hours (and 2,500 photos) of watching this gorgeous family, we have to reluctantly leave and make our way back to the lodge in order to get there before dark.
Also watching the cheetahs playing is a Northern Double Collared Sunbird - another lifer!
Storks
Down by Lake Ndutu, Abdim and Marabou Storks are gathering for the night.
Baby Wildebeest
This young guy is wandering all alone, and Malisa surmises that his mama has been killed. He won't last long on his own, unfortunately.
White Bellied Bustard
By the time we get back to Ndutu Lodge, David is up and about, feeling very much better after a long sleep, plenty of water and a shower.
Dinner
Tonight's gastronomic offerings consists of
Chef's Salad
Fennel Soup (which we decline)
Beef Lasagne
Chocolate Brownie with home made Toffee Swirl Brownie Ice Cream
While we are eating, there is a terrific electric storm going on in the distance. I try to capture it on my phone, but it really isn't very successful. By the time we have finished dinner, the storm has passed.
And so we go to bed on the last evening here in Ndutu. As always, our thanks go to Calabash Adventures for such terrific arrangements.
Posted by Grete Howard 16:22 Archived in Tanzania Tagged wildlife africa safari tanzania zebra eagle cheetah lion giraffe flamingo stork vulture avocet birdwatching starling weaver wildebeest ndutu calabash calabash_adventures marabou_stork wildebeest_migration tawny_eagle best_safari_operator plover wattled_starling sandpiper pond_life great_migration wildlife_photography greenshank red_bishop oxpeckers ndutu_lodge african_animals david_unwell giraffe_skeleton Comments (2)