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We set off after lunch to see what nature has to offer us here in Ndutu, and hopefully find a wildebeest herd where we can witness a birth.

African Hoopoe

Juvenile Red Billed Buffalo Weaver

Lion

Under a tree we see a magnificent male lion. Initially just resting, he soon sits up surveying the tourists arriving.

Big yawn. And other funny facial expressions.

He licks his chops and walks straight towards us.

Too close for comfort, or at least for photography!

It's only when we drive away that we realise that Dickson (our driver during our first three safaris in Tanzania) and his clients are right behind us.

Two Banded Courser

Eurasian Avocet

"What are you looking at?"

Blacksmith Plover

Wildebeest Migration

Continuing on our way, we drive alongside thousands of wildebeest, running in an (almost) single file.

The line seems to go on forever, then group into a HUGE herd, surrounding us on every side, and they just keep on coming.

More and more and more arrive, a never ending stream of wildebeest join the mêlée, until there is just a sea of horns.

We see very few babies in amongst this crowd though. A few of the females look like they are ready – they are fat, their nipples have developed and they are struggling to walk – but none are just about to drop. Oh well, we'll keep searching.

Zebra

A few zebras have joined the wildebeest, and we see a few babies too. Our hearts stop as we spot what appears to be a dead baby zebra in the grass.

We hold our breath when the mother appears and starts nudging her little foal. Is he alive?

Yes, he is, and he soon runs off with his mother. Phew.

Dung Beetles

So many wildebeest in one place means two things: 1. we are eaten alive by pesky flies, and 2. it is a dung beetle's paradise.

Within a few minutes, large piles of dung are turned into neat little balls and rolled away.

With my love of dung beetles, I am totally in my element here, and before I know it I have taken over a thousand photos of... basically a pile of shit - plus these fascinating insects, of course.

It is now several hours since we last saw any other cars or human activity. This may be the height of the season in Ndutu, but it is still possible to have large areas all to yourself. Most people go back to the lodge for lunch, preferring to stay out of the sun in the midday heat. I can see why, as we are being cooked to perfection even in the shade of the car. I wouldn't want to miss an animal experience though!

Greater Spotted Thick Knee

Light Tawny Eagle

European White Stork

A number of storks return to roost for the night, gliding effortlessly across the savannah.

Not dozens, not hundreds, but thousands! They just keep on coming.

And I just keep on photographing them.

And the wildebeest just keep on walking.

The storks are followed by a large flock of Cattle Egrets.

Even a small chattering of Wattled Starlings join in. (chattering is the collective noun for starlings)

Cheetah

A mum and her two cubs are very active in the late afternoon sun, running around and playing and for the next 30 minutes or so we delight in their antics. The dozen or so photos you will see here, are whittled down from a massive 1200 images – that amounts to around one picture a second!

I have nothing more to say about this encounter, I think the note I made in my journal at the time sums it up!

Much as we'd love to stay and watch these adorable little animals for longer, we really have to go. We are still quite some distance away from the lodge, and have to be back by 19:00.

Sunset

As we approach Lake Ndutu, I gasp. I don't think I have ever seen such a spectacular sunset here in Tanzania before.

I make poor Malisa stop time after time as a new vista comes into view.

Thankfully sunsets are over rather rapidly this close to the Equator, and we can continue on our way back to the lodge as originally planned.

Until we get to the Marsh.

The light is really poor now, too dark for photography, so I don't feel bad that we don't stop long.

We do, however, stop to help out this vehicle which is well and truly bogged down.

Not sure I'd like to be out of the vehicle this close to two lions.

And they're out!

Having to rush along the basic tracks that make up Ndutu's 'road system', we dislodge an enormous amount of dust. It seems almost incongruous that a few days ago there was heavy rain and every track was a mud bath.

Ndutu Lodge

We finally make it back to the lodge by 19:30, and after a quick shower and change we are the last to dinner. Again.

Apple, feta and walnut stack with home made dressing

Somehow I forget to take a photo of the main course, which was lamb tagine with couscous, green beans and courgettes. I do, however, snap a picture of a large moth enjoying what's left on David's plate.

A very tasty Malva Pudding for dessert

The excellent arrangements for this safari was made by Calabash Adventures, the best safari company by far.

Serengeti Visitors Centre

Always busy at lunchtime, we get the last free picnic table in the grounds. The place may be commercialised, but it has a very decent toilet block these days, and there are always lots of birds, rock hyraxes and lizards around to amuse us.

D'Arnaud's Barbet

Grey Headed Social Weaver

Rock Hyrax

Hildebrand Starling

Speckled Fronted Weaver

Mwanza Flat Headed Rock Agama

Once we have finished eating, we move on “to see what else nature has to offer us” - Malisa's favourite saying.

Warthog

He looks like he is smiling

Impala

This poor guy has a bad limp and barely gets out of the way of the passing car.

I fear he will come a cropper sooner rather than later.

Pond Life

We spend a long time watching the comings and goings at a small pond.

Grey Heron

A baby baboon has found a bottle top that someone has dropped. He hope he doesn't choke on it.

Big Bertha* tries to get inside the nostrils of a hippo (*my 600mm lens)

Spur Wing Plover

Marabou Stork

"Look into my eyes..."

Another Grey Heron

Three Banded Plover

A Rueppell's Long Tailed Glossy Starling shows off his beautiful feathers

He later also shows off his singing voice – he's a bit of an extrovert, this one.

Black Crake

Marabou Stork

Nile Crocodile

Blacksmith Plover

Olive Baboons

Nearby a family of baboons eat their way through the vegetation.

We reluctantly tear ourselves away from all the activities that are going on here by the water's edge, and move on to pastures new.

Banded Mongoose

A young giraffe

The sky is dark and foreboding and a sudden gust of wind blows across the savannah. Are we in for a storm?

Dik Dik

I love how names in Swahili are very often repeated, such as Dik Dik. These, the smallest of Tanzania's antelopes, mate for life, and when you see one of them, there is usually another one nearby - here you can see his mate in the bushes behind.

Lion Cub

When a lioness with young goes off hunting, she will leave her cubs behind, with strict instructions to stay where they are (we have seen this in action previously – fascinating!). This little cub obviously did not do as he was told, and wandered off. Now he can't find his siblings, nor his mum.

He walks out onto the road, but is unsure of which way to go.

Maybe she went this way?

Maybe not...

He strikes a lonesome, forlorn figure. We follow him for a while as he makes his way along the road, aimlessly darting into the grass on the left, only to pop over to the right hand side soon after.

Eventually he changes his mind completely, and walks back the way he came, right by our car.

Providing he doesn't deviate too far from where she left him, there is every chance that they will be reunited. When the mum gets back, she will call out for him.

Rain Storm

I was right earlier when I surmised we'd get a bit of a storm – after some huge lightning bolts and deafening thunder, the heavens open.

Followed by a rainbow.

Nile Crocodile

This one is very much bigger than the one we saw earlier.

African Hoopoe

It is still raining, and the poor hoopoe is looking somewhat bedraggled.

Two Banded Courser

Nubian Woodpecker

Giraffe

An old male giraffe is being greatly bothered by the Oxpeckers all up his spine. His tail cannot reach that far so he shakes his neck violently to try and rid himself of the birds.

Unusually, he is feeding on the ground rather than from a tree.

Augur Buzzard spreading his wings to dry after the rain

Fischer's Lovebird

Leopard

Seeing a leopard on safari is always rewarding, as they are the most difficult of the three big cats to spot. Seeing two leopards is lucky! Seeing THREE leopards in the same day is just greedy! (we saw two others earlier in the day at two different sightings)

This guy is posing beautifully for us.

He's a big male, and judging by his restlessness, he's about to jump down from the tree.

He is soon on the move.

Is he going to jump or just rearrange himself in a different branch?

As he disappears the other side of the trunk, I expect he will be gone without a sight now.

There he is! He's coming down!

All around me I can hear the high speed clicking of cameras. Unlike everywhere else we've been at any time in Tanzania, this sighting has attracted a number of serious photographers, including half a dozen other Big Berthas.

Having a high frame rate certainly increases the odds of capturing the animal just at the right time.

Soon all we can see is the top of his tail. I can't believe just how long the grass is!

It looks like he is making his way towards the road.

Could we be lucky?

There he goes, between the cars!

He re-emerges briefly the other side of the road, and disappears into the bush for the night.

We really need to get going anyway, as the day draws to a close.

We make a brief stop at a very exciting lifer - the Green Winged Pytillia

There is not much of a sunset tonight, but Malisa does stop a couple of times for me to photograph some dramatic cloud formations.

Looks like rain in the distance

Sunburn

My lips feel very sore this evening when I get back to the tent. After a couple of incidents over the years, my bottom lip in particular has developed photosensitive dermatitis, and I am quite paranoid that they have become sunburnt. Three years ago an innocent sunburn turned into a secondary infection covering my entire mouth is open sores, something I really don't want a repeat of.

Insect Bites

My arms are itching like mad and I soon discover why – the bites from those horrible little tsetse flies have turned into blisters and angry red patches. I smother them in antihistamine cream and hope they get better overnight.

Dinner

We have company this evening in the restaurant: a Swedish couple and their driver.

After another delicious dinner, starting with green banana soup (which tastes much better than it sounds); we retire to bed to the sounds of a not-so-distant lion.

Main course: tender steak with croquette potatoes, vegetables and a fruity salad

Peach cobbler to finish

Thank you Calabash Adventures for yet another amazing day on safari.

When on safari, we spend all day every day in specially adapted Landcruisers, with a lifting roof and large opening side window for all-round viewing.

We either sit down to view and photograph the animals...

... or stand up for a 360° view of the savannah around us.

We are also lucky to have our amazing guide Malisa with us, who is not just a great friend, but an exceptional spotter and extremely knowledgable about animals and birds, the environment, geology, ecology, history, culture, animal behaviour....

More sleep in the car for me this afternoon, this chest infection sure is taking its toll on me. The boys make sure I am awake for any bird or animal sightings though, such as the wildlife we find when we stop at this small pond.

A very uncooperative crocodile refuses to turn around and face the camera on request. Pfft. Doesn't he know who we are? So, it looks like a bum shot it is then.

The hippo aren't much better – all we can see is the top of their backs. We can certainly smell them though!

Every picnic site should have a giraffe in the distance...

Mawe Meupe, which means “The White Rocks”, is a small hillock dotted with picnic tables and a great place to spot birds.

Lilac Breasted Roller

White Headed Buffalo Weaver

The birds are so used to people and quite unafraid. They come right up to our table hoping for a small offering from our lunch. I hold my hand out with a few crumbs and a starling lands on it and sits there while he is eating. I also get a severe telling off – quite rightly – by Malisa. The birds and animals in the Serengeti are wild and should remain so. They can find their own food and should not be encouraged to rely on humans. I consider myself properly chastised and promise not to do it again. Then feel guilty about it for the rest of the trip.

Ashy Starling

Superb Starling

As “Never pass a toilet without using it” is my travel motto, I make a point of visiting the facilities before we leave. They are nice and clean with a lock on the door, paper and running water. Although the walk is a very short distance, it totally wears me out and I get back to the car completely breathless and coughing wildly. Being ill on holiday sucks!

Our path is blocked by a giraffe as we leave the picnic site to continue our afternoon game viewing.

A group of banded mongoose is called a band of mongoose of course.

The grass here is so long during the rainy season that it manages to almost completely lose the adult warthog. And that is why they run with their tails straight up, so that their babies can see them and follow.

Judging by the number of cars (I counted eleven) parked by the tree, it is obvious that the leopard we saw last night is still there.

And judging by the number of times she tosses and turns in the short time we are here, she obviously still hasn't found a comfortable position in that tree.

A very pale baby giraffe with his mummy - they get darker as they age.

Look at that hairstyle!

And look at that nose! The dik dik has an elongated snout which is very mobile, constantly twitching, with bellows-like muscles through which blood is pumped to help prevent the animal from over-heating. The flow of air and subsequent evaporation cools the blood before it is recirculated to the body. How ingenious!

Dik diks are monogamous, so you will almost always see them in pairs (or three, with their single offspring).

The female is looking for her babies. She walks into the long grass and stops to let out an almighty roar, a sound that carries a long distance, hoping that her offspring will make their way to where she is. There is no sign of any cubs though.

For the first time ever in our thirty years of safaris, I ask to be taken back to the lodge early. Malisa is so sweet, knowing that I would never want to return to base before sunset unless I am really ill, he is obviously concerned about me. He keeps offering me advice and suggestions, plus lots of sympathy. All I want right now is my bed though.

When I get back to the room I watch a couple of buffalo walk past the tent on the slope below, then go to bed. With some serious coughing fits and the lioness still roaring for her cubs, I struggle to stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time. This is going to be a long night.

With thanks to Calabash Adventures for arranging this safari.