Entries about tsetse fly bites

Elephants

We finally find the elephants we went out looking for this morning – or rather: they find us, crossing the road all around us.

Giraffe

This giraffe is being pestered by Yellow Billed Oxpeckers, and keeps trying to shake them off.

White Headed Vulture

Black Faced Vervet Monkeys

Egyptian Geese with chicks

A little less flooding

Hopefully this is a sign that the surface water is receding and some sort of normality can be restored on the roads here in the Serengeti. Providing we don't get more rain, of course.

Or maybe not.

Nile Crocodile

On the far bank of a small lake, a huge crocodile exposes his predator teeth. The reason crocodiles lie around with the mouths open, is to catch birds. The food left in the teeth attracts insects, and the insects in turn attract birds: the lazy approach to hunting.

A Cape Hare unintentionally wanders into the proximity of the crocodile, and freezes to the spot when she realises.

Meanwhile, another crocodile is coming our way.

They are such prehistoric looking creatures.

A third croc fancies his chances with a Black Crake.

He is way too slow for the birds (yet too fast for the camera, or rather my reactions)

Black Headed Heron

Black Faced Vervet Monkeys

I am forever fascinated by their blue balls.

She looks almost human here

White Bellied Busard

Lions

We'd heard on the grapevine that there was a lion close to our lodge, and there, in the fading light, just before we turn the corner into the lodge's parking area, is a big cat under a tree.

Here you can see our tent from where the lion is.

You can see where numerous cars have driven around this tree earlier today. Now we have the lioness to ourselves.

She's on the move.

She joins two others under another tree.

We leave them to it and drive the few metres to our camp, feeling a little nervous as we get out of the car.

I don't think tonight is the night to have sundowners around the camp fire outside, sitting between the tent and the lions.

There are three lions under one of those trees in the distance

The grass is so long beside the path to the tents that a lion could easily hide in there for later on when we go to dinner...

Tsetse Fly Bites

I have been itching like mad all afternoon, and when I get undressed for the shower, I find my shoulder and back are covered in bites, some of which have turned into large blisters.

Dinner

Tonight's dinner is pumpkin soup, followed by beef and pork kebabs with ugali (stodgy grits-like local dish), pilau rice, spinach, pilipili (hot sauce) and salad; followed by rhubarb tart.

Yet again I offer my thanks to Calabash Adventures for this fabulous safari.