Tanzania Wildlife List

Meryl and I are still working on our blog entry about the safari we took in Tanzania. In the meantime, I am posting a list of the wildlife we saw. Many thanks are due to my father, Evans, for this list, which he compiled during the trip. You can see a terrific collection of his and my mother's photos of the safari on his photo website.


29 Jun. Ngorongoro Crater.

Animals seen:
1. Ngorongoro Crater. Buffalo, warthogs, 3 cheetahs, two of
which were stalking gazelles the second time we visited them. (The
gazelles fled when the secondary cheetah moved incautiously.)
Robert's gazelle males moving towards a lone cheetah in a
confrontational stance, black-backed jackals, zebra, distant rhino,
hippos at lunch lake; also elephant entering grandly into the parking
area; other elephants. Male lion near road with large pride nearby.
Hartebeest, distant eland, hyena with cubs.
Birds seen:
1. On rim: Hildebrandt's Franklin.
2. Ngorongoro Crater. M&F Kori bustards, cranes, ostrich,
rufous-naped lark singing, sacred ibis, grey-headed heron eating
mouse, Female masked weaver, rufous-tailed weaver, saddle-bill stork,
yellow-bill stork eating fish., crowned plover, augur buzzard.

28 Jun.
Animals seen:
1. Serengeti, near Serena Lodge. Vultures diving in on the
carcass of a young wildebeest. Brief glimpses of some of the usual
animals, including impala, giraffe, warthog.
Birds seen:
1. Ngorongoro, at Sopa Lodge. Common stone chat, speckled
pigeon, red-rumped swallow, douible-collared sumbird, commmon
stonechat, Baglafecht weaver.

27 Jun. Western corridor.
Miscellany: Banded ironstone (precambrian), picnic on blanket in open
grassland, footbridge across crocodile-infested Grumeti River
Animals seen:
1. Serengeti, at Serena Lodge. Buffalo drinking from hotel pond.
2. Serengeti, western corridor. Large migrating herds of
wildebeest (= gnu), baboons, zebra, impala, giraffes (including one
group with a tiny 2-3 month old), many crocodiles at three places on
the Grumeti, hippos, puff adder in road. A remarkably close family
of lions in a bush, including two adult males, some females and young.
Birds seen:
1. Serengeti, at Serena Lodge. Blue-naped mouse bird,
red-headed weaver on plate, Hildebrandt's starling.
2. Sereng

26 Jun. Left for Serena Lodge.
Animals seen:
1. Serengeti, near Serenera: Hippo at night; warthog; leopard
in tree, crocodiles; huge herd Thompson gazelle; tsetse flies;
waterbuck; distant lion behind gazelles; distant buff, elephant, small
baby gazelle disappearing into grass; 3 lions in trees (close).
2. Serengeti, near Serena Lodge. From veranda: dikdik, baboon.
On drive: baby elephants, giraffe; hippo pool, black-tailed
mongoose.
Birds seen:
1. Serengeti, near Serenera: secretary bird, circle of
lappet-faced and white-backed vultures on carcass; greater flamingoes,
white-headed buffalo weaver; speckle-fronted weaver; hamerkop
2. Serengeti, near Serena Lodge. From veranda: blue-naped
mouse bird; red-cheeked cordon bleu; Rüppel's starling; good view
yellow-billed stork; rufous-tailed weaver


25 Jun. Morning wildlife search near Serenera Lodge, saw Constance
off, drove near Serenera.
Animals seen:
1. Serengeti, near Serenera: Topi, impala, migrating herd of
wildebeest, elephant, giraffe, lion cubs in grass, baboons, lions
killing wildebeest, hippos with oxpeckers on backs, smallish
crocodile, leopard, zebra, lion in tree.
Birds seen:
1. Serengeti, near Serenera: White-backed vulture, lappet-faced
vulture, marabout stork, Rüppel's vulture, hooded vulture, grey heron,
grey-crowned crane, lilac-breasted roller, crowned plover (good view),
wattled startling on zebra.



24 Jun. Morning wildlife search near Ndutu (lion), on to Serengeti,
entering by Naabi Hill.
Animals seen:
1. Near Ndutu: Steinbock, black-backed jackal, male lion,
dikdik, steinbock, Grant's gazelle, Thompson's gazelle, ostrich, sand
grouse.
2. Near Naabi hill: Agama lizard (f)
3. Serengeti, near Simba Kopjes: Lions with kill, gazelles,
ostrich, impala, 3 male cheetahs
4. Serengeti, near Serenera: Leopard in tree, topi, impala,
zebra, lions on rock, wildebeest, smallish crocodile, elephant,
giraffe, lion cubs in grass, baboons
Birds seen:
1. Near Ndutu: Fischer's lovebird, sleeping pelicans, greater
flamingoes, black-headed herons, hottentot teal, blacksmith plover,
Egyptian goose chicks, immature tawny eagle, scarlet-chested sunbird,
2. Near Naabi hill: Red-billed buffalo weaver.
3. Serengeti, near Simba Kopjes: Kori bustard,
4. Serengeti, near Serenera: Marabout stork in tree, fish eagle,
black crake, speckled mouse bird, grey heron.



23 Jun. Safari, to Ngorongoro in rain, Olduvai Gorge, more properly
Oldupai; on to late arrival at Ndutu Lodge. Geology & land:
Ngorongoro rim and crater. Oldupai with 5 layers, 1.5 m old tools
acc. guide Joseph.
Animals seen:
1. In Tanganire: hyrax, 2 lions, cape buffalo, gazelle,
warthog, giraffe, baboon troop, Coke's hartebeest
2. Ngorongoro rim: blue monkey. Crater: wildebeest, hyena,
golden jackal, lions, buffalo, Grant's gazelle, zebra, Thompson's
gazelle, warthog, black-backed jackal, distant rhinoceros, hippos,
african hare, elephant, giraffe, M&F waterbuck; vervets at bathrooms;
baboons.
3. In Oldupai, dikdik, black-backed jackal.
4. At Ndutu: Genet
Birds seen:
1. In Tanganire: go-away bird; ring-necked dove; common ostrich,
Somali ostrich; white-billed vulture, yellow-billed storks overhead;
marabout stork, spotted morning thrush.
2. Ngorongoro crater: sacred ibis, 2 types flamingoes, Egyptian
goose; black-winged stilt; blacksmith plover; grey-crowned crane,
flock of red-billed quelea; Kori bustard, augur buzzard.

22 Jun. Began safari, stopped at shop in Arusha, then to Tanganire,
stayed at Sopa Lodge. Geology & land: steps of rift valley;
landscape of regular burning, Various acacias, baobabs, doam palm.
Animals seen:
1. Before park, first giraffes; camels, zebu cattle, goats.
2. In park: zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, dikdik, warthog,
small squirrel, vervet monkeys.
Birds seen: Harrier hawk, raven in Arusha; In Tanganire, red billed
hornbill; white headed buffalo weaver; wattled starling on zebra;
tawny eagle, helmeted guineafowl; speckled sand grouse; blacksmith
plover, long-crested eagle; yellow-collared lovebird; red-billed
oxpecker on zebra; lilac-breasted roller; martial eagle, superb
starling, ashy starling; white headed buffalo weaver; yellow-billed
storks (= wood ibis) in baobab; grey hornbill; yellow-necked spurfowl;
crowned hornbill; white bellied go-away bird; stilt, coucal, bateleur
eagle, magpie shrike; von der Decken's hornbill; red-winged starling;
pied wagtail;