Northern Tanzania

There was an 8.30am breakfast scheduled, but some folks were more tired than others and arrived a little later, enjoying a cooked breakfast out in the open beneath still quite cloudy skies. I was up earlier looking at the birds in the grounds, finding some of the special species such as a pair of African Black Ducks and Giant Kingfishers. The morning was spent relaxing and recovering from the long journey from the USA to Tanzania. The extensive and attractive gardens and grounds of Ngare Sero provided lots to do including taking short walks and a run around the lake, swinging on swings, petting the cats and closely watching a lovely group of Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys with their young.

There was a substantial lunch at about 1pm, where Anthony Raphael, friend and the owner of our ground agent Tanzania Birding joined us. It was a pleasure to meet again his daughter Rhenny Stella who was home from her first year at University in Switzerland. There was more down time for swimming for some, snoozing for others or just chilling until supper at 8pm.

After a 7.30am breakfast we were all packed and headed out in our two Toyota Landcruisers by 9am. The journey westwards to Tarangire National Park took up much of the morning, along paved roads, arriving at a very busy entrance to the National Park by about midday. While Roger and Moses did the paperwork to get us into the Park we had a quick look at some birds – brightly coloured Blue-capped and Red-cheeked Cordonbleus and Red-billed Firefinches were at a life-bathing pool a valuable commodity at this very dry and dusty time of year. White-browed Sparrow-Weavers, Magpie Shrikes and White-crowned Shrikes plus gaudy White-headed Buffalo-Weavers were all noted.

From there we continued to the nearby Tarangire Safari Lodge for lunch. The lodge was our first introduction to the wilds of Tarangire, overlooking the Tarangire River below, complete with distant Elephants. After a welcome break and a good lunch, we took a short wander in the lodge grounds where my contact Jacob staked out a couple of lovely roosting African Scops Owls for us and we saw first endemic Ashy Starlings, more brightly coloured Superb Starlings and Yellow-collared Lovebirds.

We then returned to our vehicles to continue on with a game drive this afternoon taking us further into the National Park and on to our overnight stay at Tarangire Sopa Lodge by 5pm. Along the way, apart from some brightly coloured birds such as Saddle-billed Storks, Bateleur Eagles, Helmeted Guineafowl and Lilac-breasted Rollers we spent a good bit of time enjoying ever-increasing and closer views of our first encounters with this National Park's star attraction – African Elephants – of which there were many! Small herds of Zebra mixed with Wildebeest, and our first few Giraffes were welcome additions and added to the initial excitement.

The evening meal at the Tarangire Sopa Lodge was livened up by the customary wonderful singing from the staff choir – they probably perform something every night but still seem to spontaneously enjoy doing it. Once that had finished, they surprised me with a further song and dance to our table to present me with a "Welcome Back" cake – a "thank-you" for returning again and again over some years – all very kind if a little embarrassing!