The last full day of an exhilarating trip and we were leaving early again but this time travelling back to Arusha and onward to home.

On the way, we went to Lake Ndutu with loads of Greater Flamingos feeding although none close.

We than stopped at the tree we found yesterday where the Fischer's Lovebirds were making a nest.

and after a time with them, continued the journey, stopping off on the way for a Ruppell's Vulture drying out in the sunshine

and dark phase Augur Buzzard.

The aim was to drive cross the Ndutu plains to find Cheetah, the one major species that had eluded us except for a distant shot as we approached the Serengeti. Sadly, it was not to be with the bus getting stuck twice due to the soddened ground from the unusually heavy rainfall. Missing Cheetahs was the one major disappointment of the whole trip.

So we arrived at the hotel in Arusha for one more night, and a last dinner with my co-travellers.

In the morning after breakfast and while final packing, I noticed movement in the tree outside the window. A troupe of Vervet Monkeys were feeding on the fruit so out came the camera again.

and except for a few phone shots of Kilimanjaro on the way, it was time to go to the airport for the overnight flight home.

So what was the final result of the trip.

23000 or so photos of which over 1200 were keepers.

118 photographable bird species.

31 photographable mammal species.

My travelling companions were a delight and the guides excellent so a really great trip for me.

It has been a few weeks since I last reported on my April trip to Tanzania - yes it has taken a while to edit the photos from the thirteenth day but it has brought back great memories for me so still enjoyable.

The heavy rain persisted during most of the night so everything was rather bedraggled including this Northern White-crowned Shrike that was sitting forlornly on the fence next to the bus as we boarded at 06:20.

A Pied Cuckoo was drying out in a trackside tree

and a Dark Chanting Goshawk looked rather better.

as did a Long-crested Eagle.

We should have been driving to the high plains for Cheetah but it proved to be too wet, with the bus getting stuck in the mud a couple of times so our guide decided that we had better stick to the low ground and the stream that feeds Lake Ndutu.

Several sightings of Lion with this impressive male

and a party of two Lionesses with cubs of varying ages. They occupied considerable time - well who can resist them.

Next a small herd of Giraffe

and Impala with a couple of jousting males.

Eland are impressive animals in the flesh

and then a family of Elephant arrived.

with a delightful young calf struggling to get up the river bank which it eventually managed without help.

A Black-shouldered Kite watched us from a bush before flying.

Secretarybirds have proved to be very flighty so far but not this time with one sitting on a treetop showing it's head feather that gave the species the name

before flying down and treating us to a close display.

An unusual spot - a close Scrub Hare that just refused to face us - but those ears!!!

Heading back to the hotel, we were accosted by a loan Wildbeest calf, totally lost and bleating for mum but with no others in sight.

Sadly, unless it found the herd, it would be unlikely to survive the night.

We found a pair of Fischer's Lovebirds making a nest in an old tree

with one showing well for the camera

but now the rain set in again, the light swiftly disappearing so we made our way back to the hotel, again being held up by more migrating Wildbeest.

This was our last full day in Ndutu, a stay that was hampered by the heavy rainfall and leaving me with a wish to return in better weather, however unlikely that may be.

 

 

Last Tuesday, and despite my worn out knee complaining, I decided to get some fresh air and go to Grafham Water. Weather cloudy during the morning - anything of interest on the dam was pretty non-existent - not a good start but in the birding world, persistence is the by-word these days. Even a couple of Redshank were too flighty to get close enough for a shot.

So over to the harbour - a few gulls and loads of Coot and that was it so over to the hide to rest my knee and lunch. Anything of interest was rather distant but a pair of Goldeneye put on a mating display

with the male coming within reasonable range eventually.

Just after lunch, the sun remembered to obey the BBC weather forecast and made an appearance but still no birds of interest. So I decided to revisit the dam where things had improved. A Teal showed it's colours in the afternoon light,

a Meadow Pipit was feeding along the tideline

and a Pied Wagtail was catching flies on the dam wall.

The very flighty Redshank seemed to have calmed down allowing a close approach.

but, with nothing of real interest, I made my way home, calling in at Fen Drayton Lakes on the way.

A Kestrel was keeping a watch on the trackside in the late afternoon sun searching for supper

and then, for me, the shot of the day with a male Stonechat.

So nothing a real importance but that is the way of things at present. Trying to make the best of what is on offer.

 

 

 

Places to visit are rather restricted when you are unable to walk any distance but, with a friend, we decided to go to the north Norfolk coast. A decent day's photography can be had from the car so we started out at Sculthorpe Moor to see if we could get better photos of the Great Spotted Woodpeckers using pre-capture on the Canon R5 mk2. My friend has the same camera.

We had a brief visit from the Woodpecker but I did not get anything better that the previous visit so nothing to show in this blog. I made a mistake that I will endeavour not to repeat. I left pre-capture on and ended up with loads of photos that I did not want. The only photo worth keeping was of a solitary Wren as it fed around the hide.

We then moved on to the harbour at Brancaster Staithe. Weather great - blue skies for a change and low but rising tide. A Little Egret was fishing

as was a Curlew that flew over to our side of the water.

The Common Gull that was around the last time I visited was still there, bathing and flying.

Next, we decided to pay Titchwell RSPB a visit but only succeeded in using the loos and then moved on as we were informed that the water level in front of Island Hide was still very high so no birds to photograph. Only during one visit recently has there been any mud in front of this hide and there were plenty of birds. Can they get the water levels correct here because I am not the only one that has stopped visiting because of this.

So we moved on to Thornham harbour with the rising tide. The usual Curlews were around.

Curlews are a threatened species but there are always a few here. Another Common Gull posed nicely.

and a Grey Plover played ball for a change.

Finally, a Black-tailed Godwit appeared on the far side of the harbour race, ignoring us as it went about feeding.

And then the light dropped so time to head for home. Another day of trying to improve my catalogue with nothing new, or even scarce to whet the appetite.

Definitley not an auspicious day as far as photography was concerned.  A friend and I met up for the first time for a while and decided to begin the day at Dernford Reservoir, just south of Cambridge. It has been a couple of months or so at least since I last visited - what a disappointment!!!! Willows and scrub has been allowed (or possibly encouraged), to grow up by the water line so it was very difficult to see anything close enough for a photo. We did not stay long.

I am not able to walk any distance at present. I have a replacement knee operation booked for the new year so I am rather restricted and that reduced the options as to where to go then. So we decided to go to Welney WWT - should be some birds around and not too far to walk.

With a North-West wind , the birds were landing away from the observatory hides but gave the opportunity to take flight shots with the new gear. Pochard

Mallard

and female Wigeon.

Ok, so common species but you take what you can get.

Something different, a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull flew past

and the usual Whooper Swans put on a flying display..

We were both totally caught by surprise when a male Hen Harrier flew past, just giving the opportunity for a rear end shot - not my best but notable for me as it has been several years since my last photo of the species.

After that, we moved to the cafe for a coffee and cake, ending up on the balcony overlooking Ladyfen with nothing of note. Even the Sparrows on the feeders were in short supply until a Chinese Water Deer appeared, slowly making it's way towards us. As it was distant, I added the 1.4 Teleconverter to the 200-800 lens but now wish I hadn't as I am not impressed with the resulting quality.

Anyway, it was something different to end a disappointing day.