On Sunday we returned from a great week's trip to the Tanzanian coast. It was our first time back in the country for seven years and I was hoping to pick up some new specialist coastal species- particularly passage waders.
We landed in Dar es Salaam, where our first three bird species were all introduced- house sparrow, feral pigeon and Indian house crow. At the domestic airport, we found our first native species- 8 or so common kestrels and a yellow-billed kite glided overhead and there were three black-headed herons on the airstrip, as well as two pied crows that flew overhead. After a short flight, we landed on Mafia Island, and at the airstrip there was our first lilac-breasted roller of the trip.
As we drove to Seapoint to catch the boat to Chole Island, I saw my first new species of the trip- one I have wanted to see for a long time- the
broad-billed roller which was perched on a roadside electricity pylon. Very excitingly, a pair of
palm-nut vultures flew over as we boarded our boat. As soon as we arrived on Chole, I had a look for some of the species present on the island. There were dozens of weavers- African golden and black-headed, as well as several spotted flycatchers (it's always nice to see this species, even if they are very common at Hilfield!), lots of collared sunbirds and some black-bellied starlings. I then took out my telescope in an attempt to pick up some wading species on the opposite side of Chole Bay. As soon as did this, a diederik cuckoo landed very close to me, and both red-eyed doves and a mangrove kingfisher appeared. On the sandbank were hundreds of birds, but unfortunately the only species I could identify from such a distance were
dimorphic egrets and whimbrels. After lunch, I decided to have a more comprehensive search and was rewarded with several bronze mannikins, a Zanzibar sombre greenbul (a new race of the species for me), an amethyst sunbird and an emerald-spotted wood-dove. Best of all though was an
osprey that flew low overhead and that I later found perched on the beach, along with a common sandpiper. A greater crested tern also flew past.
We then went on a sunset boat cruise, on which new birds for the day were a wire-tailed swallow, a green-backed heron and two pied kingfishers. The highlight, however was a magnificent group of
crab-plovers that gave great views as they flew very close to the boat. I added one more species to the tally in near-darkness with a common ringed plover on the beach when we returned.
We got up very early the next morning in search of whale sharks. Unfortunately the sea was very rough, but we did see two
whale sharks quite well- we were unable to get in the water with them though. Their incredible size made a breathtaking sight- certainly one of the most incredible creatures I have been lucky enough to see. I also saw a new bird species for me while we were out to sea- the
Saunder's tern which is virtually identical to the little terns we see in Britain. I also saw lots of greater and lesser crested terns. When we returned to the beach, a greenshank was present alongside several common ringed plovers and whimbrel and as we headed back to Seapoint, I saw a roadside fan-tailed widowbird.
Back at Chole, I continued to find more new species for the trip- laughing dove, black-backed puffback and red-capped robin-chat, as well as my third lifer of the trip- an olive sunbird. I also scoped a very distant African fish eagle, which later flew low overhead.
The next morning, I found yet another new species for me- a
tambourine dove drinking alongside some wood-doves. Back at our rooms (treehouses) I had a great surprise when I found a pair of
water dikkops in the mangroves. Later in the day, we went to see the Comoran fruit bat roost which made a remarkable sight, with hundreds of buzzard-sized bats roosting in one tree. There were also some good birds around, with African palm swifts, southern grey headed sparrows and another lifer in the blue-cheeked bee-eater. We then headed over to a tidal sandbank. I was hoping to find some new wader species, but the only birds present were a pair of grey plovers. A little later, a trio of curlew sandpipers and a long-tailed cormorant flew past.
The next day I continued to search for more additions to the trip tally. I added African paradise flycatcher, green-backed camaroptera and another new species for me- purple-banded sunbird. We then found several African green pigeons near the bat colony- a species which I always enjoy seeing. The birding highlight of the trip came later in the day when we went on walk around the entire perimeter of the island. On the muddy shore were dozens of whimbrels, greenshanks, grey plovers and common sandpipers, as well as dimorphic egrets, green-backed and grey herons. My favourite bird of the trip (or birding moment of the trip) were three wholly unexpected
black-crowned night-herons feeding on a sandbank with dozens of the more common egret and heron species. It was the first time I had seen this magnificent species since seeing dozens of them in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, seven years ago.
We headed to Ras Kutani, a little further north up the coast the next day. But before we left, I scoped a very distant pair of
black herons feeding in the characteristic 'umbrella' manner on the other side of the bay, as well as a distant curlew, standing next to some much smaller whimbrels. At Ras Kutani, my first trip addition were several lesser striped swallows feeding above the lagoon, shortly followed by some stunning white-fronted bee-eaters. There were several
Sykes's monkeys around the camp- two of which were sitting on our balcony! On the beach at Ras Kutani were a great number of shorebirds- dozens of sanderlings, several grey and common ringed plovers, three whimbrel, a little stint, a white-fronted plover and a lifer with four
greater sandplovers. We then kayaked up the lagoon, seeing a two fantastic species in hamerkop and giant kingfisher, as well as having incredibly close views of a palm-nut vulture (down to five feet!). The next day, two of the four trip additions were lifers- a
black-winged red bishop in the reeds in front of our room and three
masked boobies feeding offshore- accompanied by a single lesser sandplover along with the same waders as yesterday on the shore and an African hawk-eagle that flew over high. Later in the day, we were treated to the magnificent (but nerve-racking) sight of baby turtles making their seemingly impossible journey to the sea. Our presence put the soaring yellow-billed kites, palm-nut vultures and fish eagles off from grabbing an easy meal.
The next day we walked up into the coastal forest behind the lodge. There was an eery lack of bird song- the only birds we ended up seeing were a group of six black-bellied starlings. That didn't matter too much though, as we were rewarded with the sight of a pair of
colobus monkeys. Their stunningly thick black-and white coat was surprisingly camouflaged in the thick forest.
Later in the day, I scoped a group of red-billed firefinches drinking on the lagoon, and a turnstone that had joined the sanderlings on the beach was an addition for the trip. I then found a female pin-tailed whydah with a flock of bronze mannikins and a female black-winged red bishop. As we ate lunch, seven kites flew over- I knew there was a chance that there were some of the palearctic migrant race among them. I was soon proved correct, as one kite landed on the beach- easily identified as a
black kite due to the black tip on its bill. As the day came to an end, my hope of 80 species for the trip looked a long way off, but a resplendantly brightly-coloured malachite kingfisher landed right in front of our room and several barn swallows had joined the wire-tailed and lesser striped feeding above the lagoon. Finding two more new species seemed an impossibility as darkness rapidly approached, but several common swifts appeared over the lagoon to take the tally to 79, before I reached 80 when a gabar goshawk was flushed by some ring-necked doves in the forest on the other side of the lagoon, which was a great end of a superb trip.
When I returned, I saw that a pied-billed grebe had been at Ham Wall in Somerset since the day we left. I can't get up there until Saturday, so I hope it's still there!
Sasnderlings, Ras Kutani
Greater Sand-plover, Ras Kutani
Comoran Fruit Bait, Chole Island
Spotted Flycatcher, Chole Island
Hermit Crab- there were hundreds (literally!) of these around at night on Chole
Red-capped Robin-Chat, Chole Island
Nile Monitor, Chole Island
Sanderlings and a single Greater Sand-plover and Grey Plover, Ras Kutani
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
