More Tanzania Birds

This is a hornbill from an evening stroll. Earlier we saw one devouring a giant grasshopper.

This is a red headed weaver building a nest. It was pointed out to us by the security guard when we took a late afternoon stroll, this time staying in the sidewalk. It was very nice of him considering he could have been fired for not catching us leaving into the open wilds the day before! All the staff here is amazing at getting to know us even if they have limited English. He was pointing into the tree and saying it’s coming so we figured it was a bird. And when we say nest, he says home. So from his post he will be able to watch that nest grow even after we leave. He was also showing it to another guard as we made our return stroll home.  So nice to encourage new birders!

And speaking of the security guards; more funny Mike. First day arrival they had set us up for lunch under a tree at the main lodge. Our bags went straight to Hillside. Mike had a dead battery in the camera so he asked to get to the room just quickly. When he came back, he told me, “there is a security guard to keep people from getting to your room.” I said, well, they probably have some celebrities book it that don’t want to be disturbed.

What a couple of idiots we are; I guess it’s been too long since we’ve been in the bush! The guards are to protect us from the wild animals! 

This is a view of our house on the hill taken from the road below that we use to come and go on game drives.

This is Mike being given an inch and taking a mile. Occasionally Silas says it’s okay and safe to step out of the vehicle for a bird photo. He said to Mike you can go as far as that stick but he likes to push the limit in hopes of getting busted by a buffalo I guess.

Oh, speaking of buffalo - no photo - but last evening from the deck I was amused watching three bachelor Cape buffalo wallowing in a mud hole. After that, they meander over to a large shrub and nearly destroy it using it to rub the mud off their backs, and then they just mosey on down the road. The view from up here is really cool! Although they appear small and far away, we can still watch the behavior and we also watch the giraffes make their way across the plain; they look like stick people walking into a strong wind.

But getting up close and personal is the best; and we leave soon in an hour at 6 am to get out there again so that’s all for now.