Page 13 - Kyalami Issue 3 2025

Kyalami Estates Corporate Brand Bible Design 26
3.0 Folder (Inner)
TRAVEL

Lions relaxing
in a tree

ur group of seven arrived at Black-faced Sandgrouse, both Red-necked
Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania and Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Ashy Starling,
after flying via Kigali in Rwanda, Northern Black Flycatcher and Northern
Oand were then driven to our Red-billed hornbill, to name just some of the
overnight stop at Ilboru Safari Lodge in the many birds that Lance identified for us (over
bustling town of Arusha. There we met our 300 in total).
travelling companions, two from Arizona in Dik Dik
the USA, three ex South Africans living in the A fine sighting at Tarangire was that of a
Isle of Man, and the remaining fifteen of us pride of lions quietly resting in a tree. As the
residing in South Africa. Toyota had a lift-up roof, all six of us were
able to stand up in the vehicle and take
The next morning we set off for Tarangire photos from very close range. In some areas
TEXT AND PHO T O S B Y ANTHONY CAVANA GH National Park in three Toyota safari vehicles of the reserve, tsetse flies were problematic
with a fourth back up vehicle carrying all our so as soon as we encountered these pests,
luggage. Mist covered much of the 4500m the roof was very quickly closed. Other East
high Mount Meru, the dormant volcano African birds seen around the reserve in-
that dominates Arusha, the largest town in cluded Long-tailed Fiscal, Von der Decken’s
north-eastern Tanzania. The six of us in our Hornbill, African Golden Oriole and Red-bel-
vehicle - Lance, Christine, Isabel, Terri, Sue lied Parrot.
and myself - are all keen birders and we
relished the opportunity to see many of the On our last morning in Tarangire, as we
East African specials. The brightly coloured headed north towards our next destination Coke's Hartebeest
Superb Starling was a common sighting along of Lake Manyara, we had good sightings of
the 150km route to Tarangire. Grey Kestrel, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Gorgeous
Sunbird, Masai giraffe, Topi, Thomson’s
The very comfortable thatched roofed tented gazelle and over a dozen unfortunate ostrich
chalets at Tarangire overlooked the Tarangire that had scores of ticks on their necks just
River and while birding around the camp we below their beaks.
noted Speckle-fronted Weaver, Pale Flycatch-
er, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Silverbird, Swahili Lake Manyara National Park is situated
Sparrow, White-headed Buffalo Weaver and on the edge of the Great Rift Valley and
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. The shy Kirk’s is shallow, supporting large numbers of
Dik-Dik was often seen foraging around the wetland birds - in particular thousands of
chalets. Lesser and Greater Flamingo. Dense tropical
forests grow on the rift valley wall and here
On game drives around Tarangire reserve, we saw a troop of Blue monkey, African
we often asked our driver Robert to stop Grey and Nubian Woodpeckers, Hildeb-
while we photographed White-rumped Shrike, rand’s Starling, Spotted Morning Thrush, Golden Jackal

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