Our guide Wolfgang said today should be quite a long one. We headed out early from the Ngorongoro O'Ideani Mountain Lodge. Along the way we stopped just off the main road so we could peer under a road culvert. As Wolfgang suspected, the shaded culvert was cluttered with a pile lion cubs, mostly snoozing.
Six mostly snoozing cubs
Awww... look at the cute murder kittens....
Today's objective is to view the earth's largest group of migrating animals. Each November/December the migration starts off in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The migration moves west, then north, headed for Kenya's Mara River. The Migrating animals are mainly Wildebeests and Zebras. Here is a 2.33min video, featuring Wolfgang filling us in about migration basics.
On the road again, we passed through one of the entryways of Serengeti National Park.
In the following photo I appear to have just been released from captivity, but there you go.
We were headed for the Ngorongoro Crater. Along the way, Wolfgang pointed out a local village. Each group of houses were inside fencing together, as were areas for housing livestock. The fenced areas are called Bomas. Imagine having your own compound (think Kennedys) and it involving no mortgage payments because the land has been in your family for eons. Cool, eh?
Arriving at the Ngorongoro Crater all were able to stand at the edge of the cobblestoned roadway and look down into the enormous Ngorongoro Crater.
While our guide went to the Ngorongoro HQ to sort out paperwork for our entry, all were able to get out, stretch the legs and explore a bit.
Crater-top view of the Ngorongoro
Looking up from the bottom of the Ngorongoro
The Ngorongoro is a World Heritage Site. This is not the first UNESCO site I've ever visited, as they are found world wide. I kind of wished they had stamp-able passport books in the manner of the U.S.'s National Park passbook because I'd have quite the stamp collection by now.
The Crater is chock full of wildlife of all sorts.
Least and Greater Flamingos
Red-billed Ducks napping in the foreground
Hyena, hoofing it through the muck
Cape Buffalo with its companion Red-billed Oxpeckers
Double-banded Courser
Early on it proved to be a very 'birdy' day. Honestly, other than the birds pointed out by Wolfgang, I wasn't able to ID most of the feathered beings until late in the day with my internet ID guides.
Sacred Ibis (L) and African Spoonbill (R)
Kori Bustard
Black Rhino and Impala
It was lunch time and Wolfgang drove us the short distance to Magadi Lake. There were all sorts of birds everywhere I looked. Marabou Storks floated by overhead for their size they obviously break the universal laws because nothing that frickin' huge should be able to achiever flight.
One of the storks tried to invite itself to lunch with an amiable tourist.
Male Ostrich
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A Black Kite kept flying low over the picnicking humans
Folk had to guard their lunch
Greedy birds. And one weaver bird tried to hitch a ride, hoping to wind up at the local KFC (Kenyan Fried Chicken), hopefully as a guest and not an entree.
Hitchhiking Baglafecht Weaver Bird
There were plenty of other birds for me to stare at while I ate my lunch.
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Great White Pelican
Rufous-tailed Weaver
And sitting lakeside a Little Bee-eater
But wait! That's not all. Wolfgang drove us up and out of the Ngorongoro Crater.
A last look at the Ngorongoro Crater
Tonight our lodging is at the Ngorongoro O'Ideani Mountain Lodge. Wolfgang assured us the hotel was the finest of all the hotels we will have experienced on this trip. Did I mention back in the States it is Thanksgiving day? Dinner is going to be quite the surprise whatever we are dine on.
Gotta look before you tiptoe through the Serengeti grass
Today was so packed, a 2nd Part was necessary. Part I left off after the so-called 'Bat Adventure', when our driver, Wolfgang, drove the lot of us in search of game. Soon he was conversing excitedly over the communication radio with other safari drivers. With a warning to all to 'hold on' he bulleted the van to an unknown (to its passengers) destination. Off in the distance we could see several safari vans, all facing a massive, bare branched tree. There at a top of a limb Wolfgang pointed out a tree-bound leopard - Wolfgang said the leopard guarded a baboon it had snagged and the leopard hung its meal in a notch in the tree limbs.
The leopard is low in the tree, its tail like a backward J
We were far from the tree so these few shots were lucky ones, the baboon is the fuzzy lump beneath the leopard
What I didn't photograph (damn it!) were the dozen or so grown Baboons, that were spread out, sitting high up in the same tree as their departed companion. It was pretty obvious the baboon baubles in the tree were doomed to sit high up, until the leopard finished its mean and headed off. How long that might take? A hungry leopard might choose a tree top nap following its meal. Poor Baboons!
The next stop was near a 2 story high kopje, on top of which slept Elsa the Lioness. OK, this wasn't really Elsa of Born Free fame, but that's whom she strongly reminded me of. So beautiful!
Opening chords of 'Born Free' are playing in your head....
The music swells as you get your 1st view of slumbering Elsa
Elsa wakes and growls, "Who the EFF ruined my nap?"
Oh yeah, she does not appreciate being woken so let's tip toe away and head for the next stop...
plenty of other lions around
...which includes his young lordship here....
There was a grown family grouping of Cheetahs - my fav!
Loads of roaming elephants
That look of ease on this pachyderm's face, is knowing that poachers may be shot on sight
Browsing buddies - elephants and Impala
Black-faced Vervet Monkey, her baby slung under her belly
Birds! Did I mention there were loads of birds I photographed on the wing?
Secretary bird, that seems to have several pencils stuck behind its ears...
Secretary Bird, best known for its snake catching and eating
Lappet-faced Vulture
When ever I had a chance to view the sky, there were sometimes HUMONGOUS scavenger type birdies flying around up there.
White-backed Vulture
Saddle-billed Storks
Blacksmith Lapwing
We were well ready for dinner and a good night's sleep. Wolfgang told us tomorrow night's stay was the fanciest hotel we would experience on this trip, and of course, for the Americans among us (speaking!), tomorrow is Thanksgiving so there's that to look forward to. Meanwhile, back at Embalakai Authentic Camps, the wonderful staff were determined to give us a dinner that would stick to our ribs, then sing and dance to sprinkle our heart with joy. Short 3 minute video on some of day's wildlife events below.