The rains have arrived! The first drops of rain finally fell in the middle of November. We had a total of 89.5mm making it one of the best Novembers in terms of rainfall. The whole area is now rejuvenating. It is truly amazing how quickly the fresh, green shoots appear.
With the arrival of the rain come the vast herds of wildebeest. Over the past week they have been arriving in their masses. Just looking from your verandah, you can see thousands of wildebeest milling around the lakeshore. Just a couple of days ago there was plenty of hustle and bustle as a large herd crossed the lake. The water in the lake has now been replenished and the flamingos once again grace the shores. Our two waterholes at the lodge are almost full, so if you do not feel like going out for a game drive you can sit back, relax and enjoy the wildlife as it comes wandering through the lodge grounds.
The Wildebeest will be passing through this area until May or June, depending on the rainfall. Out on the southern Serengeti plains you can see them just dotted across the vast expanse of land- it’s a magnificent sight. Thousands and thousands of zebra and gazelle accompany the migrating wildebeest. For our resident predators this means the lean time of the year is over.
The resident lion prides are looking healthy and rather fat! Guests have been witnessing plenty of courtship behaviour recently. There are a couple of rather heavily pregnant females who look like they have not too long to go now until they give birth. Sitting around the camp-fire in the evenings, we hear the contact calls of the lions most nights. Just a few nights ago we also heard the rasping sound of a leopard. Leopard, cheetah, serval, wildcat and of course the lions are all being seen on a regular basis. We also have resident caracal but lately they have been proving rather elusive.
For the past couple of weeks we have had an American student here conducting a short study on our genet population. She has been attempting to identify a few of the adult individuals and trying to work out where their favoured sleeping places are during the day. It seems that our potato store is a popular choice! In the evening time if you look up into the rafters in the lounge area you should hopefully see some. For the past 30 years or so they have made themselves at home here. They are a delight to watch as they run up and down the rafters so nimbly.
The birdlife at Ndutu is always spectacular, but this time of year with the arrival of the migratory birds you can not help but get enthused by the sheer variety of them all. The Ndutu area hosts around 350 different species. The waders in particular are now here in their thousands and out on the plains huge flocks of abdims and European storks can be seen. For the past week at Lake Masek there have been hundreds of Marabou Storks congregating together. We are not sure exactly what they are feeding on, but it must be something in an abundant supply for them to be so many.
As always our evening campfire creates many unforgettable memories for our guests. After an exciting day in the bush it’s a wonderful experience to relax by the fire and either exchange stories of the day or just sit back and listen to the sounds of the bush. With their replenished water supply the vast variety of frogs are now in great chorus. Looking up into the western sky early evening you will see Venus shining brightly and then later in the Eastern sky who will notice Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is the brighter of the two planets. If you use your binoculars you should be able to see four of Jupiter’s moons. If you happen to have a good birding scope and tripod you might be lucky enough to see the rings of Saturn. The two brightest stars in the sky are also visible this time of year- Sirius the brightest of them all and Canopus. These can both be seen looking towards the Southeast. On the nights when it has been cloud covered we have then been treated to a magnificent lightening show. Often there is more than one storm out on the horizon so the evening sky is constantly being lit up by those distant and not so distant storms.
Our staff continue to make sure your stay is an enjoyable one. We have an extremely low turn over of staff and there are a few who have been working here for over 30 years. Many are now returning from their leave in preparation for the busy months ahead. We have quite a few staff who are multi-skilled. Right now one of our chefs is re- thatching the lounge area. There is another chef who is also a talented tailor; he is busy making new staff uniforms. He also possesses good plumbing skills! Two of our rooms stewards are dab hands with the paint-brush so are now finishing off re-painting the rooms.
Our busy time starts around the 15th December, by then all the staff will be back at base and in their rightful departments.
All of us, who live here, feel so privileged living right amongst one of the most spectacular wildlife sights in the world. For the next few months the Ndutu area will be teeming with wildlife and there will sure to be many life and death dramas unfolding out on the plains. It really is the best place to be!
The exciting news is that we have had rain!! Green shoots are already appearing and the zebra and gnus are on their way! The triangle is already green and there are quite a few gnus there as well.
Sitting around the lodge camp-fire last night was a delight. A handsome male lion made an appearance just as the sun was setting, and then captivated the guests by calling for his fellow pride members for much of the evening. In the distance we could hear the replies. The beautiful, clear sky overhead made the occasion even more special.
Here at Ndutu, the evening sky is our alternative to the TV screen! This time of year Cassiopeia is easily visible and Pegasus is right overhead. For those who stay up a little later, Orion and Taurus will be rising in the eastern sky. It would be hard not to notice Venus as she shines brightly in the west early on in the evening.
The hares and the dik dik continue to visit the fire most nights. Their quest is to search out any pre-dinner nibble that the guests might have dropped. The hares generally do the early shift and the three dik dik, arrive later on, usually spot on 9pm!
A few nights ago there were 11 genets running up and down the rafters in the bar area. I think that must be a record. They seem to be doing rather well with lots of youngsters now making an appearance for the first time. They are habituated enough to allow for some good photographic opportunities, however we do ask that people refrain from attempting to stroke them. I must say though, their long tails are rather tempting!
We have six species of cat resident here, – Lion, leopard, cheetah, serval, caracal and wild cat. This season with the lack of thick grassy cover, we have had an abundance of leopard sightings. Some lucky guests saw three different leopards on their first three days of staying here. They were lucky enough to see one just casually walking along the gully near the marshes, another was hunting a reed buck and the third was being chased up a tree by a lion!
From this month we are trying to encourage guests to help with assisting the Serengeti Cheetah Project, by sending in photographs of cheetah taken whilst on safari. Photographs can help the project to identify cheetah in this area. Cheetahs can be identified by their unique spot patterns. In return for your help, the researchers will inform you if the cheetah is known to them, along with some of their history. If the cheetah is not known you may be asked to choose a name.
We are still anxiously waiting for the rains to start. It’s been an incredibly dry year, but nevertheless the game viewing has been excellent. The beauty of Ndutu during these dry months is the peace and tranquillity it offers. This makes it an excellent location to explore and enjoy the wildlife without the constant bustle of other tour vehicles. If you want to go further afield, we are ideally situated in easy driving distance of both Seronera and Ngorongoro Crater.
We are also only a short drive away from Oldupai Gorge, where some of the oldest remains of our human ancestors have been discovered. The whole of the Ndutu area is also rich in fossils. It was George Dove, the original owner of Ndutu Safari Lodge who, whilst searching in a nearby valley for building rocks noticed unusually large amounts of fossils. He mentioned this find to his friend Mary Leaky who in turn organised digs to be conducted. Eventually they came across the world famous Laetoli foot prints. A cast of the prints can be seen at the Oldupai Museum.
For those guests who feel the need of some exercise, why not take a walk with one of the rangers and explore the area on foot. It’s great fun looking at the array of tracks along the lake shore and attempting to work out which animal they belong to. If you so wish we can arrange for you to enjoy an open air breakfast over looking Lake Ndutu after your morning stroll. I can’t think of a nicer way to start to the day!
Exciting times are just around the corner.. The clouds are rapidly building, and the temperature is soaring, who knows the first rain could fall today. It’s incredible but we only need three or four good showers until the whole area is transformed into a mass of green which in turn signals the arrival; of the wildebeest, all 1.5 million of them! Along with them, the zebra and a host of other animals, it has to be one of the best wildlife spectacles on earth.
I hope you will be here to enjoy it with us.
Despite there being no rain in either June or July, guests are still being rewarded with wonderful game viewing around Ndutu. As it’s been a drier than normal year the grass cover is much reduced making predators far more visible. Cheetah and lions are being seen most days, lions seem to have taken up climbing trees at the marsh. The marshes of Ndutu have taken centre stage this time of year.
The big marsh is the setting of the sandgrouse morning rush hour- around 7.30am they arrive in their masses. It is a wonderful sight. Elephants are seen daily coming to take a bath and a cool drink. The young calves born around March are all doing well and are often seen in playful mood with their friends.
If you look carefully you could be rewarded with a view of a serval as it stealthfully walks through the grass in search of some unsuspecting rodents.
The lonesome crocodile is growing, and is now being seen on a more regular basis. We are still not sure where he came from.
Back at the lodge, the conversation around the evening camp-fire is often interrupted by a hyena or lion making it’s presence known. The hares and the dik dik are becoming rather bold as they forage closer and closer to your seat in search of peanuts or any other tasty morsel that you may have dropped. The genets that visit the dining room most evenings seem to be increasing in numbers – the nights we serve chicken seems to draw in the biggest crowd! The star studded sky is a delight this time of year, both the plough and the southern cross can be easily seen and the beautiful constellation of Scorpio is now in it’s full glory overhead. We are looking forward to the meteorite showers which often occur during the month of August.
We have a very slow turn-over of staff here at Ndutu. Four members of our team have been here for over thirty years. In fact, Marcelli, a waiter is now in his 36th year. All our staff are dedicated to making your stay as comfortable and welcoming as possible.
Maintenance never stops at Ndutu! This year we are building two more cottages, they will be completed by December. All the rooms on the west side now have re-furbished bathrooms and new soft furnishings. The bar and dining room have also received a face lift.
Despite this time of year being our “low season”, there is always plenty to see and do. You might like to indulge in some exercise, by taking a stroll along the lake. This can be arranged through the NCAA ranger post which is just 1km away from the lodge. Perhaps you just want to relax and enjoy your surroundings.It’s the perfect place for some peace and quiet.
Why not come and see for yourself??
