Since Laura’s last Newsletter at the end of May, both Laura and Colin and I – through circumstances – have been away a lot. Consequently, we did not manage to follow up the day to day happenings around the Ndutu area as well; this edition is a bit shorter than usual and I realise long overdue, updating the latest news!
As we moved further into the Dry Season months, the usual pressure on the habitat by the Maasai and their cattle increased. Strangely, the only species that does not seem to become too much affected by this are the hippos at Lake Masek.
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Picture by Aadje Geertsema |
They need grazing and with the cattle pressures one would think it is really difficult for them to survive the Dry season in such big numbers! It is not easy to establish a sensible balance for both the wildlife and the Maasai’s need to graze their cattle within the Ndutu area. This is especially noticeable in the change in movements of the resident animals, and always seems to affect our two resident prides of lions in particular.
Eventually the grazing pressures increase, and the two parties clash with lions occasionally killing sheep, goat and donkeys. I suppose these incidents have taken place over many years in the past, and I am always much relieved for all parties when the first rains arrive, the grazing improves and eventually the Maasai can leave for better lush green grounds towards the North-Eastern plains and highland slopes of Ngorongoro.
The Serengeti Lion Project has recently also put out a leaflet with info on the Serengeti lions, similar to the Cheetah ID flyer, and these both involve tourists to supply data and photos. Our Driver-guides Hamisi and Marando know the local cat populations very well and tell me that the Masek pride now consists of 4 adult females and 2 female young.
The other day a male lion died or was killed near Lake Masek. Our driver Abdallah on his way to Karatu very early in the morning, found the kill and called on the radio. By the time I managed to get there more than 20 hyenas were on the kill and I could only photograph two legs and was too late to establish the cause. That means that the Masek pride is now reduced to 6 animals.
The Marsh Pride still has 24 individuals, 5 adult females and one male with 18 young ones of various ages thrown in! Hopefully with this year’s nice early rains, and the ‘lean’ months now past, with the cattle moving out of the area, both prides will be able to settle back to their routines, we will certainly try and keep track of them all!
Guests have been very enthusiastic about some leopard sightings, one caught particular attention as a leopard was seen hauling a serval cat that it had killed up in a tree! On another occasion a leopard was seen to kill an adult cheetah, this reported by one of the Tour drivers. It is of course well known that cats kill cats but still it is always disturbing to witness..
After continued visits of the two Von der Decken’s Hornbills these past two years to my veranda and particularly to my window, we now have another fierce contester of his own kind. For two weeks now, a Yellow-breasted Apalis does many noisy daily attacks on his mirrored counterpart! Several exhausting hours each day are spent on direct confrontations, often keeping us from an afternoon nap!
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Pictures by Aadje Geertsema |
Actually, over time, the Lodge has provided many inventive nest sites and birds definitively top the list where originality is concerned.
A past master at this trade is the wagtail, and on many occasions we have had to make arrangements with a fake nest. Several years running the wagtails decided to nest inside a spare tyre lying on one of our oldest parked land rover’s roof rack. Not to mention the sparrows using the turbo exhausts of our two Army trucks, or the Leopard tortoise carapace shell sitting on the garage gatepost….
Left-over hose-pipes in the garage will also do, and what to say of the one sparrow couple that nested in the exhaust of one of our land rovers? Tapping the pipe every morning before the car was started saw two sooty birds shoot out!!
Very ingenuous birds are sparrows!
After the first big storm late September, when the water bucketed down (nearly 49 mm in three hours!), we were treated to ear deafening croaks of toads and frogs in the pool.
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Picture by EM Widmark |
As the night wore on, the concert only reduced marginally, and for over a week we enjoyed this noisy nightly repertoire! The whole area instantly greened and leaf and flower buds sprung up in just a few days.
Right now the “meadow” is looking beautiful and lots of animals are dotted around along the slope… Amidst the grazing animals, one constantly hears the noisy, harsh guttural call of the white-bellied Bustard particularly in the morning and evenings!
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Picture by EM Widmark |
Small herds of Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle are flocking in everywhere, and hopefully the cheetahs will be able to take advantage of this. Of late, there have been few sightings and though we know they are ‘there’ these good early rainstorms will help, as the Dry Season has come to an end.
Within two days after the first rain some flamingos returned to Lake Ndutu and one crispy morning brought a flock of more than 20 Great White Pelicans!
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Picture by EM Widmark |
The same big storm filled up our waterhole in the front of the Lodge. After a long period of “ele-absence”, this has instantaneously welcomed back the elephants! Initially just two bulls came to drink 2-3 times a day, but now we have family groups of more than 30 individuals in our ‘pool’. The youngsters playing and rolling in the water, trumpeting and the entire performance followed by extensive dust bathing in the end! Right now the pool needs more water as only mud is left, drinking is out and bathing is still in!
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Picture by CR Geertsema |
Sadly, with the above scenario, sometimes there is a small bill to pay at the end. With the elephants movements several times a day and night to and from the pool there are broken trees and bushes to account for.
Our last years’ breeding pair of Stone Curlews had recently returned and chosen to make a nest. Like last year, their nest choice was in a rather precarious site this time right next to the road leading into the Lodge (to insiders: just beyond the little Guard house and Sanseviera flower bed on the right driving in). In fact with the bird’s perfect spot pattern, most tourist cars passing by at no more than 5 feet were completely unaware of her sitting there. She eyed each vehicle with trepidation, whilst the male stood immobile, well camouflaged to her side! She sat on two eggs.
A few nights ago, one of the bull elephants wandered in and tackled the Acacia kirkia right next to the entry and left a mess of twisted branches and in the process destroyed the nest and chased the birds away. When drove out early in semi darkness the next morning, I found twisted branches on the road and just ahead two totally distraught Stone Curlews calling and running around! Just one of many smaller and bigger unfortunate accidents that happen in the African bush!
On a happier note, meet Mouse: a delightful entertainer around our Campfire in the evenings! Mouse loves small pieces of popcorn, which are spread around the fire. Often without the guests even noticing, Mouse operates in between the feet of –sometimes- unsuspecting guests…. which in turn, can cause hilarious situations!
Many Homo sapiens really cannot cope with mice and once Mouse has been spotted, many a foot shoots up immediately in the air and remains there, while drinks are quickly finished and a hastening retreat with mumblings like: “we better go in to dinner now “can be overheard!
Contrary to our zillions of busy diurnal Arvicanthis mice, Mouse has not been identified yet (I think it may be a meadow rat (Myomys sp). But as darkness falls, Mouse moves in, scurries around under the tables and safari chairs at the fire, or settles between one’s feet to nibble with great alacrity. We have come to love this little rat with the huge pretty eyes and the long tail. Our Genets in the roof and on the beams of the bar & dining room have always been our reliable evening entertainers. Right now, however, I think Mouse wins and during the past two months, has certainly made every effort to “kept us on our toes”!
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Picture by Aadje Geertsema |
Aadje,
October 2011
