Fischer’s Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri)

The Fischer’s lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) is a small parrot species of the Agapornis genus. They were originally discovered in the late 19th century, and are named after German explorer Gustav Fischer.

I managed to get up close and personal with some at Ndutu Safari Lodge where they frequent the garden and small pond near the dining room.

IMG_6892 IMG_6896 IMG_6897 IMG_7029 IMG_7037 IMG_7039

Trying to catch one in flight – turned out blurry.

IMG_7038 IMG_7038a

Nesting site just outside the lodge.

IMG_7049 IMG_7050 IMG_7057 IMG_7057aMost of their range is in Tanzania but they do extend into Kenya a bit.  The best place by far to practically guarantee good sightings of Fischer’s Lovebirds is Ndutu Safari Lodge (red dot) in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania.  Some people on Xeno-Canto have reported sightings in Lake Navaisha, Kenya – see below.

FLB rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT FISCHER’S LOVEBIRDS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

African Wildlife Foundation

Xeno-Canto

VIDEOS

This was filmed at Ndutu Safari Lodge, the same place I was.

If you are under 18, stop here.  If you are not, see the following two videos to see how Lovebirds got their name!

These are captive bred birds but LOL at the satisfied reaction of the male!  And his girlfriend just wanted to dig a hole and disappear!

Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Part 2

Continuing on from Part 1, we are starting with an early morning game drive before breakfast.  Some Thompson’s Gazelles were grazing at the pond which straddles the border with Serengeti.

IMG_6986

Flamingoes make a nice reflection.

IMG_6987 IMG_6989 IMG_6992 IMG_6993

Mourning Dove

IMG_6998

Blacksmith Plover

IMG_7001

Grey-breasted Spurfowl

IMG_7002 IMG_7005

Lilac-beasted Roller

IMG_7007 IMG_7008 IMG_7008a IMG_7015

This next batch of photos covers the drive after breakfast as we leave the lodge and start the drive back to Arusha.  Fischer’s Lovebirds were there to say goodbye.

IMG_7017

This mixed herd of Wildebeest and antelopes is just a tiny fraction of what you see during the great migration.

IMG_7060

Ostriches

IMG_7062

Silver-backed Jackal

IMG_7064 IMG_7065

Drongo

IMG_7066

Vultures cleaning up someone’s dinner from last night.

IMG_7067

Camels generally belong to Masai people.

IMG_7068 IMG_7069 IMG_7070

Closer to the gate we start seeing our friends the Little Bee-eaters and Weaverbirds again.

IMG_7072

One last look at the crater

IMG_7073 IMG_7075

And time to say goodbye to the NCA.  But not without drama!  We were 8 minutes overdue for leaving although the clock on the car and both our phones – mine & the drivers said we were 5 minutes early.  They let us go but not without a sound scolding!

Lesson learned – synchronize your watches when you enter and don’t cut it too close!

IMG_7077

Lodge Review: Ndutu Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

The first thing I saw on their home page was a photo of lots of vibrant Fischer’s Lovebirds – and I knew we had to stay there.  Ndutu Safari Lodge didn’t disappoint either in wildlife nor in facilities.  It was awesome!

Prices are very reasonable for this part of Tanzania, I think you save a bit by not actually entering Serengeti NP but by being on the border in the NCA with similar wildlife.  After seeing all the birds in the area, I wish we could have stayed longer than the one night.

IMG_6857

As you enter, you see the reception area and the rear of some rooms as the rooms face a plain where you can watch wildlife.

IMG_6866 IMG_6865 IMG_6867

They have a shop but it was closed by the time we arrived.

IMG_6868

They have an excellent display of informational boards about the wildlife to be found in the lodge surrounds.

IMG_6869 IMG_6870

Nice to see which birds to look for!

IMG_6870a IMG_6871 IMG_6872 IMG_6873

Here is our bungalow with the backpacks sitting outside.  Yes, that really is ALL we traveled for a month in Africa with!

IMG_6874 IMG_6875

This room could hold up to 4 people but it was nice to have extra room to sort our stuff out.

IMG_6876

Coffee & tea is provided but there are better varieties of both in the dining room.

IMG_6877

The bathroom was huge!

IMG_6878

Storage cabinet, thankfully we didn’t need the umbrella.

IMG_6879

This bungalow is actually a duplex and the closest one to the dining room and the pond where the lovebirds come to drink, I had requested this.

IMG_6880

Most people get at least a breakfast and dinner package as there is no where else to eat.  The food was really good.  Don’t forget to try some of the exotic teas!

IMG_6884 IMG_6885 IMG_6886

The garden was gorgeous and apparently this sunbird agrees!  I think it’s a female by the colour.

IMG_6889

Caution not to go beyond a certain point, there are wild animals out there!

IMG_6890

Fischer’s Lovebirds!  They were readily seen around the lodge and not afraid to pose for photos.

IMG_6894 IMG_6897

Scarlet-breasted Sunbird

IMG_6898

Caught in the headlights – now you know what it really looks like!

IMG_6959

The resident Genet.  These guys are not cats as some people call them, you can tell by the face.  This one is a mother and I caught a glimpse of her baby but he wouldn’t come out for a photo.  Genets are very elegant and graceful and it was fun to watch her antics during dinner.  She caught and ate a large moth.

IMG_6972 IMG_6975 IMG_6977

A well-named Beautiful Sunbird

IMG_6979

The best thing to do at Ndutu is to stake out this little pond and see who comes in for a drink.  It’s within sight of the dining room so have a leisurely breakfast and coffee and enjoy the show!

IMG_7018 IMG_7019

Laughing Doves

IMG_7020

Nubian Woodpecker

IMG_7022a

Beautiful Sunbird

IMG_7025 IMG_7026 IMG_7028a

Inquisitive Fischer’s Lovebird

IMG_7029

Bathing beauties!

IMG_7039

Another educational poster at the lodge.

IMG_7044

 

Visiting Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Part 1

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is administered separately from the Tanzanian National Parks with separate fees.  If you are headed to Serengeti, you have to pass through NCA first and pay both sets of fees!  They aren’t cheap either at $50 per foreigner per day.  There is also a fee for the car and driver which are paid at Tanzania rates (unless you come in with a foreign car) and will usually be included with your car hire or safari package.  If you want to go into the crater, it’s another $200 on top!  I had been in the crater back in the 90’s in my backpacking/camping days and I knew the birds would be easily seen up top so we didn’t pay the extra for the crater.  Days are periods of 24 hours so if you enter at 12 noon, you must leave before 12 noon.  Mid-day is the best time to enter as it gives you time to view the crater, have lunch at the picnic area and get to your lodge in time for an afternoon game drive.  Then you have the next morning to do another game drive, have breakfast and get back to the gate before time runs out.

This is where you pay the fees or your driver-guide does it on behalf of all of you.  There’s a small shop, a few displays of animals and clean toilets.

IMG_6810

Little Bee-eaters

IMG_6812 IMG_6815

Baboons

IMG_6813 IMG_6814

There is a nice viewpoint where you can hop out, walk around in the vicinity and get a great view of the crater.  There are also toilets at this area if you need them.  It’s about 20 min from the gate.

IMG_6816 IMG_6817 IMG_6820 IMG_6823 IMG_6824 IMG_6828

The picnic area wasn’t the best, no tables and benches like the one at Tarangire.  These little Weaverbirds kept us entertained while we had lunch.

IMG_6833 IMG_6835 IMG_6839 IMG_6841 IMG_6842 IMG_6843 IMG_6845

Sorry, we don’t have room for hitch-hiking giraffes!

IMG_6847 IMG_6848

There are Masai people living in the NCA and grazing their herds here which is different from the other national parks.

IMG_6849

Directions to some of the lodges in NCA including ours – the Ndutu Safari Lodge.

IMG_6850

Egyptian Goose

IMG_6856 IMG_6857

After checking in at the lodge (which I will blog about separately), we headed off on a short game drive.  Be sure to check what time you have to be back in the lodge grounds, it will be around dusk but varies according to time of year.

IMG_6900

Lilac-breasted Roller

IMG_6902 IMG_6909

D’Arnaud’s Barbet

IMG_6911 IMG_6912 IMG_6913

In the distance, one of my all-time favourites – a Secretarybird poses majestically, then flies off.

IMG_6914 IMG_6918 IMG_6920 IMG_6922 IMG_6925

Superb Starling

IMG_6931

Sorry, I can’t find this guy in the bird book but he looks like he got lost on his way to the ski slopes!  I mean seriously, check out those fluffy boots!

IMG_6933

Superb Starlings in flight

IMG_6935 IMG_6937

Another group got to the Maribou Storks first.  The land across the lake belongs to Serengeti NP and in some places the border weaves in and out.  You have to be careful to stay inside the park boundaries you paid for!

IMG_6941 IMG_6942 IMG_6945

European Roller

IMG_6948 IMG_6949 IMG_6951

Hildebrandt’s Starling

IMG_6954

And the sun sets on yet another wonderful day!

IMG_6952 IMG_6958

Tarangire To Ngorongoro – Getting There Was Half The Fun

I could have called this the “scenic route” to Ngorongoro but in Africa just about everything is scenic!  We got a somewhat late start but who wouldn’t when there are all these delightful little Yellow-collared Lovebirds and Red-billed Firefinches to watch!  This is where I am different from normal birders or “twitchers”.  I can happily sit and watch a couple of interesting species for hours rather than running around ticking boxes off a list.

IMG_6755 IMG_6745 IMG_6746 IMG_6757 IMG_6754 IMG_6759 IMG_6760 IMG_6761 IMG_6764 IMG_6765

The driver finally convinced me to go so we headed off back down the road towards Arusha past the Masai villages and farms.

IMG_6768 IMG_6770 IMG_6771 IMG_6772 IMG_6773 IMG_6774

It never ceases to amaze me how these ladies do this!

IMG_6775

Then we turned off down the road to Ngorongoro & Serengeti which proved equally as scenic.

IMG_6776 IMG_6777 IMG_6778 IMG_6779 IMG_6781 IMG_6782

Along the way, there were lots of these little art stands.

IMG_6783 IMG_6784 IMG_6785 IMG_6786 IMG_6788 IMG_6789 IMG_6790

I resisted the temptation to shop until we reached the village of Mto Wa Mbu.

IMG_6791 IMG_6792

This larger art market had much more variety so I just had to stop and shop.  Prices were extremely negotiable and I found some nice bird paintings in the traditional Tingatinga style to bring home for us and for gifts.

IMG_6793 IMG_6794 IMG_6795

We drove past the Lake Manyara NP, if we had had more time we could have stopped in but it was close to noon so not the best timing.

IMG_6796 IMG_6797 IMG_6802

After passing more handicraft stalls, we came to the town of Karatu which is a dry dusty town that didn’t really interest us, though we did top up the fuel tank.

IMG_6805 IMG_6807 IMG_6808A few km further and we reached the gates of Ngorongoro Conservation Area………..