September 16th
Another day in Tarangire. We head to a marsh, and pick up or first views

HAMMERKOP, COLLARD PRATINCOLE, AND COMB DUCK. Over 80 elephants
are out in the marsh feeding. RED-BILLED BUFFALO-WEAVERS and PALM
SWIFTS are common, along with a few WHITE-HEADED BUFFALO-WEAVER and
SLATE-COLORED BOUBOUS.
Raptors are everywhere, including EASTERN CHANTING-GOSHAWK, BATLEUR
EAGLES, BROWN SNAKE-EAGLE and BLACK-THROATED SNAKE-EAGLE.
This day is somewhat quieter than the day before, and we come to
appreciate the
peacefulness as well as the excitement of the bush.

Best Bird MARTIAL EAGLE. An impressive raptor, seen both
soaring and perched
Hardest Bird LESSER KESTRAL. Declining and endangered, one seen
perched.
Missed Bird RED-FRONTED TINKERBIRD. Seen by Anthony briefly, then
flew.
Highlight AFRICAN HAWK-EAGLE. A pair was chasing a
francolin. One hit it, the feathers flew, but the
francolin escaped.

September 17th
We drive today from Tarangire to Lake Manyara. On the way we pass the
zebra kill,
and there is now little left but a backbone and some scraps. We also see
our second set of
lions, this time a group of three with a wildebeest kill in the bushes.
We stop at the
Tarangire Safari Lodge for lunch on the way out. The food is great
(Mexican, no less),
and we pick up YELLOW-BELLIED GREENBUL and COQUI FRONCOLIN for good
measure.
The road to Arusha leads us to the turnoff to Lake Manyara, and Anthony
says this used
to be one of the worst roads in the country. Then the Japanese came in,
and now there is
glass smooth blacktop all the way to the entrance gate to Ngorongoro
Crater. The
Japanese offered to continue on all the way to Lake Victoria, but the
Tanzanians thought
that such a road across the Serengeti would only bring more people,
faster driving, and
more disruption to the animals. They consciously choose less
development, even when
someone else was paying the tab. Interesting.
The contrast was stark as we left the Japanese road and headed in on the
rough dirt track
to E Unoto Retreat, just outside of Lake Manyara NP. We passed through
some of the
most desolate terrain we would see on the whole trip, bare dirt and rock
with hardly any
vegetation. We started to kid that someone should put a model Mars rover
out there, it
looked that barren. We did pick up some good birds however, including
FISHER'S
SPARROW-LARK and SOMALI SHORT-TOED LARK.
I was starting to worry, but just as we got to the lodge the landscape
turned green. The E
Unoto Retreat is nestled up against the Rift Valley escarpment. It is
owned by an
American, but managed by the Maasai. We spend the remainder of the day
looking
around the environs of the lodge, picking up VIOLET-BACKED STARLING,
BRONZE
MANNIKIN and LESSER STRIPED-SWALLOW

Best Bird SADDLE-BILLED STORK. Killer views in Tarangire just
as we were leaving
Hardest Bird GRAY KESTRAL. Seen perched in Tarangire.
Biggest Miss RED-FRONTED BARBET. Seen by Anthony as we drove up to E
Unoto and not relocated
BLUE-NAPED MOUSEBIRD. Seen by Anthony several times
on our walk, but always as
fly-bys at a distance.

September 18th
We spend the day in Lake Manyara National Park. Because of the ground
water here, it is relatively lush forest, the habitat is much closer to
Arusha NP than Tarangire. As we toured the visitor's center while Geitan
handled the paperwork for entry, we were shocked by what we read in the
guestbook at the visitor's center. Several tourists who had exchanged
their currency for Tanzania shillings were denied entry to the park;
they take only US dollars!
Manyara offered our first view of hippos, with first views of
BLACK-WINGED STILT, GREY-CROWNED CRANE and our only view of PALM-NUT
VULTURE and BLACK HERON. At a picnic spot, a tame RED-AND-YELLOW BARBET
kept us company, while CLIFF CHAT pairs worked the surrounding trees.

Best Birds SILVERY-CHEEKED HORNBILL. The casque on the bill is
quite impressive
RED-AND-YELLOW BARBET. A bird that never
disappoints.
Hardest Birds CRESTED GUINEAFOWL. A pair was located near the
entrance to the park
PETER'S TWINSPOT. A single male off the side of the
road in Manyara
Highlight Manyara's famous tree lions. Two females were found
in a tree, affording good looks
and photos