I arrived in Lima, Peru, about midnight on April 18^th. The next day I hired a local city guide recommended by my hotel. That afternoon she, with a driver and me, toured some of the more historic or scenic parts of Lima. The Miraflores District was lovely, and the views of the ocean were interesting, if somewhat hazy. More interesting was the old city of Lima. My favorite place there was the Franciscan Abbey. The Abbey is a storehouse of the history of Peru from the Spanish conquest in the 1530s to the present day. I especially liked the old library with its thousands of ancient volumes. I wonder what sorts of information they contain. The catacombs, where almost 500 years worth of Franciscan monks and friars are buried, were dark and humid, not a place to linger. The library and the catacombs have in common their “VOB stacks”: one of Very Old Books and one of Very Old Bones. Dank and dusky volumes of forgotten lore and lives. We drove back to my hotel during rush hour, which is not an experience I wish soon to repeat. The traffic pendulum swung from tedious to terrifying, with little moderation in between.

Incidentally, for one arriving alone at the Lima airport I recommend the hotel where I stayed: the Costa del Sol Ramada. It is just a few feet from the baggage claim area at the airport, easily and safely accessible by foot. Their breakfasts were excellent and the dining room fare was very good. A bit of a steep price, but in perspective, worth it.

Adam arrived on schedule late that night, the 19^th. We left for Cusco on Star Peru Airlines at 8:00 the next morning. We were met at the Cusco airport by representatives of our guide service, Manu Expeditions. After brief introductions, we left by van for Abancay with our guide, Silverio Duri, and our driver, Guillermo. We were impressed with the beauty of the snow-capped Andes ( I didn’t expect so much snow)

and the lovely green valleys and mountain sides.

We stopped for lunch along the road, by the Apurimac River.

We did not do a lot of birding this first day, because the drive to Abancay was long-very long. When we finally arrived at Abancay we found an old city, with not much in the way of tourism. Many people were in the streets celebrating the end of the week. To my surprise, although it was dark by the time we arrived, we drove on through the town, and turned off on a very poor and isolated road. This was to be the site of our search for one of our target birds for the Abancay area: the Apurimac subspecies of Koepcke’s Screech Owl. Silverio was optimistic that it would be found. I had doubts.

We finally came to a stop, of necessity, at the end of a closed-off bridge across the fast flowing Apurimac. Silverio hoped to find The Owl near where we stopped, but nothing turned out easy on this trip. To quote Silverio’s trip report: “Oh yes! We were initially slightly worried about this guy because almost as soon as we arrived to “Pachachaca” bridge below Abancay, I played the tape and one of them responded very close to us but we couldn’t find it and at the same time stopped calling, so then I kept playing and not more responses, that is why I decided to go back to the vehicle and onto a different spot but just before I got inside the van I tried again . . . And almost right away two of them responded and one of them came into plain view where we got great views. These Apurimac birds may represent an undescribed subspecies – slight vocal differences between these and the northern Peruvian populations, and they tend to ignore playback of the northern calls.”

Silverio graciously omits the full scenario: after a long hike, in the dark, away from the bridge to try to find the Owl, and before getting in the van, I needed a rest-stop, and while I was thus engaged, the others spotted the Owls. Because I was otherwise occupied, I failed to see them. Silverio was exasperated; how could I have missed this prize? Fortunately, one returned just as I re-joined the group, and Voila, the long day did not end in total disaster. I saw, and saw quite well, the (potential) Apurimac Subspecies of Koepcke’s Screech Owl. Of course, this provoked a theme for the trip that I was never able to live down.

We returned (slowly, slowly) to Abancay and our (old) Hotel de Turistas, where we were served a very late but decent and, by then, much needed meal in the Hotel Dining Room.

We did see a few other birds on this first day, during a few stops along the way: Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Variable Hawk, Andean Lapwing, Andean Swifts (overhead as we stopped for lunch along the river), Tyrian Metaltails (a hummingbird), Mitred Parakeets, Tufted Tit-tyrants, a very lovely Red-crested Cotinga, Chicanguo and Great Thrushes, Peruvian Sierra Finches, Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finches, Plain-colored Seedeaters, Golden-billed Saltators, Rufous-collared Sparrows (many), and Hooded Siskins.

We spent three nights at Canopy Tower and then we were driven in a Canopy vehicle to the sister birding camp, Canopy Lodge. This took about 3 hours. Canopy Lodge is located west of Panama City on the line between the Chocle and Panama provinces (or whatever the governmental divisions in Panama are called).

The location is higher, cooler and, at least while we were there, wetter than the area nearer Panama City. The countryside is very beautiful. We were not aware how hilly and mountainous Panama is away from the coast line. Canopy Lodge is located in the El Valle area, primarily foothill forests . For many years, this has been a week-end retreat for residents of Panama City seeking to relax in a quieter, cooler and drier clime.

The rooms at the Lodge are a lot nicer than those at the Tower. The grounds are much more expansive. There are feeding stations located off the open-air dining area (where all meals are taken) and these are regularly replenished with bananas to attract a variety of birds. Surprisingly, there was very little hummingbird activity at the Lodge notwithstanding the presence of a couple of hummingbird feeders. The only species I saw during my stay were Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds. Other species that showed up at or under the banana feeders included Blue-gray Tanagers, Crimson-backed Tanagers, Palm Tanagers, Flame (Lemon)-rumped Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonias,

Tennessee Warblers, a Prothonotary Warbler, Red-crowned Woodpeckers, Clay-colored Thrushes, Chestnut-headed Oropendolas,

House Wrens, White-tipped Doves, Red-legged Honeycreepers, and, on the last day and much to our surprise, a strikingly plumaged Rufous Motmot.

Our guide here was Moyo. He is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. As at the Tower, the guides at the Canopy Lodge are simply amazing in their knowledge of the local flora and fauna and in their enthusiasm in showing it all to their guests. We normally left with our guide after breakfast, about 7:15 and returned in time for lunch at about 12:30. After lunch and a siesta, or a walk around the grounds, we would go again with our guide about 3:00 and return at around 6:00. There are various routes that can be covered, and we were not there long enough to take them all.

Among the more colorful or interesting birds that we encountered during these field trips were Tawny-capped Euphonias,

a Rufous Mourner,

a tiny and cooperative Streak-throated Hermit,

Scarlet-thighed Dacnis,

a big Amazon Kingfisher with fish,

cute little Lance-tailed Manakins,

a White-bellied Antbird,

Garden Emeralds,

Orange-bellied Trogons,

and a Blue-throated (Emerald) Toucanet.

My favorite spot of the trip was the lovely and rare Spectacled Owl.

We saw five of the six Trogons that can be seen in the area (missing only the White-tailed Trogon), all of the five Manakins and all of the four Motmot species. We saw a good sampling of the Antbirds, Antshrikes, Antwrens, Antthrushes and Antpittas the dwell in the forests of Panama. Other families well represented were the Wrens, Tyrant Flycatchers, Hummingbirds (we saw 11 species), and Woodcreepers. Surprisingly few were the Parrots and Parakeets.

My final Panama bird tally was 81 new species and 211 total species. Panama is a beautiful country and it is great for birding. Anyone who has the opportunity to go there, should. There are many more areas of the country that could be explored with equally bountiful numbers of species.

Canopy Tower is an abandoned U.S. Army radar station, built like a very wide silo.

When the military abandoned it, it was converted into a destination birding site with rooms and common areas for 20 or so guests, great views of the surrounding jungle from the top of the Tower and excellent guides to help guests identify the numerous Panamanian species that can be found in the area.  We spent the afternoon and the next 2 days on guided tours to various sites in the vicinity of the Tower, including the famous Pipeline Road.

The most colorful birds that we saw well from the Tower itself were the Cinnamon Woodpeckers.

Early every morning we were awakened by the howling of the Howler Monkeys, which occasionally came very near the Tower.

Blue-gray Tanagers were the most numerous of the many species of tanagers that we saw.

Crimson-backed Tanagers were among the most colorful and were also quite numerous.

One of the least expected finds for me was the strangely named “Brownish Twistwing.” The name comes from its habit of constantly twisting first one and then the other of its wings.

We saw several slothful Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths, resting motionlessly high in their tree-top perches.

We later saw several of the somewhat larger Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloths, but they were curled up and motionless and never exposed their more memorable features sufficiently to get a good picture, unless you think an amorphous mass of gray hair is of interest.

On Sunday morning we walked on Pipeline Road, where we met our Panamanian friends again as they were out for a run.  We also met up with this rather menacing Cayman, glaring at us from a small pool along the Road, as if to say “if you come here at night I will be waiting.”

We learned that the Pipeline Road was built to supply oil to the Canal through a pipe laid along the road, which has never been used.  The road does provide a nice running track and nature trail, and is known world-wide for the variety of birds that can be found along it.

Among the other colorful or interesting birds that we found on our trips from Canopy Tower were a Black-throated Trogon,  a Squirrel Cuckoo,

a Semi-plumbeous Hawk,

and a Bare-faced Tiger Heron.

From Canopy Tower we were taken by van to its sister facility, Canopy Lodge, on the border between the governmental departments of Panama and Chocle, for three more days of birding and general nature appreciation.  I will describe the Lodge and what we saw and did there in my next installment.

Barbara and I arrived at Panama’s Tocumen Airport about 10:00 p.m. on March 7^th where we were met at the baggage area by a driver arranged for by our hotel, the Radisson Summit Hotel and Golf.  The ride to the hotel was quite long, but it was worth it because the Summit is a lovely place and is not very expensive, especially if, like us, you do not golf.  We enjoyed our first night, breakfast the next morning, and a little early morning birding around the expansive hotel grounds before hitching a ride on the hotel’s van for a mid-morning and early afternoon walking excursion in the Old City.

The Old City was cramped but interesting.  We walked around for a couple of hours.  We had a good view of the skyline of the new Panama City across the harbor.  It is very impressive, with some of the most spectacular high-rise architecture that we have seen anywhere.

We visited Iglesia of San Jose with its spectacular golden altar.

We quickly left the cathedral when we became aware that a funeral was about to begin.

The entire area is involved in a great deal of renovation.  The completed structures are stunning.

We took a taxi from Old City to Miraflores for lunch and an afternoon watching the great ships (the “Panamax” vessels) ease through the Canal, never on their own power, but towed by several cable machines.

The clearance between the sides of the ships and the sides of the Canal could not have been more than a few inches.

Across the Canal we saw the dirt-moving and other activity involved in building a parallel and wider Canal to accommodate the even wider ships that are now being produced.  It is projected to be completed by 2014 for the 100^th anniversary of the Canal.

The Canal is still one of the engineering wonders of the world.

The French started a canal in 1880 under the direction of the builder of the Suez Canal, but after 20 years of struggle, they were forced to give up.  In 1903 Panama seceded from Columbia and the US signed a treaty in which the concession for a public maritime transportation service across the Isthmus was granted.  The following year the US purchased the French company’s properties for $40 million and began to dig.  On August 15, 1914, a US cargo ship made the first transit.  In October 1979 the process of handing the Canal to Panama began under treaties signed by President Carter.

The Canal is about 50 miles long and ships are lifted 85 feet in three locks as they cross the Isthmus.  The journey through the Canal takes about 8 hours and a ship is normally in Canal waters between 14-16 hours.

From Miraflores we took a taxi back to our hotel and later we were met there by friends from Panama.  They drove us back down town to the new city and we thoroughly enjoyed a very lovely evening with them at one of their favorite neighborhood restaurants.

The next morning the Canopy Towers van picked us up at the Summit Hotel and drove us the short distance to Canopy Tower.

Day 10 we left Kensington Tented Camp for a day in the Serengeti on our way to our last camp, Olakira Tented Camp.  What a day it turned out to be.  Very soon after entering the Park we began to see and hear hundreds, then thousands, of moving Zebras, now accompanied by an equal or greater number of Wildebeests.  The Zebras were very loud, some braying and some barking.  As far as we could see, for hours, the grasslands were full of moving animals, heading north toward better grass and water.  The numbers were amazing.

I have no idea how many we saw on the move that day, but it had to be in excess of 100,000 of each of the two species.  This was what we most hoped to see in the Serengeti, and we were very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to witness this great migration of large animals through the African grasslands.

The Wildebeests were early in their birthing process here in the Serengeti, unlike at Ngorongoro Crater, where a few days earlier most of the females had calves in tow.  Here, very few had yet given birth.  One of the early arrivals, wet from the birth process and with umbilical cord attached, was up and running with its mother, who still carried the afterbirth with her as she joined in the march northward.

Interspersed with the Zebras and Wildebeests were Elephants, Hippos, our only Crocodile of the trip, a couple of Leopards in their usual tree habitat, Warthogs,

Lions, Townsend’s and Grant’s Gazelles, Topi, Hartebeests, a few Waterbucks, our first diminutive Steenbok (about the size of the little Dik-Diks that we had been seeing on a regular basis).

This is prime time for the predators.  Among the most interesting of these were 3 beautiful Cheetahs, probably 3 brothers, that were on the hunt.

We watched for quite some time as they stalked a small herd of Wildebeests, with no success.  As they watched their intended prey move away, the brothers decided to take a break and bask in the morning sun of the Serengeti.

We were able to get a close-up view of both Lesser and Greater Flamingos feeding in a shallow lake.

A pair of Bat-eared Foxes were enjoying the late afternoon sun along the dirt track.

This Two-banded Courser was walking through the grass.

We saw all 3 of the Sandgrouse species that can be found in northern Tanzania.  This one is a Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, which was the most numerous that we saw.

The Sandgrouse family is especially interesting to me, especially their ability to find water in deserts, and to survive in such harsh, dry conditions.

We arrived quite late in the day at Olakira Camp.  We were pleased with this facility.  This picture shows the “shower” system:  a couple of bags suspended above the tent, which would, upon our request, be filled with hot water by camp personnel.

The next day we saw more of the same types of animals that we had seen on our trip the prior day.  On our final morning we focused on trying to find Elands, Africa’s largest antelope.  This was the one remaining species of antelope that we had not been fortunate enough to find on the previous days.  Although Elands had been seen in the area in prior weeks, it seems that it had become too dry for them and they had moved on and we did not find any.

Our flight from the Serengeti to Arusha was late, and as a result we were very tight on time to transfer by car from Arusha to make our flight at Kilimanjaro.  With the help of one of the Kensington drivers, Jimmie, we made it with a few minutes to spare.

We were very pleased with our Safari in Tanzania.  The people were cordial, the country side was spectacular and the bird and animal life was abundant and at times dramatic.  Our lodging was suitable and the food was excellent.  We recommend it to others.

This was Day 7 of our safari.  Raymond picked us up at the Coffee Farm after an early breakfast.  We have a long drive ahead of us.  We will leave the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, driving northwest, and enter the Serengeti with a stop at the Olduvai Gorge.  Sometimes referred to as the “Cradle of Mankind”, this desolate and dry plateau marks the place where the Leakeys discovered the oldest known footprints of human beings.  Many believe that this is where humanity first evolved.  Over the next many millennia, humans spread northward into Europe, across Asia, into North America by way of the narrow channel between Siberia and Alaska, and thence south and east throughout North and South America.

We liked the Visitor Center displays, which provided a wonderful pictorial of the presumed changes in the Gorge over many centuries and the spread of mankind.  I also enjoyed a few minutes of quiet reflection on a wind-blown bench looking down over the Gorge.

Centuries of erosion expose many layers of vari-colored rock and sediment marking the historic, one could say cataclysmic, changes that the Gorge has undergone.

When we were satisfied with our visit to the Gorge and its Visitors Center, we quickly ate our box lunches before embarking into the Serengeti.  We expect to be on the road for about 6 hours before we reach our camp for the night, the Kensington Tented Camp.  This Camp lies just outside the Serengeti National Park, by the west-central part of the Tanzanian portion of the Park.

As we enter the Serengeti, we note the dryness of the landscape.  Even where there is ample grass, it is mostly brown.  The road is dusty and the wind is always blowing.  We protect ourselves from the dust of other Safarists as best we can, with Raymond ultimately breaking the turning mechanism on his driver’s side window as he constantly cranked it up for protection from dust and down for protection from the heat.  There were some stranded vehicles here and there with efforts being made to revive them with fluid or pumped up tires.  The courtesy of the driver/guides to one another was notable, with the exception of one particular company, whose vehicles invariably charged by at a high rate of speed with dust billowing in all directions. Here is our vehicle.

This is what we were hoping for.  Animals abound, often in mixed groups, such as Ostriches and Thompson’s Gazelles.

We see the graceful Hartebeests in several locations.

The first of several lovely little Pygmy Falcons perches near the road in an Acacia Tree.

Topis occur sporadically on the landscape.

Dozens of ungainly Marabou Storks show up in trees around the waterholes, or on the wet shoreline.

The predominant species are the Zebras and the Wildebeests. They number into the many thousands, with far more Zebras than Wildebeests seen today. They are noisy and nervous as they jostle toward and into the water, ready to plunge away, knowing that the Lions know they need to go there.  A Zebra kill lies under a tree by a waterhole, with Lions nearby.

Hippos crowd into reeking water holes (sewers).

The day grew long and we seemed to drive forever before jiggling over endless cow-paths and rocky, rutted stream crossings, to finally arrive at our Kensington Tented Camp.  We were warmly received, and quickly found out why:  we were the only guests.  It felt a bit lonesome.  Things did not go very well.  The “shower” didn’t work, so, even after a long, hot, and dusty drive, we went without one that evening.  The lights went out frequently.  The water supply for the shower and the toilet (you don’t drink this water) malfunctioned.  Dinner was good, and the staff tried their best to please.  We felt well protected by the Camp Guard, but I am not convinced his weapon would stop a lion.

We could hear the lions and hyenas roaring during the night.  You don’t leave the tent at night without hailing a guard.  A few large insects showed up on the floor of our tent.  But, hey, it’s all in a day’s safari.

The next morning, Day 8, dawned bright and beautiful and I worked on my bird list on the “veranda” while sipping the morning coffee that was brought to our tent.

The water supply has been restored, so we got wet.  After a very good breakfast, we were off again on the road through the local village, and toward the entrance to the Serengeti Park.  The birding was very good along this road and we saw quite a few new birds as we poked along toward the Gate.

Rollers, both Lilac Breasted and this Eurasian Roller, perch in conspicuous spots.

Elephants are everywhere.  Impalas (boys and girls segregated) show off their lovely colors.

Lions, many with cubs, are quite common sights now.

Later in the afternoon, we spot our first of several Leopards, always lounging in trees.

We can’t completely neglect the birds.  This Double Banded Plover makes a pretty picture.

We endured another long and bumpy ride back to our Camp.  Tonight there are two more guests there.  The event of the night was a “cookout” in the wilderness away from the camp.  First, Raymond got lost trying to find the way to the cookout.  When we arrived at the designated tree, we were quite taken aback.  The staff had set up a lovely “dining room” in the grass under the tree, with hanging lanterns, all in the middle of nowhere.  We thoroughly enjoyed this bit of extravaganza.  I can’t imagine how much work it all was for the camp staff.  We got back to our tent quite late, exhausted from the long day on the dirt roads and the surprising ending.

On day 5 of our safari we left Serena Lodge overlooking the Rift Valley near Lake Manyara and started toward Ngorongoro Crater.  The drive was a long one and we broke it up by stopping mid-morning at the Endoro Gate entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation area.   There Barbara and I, accompanied by a very tall Park guide, hiked in mountainous terrain for several hours to see the “Elephant Caves” and the Endoro Water Falls.  We initially assumed our guide must be a member of the Maasai tribe because of his extreme height, but he was not; he was a member of the Sukuma tribe that occupies the western part of Tanzania near Lake Victoria.  They constitute the largest of the 126 tribes of Tanzania, numbering about 10,000,000 out of the total population of about 40,000,000.

As an aside, most of the 120 or so tribes are members of the extensive central and southern Africa Bantu family.  The nomadic, cattle-owning warrior-tribe, Maasai, are not part of the Bantu family, and there remains a sharp local distinction between them and most other Tanzanians.  Until recently in their histories, each of the 126 tribes spoke a different, though often somewhat related language with Bantu roots.  These many languages are gradually being displaced by a common Bantu lingua franca, Seswahili, which has gained national acceptance, and international as well, as there are a number of Bantu-dominated societies in other African countries.  Almost all of the Tanzanians we encountered also speak English, many quite well, others rudimentary.  Raymond is a member of the prominent Chagga tribe generally located along the eastern coast of Tanzania and inland from there.  They are noted for their entrepreneurial attitudes, and certainly that was evident from our exposure to the many guides, most of whom are Chagga.  Raymond studied English (British style) in elementary school, and at the secondary level all classes are taught in English rather than in Swahili.

The hike to the Elephant Caves was longer, hotter, and more strenuous than we anticipated.  We finally arrived after a couple of hours on the trail.  It seemed like more!  We saw a few birds along the trail, but nothing very exciting.  Our guide was aware of our interest, however, and made a good effort to point out those few birds that could be seen along the tree-shrouded trail.  He knew a lot about the local plants and birds, including the scientific names.  He would love to go to college and become a biologist, but at his age, 30, that will be tough.

The Elephant Caves were not impressive.

The clay along the river in this area contains minerals that elephants crave.  For centuries they have come here to dig up the clay and eat it.  A few years ago, as a result of exceptionally heavy rains, the wall of the caves facing the river collapsed, so that the cave is now quite small.  The elephants still come and eat away at the wall.  Maybe someday they will create another good-sized cave.  We had taken quite a long time to hike up to the cave.  Our guide suggested that we might want to skip the Endoro Water Falls because the season had been very dry and there was very little water in the river.  We readily agreed.

After a quick box lunch at the parking lot of Endoro Gate, we headed off for our lodging for the night, near Ngorongoro Crater.  Originally we had been tentatively booked into the Sopa Lodge, which is an upscale lodge on the grounds of the Ngorongoro Conservation area, but it was over-booked.  Our back-up was an out-of-park facility known as the Coffee Farm.  We were actually quite pleased with this facility.  The units are strung out along the edge of the coffee groves.  They are very old, drab and unattractive from the outside, but spacious and comfortable inside.   We enjoyed good food, beer, and great coffee at the large and comfortable central lodge.  We also enjoyed some decent birding on the grounds including a White-browed  Robin-Chat.

One of the culinary surprises was the quality of the bacon throughout our trip.  At every stop we were able to select bacon for breakfast and it was invariably excellent.  It is cut like Canadian bacon, but thin, and fried like American bacon.  There is very little fat in it, yet it is tasty.  The other delight was the fruit, which was plentiful and flavorful.  Passion fruit, water melon and papaya were especially good.  Chicken is a staple, and we had a lot of fried chicken in our packed lunch boxes.

After breakfast on Day 6, we drove to the Crater.  Maasai still reside around the Crater and tend their herds.

The Crater itself is immense.  It is its own environment.  As we descended to the floor of the Crater we saw hawks of various kinds, many Abdim Storks,

grassland birds, including Red-crowned and Rufous Naped Larks, and Great Bustards.

There were a number of Black Kites and water birds near the relatively small ponds found throughout the Crater.

We knew that the Crater was our best chance of finding the second of our top two targets for the trip, Rhinoceros.  Mid-morning we were thrilled to see our first Rhino, grazing on the short grass of the Crater floor, but at a considerable distance from us.

The Rhinos are greatly threatened by poaching for the Asian aphrodisiac trade.  The prices paid for a dead Rhino are fantastic, such as $250,000 for one, primarily just for the powder that comes from its horn, supposedly a great aphrodisiac.  As a result there is a constant warfare, and I mean warfare, between poachers and wardens wherever Rhinos still exist.  About 10 years ago, the population at Ngorongoro, one of the few places where they still live in the wild, was reduced to 8 individuals.  Stepped up protection has resulted in an increase to 15.  The rate of progress is not great because the rate of reproduction among Rhinos is very slow.  The females reach baby-bearing age at between 5 and 7 years, they produce one baby at a time, and they don’t have their next one for another 5-7 years.

After having our box lunches at a picnic area near a pond, we resumed our drive through the Crater.  We spotted a Wildebeest mother giving birth.  The baby was up and running within minutes.  They do not want to be left behind, because that spells doom in the heavily predated plains of Africa.  The instinct to survive has created amazing physical adaptations.

A few Golden and Black-backed Jackals were out looking for food.  The Spotted Hyenas were jogging along among the zebras and wildebeests.

We didn’t pay much attention to the herds of Cape Buffalo.

We assumed we would see many more in the days to come.  As it turned out, we saw very few after we left the Crater.

We did see two more Rhinos just before we exited the Crater.  They were lounging in the shade of a tree quite a long distance from the road.  We returned to the Coffee Farm and enjoyed a relaxing evening.

On February 5^th Raymond picked us up in his Land Cruiser. First stop was a large souvenir shop that offered, among many other items, Tanzanite jewelry. Tanzanite is a beautiful blue stone found only in Tanzania. It was discovered about 40 years ago. We had considered buying Tanzanite jewelry as a memento of our trip. We did not have the energy or the time to look at the outlets in Arusha. In any event, when we looked over the items, which were indeed beautiful and expensive, we were unsure of their real quality and actual value, so we chickened out and did not buy any.

On the way to Tarangire National Park we saw colorfully dressed people of the Maasai tribe. Their villages covered the landscape. They have many herds of cattle which they move to various water supplies and grassy areas each day. Their society is organized into male age groups. We saw a few boys who were passing through initiation to become a warrior and eventually an elder.

Once at Tarangire we drove through expansive, acacia-dotted dry savannah. Elephants and Giraffes were plentiful.

There were numerous small Weavers and other grassland/acacia scrub inhabitants. We stopped for a picnic lunch on a bluff overlooking the Tarangire River, which was nearly dry. From there we observed a pair of Tawny Eagles hanging out at the water’s edge.

A Secretary Bird was walking through the grasses near the water.

White Storks by the hundreds stalked insects in the grass.

We arrived at Kikoti Camp fairly late in the afternoon. This is a permanent tented camp with 10 tents. The accommodations were excellent and we enjoyed a very delicious meal in the dining tent. We were escorted back to our tent by a Camp Guard, because the Camp is unfenced and all sorts of large animals roam through it at night. On the way back we spotted a Bush Buck just a few feet from the path.

After a bountiful breakfast, we returned through the Park driving toward Lake Manyara. Many monkeys and Baboons were out and about.

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We also spotted a Von der Decken’s Hornbill.

As the afternoon wore on, I faded out as we made our way to Kikoti Camp for the night. I came to when Barbara shouted “Stop, stop, there’s a Cheetah”. To my surprise, and, I think, to the surprise of Raymond, indeed there was a Cheetah, slinking along in the grass beside the dirt road.

Primary objective number 1 was accomplished, and very early in the trip. The pressure waned noticeably, as Barbara excitedly shot numerous photos of the Cheetah as it moved ahead of us and crossed the road. It is a beautiful animal and I will never forget this first sight of one in the wild.

On, then to Lake Manyara. Not many birds were to be seen along the way today. We stopped at a “hippo pond” which appeared to be no bigger than a swimming pool. We debated stopping, finally did, and were rewarded by a great view of a Hippo on land, for a change.

The Lake itself was full of Flamingos. Late in the afternoon we arrived at Serena Lodge. We enjoyed a couple of cool Kilimanjaro and Safari beers while we sat by the pool and the pool bar as evening descended. Interestingly, quite a few birds came to the pool to drink. Among them, Black Bishops, Baglafecht Weavers, and several other “firsts” for the trip. Dinner again was delicious and we retired early to prepare for an early start toward Ngorongoro Crater the next morning.

Barbara and I were in Tanzania from February 3 through February 14^th, 2012.  Our previous visits to Africa were to Egypt quite a few years ago and to Botswana and Zambia in 2007.  Egypt was rich in history and culture, to which we were exposed during a trip north on the Nile River from Aswan to Cairo and in Cairo itself.  Botswana possesses great natural beauty in a pristine and safe environment.  We stayed at 4 very different camps in Botswana.  The birds, animals and vegetation were of wonderful variety and observable close-up.  Our final stop was at Livingstone, Zambia, the site of the incomparable Victoria Falls.  Our choice of Tanzania in 2012 posed a dilemma for us, as we wanted to see the great migration of the zebras, wildebeests and other animals through the Serengeti, and we had thought of the Serengeti as a Kenyan destination.  Our research led us to conclude that we might see more in Tanzania, on the southern part of the Serengeti.  We hoped especially to see Rhinoceros and Cheetahs, and it seemed that our chances of that would be better in Tanzania.

We worked with Kensington Tours to help us plan our itinerary.  We flew Ethiopian Airlines from London to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, (by way of Addis Ababa).  Our approach to Kilimanjaro was rough and the Mountain was obscured by clouds.   We were met at the baggage area by the young man, Raymond, who was to be our guide and driver during our entire Tanzanian tour.  He was excellent company and a great guide, with a thorough knowledge of Tanzania’s animals, birds and vegetation.  We could not have asked for a better companion for our trip.

Raymond drove us to our first accommodation, the Serena Mountain Village Lodge near Arusha.  It is modeled on an African village with separate guest facilities, each covered by a thatched roof.

We had a late, light lunch and slept for an hour or so.  Then, in spite of intermittent rain and thunder, we did some late afternoon birding on the Lodge grounds.  Our birds for this first day in Tanzania included Pied Crows, Variable Sunbirds, Collared Sunbirds, Common (very common) Bulbuls, Speckled Mousebirds,

a Red-headed Weaver, a Lizard Hawk and a lot of unidentified fly-overs.  Dinner at the Lodge was very good and we enjoyed meeting a few of the other guests during the pre-dinner cocktail time.

We had thought about doing some shopping on that first day, or the next day, especially for some Tanzanite jewelry, but we were too tired the first day and we wanted to use the second day exploring the nearby Arusha National Park.

Raymond picked us up about 8:00 a.m. and drove to the Park.  In the distance we could see Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa at an elevation of 19,300 feet.

It is also the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, rising 15,100 feet from its base.  It is comprised of three distinct volcanic cones.  The period from 1912 to the present has seen the disappearance of more than 80% of its ice cover.  26% of the ice present in 2000 had melted by 2007.  The prediction is that it will become free of ice between 2022 and 2033.

We had good looks at a number of Zebras, quite a few Warthogs, some beautiful Giraffes,

Cape Buffalo, the diminutive Kirk’s Dik-Diks, and Bushbucks.

The best find of the day were the Black and White Colobus Monkeys.

A close second were the Blue (Sykes) Monkeys.

Olive Baboons(a subspecies of the Chacma Baboon) were present in big numbers here, as they were throughout the remainder of the trip. 

Among the more interesting birds at Arusha National Park were Gray Crowned Cranes,

Cape Teal, Black Saw-wings, several species of Bee-eaters, and Augur Buzzards.

We spent a long day in the vehicle and returned to Serena Mountain Village in time for another good Tanzanian beer and a very good dinner before walking back to our hut under a beautiful starlit sky, and retiring for the night.  As everywhere, mosquito netting enveloped our bed, but we saw virtually no mosquitoes anywhere.

Barbara and I spent December 6-11 in Hawaii on Maui. We went there for the wedding of one of my great-nephews. Obviously, the wedding didn’t take 6 days. We spent most of our free time birding.

My main goal was to see the 6 endemic Honeycreepers that can be found on Maui. We succeeded in locating 4 of them at the campground at Hosmer’s Grove, near Mount Haleakala. Seen were the Hawaii Amikihi, Maui Alauhio (Maui Creeper), I’iwi, and Apapane. All of these were present in good numbers near the campground. Especially numerous were the I’iwis and the Apapanes, both lovely red and blacks.

One day we hiked the 2 and a half mile round trip boardwalk on the Waikomoi Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property near Hosmer’s Grove. The primary reason for taking this somewhat strenuous hike was to find the rare endemic honecreepers, the Maui Parrotbill and the Crested Honeycreeper (Akopekohe). We were not able to see either, but our guide recognized the frog-like calls of the Honeycreepers. The unique forest, with its numerous species of ferns, was spectacular. Especially interesting was the Fiddlehead Fern.

The other endemic species that we were able to locate was the Hawaiian Coot. We also found large numbers of the endemic subspecies of Black-necked Stilt. We saw what might have been a pair of Hawaiian Ducks (Koloas), but it was not clear whether they were Hawaiian Ducks of Mallard females or a hybrid of some sort.

There are a lot of “Alien” species on Maui, i.e., species that have been introduced to the Island by man. The most interesting in this category was the single Hwamei (Chinese Laughing Thrush) that we located along a vegetated area amidst the coffee trees of the Coffee Plantation near Lahaina. Others that we saw in or around Lahaina included a Black Francolin (1), Gray Francolins (6-8), Japanese White-eyes (several), Red-crested Cardinals (many),

Zebra Doves (many), Java Sparrows (many),

Cinnamon Munias or Mannikins (20), Spotted Doves (several), and African Silverbills (4). Present in large numbers were Pacific Golden Plovers, Cattle Egrets, Common Mynas, House Sparrows and House Finches. We also saw a few Mallards, Skylarks, Rock Doves, and Northern Mockingbirds (2), and Chukars.

A late-blooming Silversword was near the trail on Barbara’s horseback excursion in the Haleakala crater).

We saw what we thought might be a Nene juvenile or hybrid at the Kealea Ponds, but it seems that it may have been a black brant or some hybrid of the Nene. Fortunately, I had seen Nenes on a trip to Maui some 25 years ago. We did not see any on this trip.

Among the notable changes from 25 years ago was the absence now of pineapple cultivation (we saw none) and reduction in the sugar cane acreage. The lore we absorbed was that pineapple production is too costly relative to the cost of production in other areas of the world, and that the many years of sugar cane production has ruined the soil so that it has become unproductive.

Among the more likely Maui winter residents that we missed, in addition to the 2 endemic Honeycreepers mentioned above, were the Hawaiin Petrel, Nutmeg Mannikin, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Red-billed Leothrix and Japanese Bush Warbler. We did not spend much time on “Ocean Watch”, but we did not see a single marine species during the week we were on Maui. My field guide was a second-hand volume of “Hawaii’s Birds” published by the Hawaii Audubon Society (6^th Edition, 2005). It was very useful.