Exceptional Birding Sayari Camp!!

Hi All

In May this year we did some great guide training in the Northern Serengeti at Sayari Camp with 29 Asilia Guides. Four topics were covered, namely Geology with Dr Abigail Church, Botany and Id of plants with Annie Powys, insects with Dino Martins and finally birding with Clint Shipper. These were the trainers for the 2 weeks of training and the guides divided into four groups and had three days with each trainer.

I wanted to share the amazing bird list that we got in the two weeks at Sayari Camp a whopping 215 species. See below for the finished and completed list.

Species	Locality	Square	Day	Month	Year
African Black Swift	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Black-headed Oriole	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Crake	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Golden-breasted Bunting	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Green Pigeon	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Grey Flycatcher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Hoopoe	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Moustached Warbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Paradise Flycatcher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Pied Wagtail	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Quailfinch	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
African Wattled Lapwing	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Arrow-marked Babbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Ashy Flycatcher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Banded Martin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Banded Parisoma	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Bare-faced Go-away Bird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Barn Swallow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Bateleur	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Bearded Woodpecker	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black and White Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black Coucal	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black Crake	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black Cuckoo-shrike	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black Saw-wing	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-backed Puffback	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-bellied Bustard	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-chested Snake Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-crowned Tchagra	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-headed Heron	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-headed Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-lored Babbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Black-shouldered Kite	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Blue-naped Mousebird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Bronze Maniken	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Brown Parrot	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Brown Snake-eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Brown-crowned Tchagra	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Brubru	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Buff-bellied Warbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Cardinal Quelea	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Cardinal Woodpecker	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Cattle Egret	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Chin-spot Batis	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Common Bulbul	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Common Button Quail	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Common Fiscal	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Common Scimitarbill	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Common Waxbill	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Coqui Francolin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Crested Francolin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Croaking Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Crowned Lapwing	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Dark Chanting Goshawk	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Diederic Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Dwarf Bittern	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Egyptian Goose	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
European Bee-eater	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
European Honey Buzzard	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Fan-tailed Widowbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Fish Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Flappet Lark	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Fork-tailed Drongo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Freckled Nightjar	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Gabar Goshawk	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Goliath Heron	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grassland Pipit	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Great Spotted Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Greater Blue-eared Starling	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Greater Honeyguide	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Green Wood-hoopoe	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Green-capped Eromela	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Crowned Crane	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Cuckooshrike	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Heron	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Hornbill	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Kestrel	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey Wren-Warbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-backed Camaroptera	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-backed Fiscal	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-capped Social Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-capped Warbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-headed Bush-shrike	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-headed Kingfisher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Grey-headed Sparrow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Gymnogene	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Hamerkop	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Harlequin Quail	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Helmeted Guineafowl	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Heuglin's Courser	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Hildebrandt's Starling	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Holub's Golden Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Hooded Vulture	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Horus Swift	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
House Sparrow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Klaas Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Knob-billed Duck	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lappet-faced Vulture	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Laughing Dove	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lesser Honeyguide	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lesser Masked Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lesser Spotted Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lesser Striped Swallow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Lilac-breasted Roller	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Little Bee-eater	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Little Rush Warbler	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Little Stint	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Little Swift	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Little Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Long-crested Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Long-tailed Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Madagascar Bee-eater	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Magpie Shrike	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Malachite Kingfisher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Marabou Stork	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Martial Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Meyer's Parrot	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Mosque Swallow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Northern Black Flycatcher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Northern White-crowned Shrike	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Nubian Woodpecker	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Ostrich	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Parasitic Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Pearl-spotted Owlet	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Pectoral-patch Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Pin-tailed Whydah	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Plain Martin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Plain-backed Pipit	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Purple Grenadier	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Purple-banded Sunbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Pygmy Falcon	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rattling Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-billed Firefinch	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-billed Oxpecker	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-billed Quelea	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-billed Teal	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-chested Cuckoo	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-eyed Dove	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-faced Crombec	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-fronted Barbet	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-headed Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-necked Spurfowl	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Red-throated Tit	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Ring-necked Dove	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rock Martin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rock-loving Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rosy-breasted Longclaw	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rufous-naped Lark	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Rufous-tailed Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Ruppell's Griffon Vulture	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Sacred Ibis	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Sand Martin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Scarlet-chested Sunbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Schalow's Turaco	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Secretary Bird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Silverbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Slate-coloured Boubou	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Sooty Chat	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Speckle-fronted Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Speckled Mousebird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Spekes Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Spotted Eagle Owl	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Spotted Thicknee	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Spur-winged Lapwing	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Stout Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Straited Heron	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Striped Kingfisher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Superb Starling	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Tawny Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Tawny-flanked Prinia	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Temminck's Courser	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Three-banded Plover	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Trilling Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Tropical Boubou	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Usambiro Barbet	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Verreaux's Eagle-owl	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Village Indigobird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Violet-backed Starling	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Wahlberg's Eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Water Thick-knee	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Western Banded Snake-eagle	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White Stork	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-backed Vulture	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-bellied Bustard	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-bellied Tit	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-browed Coucal	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-browed Robin-chat	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-browed Scrub Robin	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-faced Whistling-Duck	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-headed Barbet	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-headed Buffalo Weaver	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-headed Sawing	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-headed Vulture	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-rumped Swift	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-tailed Lark	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
White-winged Widowbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Winding Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Wire-tailed Swallow	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Woodland Kingfisher	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow Bishop	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-billed Oxpecker	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-billed Stork	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-breasted Apalis	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-fronted Canary	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-mantled Widowbird	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-spotted Petronia	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-throated Longclaw	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Yellow-vented Bulbul	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012
Zitting Cisticola	Kogatende, Serengeti		14	5	2012

Guide Selection Course

So the 2011/12 season has come to an end and what a season it has been. Busy camps, safaris, happy guests and many wonderful wildlife sightings. This is the time of the year when everybody takes a well deserved break until the next season starts again in early June. This is also the time of the year when we do allot of staff training. 

In the next two months there will be some very good guide training taking place and we have just finished selecting 10 new trainee guides to send on such a course and hopefully one day become one of our resident camp safari guides. The selection process started some three weeks ago with Myself and Emannuel Chagamba (one of our Olakira Camp guides) interviewing round about 150 people. Cv's where collected and personal interviews where done with each applicant, together with a driving test.

From all the almost 150 plus interviews we selected 30 people to come back and do a three day selection course at Asilia base office out of which we would choose the final 10. It was a fun filled three days getting to know everyone better and playing some really fun team building games with them, teaching them some valuable skills. 

Blindfolded, make a even sided triangle and point it to Mt Meru

Crossing a "river" and having to build a perfect tower of tins on a float!

Pure Concentration!!

Leeding your blinded partner through a mine field

At the end of day three 10 people where chosen (a very tough decision) to join Ethan Kinsey on a 6 week guide training course in the bush, followed by written and practical guiding exams and future employment. A big congratulations goes to Calson, Oredi, Erasto, Elia, Benson, Leonard, John Elias, Nathan, Samwel and Makubi for making the final ten and best of luck to all of you!!

The final ten, In the back L-R, Oredi, Erasto, Nathan, Leonard and Benson
In the front, L-R, Elia, John, Makubi and Calson, absent Samwel.

Thanks to everyone who came to the interviews and also those who joined us on the selection course, for those who did not make it this time, keep believing in yourself and you are all very welcome again to come and try next season, Karibu Sana !!

Battle In Zambia

Hi All

I thought I would share the following series of photographs that show a battle that took place in Zambia's Luangwa River in Luangwa National Park. This was send to me via email and by now has been send all over the world I'm sure, but for those who have not seen it yet, pretty amazing !!

These dramatic pictures show a clash of the titans as a protective elephant mum and a ferocious crocodile get in an epic tug of war in Zambia. The female elephant and her baby were drinking from the Luangwa River in the South Luangwa National Park when they were attacked. Leaping out of the murky waters a vicious crocodile bit down on the female's trunk.

Attack: The crocodile sprung from the water as a baby elephant and its mum were having a drink from the river

The baby elephant went to hide behind mum as the croc attacked

The elephant was brought to her knees as the crocodile thrashed around

Brought down on her hind legs, the elephant didn't give up and turned away from the water, despite the predator clamped down on her trunk.

Using incredible strength the female managed to shake off the croc after walking away from the water.

She survived the attack along with her baby, despite a second scare when the baby tripped as the pair ran away.

The elephant managed to turn away from the water even the croc was trying to pull her in

With her baby safely on the far side, the mum stepped away from the water with the croc still clamped on

The mighty elephant dragged the crocodile all the way out of the water as she walked away

They were seen feeding from the river later in the day.

South Luangwa National Park is well-known for its mighty elephant herds of up to 70 individuals.

Measuring 9000 square kilometers, the park has 60 animal species including baboons, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, leopards, lions and hippopotamus.

Despite the unwanted appendage, she and her baby broke into a run

FREE: Water gushes from the mum's trunk as she finally shakes the croc, with her baby momentarily tripping over the predator before the pair made off safely.

Ubuntu Camp Enjoying Wild Dogs!!

Asilia's Ubuntu Camp which is now situated in the Southern NCA (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) not far from the Kakesio ranger post is really a place of wonder and everyday there is something new to discover. I will post a blog after this one of some more pics of the area, but what I want to share today is the amazing Wild Dog sightings they have been having. In Ubuntu we have an amazing local Maasai spotter and in the beginning before the camp opened for guests we asked him all kinds of questions as to what animals apart from thousands of Wildebeest come into the area when there is good rains, one of his answers apart from other animals were Wild Dogs !! Wild Dogs are very rare and special to see in Northern Tanzania, and in Africa in general, so we were not holding our breath. 

                                           

Meleji, Ubuntu spotter/tracker

 Well not long after that Markus (Asilia walking guide) went on a walk with Meleji to find nice walking routes for guests, they left camp and about 15 min into the walk in front of camp in a big Fever tree forest they found and walked into 26 Wild Dogs, they were all lying down sleeping and eventually one of the dogs spotted them gave a "bark" and they all jumped up, but being curious animals they only ran about 30 m and then stopped and sat and watched Markus and Meleji. 

Naturally which is always the case when amazing rare things like this happens they did not have guests with them and also no camera. Markus immediately on getting back to camp told us about the encounter and f course we did not believe him at first.

Yesterday we got a call from Mark (Camp manager Ubuntu) and he was very exited, telling us they are busy looking at 24 Wild Dogs just close to camp, in fact on the road leading to camp, all we said is pictures, pictures!!!, take lots of pictures !! which they did !! amazing!!

Wild Dogs are indeed a very special animal to see, they are at the top of the list of endangered canids in Africa, and due to habitat loss, human confrontation and disease there are only roughly 3000-3500 left in Africa in fewer than 14 countries. There is a good population in Tanzania and the strong hold being in the South of the country in the Selous. In the Serengeti people pretty much recon they are extinct with only maybe two packs in the Piyaya area and then one in the Kakesio area NCA which is probably the one that Ubuntu is seeing. Of course due to the fact that they have such huge home ranges and that there are anyway so few of them they are seldom seen.

Wild Dogs Ubuntu Camp NCA

For many Safari goers Wild Dogs are something they know very little about and something that they don't really expect to see on Safari, more many years in the past they were seen as vermin and shot on site and they were not really regarded as part of African wildlife. Today we know much more about them and there are many organizations trying hard to protect and conserve these animals. When you are lucky enough to see a pack of Wild Dogs it is worth spending the day with them especially if you are in an area where you can leave the road and follow them. Dogs typically hunt in the early mornings and late afternoons avoiding the hotter parts of the day. If you find them in the mornings and they are moving and if you can keep up with them the chances of seeing a kill is very good, they are very good team players and almost 80% of their hunts are successful compared to about 30% in Lions. 

Wild Dogs on the move, Ubuntu Camp NCA

Wild Dogs hunt by sight, meaning they do not really stalk their prey but rather go on a fast trot until a suitable  prey animal has been spotted the chase then begins sometimes over several miles until the animal is eventually to tired to carry on, the Dogs then latch on and the animal is killed by disembowelment, loss of blood and shock. Wild dogs are extremely fast eaters as they are often worried that their kills might be stolen by Lions or Hyenas, starting with the juicy parts first they will finish a kill in minutes. If a hunt for some reason was unsuccessful in the morning they will have another go later in the afternoon. Wild Dogs will also look after any sick or wounded dogs who was left behind at the den site by regurgitating meat for them on their return to the den, this also applies to the Alpha female who might be denning and any young pups that might be around. Wild dogs are also very vocal (they don't sound anything like normal dogs) and before anything happens or before they go anywhere there is always allot of greeting and reassuring taking place. Wild dogs also only have one Alpha female and one Alpha male breeding within the pack and for good reason as some females have been recorded as having up to 14 pups at a 

time, imagine if all the females could do that, it would be very hard looking after and feeding all those little mouths, so instead, they help looking after one group of pups at a time.

Wild Dogs resting in the shade, Ubuntu Camp NCA

Hopefully in the next coming weeks/months we will receive more news, pics and sightings from Ubuntu and hopefully with some luck they can find a den site if this pack is denning at the moment.

So next time you find yourself in the Ubuntu Camp area keep an eye out for Lycaon pictus or also known as the painted wolf !

And tell your guests that they are seeing something really special and unique !!

 

                                                   

Awesome Pics, Sayari !!

Hi all, I wanted to post some nice pictures we received from Sayari Camp before I set of for some leave on Monday heading down to the coast, I will try and get some good Marine ecology pics and when I come back post some interesting things on Coastal habitats and some of the critters that live there!

The Pictures below are from recent sightings from Sayari Camp, Since I arrived in Tanzania in 2008, this season is the best wildlife viewing I have heard of in the Northern Serengeti, saying that, the game viewing in al the Asilia camps have been remarkable, well done to all the guides!!

Enjoy the Pictures!!

Wildlife spotting of a different kind, This black spitter came to say hallo in Tanya and Spike's shower, while Tanya was busy having a shower, I don't know who was more surprised the snake or Tanya. Needless to say after some careful persuasion the snake was successfully caught and released outside!

Crossings still happening most days!!

Nice breeding herd of Ellies close to camp, beautiful short green grass!!

The most interesting thing that happened at Sayari was this young wildebeest that was caught and killed right at the camp swimming pool by a male Leopard, they no it was a male as he came back the next night at around 7:40 dinner time, but Nchama and James already made sure the pool area was clean so Mr Leopard left angry!!

This is the next morning, getting a glimpse of the Swimming pool starker, the male Leopard responsible for the young Wildebeest kill, this photo was taken after just leaving the Sayari parking area!

Binoculars

After a recent short visit to the Tarangire and spending some time with guides I felt that I would like to write something about binoculars, but not so much what a binocular is but what an effective guiding tool it becomes if used properly. A common thing I saw is how little some guides use their binoculars, which I can’t understand as mine, was glued to my face almost all the time. Binoculars become a vital tool when you are in the field guiding and if you use them properly can play a big role in what you will find and what you could tell and show your guests. It can also help you interpret useful and different information to your guests, telling them what you see or can see through binoculars. A common mistake in guiding is jumping to conclusions and many of these mistakes or miss identification could be avoided by just spending a bit more time looking through your binoculars.

With binoculars you will notice the pretty blue above the eye

There is nothing better than sitting with a group of animals or maybe a pretty interesting bird and just watching them through binoculars, this is when you notice animal and bird behavior and often things that you don’t always read in a book. A good example is the Little Bee Eater it is a fairly common bird seen in the parks and absolutely worth stopping next to and showing your guests and everybody will admire its beauty. When looking at it with binoculars and getting your guests to do the same you will also notice another hidden color this bird has which is the most amazing blue above its eye. You can then go further and watch it hunt, sitting on a favorite perch with a clear view where it can scan the air for any flying insects. After catching something it will often return to the same perch and smack the insect against a branch until it is dead and can be swallowed. If he caught a butterfly you will also see how he first discards the wings before swallowing.  All of this is really interesting stuff to see and show your guests, and all it takes is a few minutes of looking through your binoculars and interpreting what you see and this you can do with almost any other animal.

 Another important use for binoculars is to stop and scan your surroundings especially if you are battling to find stuff, my favorite saying when guests come back from a drive and say “We saw everything this morning except a Leopard” is that it does not mean there was no leopard you just did not see it! Sometimes you drive through an area and you think to yourself “Man there must be something interesting here” and if you stop, switch of the vehicle and just do a good thorough scan with your binoculars you will often find that there is something special.

It does not mean there was no Leopard, you just did not see it!

From far away just another sausage tree, but looking through binoculars, something special!

Another fine example of scanning, we found this Lioness out on the Lemai Plains in a small Balanites after stopping and scanning.

So next time when you are out guiding try and use your binoculars a bit more then normal and you will see it makes a huge difference, it opens up a whole new world of hidden things and by getting your guests to do the same it makes them feel more part of the whole experience, after all, you did not bring your binoculars along for nothing!!