Today started quietly but had unexpected twists and turns which made it an amazing wildlife day.
As we set off we saw nothing, everywhere was unusually quiet, then as we passed a bend in the river we saw hundreds of wildebeest standing on a sand bank thinking about crossing - a grumpy hippo put paid to that as it chased them all back up the bank and into the bushes - we waited then drove up the river to see if they had gone upriver to cross - nothing - so we returned to our a original point to see the wildebeest had done likewise and returned to their original spot - and lo and behold we're just starting to cross. They took an interesting route because the difficult part took them across a fast running section but they remained on the wrong side and still had to cross a sand bank to be on the right side (south side)of the river . In true wildebeest style as they completed the first part of the right angle they ran up the bank before some bright spark realised they were still on the wrong side so they all ran back down again, then ran to another sand bank and stood there - thinking about when to make the final short concluding and relatively easy push across the river and up the bank - when another angry hippo emerged from the pod and helped them make up their minds chasing them for the last part of their route and on to the grass and grazing beyond. A great early morning spectacle - and all before 7.30am! We continued up the river to crossing point six and could see another group of bewildered wildebeest standing on the edge obviously wanting to cross. We watched to for ages while other jeeps breakfasted - the wildebeest ambled backwards and forwards - they even followed a zebra who got fed up with them and crossed further back down the river all on his own.
Just as we decided it was breakfast time and the bag was out they moved. As the drivers are only allowed on the bank when a crossing is in progress it was like a Grand Prix start from the tree where we were all watching. Luckily we had Lewis Hamilton driving and got a prime spot in front of the crossing. Great photos in the bag ( today's photo is but one of hundreds) we went back to the tree to be reunited with the breakfast bag which in our haste we had been left behind!
After breakfast, gleeful after seeing two crossings, we headed down the river to crossing point 10 - the last in Tanzania -and saw all the activity from the vultures and maribou storks feasting on the carnage from earlier crossings.
En route I also saw a great tawny eagle on a post and got my best photo of one yet.
As we came back across the ridge the jeep sprung a warning noise - which after frantic radio calls Jeremiah had the ok that it should be fine and would not 'conk out' before we got back. As we were now behind the other vehicles we got to see things they had spotted - a pregnant leopard relaxing up a tree, we had actually seen her fresh prints in the sand of a small tributary much earlier when we were in 'crossing fever' mode; followed by a mother cheetah with her two sub adult cubs after they had lunched on an oribi, the remains of which were just infront of them. We also saw a bat eared fox and grey backed shrike communing and doing exactly what the bird book said - fanning their tails and displaying to each other - a very interesting sighting.
A great morning, after lunch and siesta we opted for a 4.30pm start to the afternoon drive as it was cooler....the skies looked threatening and we knew we would be lucky to come back dry - indeed the rain started in earnest on the homeward leg and there was much scurrying to put the roof on and baton down the hatches. This however was not before we had seen the lioness and cubs again - she had moved them into a thorny tangle of dead acacia branches but you could still see them - they were much more active but still very vulnerable. Next I saw a hyena emerge with a very red blood stained nose, so we went to see what she had in the grass and could see her nose had been in a wildebeest carcass - it looked to have died rather than have been killed - as she left vultures arrived by the dozen -we have never seen anything like it - soon they all had red heads and were squabbling over who had what - the hyena chased them off a couple of times but only half heartedly - we then watched as 18 other hyena lolloped towards the carcass from all over and although they could have taken it for themselves they seemed nervous and reluctant albeit eventually 5 did start to dominate it albeit warily; a family of jackal circled in hope of picking up some titbits. Our final siting was of two cheetah brothers scent marking and patrolling their territory. The skies were now very dark and lightening abounded so we made our way back to camp.
Tonight's dinner guest list Brits 9 Americans 3 and our two Tanzanian hosts! For the first time this trip we had chocolate fondant for pudding - on most trips this desert seems to appear no doubt to fulfill guests or hosts need for chocolate which is refreshingly absent from any breakfast, lunch or snack out on safari.
The only sadness was we had to pack as we are off tomorrow.