242 : Northern Grey-headed Sparrow

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus

I have been immersing myself in African mammal books, guides to Tanzanian national parks and identification books for so many months now that I have started to consider that it just wasn't healthy.  
Just not healthy to leave it there when the current set of pictures runs out and I just couldn't find anything more to say. So I spent 48 hours in contemplation with my wife on the Imagine Africa website and then sent a lethal email  to Pierre. A quick call to the bank and we are booked to fly down to Dar es Salam on 27 June followed by quite a long coastal light plane flight into the Ruaha National park. 6 full nights more at the Kwihali mobile camp. I beyond excited and can now I think finally deal with the fact that my last Safari is over. I have found the neatest solution : book another one.

6 nights in one camp really means a full week in the bush. There are six tents where we are going. So we will make up a third of the guest population of the place for a full week. Ruaha gets only 3000 visitors a year still and is something like the size of Switzerland. A guide book I want to order is advertised as follows "Ruaha is one of East Africa's finest parks and one of the wildest. Why do so many Africa 'Old hands' love it ? This book and its many splendid photographs might begin to explain why".

We will have time to slow down on this safari - time to really get into the rythymm of the whole experience. I will be content to miss the odd game drive and just sit in camp with a Kili beer and bird watch from my tent veranda. 2013 is made for me - and the family I hope. Then camp is surrounded by 7 lion prides and there are good chances of seeing leopard and Cheetah most days. Also as we are further South than before there will be a change in some of the antelope with Roan and Sable in abundance as well as normal plains ungulates. The birds - well it's a cross over region for bird species so the task should not suffer.

I picked up a guide to Manyara earlier to take up as bedtime reading and out fell a postcard. " Neil and Jane, Welcome to the ancient drama of Africa, the hidden secret of Lake Manyara the jungle and the bush. Now fell then rhythm of its soul and share the beauty of its land ! thank you for sharing this special moment of your lifetime with us , Scott and the Tree Lodge team "

If it wasn't true I might cringe.

Great materials at all "and Beyond" lodges. A checklist of East African birds for every national park on recycled paper with illustrations helped to narrow down this sparrow just now. We are going back . How lucky are we ?? I have to make it up with Disney World as promised but that is not a chore and I will save that up for the very end of Summer. Ruaha  - the BBC film there. The Daily Bird is on its way.

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Passer Griseus
Lake Manyara Tanzania
July 2013