275 : Black-faced Sandgrouse

Black-faced Sandgrouse - Pterocles decoratus

Another favourite family the Sandgrouse, beautiful birds with cryptic plumage and endearing habits. I first encountered the Yellow-throated in the Ngorogoro crater on safari in 2012. Click the link for a good description of the family. Closer to home in Dubai earlier this year I found some Pin-tailed Sandgrouse out at a new reserve carved from the desert. A lucky encounter after a radio interview on Dubai Eye turned up Chestnut-bellied. I was delighted to chalk up my fourth species in Ruaha. We would generally see these birds most days. Close to the end of our stay in the reserve (6 nights at Kwihalia Camp) this bird was determined to walk slightly ahead of the safari truck in the middle of the track. It was close to sunset and the colours were spectacular.

I assume the "Black-face" comes from the black pyramidal mark just behind the bill. Some individual bird encounters do last a lifetime, especially now with a reference photograph. I think this will be one of them just because of the light and the moment.

On the subject of encounters I may as well throw in our most exciting lion encounter. We were bumping down a track trying to make some distance to get to a new area away from our camp when, typically, Mrs C called out Lion (she seems to be tuned in) and there crouched by the side of our path was another lioness. The typical reaction is for the driver to hit the breaks and kill the engine all at the time. On this occasion I think we had to reverse due to an over shoot. There hunkered down, ears up and alert was a huge lioness. Just 60 yards away milling through the scrub was herd of buffalo and then we had possibly our once in a lifetime view. She exploded up and across the short distance with giant bounds and in a cloud of dust hurled herself onto the back of a buffalo - dust, roaring, bellowing buffalo and general chaos ensued. All the while I sat dumbfounded with my camera firmly sat on my lap. Rabbit in the headlights or absolute jaw-dropping engagement - not even a picture of a cloud of dust.

She drifted back out of the bush and met up with a companion in close view of us - all the world like a pair of domestic cats. She had missed her kill. She trotted the last the few steps and they nuzzled each other in same was as Dolly and Jasper our two rescue cats would. They are just giant versions of cats at home but obviously completely tuned to the wild and not something you would want to have in your lounge of an Autumn's evening. I was struck by the mannerisms, the way they moved, how they walked, sniffed, their ears pricked up and so on. I haven't looked at my two cats the same way since. I feel I know where they come from, deep deep down in their loins. 

These cats were active and hunting, but not in some sinister way with an orchestral background. Almost just the same way as my cats would look at a bird through the window or even a moth which they will chase. They were interested and wanting to kill to get fed. Its just what they do. Nobody gets upset about a shark eating a big fish - this is no different. Its just up the food chain from say a lizard and a fly and there is a bit more mess. 

So from a place of indifference I am now pretty hooked on lions - I am not bothered if I ever see a lion kill something. I was lucky to see a lion "pouncing". They are faster than you would believe - athletic - graceful and packed with a huge punch of power. To bring down a ton of buffalo you need to have some serious equipment. 

We watched them check out some Giraffe on the horizon and laze around some more. 

It was an exciting couple of hours. I wouldn't necessarily head out to follow lions all day but if you are ever lucky enough to come close to lions that are active it is captivating. Big Cat - thats just about right. 

Black-faced Sandgrouse, Pterocles decoratus 

Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

July 2013