Today in crater
we saw many animals
and also some plants
We went to a national park
The hyenas, they did not bark
Baboons are scary
We were quite wary
And set up our tents before dark
Today’s blog post is a long one so get ready for an adventure my gentle readers. We woke quite early to arrive early at the entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation area to beat the crowds. Unfortunately the crowds had the same idea. In the parking lot, we had many adventures going to the bathroom and visiting the gift shop and staying a safe distance away from the baboons while also taking many pictures!
After we got into the conservation area, we drove up the side of the crater through clouds – we were that high up! The moisture allowed dense vegetation and tree growth, with trees adorned with mosses hidden in shrouds of fog. Eventually we climbed above the tree cover to a verdant grassland where herds of zebra and the cattle herds and boma of the Maasai. After driving over the rim, we caught out first glimpse of the crater itself – it’s huge! The largest caldera anywhere in the world. A massive alkaline lake occupies the center, with dense forest on the crater walls and grasslands in the base. It looks like what I would envision as paradise.
Our first bird encounter in the crater basin was a flock of around 15 helmeted guineafowl walking along the side of the road. They were quite round and precious, and surprisingly large, about the size of a small chicken. They walked in a line, with 4 small chicks in the center.
One of the most impressive sights of the Ngorongoro crater were the massive grazing assemblages – easily hundreds of zebra, wildebeest, and Thomspon’s and Grant’s gazelle, all grazing together in the vast crater grasslands. It was amazing to witness their behavior – protection and care of young, the distinction between browsing and grazing, mutual grooming, guarding, and sometimes fighting.
As the bird person, I was so excited to see grey crowned cranes! These incredible large birds are the iconic waterbirds of the Serengeti region, known for their prominent yellow crests and elaborate mating dances. We saw many flocks in the crater, and I was so excited to see them! I took lots of pictures.
The second bird event of the crater were the flamingoes! My bird guide mentioned how the greater and lesser flamingoes of the region could be seen in their fall breeding season in Lake Natron, and I assumed they couldn’t be seen anywhere else. This was not the case! Hundreds of flamingoes of both species could be seen wading and feeding in the shallows of the alkaline lake in the center of the crater, and they were amazing to see, especially because I wasn’t expecting it at all! It was especially cool to see the greater flamingoes take to the air, because their pink coloration is largely limited to a shock of bright pink near the ends of their wings.
One of my favorite sights in the crater were the Thompson’s gazelles. They are so cute and perfect and tiny with their strange spindly legs and they way they nibble on browse is my favorite thing ever. They also had babies, which are even cuter. One of the behaviors the gazelles engage in is setting a guard gazelle (typically a male) to watch predators and ensure they don’t try anything while the rest of the herd grazes. They are very diligent and stand almost completely still, taking their job very seriously.
We took our lunch at a designated picnic spot where black kites had learned to spot vulnerable tourists and nab their food. It was an awesome sight. We saw four kites in total, who would circle overhead, then tuck in their wings and dive down, picking food from hands or tables, and eating it in midair.
We were all beyond excited to witness lions! I have to admit that I didn’t expect to see lions at all, knowing how rare and elusive they can be. But, right after lunch, we first saw a lone male lion and then an entire pride – seven females and an older male, lounging in the grass. They are just amazing creatures! They would get up, move a bit, and dramatically flop down in the grass, rolling onto their backs and batting at flies with their massive paws. Many of the females wound up in a cuddle pile, which was so adorable.
The whole time we were in the crater, all of us were in the landrovers for our safety and the safety of the animals. It was actually so fun standing up and poking our heads up out of the top of the vehicle, with the wind and the sun and bandanas over our faces to protect against the dust.
After seeing the pride, we drove up out of the crater and started the drive to Olduvai and almost immediately stumbled upon 10 adult giraffes – I LOVE the giraffes, and seeing them is like walking into an alternate universe. They are just so huge, and tall, and the way they walk is like how a spindly-legged elegant giant would walk. It was amazing to see so many, and even more amazing when we saw another herd of seven and one of five!
On the drive to Olduvai, we noticed how the landscape dramatically and quickly dried up to an arid savanna with golden dry grasses and scattered acacia trees; a stark contrast to the lush greenery of the crater. When we got to Olduvai, it was near dark and we scrambled to set up our tents before dinner. But that didn’t stop us from taking in the gorgeous landscape – limestone and dusty earth with acacia, scrub, grasses and the plants for which the gorge is named fading into the edge of the gorge and the mountains in the distance.
We finished off the day with dinner and two presentations: Suids, Rhinocertotids, and Herpestids by Milton and Large Felix’s by Alex.
sincerely,
Caroline
Hundreds of flamingos in the crater lake
