African Safari – Oldupai Gorge to Serengeti National Park

African Safari – Oldupai Gorge to Serengeti National Park

As we left the Oldupai Gorge, our vehicles left a plume of dust behind at every corner. Looking off into the distance, it looked like we might be in for some rain. When on safari, a little rain is a good thing as it helps to keep the dust down and gets the grass growing. On the other hand, rain can make everything rather slippery, wet and messy. We had been blessed with perfect weather. so far. As we approached the Serengeti portion of our safari, we had our fingers crossed that the showers would be beneficial and not downpours.

Augur Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus)

We stopped at the gate for a bit and that gave me a few moments to stretch my legs and go looking for more birds to photograph.

Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)

These mice were everywhere with trails through the grass and around the picnic tables when we first stopped at the gate into the Serengeti. When we returned a couple of days later, there were no mice in sight but I did see a mongoose in the area so perhaps a natural predator exacted its toll rather than a poisoning campaign.

Mwanza Flat-headed Agama (Agama mwanzae)

A rock outcrop at the gate provided an excellent view of the surrounding countryside.

After a bit of hilltop discussion and a review of how large the lizard really was, we returned to our vans and released our fearless leader and gave our drivers the orders to follow the giraffes out into the Serengeti. We had had enough of a leg-stretch and we were ready for some more adventure.

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