Tanzania Pt. 3/5 Lark Plains, South Pare Mts., Usambara Mts.

The Famous Engikaret Lark Plains

About 50 km north of Arusha is a little nature reserve with parched ground and minimal brown, stunted clumps of grass. Perplexingly, not even this desolate wasteland is safe from the relentless herdsmen that overgraze nearly every square km of Tanzania. This little patch of land, which we could easily walk across from one end to the other, is home to one of the world's rarest of birds, the Beesley's Lark (formerly called the much cooler Spike-heeled Lark). Per had arranged for two Masai caretakers of this nature reserve to scout the area for us before we got there. The community had agreed to keep their livestock off the nature reserve in exchange for collecting entrance fees from birders. They had not yet found any but there were some interesting birds about: Rosy-patched Bush-shrikes, Capped Wheatears, Red-capped Larks, Grassland Pipits, Foxy Lark (formerly Singing Bush Lark), Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and a Secretary Bird. 

The caretakers of the nature reserve

It didn't take us too long to locate 3 Beesley's Larks scratching about for grubs (successfully) with their absurdly long hind claw. You can sort of see it in the photo. 

Taita Fiscal

Short-tailed Lark

After some decent effort we located three Short-tailed Larks, another tricky lark. Unfortunately it appeared the much sough-after 'Athi' Somali Short-toed Lark was not in residence at this particular time so we birded the nearby scrub. Nothing was new for me but everything was new for Nicole, and a definite highlight was White-headed Mousebird and Gray Wren-warbler.

Bearded Scrub Robin

White-headed Mousebird

From there Per took us to a lunch spot called 'Rotterdam' where we stuffed our faces before Per took my dad to the airport. We said our goodbyes and agreed that this was the most fun possible way for him to have met my girlfriend (in Tanzania of all places). After doing a bunch of errands in the village we continued toward Elephant Motel to enjoy a nice comfortable bed and shower which we might not have for a while.

Birding around Same town

Before checking in to the Elephant Motel we met up with expert guide and all-around great guy Martin Joho who showed us some roadside scrub known for Scaly Chatterer and Pringle's Puffback. Despite hearing the Puffback we never saw it but had amazing views of the Scaly Chatterer. From there we had an ill-fated attempt at finding African Skimmers at the Nyumba ya Mungu Dam, which took us over some bare dodgy roads as the car windows were savagely beaten by massive thorns. I nearly got lacerated in the face when one slapped into the open window! Basically they had raised the water level of the reservoir which all but eliminated suitable sandbanks for Skimmers to rest on and making navigation difficult. With the help of some local boys we escaped the maze of tiny roads, empty handed but unscathed by thorns.

Scaly Chatterer

In the morning, we birded about a km outside the gate of Mkomazi National Park. It would have been a cool park to visit but time and money weren't on our side, so we birded the roadside scrub just east of the town of Same which produced a few lifers. White-crested Helmet-shrike and a female Straw-tailed Wydah and Tiny Cisticola were lifers to me. Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit and Gray-headed Bush-shrike were also nice additions. But the most exciting sighting was a lone male elephant who was walking toward us. To be quite close to an elephant on foot is an exhilarating feeling. Martin detected the elephant's presence long before we saw it. It was our cue to leave.

Beautiful Sunbird

White-crested Helmet-shrike

Straw-tailed Wydah

From there we drove a short distance into the South Pare Mountains, a tiny sky island with one endemic for us: the South Pare White-eye. This was our first taste of forest birding for the trip so Nicole got a lot of lifers: Stripe-checked Greenbul, South Pare White-eye, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler and Yellow Bishop were among them. We got a very poor view of an Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, one of my targets. I did not count it as a lifer.

West Usambara Mountains

From there we proceeded to the legendary Usambara Mountains which loomed on the horizon. There are only very small patches of forest left in the heart of the mountains, but what habit remains is a treasure trove of endemism which has been isolated from other forests of African for a long time. The West and East Usambaras are actually two separate mountain ranges and you need to visit both in order to collect all of the desired endemics of the 'Eastern Arc Mountains' of Tanzania.

The birding spot is called Magamba Forest Reserve. Per and local guide Martin arranged our accommodation at an abandoned sawmill (called 'the sawmill campsite' in the Bradt guide), one of the coolest campsites I've ever stayed at. It has a fresh stream running through the camp for water collection, a 'custom-made toilet' (made by Per and Martin on a previous trip), and some local ladies would bring us a freshly-slaughtered chicken from the village so we didn't even need to worry about keeping meat from spoiling.

Emerald Snake (?)

We set up camp quickly so we could initiate birding. Along the roadside, which seldom sees a passing motorbike (rarely a car), we got amazing looks at Usambara Akalat (a West Usambara especial). Hearing the songs of Spot-throat and Orange Ground-thrush in the ravine, I was very keen to set myself up deep in the thick understory to make an attempt at a sighting. Per was never keen on bush-whacking (he lets the birds come to him and prefers to sit in his camping chair). Martin joined me and we sat motionless or about an hour. Our patience paid off with stunning views of Usambara Akalat (again), Spot-throat and an unexpected White-chested Alethe! What a start to our Usambara adventure! The others had long gone back to camp so we continued our walk, getting amazing views of Hartlaub's Turaco feeding on palm nuts and Martin amazingly spotted a Usambara Two-horned Chameleon blending in [almost] perfectly with a bush!

West Usambara Two-horned Chameleon

They can do that

Per was telling us that the Usambara Weaver was definitely not guaranteed, so that gave me extra motivation to look for one. Just up a little ways from where he and Martin had seen it before, I played the call (only once) and had a pair of them fly in and land above the road! I called everybody over and we got crippling views of this beautiful and rare weaver. Further birding produced Red-faced Crimsonwings, Black-fronted Bush-shrike, a flock of African Black Swifts, a squawking African Crowned Eagle, Square-tailed Drongos and some wary Black-and-white Colobus Monkeys.

Usambara Weaver

African Black Swift

Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

Cape Robin-chat

Square-tailed Drongos

Black-fronted Bush-shrike

By this time Ramata and Chris were pretty bored of birds so Nicole, Martin and I set off on our own in search of the Usambara Thrush. We heard it calling accouple of times but, similar to the ultra-shy Taita Thrush, as soon as we got anywhere close we would just hear its alarm call and a flash of movement as it flew away.  The singing Orange Ground-thrush also eluded us. But Martin did get Nicole a nice view of a Spot-throat - not an easy bird to see! We had to be careful not to step in this traditional bush-pig trap which would formerly be concealed with a flimsy covering of twigs and leaves when it was in use. You would not want to fall in there! 

At last it was our final morning in the West Usambaras and during our morning walk we tried perfecting our chameleon-finding skills. Even though Martin told us the general direction of a chameleon, it took us a long time to spot it. So sad! We did this repeatedly but never honed our skills. 

Who can spot the chameleon? Nobody

Finally spotted it and got the reward

East Usambara Mountains

I got word from Martin about a Taita Falcon roost, but he said it would take us two hours of driving in each direction to get to the spot (Mambo Ecolodge). If you include searching time that could add up to 6 hours. Reluctantly we abandoned that possibility in favour of getting to Amani Forest at a reasonable hour in the afternoon. After agreeing to what park fees we were going to pay (always make sure you come to an agreement before entering!), we were glad that Per and Martin could make sure we wouldn't be over charged. Look at the complicated fee structure!

I'd originally indented to camp at the well known Amani Forest Camp but Per convinced me that we could get the exact same birds and pay considerably less at what he called the 'Park Headquarters.' This is a poorly advertised spot (very difficult to find information on the internet about it) but as far as I can tell the official name is "Amani Resthouse" or "Amani Conservation Rest House" depending on which guide book you're using. Basically it's where the researchers stay and occasionally birders, located just downhill from the former malaria research compound and post office (don't worry - malaria has since been eradicated in the Usambaras). All the buildings were colonial and seem frozen in time. There was even a British telephone booth and post box and all the old science equipment could be seen through the windows of the labs. As far as I know, not a lot of research (if any) goes on there anymore. We camped just next to the guest rooms and negotiated an arrangement to use one of their rooms to shower and charge our gadgets.

Interestingly, I was told that the forest around this compound is made up of mostly exotic trees. It was settled by Germany as an agricultural research station in 1902 and is apparently the second-largest botanical garden in the world (Briggs, 2006). Despite the fact that the trees are exotic, the quality of birding around camp was awesome. Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbirds, White-eared Barbets, Eastern Green Tinkerbird and Green-headed Oriole were all easily seen, while Silvery-checked Hornbills and Syke's Monkeys gorged on the exotic fruit trees planted by Germans over 100 years ago. The sun set and we went out for a night walk, hoping to hear the ultimate of all Usambara targets: the great Usambara Eagle Owl.

Syke's Monkey

Silvery-cheeked Hornbills

This is one that Per has only seen once, when Martin found it silently perched behind the restaurant, minding its own business. We were told to not get our hopes too high, but I was not planning on leaving Amani Forest without this one. So let me tell you how it went down...

Typically, I need to get up to pee at least once a night, so I planed to use that outing to take a listen. I woke up several times during the night, restless about the owl. Then at about 1am, as I was lying awake, I heard a low, pulsating hooting sound, very faint as if it was not nearby but undeniably the sound that Martin had described. Ramata refused to get up despite my pleas, and the others had instructed me not to wake them unless I actually saw an owl. I kind of regret not forcing them to get up. So I relieved myself and walked down to the restaurant in pursuit of the sound, equipped with bins and headlamp. Another regret: my camera was locked in Per's car for some reason, and he was sleeping with the key. Anyway, I got as close as I could to some very tall trees beside the road and then when I thought I had the spot I turned on the headlamp. There were no owls. About 5 more minutes of alternating between listening and checking with the light, I was worried I had scared them off. Then, on the periphery of my light beam, I saw a flash of movement, like a bird flapping. There they were, a pair of Usambara Eagle Owls!!! They were preening each other and sort of kissing with their beaks and would occasionally look me straight in the face. They ruffled up their feathers and vibrated as they hooted in duet, appearing very sinister. I enjoyed about 5 minutes of solid views, then speed-walked up the hill to wake up the others and get my camera. We all went down to the spot but unfortunately the owls had completely disappeared. I was the only one who got to see them and don't even have a photo to prove it. Per and I sat in front of the restaurant for about an hour but they never reappeared. I even tried for them the second night but never saw them again.

In the morning, Martin took us to a forest edge to look for the Long-billed Tailorbird. I believe the spot is adjacent to "Kwamkoro Station" on ebird. Martin led us up a hill just around the corner from the station, through some Eucalyptus to an area of native forest bordering a tea plantation. We got some glimpses of this very skulky species, then saw a bunch of other ones. Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Kretzmer's Longbill, Livingstone's Turaco and Cabanis's Bunting and Pale-breasted Illadopsis all delighted. I was racking up the lifers! We then went for a walk in the beautiful primary forest around Kwamkoro Station where we finally got good looks at Usambara Thrush and a pair of Sharpe's Akalats as bonus, the only ones of the entire trip! In the afternoon we birded around the village and picked up recently split East Coast Boubou.

Long-billed Tailorbird (just the bill)

Long-billed Tailorbird (minus the bill)

Scaly-throated Honeyguide

Usambara Thrush

We then went to look for Half-collared Kingfisher along some streams, but had no luck. In the evening, we cooked some dinner and waited around near the restaurant to see if we could spot anything while we waited for our arranged chameleon walk. Just as sun went down, a Bat Hawk zipped over the canopy, followed by a pair of raucous Olive Ibis! None of us were really ready but amazingly they circled back again and we had amazing views (but not photos). The Olive Ibis is really seldom seen and definitely a huge trip highlight. I've seen them once before at Castle Forest Lodge in Kenya. The Bat Hawk was a really unexpected icing on the cake.

The Chameleon Walk

We were joined by a local guide by the name of Amos who would be taking us looking for chameleons for a fee, joined by some trainee guides who were interesting to talk to. Everybody agreed the walk was one of the highlights of our entire Tanzania trip, and I had no idea that looking for chameleons at night was a thing. We saw 5 species of chameleons in about a hour and a half. Here are a few of the shots from our walk. There is a handy guide available that could be colour-printed and laminated, here is the link:

https://fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/sites/default/files/rapid-color-guides-pdfs/446_1.pdf

This is how you spot a Chameleon hiding up in a tree. Then you get a long stick and get it to walk onto the tip

 

Soft-nosed Chamelon Kinyongia tenuis

Usambara Big-fingered Frog Probreviceps macrodactylus

Usambara Three-horned Chameleon Trioceros deremensis (male)

Usambara Three-horned Chameleon Trioceros deremensis (female)

Usambara Pitted Pygmy Chameleon Rhampholeon temporalis

Usambara Pitted Pygmy Chameleon Rhampholeon temporalis

Yellow-spotted Treefrog Leptopelis flavomaculatus

Reed Frog Hyperolius burgessi (I think?)

We found a roosting Yellow-streaked Greenbul

Vermiculated Treefrog Leptopelis vermiculatus

Bearded or Short-tailed Pygmy Chameleon Rieppeleon brevicaudus

 
Birding eastern slope in search of Usambara Hyliota

Our final morning in East Usambaras was to be spent birding our way down the eastern slope toward Tanga to catch our 3pm flight. This was supposed to give us just enough time to secure our my last major target which was the Usambara Hyliota. But first we tried the kingfisher spot one more time and got amazing views of a Half-collared Kingfisher and a bonus Giant Kingfisher.



It took some effort and a lot of walking to find an Usambara Hyliota but eventually we had a pair of them high up in the canopy. All that canopy birding left our necks extremely sore but we were satisfied that we had got all we came for in the Usambaras which was a huge relief because there were a couple ones I was worried about. Our last three targets (Amani Sunbird, Mombassa Woodpecker and Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike) went unseen but fortunately for me I've already seen then in Arabuko-Sokoke over in Kenya.

Usambara Hyliota!!!

East Usambara Two-horned Chameleon Kinyongia matschiei

Martin left us there and turned back toward his home on his motorcycle, and we got to our Tanga flight to Pemba Island with lots of time to spare and said goodbye to Per. After Pemba, he would pick me up in a few days in Dar Es Salam so we could continue our epic adventure without the others, who would proceed to Zanzibar instead.