The sun had only been up an hour when we moved slowly and deliberately, from Tembo Club at Kisongo, where we had enjoyed a cup of coffee with some tasty snacks.
There was no hurry. The trip was about watching birds of different kinds on that breezy waiting, including a special bird, the Red-and-yellow Barbet (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus).
A few days ago, I had discussed this bird with my close friend Mr. Samwel Ndaga; I was fascinated and decided to search for it. The bird is listed as “of less concern”; I have to admit that I had only seen one other before, a high-sitting one would become a regular sighting now.
My first task was to find a proper description of the bird and its habitat. I have noted that it is a medium-sized bird, with beautiful plumage, perfectly semi-arid bush country and from bush areas. It roosts and forages on or close to the ground. Armed with these details, I decided to search for it in Makuyuni and Tarangire.
While identifying birds, it is also important to know their sounds and calls; this helps to locate a particular bird and avoid misidentifications.
Earlier, at the Tembo Club bird grounds, we managed to spot several unfamiliar birds including the Ovambo Sparrowhawks, Arrow-marked Babbler, and Levaillant’s Cuckoo, an intra-African migrant.
As we passed through Mbuyuni, we saw a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), a mother bird which is common at a passage migrant and winter visitor.
We spent two hours on the spot, a birding en route, without spotting our favourite bird, the Red-and-yellow Barbet.
Upon arriving at Tarangire, we saw a gang of Banded Mongooses crossing the road quickly. These small animals live in highly cooperative societies, but are known to fight each other at boundaries with other mongoose groups.
They eat a variety of foods including earthworms, bird eggs and even snakes. Mongooses have evolved a specific mutation that made them resistant to snake venom. Thus, they hunt, kill, and eat snakes.
As we were contemplating our next move, outside the car window, a bird landed on a bare tree. It was almost camouflaged, but its eyes stayed sharp, watching quietly, yet attentively.
The bird’s feathers were bright yellow, had black-spotted wings and a sharp beak. The bird called twice – a short, hard sound that sent a heartbeat later – it was off, displaying beautiful colours.
As close as we were to the bird, we concluded that this was a work painted by God Himself; the bird is a living masterpiece of nature.
“Never seen that one before, and thank heavens they are here in Tanzania,” commented Mr. Samwel Ndagala, the Director of Tembo Club.
Raphael Mbunda, Lepage Lodge, Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania. He can be reached at mbundarb11@gmail.com, +255765860070
