Northern Carmine Bee-eaters

It is just spectacular to witness a huge flock of Northern Carmine Bee-eaters homing in on a swarm of insects and giving you an aerial display like no other bird can. The insects have no chance as they get picked off one by one!

Ellies are awesome!

Spend some time following ellies on a walking safari or sometimes just relax around the pool, magical! It is such a shame that these beautiful and intelligent giants have such a hard time.

With a chirp chirp and a wiggle wiggle...

I love this photo of Pietro having a chat this morning with our resident bul-bul, white-browed sparrow-weavers and black-headed weavers. The white-browed sparrow-weavers and the bul bul brought their chicks to the reception this week. It is just a constant chirp chirp and wiggle wiggle as the big babies beg their parents for food. It is also a first time for me to observe the whole family of white-browed sparrow-weavers feeding the little chicks. They have two chicks out of a family of 13 adults and its awesome watching the adults lining up with food for the chicks!

What’s your favorite sound in the African bush?

An authentic African safari can only be complete when you sit around the bushfire, chatting about the day’s sightings and experiences and listening to the distinct ‘whoo-up’ of a hyena in the distance.

Hyenas are not our most favourite predator and definitely not the prettiest or most hygienic, but there is nothing cuter than a baby hyena with their curious expressions when they hear the ice clink-clink in a glass of G&T with a sunset in the background.

They are known as scavengers but are in actual fact very determined hunters, with lots and lots of stamina and they make my most favourite sound in Africa, their laugh is infectious and Pietro and I have giggled many a time with them!

Bagamoyo, beginning or the end?

I took this photo at Bagamoyo when we did our recent Swahili Coast Expedition. We have just visited the local fish market and bought some fresh supplies and were walking back to our camping site.

Bagamoyo have been a trading port for hundreds of years and also the gateway to East Africa for Victorian explorers like  Burton, Speke, Stanley and Grant. Unfortunately it was also the place that Livingstone’s body left Africa to be shipped via Zanzibar back to England (more about Bagamoyo and our expedition in our blog coming soon!).