NW Tanzania - Road to Kyaka & Mutukula PLUS Minziro Forest

The birds weren't being very obliging for photos but managed to get this one of a Bare-faced Go-away Bird. We did have quite a few sightings though with Fan-tailed Widowbirds doing their displays everywhere along with their cousins the Red-collared Widowbirds and one sighting again of Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah, a new record for the area. Sooty Chats were everywhere once again and we saw White-browed and Blue-headed Coucals, heard Ross' Turaco and Black & White Casqued Hornbills. Flappet Larks displayed very audibly and we got some views of them. Red-headed Queleas abounded. Black-shouldered Kites were seen every few kilometres and Little Bee-eaters weren't too uncommon.



We added another Palm-nut Vulture to the list, 7x Southern Carmine Bee-eaters, Thick-billed Weaver, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-crested Eagle, White-headed Saw-wing, Yellow-throated Longclaw (rather common), Singing Cisticola, Grey Kestrel and Broad-billed Rollers.

Kyaka was where we would stay for 2 nights. This building above, well the ruins of it anyway, was on a hill in the town. One of the buildings Idi Amin bombed during the 70's.

At and near the border we had a couple of Meyer's Parrot, 30+ Open-billed Storks soaring, Hooded Vulture again, Yellow-billed Stork, Rock Martin, some more Fork-tailed Drongo, Black-headed Gonolek heard, Black-lored Babblers (who gave me a great call recording and interestingly sound a little higher pitched than those in Rwanda), Marico & Variable Sunbirds and yet another Flappet Lark.



After meeting up with my friends and the birding guide Emmanuel (brilliant guide) from Uganda we set off back to Kyaka to check in to our basic local motel and have a bite before going to Minziro Forest.



Marsh Tchagra opened our trek followed by Great Blue & Ross' Turaco, Red-chested Cuckoo and Crowned Hornbill. Afep Pigeon was a cool lifer for me. On way into and through the forest the sightings and calls came thick and fast with only an opportunity for a photo of the Black & white Casqued Hornbill.

A Yellowbill (Green Coucal/Malkoha) was trying its best to stay hidden as were the Toro Olive Greenbuls. The Little Greenbuls were only slightly more obliging with a few seconds longer view. The Nigritas came in pairs as well with great views of White-breasted and Grey-crowned Negrofinches. Yellow-spotted Barbet (a stunning steroid version of a Tinkerbird), Black-throated Apalis, Olive-bellied & Little Green Sunbirds, Green Crombec and Black-necked Weavers. The Black-billed Turaco was calling but refused to show itself.

Later some Red-headed Lovebirds gave me another lifer and we had some more weavers like Baglafecht and Holub's Golden Weaver. Driving back in the dark we flushed some nightjars which the driver had frustratingly no experience of dealing with, so some records lost there. A pair of Water Thick-knees was our last species for the day.