Arrived by bush plane to Serengeti National Park. As promised, a land cruiser with “Lemala  Tent Camp ” on it was waiting, and Peter our new guide.   Peter’s plan was to take a slow game drive back to the camp, where lunch would be waiting for us. Sounded fine.  It was 11 am, and we were hungry.  Here’s what happened along the way and what we saw.  Unfortunately I can’t do the drive justice with words, such was the pace of sights and the flow of stories from our guide.   The lilac breasted roller is in the top ten most beautiful birds in Africa.

  It mates in flight high in the air, and rolls over and over falling to the ground, separating at the last second.  Our first bird out of the airport.   Discussed the honey badger seen yesterday.  Peter excitedly tells of the badger tipping over a refrigerator at a camp. Ate all the contents, then came back every night thereafter.  Have been known to kill elephants ,  and even lions run from them,  always plan to go right for the genitals.  No story of anything killing a honey badger.   We come upon a lion in a tree, escaping the flies and the heat. Peter tells of the most exciting lion kills he has seen in his four years. He saw a lion grab a wildebeest by the horn next to a muddy pond edge and hold its head and nose in the mud till it smothered.  Slippery mud prevented use of the beast’s leg strength. One baboon ran up a tree to escape.  The lion pretended to climb the tree and the baboon got so frightened it jumped and ran.  Caught. Dead.  Saw five lions kill a hippo.  Took one hour because they carefully avoid the head.   Next saw a “boys club” of impala–defeated guys waiting for their chance to take over a harem.   Arrive at small river with with two hippos and one crocodile.  At this exact spot Peter saw 70 wildebeests die in one day.  They jumped in the river, crocs feasted. Stampede and panic behind and they jump on each other’s backs, drowning each other. Lions get a couple.  Later, hyenas and vultures start cleanup.   Vervet monkey watches from a tree.  Peter says they love bananas.  Will jump in your truck and snatch one with you in the truck.   Pass two striped kingfishers singing to each other, followed shortly by two lovebirds shoulder to shoulder kissing . Valentine’s Day tomorrow.   A couple of minutes later we find a pride of 10 lions sleeping.

A herd of elephants come by, and they get up and move slowly away, watching.  They have big bellies from killing a baby giraffe yesterday.  60 lbs. of food at one sitting and they’re good for 3-4 days.   Lion in tree, standing, a little while later.   A giraffe grazes on a tree.  Turn a bend and find a big hyena sleeping under a tree 15 feet away.  Doesn’t bother to leave, which is rare.  Usually run away.   Next a grey backed shrike, also known as butcher bird because they catch a beetle and tear it apart in the tree eating it piecemeal.   Finally almost there, we pass a lesser kestrel, and a black shouldered kite, followed by a Pygmy falcon.   Arrive at camp and the giant marabou stork sits in a tall tree over the tents.   We are one hour late.  Two hour trip. Seventeen new birds.   Table for two is set for us in front of the camp.  Served cucumber soup, eggplant moussaka and fruit cup, with a Serengeti and a Tusker beer.   Perfect=