Our first of three day visits to the Ngorongoro Crater, the worlds largest caldera - 10 to 12 miles across and 2000 feet deep with a rim around 8000 feet altitude. I had visited it before - 25 years or so ago - but even then I was still stunned by the first views of it. It is one of the wonders of the world and filled with wildlife.
The hotel was on the rim with fantasic views, not that we were there long enough to appreciate them as we still held to a timescale of breakfast at 6.00am, packed lunch on the go, and back when the park closes it's gates at 6.00pm.
The crater is approached down a steep block-paved track and getting close to the bottom, there were a couple of Lions in a tree right next to it. A good start.
The crater was showing the signs of the record rainfall with the lake much larger than normal and some tracks impassable but our driver and guide knew their way around so we did not miss too much.
It is mainly the mammal life that most visitors want to see. Plains Zebras
Cape Buffalo
Thomson's Gazelle
Wildebeest
Lion
Spotted Hyena
African Elephant
It was esay to see why the trip was organised towards the end of the rainy season - the subjects are so much more photogenic among the colourful foliage than in the dry season when everything is brown.
So that was a taster for the mammals but, to me, the birdlife was something special.
Grey Crowned Crane
Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
Grey-headed Gull
Kori Bustard displaying
and for me, my best shot of the day- Pin-tailed Whydah
There was so much to see and photograph that we were getting close to closing time but climbing the separate return track, there was Bushbuck deep in the woods close to the road - apparently a surprising sight as they are a very shy species,
and finally, an Augur Buzzard eating a tree snake close to the track again.
We were the last bus to make it out before closing.
What a day, and we have two more days in the crater. It is only three days into this trip and I have already photographed 17 species of mamals and 53 species of birds. That is why it is taking so long to edit my photos. Day 4 to follow soon!!!!
