7 June 2009

07/06/09

The lion sightings here at Katuma Bush Lodge have been amazing this last couple of weeks or so. The Katuma pride has been in and around camp just about every night. We are now having regular sightings of them lying in the shade on the edge of the Katisunga floodplain, to avoid the midday sun, not more than about 500m from camp. I have often stood on the main deck in the coolness of the morning and watched some of the females walking past, returning to the rest of the pride after a night’s hunting.
I wrote in a previous report, about a lioness from the same pride that looked like her cubs were due any day now. We have as yet not had any sightings of the new cubs, although I am sure they have been born already. I think it is probably still a bit too soon to introduce them to the rest of the pride. However I am glad to say the three other cubs I also mentioned in the same report, are coming along nicely. They have grown a bit since, and all three are looking very well. The last time I saw them they were keeping the two males on their toes as well. . . Oh well who needs sleep anyway.
We had a female leopard in camp two nights ago it was quite amazing. The vervet monkeys have not complained with the lion and hyena being in camp on a regular basis. But as soon as the leopard walked in, all hell let loose. It didn’t sound like she had any luck though.
The parks rangers reported seeing a pack of about eight wild-dogs running along the banks of the Katuma River during the past week. So hopefully these guys will stick around and we will get some sightings of them to.
Mamma fisi (mother hyena), who I also did an earlier report on along with her pup. Well it looks like the pup is now old enough to leave the den as the pair of them are in camp every night. It looks like this pup could be one of her last that she will give birth to, as the gal, aint no spring chicken anymore. It seems it may be up to junior now to keep her legacy going.
The huge herd of buffalo (about 1000 individuals) is once again in front of Katuma Bush Lodge. This herd seems to spend their days grazing contently on the lush grass left by the rains. It takes them about 3 or 4 days to move across the Katisunga flood plains from one end to the other, and then the journey starts again.

Other sightings: We have had a family of bush buck living in the camp (male, female and young), but just recently we are only seeing the female and baby. It makes me wonder what has happened to the male, especially with all the lion activity we have had in and around camp.
We are now getting regular sightings of bohor reedbuck and eland on the plains as well as defassa water buck.
Birding.
As I am still getting used to a lot of the East African species, I can tell you birding in this remote part of the world is never boring. My wife and I watched an African Harrier-Hawk one morning from our main deck as it raided the starling nests high up in the borassus and doum palm trees. It was amazing watching what stress and problems it caused for the smaller birds.
Other sightings include: speckled pigeon, Rufus sparrow, we had a brilliant sighting of an immature African Fish Eagle hunting on the Katuma river, black crowned tshagra, Northern white crowned shrike, grey kestrel as well as superb sightings of battaleur and tawny eagles.
As I have said before and I will say it again, there is never a dull moment at Katuma Bush Lodge.
Thanks and kind regards.
Geoff Mullen.