We were on a boat slowly sailing on a vast inland Rufiji river relaxing into the tranquillity of the true beautiful surroundings watching for nature, birdlife and wildlife go by. We were maybe 100 km from the Indian Ocean and it was fun and a wonderful way to experience the riverside intimately and watch the constantly changing pattern along the wild meandering River.
We saw a flock of Carmine Bee eaters at their nesting holes burrowed into vertical cliffs they were flying in and out all the time. Nearby the Speckled mousebirds were rolling around bathe in sand which help removing parasites and absorb excess oil from the feathers so they do not become greasy. Sanding is part of preening and plumage maintenance by birds crouching close to the ground while taking a dust birth, vigorously wriggling their bodies and flapping their wings.
“Rufiji river is the largest river in Tanzania curving its way some 600 kilometers before flowing into the Indian ocean. We paddle near a mangrove tree where a Monitor lizard sashay into the riverrine thickets and heard the hippos snorting.”
We reach a section of a river where the scenery on land was made more spectacular by the groves of Borassus palms, and Indigenous species with tall fronds that sway majestically in breeze. We heard the elephants trumpeting and saw the black and white colobus monkeys swinging in the tree canopies. There were a lot of ancient baobabs on the far reaching horizon providing vintage points for Fish Eagles and nest sites for Dickinson’s Kestrels and Egyptian Geese. We then sail into a territory with choruses of a lot of birds and caught a Hammerkop so close on a pond with a frog on its beak. He worked at it slowly, poking and repositioning the frog instinctively, it took him a good few minutes before swallowing it.
In the forests we saw velvet monkeys; warthogs and we even spotted small antelope a duiker. I was intrigued to see a Water Thick-Knee bravely defending its nest from an approaching puff adder. With its wing spread made it appear as larger as possible, it did everything it could to guide the snake away and protect its eggs.
Image Caption: Carmine Bee eater.
Rufiji river is the largest river in Tanzania curving its way some 600 kilometers before flowing into the Indian ocean. We paddle near a mangrove tree where a Monitor lizard sashay into the riverrine thickets and heard the hippos snorting. We really enjoyed watching the Black Heron doing its most unique fishing tricks in the world. It was spreading Its wings like an umbrella casting a shade over the water to fool small fish into thinking it is safe hiding spot swim closet only to be snapped up in an instant. For us, It has been a lot of fun to paddle through the shallow waters and explore the river.
