Bush Breakfast

A special surprise from the staff at Tena Tena - a bush breakfast.

Instead of returning to Camp at the end of the morning game drive we were driven to a spot overlooking the Luangwa River where the kitchen from Camp had been relocated and an impromptu dining room set up - compete with bar!

To sit watching Hippo in the river whilst eating sausage, bacon, eggs, corn fritters, beans mushrooms and tomato washed down with a Bloody Mary takes some beating!

 

The naturalists dilemma

Nature is certainly harsh in tooth and claw.

On a morning drive we watched a Puku suckling her fairly young foal - a matter of days old. Her tenderness was touching to watch.

Yet a matter of hours later and that same foal was up a tree, having been taken by a Leopard some time later in the day.

There are aspects of the wild that are hard to take sometimes, but that is the natural world.

The Leopard must also feed, but the sight of the mother Puku standing a few metres away from the leopard's tree was a sad sight indeed.

To watch these stories unfold is the naturalists dilemma.

Grey Headed Kingfisher

 

The Grey Headed Kingfisher is just one of at least six Kingfisher species we have seen in Zambia. It is a medium-sized kingfisher with a distinctive chestnut belly, sapphire blue tail and flight feathers, ashy-grey head and breast, and vermillion bill.

It lives in dry scrub and woodland, but can also often found near water, however unlike most kingfishers it is not aquatic and do not eat fish. Instead, they perch on a branch, unmoving for long periods while watching the ground for signs of insects or small lizards, bobbing head before diving on their prey.

With such a variety of Kingfishers, our local guide was astonished that in the UK we simply have one, and it is just called "The Kingfisher".

Tena Tena's new arrival

 

Just the cutest! A few hundred metres outside Tena Tena Camp , just at the side of one of the main tracks is a Hyena den and at the time we were visiting it had new arrivals, two pups.

With consummate care our guides coasted the safari vehicles to the edge of the den in the evening and turned off all the lights. In pitch darkness, with the sounds of the African night starting to fill the air we waited until quiet scratching sounds could be heard. Then under the spotlight we saw the babies out, one suckling from its mother who would be the patriarch of the clan.

Walking Wild

At Tena Tena Camp we had the privilege of walking with senior guide Bertram, seen here showing how close we were able to get to some of the fantastic game to be seen in the area.

Walks are rarely long in distance and starting at just after 6am you are normally back in Camp for 10 - 1030 before it gets unpleasantly hot for walking. 

Most of the time walks are about the little stuff - plants, insects, tracks - all the things one can easily miss on a vehicle safari. 

But with a good guide and a group who follow the rules and stay quiet, move in single file and stick together, it is possible to see animals at quite close quarters. 

On this walk we had the treat of seeing Wild Dogs just a few hundred metres out of Camp. On their early morning hunt two ran within 50m of us. A very rare experience and so unexpected I was unable to get any pictures. The Giraffe were much more accommodating.

 

Stork formation

This year was certainly the year of the Yellow Billed stork

The elusive Genet

Whilst we often see Genet on evening game drives, these nocturnal mammals are very difficult to photograph as they are constantly on the move and in low light , or simply held in a spot light for a second they are a real challenge. I never use flash as I feel it breaks the magic of the darkness and I worry it might upset the animals we are watching, relying on the softer light of the spotters torch instead.

This little poser was totally different though, sitting patiently whilst we all snapped away.

The one that got away.

The African ground squirrel here was feeding on a sausage tree in the grounds of Tena tena bush camp as we returned from our morning bush walk at about 10.30am. After six kilometers in the growing morning heat we were fairly tired, so I retired to the bar for a Mosi (Zambia's main brand of beer). 

Here, whilst sat chatting about our walk with the guides, we were stopped in mid sentence by the sight of a leopard walking calmly down the main track of the camp, just 20m away.

In a silent fluster of arms, legs and camera equipment we  abandoned our drinks to see where it would go, only to lose it as it passed like a ghost through the staff tents and off into the bush.

Sadly the picture of the squirrel, taken just ten minutes earlier is the only record of that exciting morning, my pictures of the leopard showing nothing but long grass or blurred trees and legs.

The problem with safari holidays is it's difficult to relax as you never know what the bush will reveal next or when.

Yawn! (Another Zambia sunset)

A snake in the grass

We saw more snakes this year than on any previous trip, this Yellow Bellied Sand Snake was spotted by out ranger on an early morning bush walk from tena Tena.

A fast-moving, slender snake that averages 70 cm – 1 m. This snake is active during the day and is without doubt one of the fastest snakes (though early in the morning this example was totally stationary. It is fond of basking but will move off rapidly and if there is a shrub or tree close by it may climb to avoid detection. Like some of the other snakes in the genus Psammophis, it will spin if caught by the tail and snap a piece off.

Sand snakes, Grass snakes and Skaapstekers can be very difficult to distinguish from one another – always check the distribution when attempting to identify one of these snakes.

The Western Yellow-bellied Sand snake feeds on lizards, frogs, rodents, small birds and other snakes.

The venom of this snake is very mild and has no real effect on humans.

Lagoon sunset

The rains this year have left much of South luangwa wetter than we've seen previously and many of the dry lagoons we're familiar with were transformed this year by abundant water.

The combination of water and warm sunsets offers even an average photographer like me an easy opportunity for a striking picture.

Dogs on alert

On a game drive from Tena Tena bush camp we found these two wild dogs. Probably separated from the rest of the pack we watched them hunting together.

After losing sight of them we carried on with our drive only to see one of them chasing a Puku. To see a dog hunting at full speed is heart stopping.

Wild dog have an 80% success rate with hunts - here though the Puku took it's chances by leaping into a lagoon, preferring the chance a croc might be waiting to the certainty of the dog. A throw of the dice that this time paid off.

Who said Hyena aren't cute?

Whilst out on our game drive to the stork colony we encountered a mother Hyena with a pup.

Eventually they retreated to the den, but the cautious yet curious pup couldn't help take a look at the strange big beast that had followed them.

The Stork colony

No visit to Tena Tena is complete without a trip North to the Stork colony.

Here the Yellow Billed Storks have made a breeding colony in the Nsefu sector of the park, with trees white with their droppings as though covered in snow.

The area has featured in many wildlife documentaries, including one about a Leopard who had specialised in using the gullies acros the area as cover for hunting.

It's a special place. 

Tena Tena breakfast

In the early half light of dawn breakfast at Tena Tena bush camp is taken on the sand overlooking the main Luangwa river.

IMHO the best place in the world for breakfast.

Everything one would expect in a four star hotel - just served around a fire on camping chairs - the toast made on a charcoal grill and eggs however you want them cooked al-fresco.

My personal favourite - white toast with Marmite and two fried eggs - breakfast of champions before a game drive.

Fifteen nights in the Valley

After a disastrous trip to South Luangwa in 2018, which had to be abandoned after just two days because of an accident, we returned with some trepidation this year.

We need have feared nothing - the trip went without a hitch and replaced the unhappy memories of 2018 with a new gallery of experiences.

Our itinerary was one night at Flat Dogs , followed by four at Nkonzi,  three at the Three Rivers Camp, then four at Tena Tena, and a final three back at our old favourite Flat Dogs.

Put the kettle on will you?

Breakfast (or is that Frustuck?) at Tena Tena

 
 

Breakfast at Tena Tena is taken on the sandbank looking out over the river.

Everyone gathers to get ready for the morning game drive and porridge or two fried eggs on toast is a fine way to start a day on safari.

 
 

The end of another hard day at the office

Tena Tena

Not a bad little "sit-ooterie".

Our tent was at the far end of the camp, the last before you are into the bush.

We had a lovely dinner one evening in the middle of the camp, a lively and "liquid" affair swapping stories and laughing with our new friends from Germany and Hull.

When we walked back at 10pm to our tent, there were fresh Leopard tracks in the sand outside!