We set the alarm for an hour or so later today as there was no plan for a dawn start, and after a leisurely breakfast at the Rhino Lodge, headed off west towards the Serengeti. The drive could be done in a couple of hours, but we took it slowly, with several stops. The first stop was on the edge of the crater rim where we successfully called in Wailing Cisticola and also managed Jackson’s Widowbird. Another long stop was made a a Massi village which everyone enjoyed and was very educational.
The last part of the drive before reaching the park proper was through the “Endless Plains” (which I believe is what the Serengeti may mean anyway). This treeless plain stretched for miles. Little was on offer for the non (or general) birders (stuff like Capped Wheatear and Pectoral-patch Cisticola seemed abundant) until the first Secretary-bird was seen.
We picnicked at the park gates and had a few new birds: Black-lored Babbler, Kenya Rufous Sparrow, Black-faced Waxbill, Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Rueppell's Glossy-Starling, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Speke’s Weaver, White-bellied Canary, and the first definite (they had almost certainly been overlooked) African Mourning Dove.
A great afternoon was spent driving around the central section of the park. A sleeping Leopard in a tree and a few Topi were added to the mammal list. New birds included White-headed Vulture, Coqui Francolin, Grey-breasted Francolin, Temminck's Courser, Meyer's Parrot (in the same tree as the sleeping Leopard), Red-billed Hornbill, White-browed Robin-Chat, Rattling Cisticola (had this been overlooked before?), Winding Cisticola, Grey-backed Fiscal, Long-tailed Fiscal, and Magpie Shrike.
We had intended to head to our accommodation earlier than usual but as usual there was just too much to see. In the end we made a made dash out of the park to get to there before dark, having brief drive-by views of several White-bellied Bustards on the way. The best bird of the day (for me at least) was saved until last thing when a Bat Hawk was see hawking bats on the edge of a rocky escarpment near to our camp.
After an amazing meal (by any standards) we went to our tents.
Edit (10/11/2011): The Rats around Serengeti picnic site were African Grass Rats…
