The life along the Ruaha River Valley is varied and very interesting. Here you can find many of the water related birds, such as White-crowned Plover, (Vanellus albiceps) Open-billed storks, (Anastomus lamelligerus) and African Skimmers, (Rynchops flavirostris). We have a very healthy population of raptors, including Black Eagles (Aquila verreauxii). There are also many other species, such as both the Bare-faced Go-away bird (Coythaixoides personatus) and the White bellied Go-away bird, (Criniferoides leucogaster). Bare-eyed thrush, (Turdus tephronotus). Yellow- collared lovebirds  (Agapornis personatus), Speckle-fronted wavers (Sporopipes frontalis), Ashy starlings (Cosmopsarus unicolor), Superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus), D’arnauds Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii), White-headed buffalo weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli) Blue-capped cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus), and  of course the Ruaha red-billed Hornbill (Tockus ruahae) to name just a few!

 

Many of the birds in the extensive miombo woodland areas are different species to the ones along the Ruaha Valley. These include various ‘miombo specialists' along with other interesting species. These include Racket-tailed roller (Coracias spatulatus), Spotted creeper (Salpornis spilonotus), Miombo grey tit (Parus griseiventris) Yellow-bellied hyliota (Hyliota flavigaster), Miombo scrub robin (Cercotrichas barbata), Thick-billed cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti), Schalow’s turaco (Tauraco schalowi), Spot-flanked Barbet (Tricholaema lacrymosa). Green-headed sunbird (Cyanomitra verticalis). We have also turned up some new locality and breeding records such as Streaky-breasted Flufftail (Sarathrura boehmi), Pearl-breasted swallow (Hirundo dimibiata) and Yellow-mantled widowbird (Euplectes macrourus).

 

In addition there are an unusual forest species you may see in the highland areas many of which have not previously been recorded this far east. These include Black-backed Barbet (Lybius minor), Southern citril (Serinus hypostictus) and the African Hill-babbler (Pseudoalcippe abyssinica), which, interestingly, it is of the nominate race, as opposed to the race P. stierlingi which is found in the Mufindi Highlands of the Eastern Arc which lie 165 km to the SE of Isunkaviola. We also see the Pearl-breasted swallow (Hirundo dimibiata), in eastern Ruaha. This was previously known by only one record from Mbeya in southern Tanzania. We have since found the swallow is breeding here, so this represents a new breeding population for Tanzania.  Our records of Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher (Trochocercus cyanomelas) are an extension of its known range. We have also recorded Western Violet-backed Sunbird (Anthreptes longuemarei) in the west of Ruaha. Whilst this species is recorded in southern Tanzania, it is of interest to note that the altitude and vegetational differences in Isunkaviola represent the divide between this and A. orientalis, which is present in the low altitude areas of Ruaha National Park. These records represent an interesting extension to known range. 

 

We sometimes have great influxes of Blue Quails, that we suspect are breeding, and we often have Corn crakes spending the winter months with us at Magangwe. Contrary to what one reads in bird books, they are often vocal with their loud ‘Crek crek crek' when they are landing into the long grass.

 

Ruaha is also on one of the migration routes for eurasian and palearctic birds. Some years we witness hundreds upon hundreds of Hobbies and Amur falcons passing through. On one occasion they came in ‘en mass’ flying in front of a huge storm. It was late evening and they stopped for the night, roosting on the  branches of the bare miombo trees. They looked completely exhausted, bedraggled from the weather and their arduous journey. It is  humbling to observe such a feat of determination first hand. Most of them left by dawn.

 

It is a fascinating place to live and every day presents new excitements great and small. Everyday we learn new things about our fabulous environment and how the birds, animals, trees, flowers, sunshine, rainfall and insects all depend on what everything else is doing, or not doing. Nothing can stand alone and nothing can be isolated from the whole. The ‘big picture’ is all important. We are extremely privileged to be living in this Paradise.