Lucy was already in the country. Isaac Kilusu, our guide and Augustine, our driver, met us at the airport. There was a delay as the TZ customs folks did not know how to deal with the package of scientific instruments that Bill brought for a researcher in TZ. Once a solution was developed, we were free to go. Isaac guided us to the Masai steppes, an area of scrub/thorn forest with a lot of TZ specialties, not far from the airport. It is also the primary area where Tanzanite is mined, we did not go anywhere near active mine sites. We birded both the rural areas and the open range. On our way back to the Arusha area, we also stopped and birded at the Shambari Swamp, a very large and productive wetland. Then headed back to our accommodations at the Rivertrees Country Inn (https://rivertrees.com/), had a very nice dinner before heading to bed. Weather was partly cloudy for most of the day, light winds, and warming rapidly, reaching around 35C in the afternoon.
Total for the day: 139 species.

We left Rivertrees after a quick breakfast, heading for the lark plains with a few planned and unplanned stops along the way. We arrived at the plains at 1100, and within a few minutes, met up with Loiguran Kiero, the Masai local guide and herder who was scheduled by the local Masai community to accompany us. After an hour+ of searching, we found a couple of family groups in one area, and enjoyed great views. This part of the plains were quite dry, we could see rain towards Kilomanjaro and got a few sprinkles from it. School was out for winter break, so a lot of school kids were tending goat herds in the area. We saw a few Thompson's Gazelles and 2 Grants Zebras. Had lunch at the dry river bed by Engikaret, and then birded the dry scrub forest on the other bank. A lone Masai Giraffe and a lot of bird activity were highlights. The final major stop was at Oldonyo Sambu to bird the gorge behind town. It was Saturday market day so the town was bustling with vendors, and we encountered Loiguran again. He took us to one of the BBQ stalls where the vendor sat us in a tiny back room and cut meat off a goat leg for us. Returned to the airport were we stayed at the KIA Inn as we had an early flight the next morning.

Up before dawn for a productive search for owls and night jars, and then on to the airport for Air Tanzania flight 135 to Dar via Zanzibar. As we lifted off we had good views of the top of Kilomanjaro above the clouds. Since our flight to Mbeya wasn't until late afternoon, Isaac had arranged for a van and a local guide, January Chingenya, to take us to good nearby shorebirding areas. We birded a salt pan area in the mangroves for several hours in heat and humidity. After lunch at the Golden Fork restaurant, which had a wide variety of good dishes served cafeteria style, we checked the shoreline behind a fish market. Then headed back to the airport for Air Tanzania flight 106 to Mbeya. Landing in the evening light and cooler temperatures in Mbeya, we were met by David, our driver for the rest of the tour. His Land Cruiser had a wifi hotspot and a good power outlet. We headed towards our nearby accommodations at Utungele Coffee Inn where Lucy awaited us. We arrived in time to catch the sunset. For dinner we were joined by Joe and Kimberly Ndekia, the food was excellent.

Had breakfast on the lawn at Utungele with good bird activity and lovely cool temperatures. Drove south on the main highway to Tukuyu, and then east on secondary roads to Manow. As we neared Lwangwa, a downpour began and we arrived in Manow in heavy rain. Had lunch in the house that Lucy lived in for the past several months, and during a temporary break in the rain, met a few of the people in town who came out to greet Lucy. Then headed south to Matema on the back road; birded the area along the lake shore in the afternoon heat for a couple of hours, with a few drizzles at the beginning. In the late afternoon, headed north to dinner and lodging at Kalongo Farms Ecosystem for a two-night stay.

After breakfast, we made the quick drive to the westside access to Mount Rungwe Forest Reserve. The trailhead was at Sykula Ranger Post, where we were joined by the ranger for our morning hike in the forest. An easy hike in cool temperatures, with almost no wind. In addition to most of the target birds, we saw three species of tree squirrels and heard Colobus monkeys vocalizing. Dark Batis was 3000 for Shep. Went back to our lodgings for lunch, as the rain clouds moved in.
Dealing with a mix-up about room keys consumed some time, as we learned that there was only a single copy of each of our room keys! So our laundry was not picked up in the morning and we could not get into our rooms in the afternoon until we got our keys back.
We were able to return to Rungwe at 1500, for another try for the mountain bulbul. This time we worked the edge of the forest around the ranger post in light rain, with success. Dinner back at Kalongo Farms was a buffet style dinner, with some good dishes.

We arrived at the park under overcast skies, some wind and temperatures that were cooler than expected. The hills were quite green, and the wildflower display was excellent with a lot of species in bloom. And the views were expansive. Along the main road west of the gate, we saw three zebras, two were frisky youngsters. From the gate we drove south on a park road that grew progressively more interesting as we went. It was quite good to the waterfall where we birded on foot for a while, and still good south for a couple of km to where we had lunch along the road. We continued southwest from there on a road that no longer shows on Google maps, hoping to cross the park that way to no avail. David got to show off his Land Cruiser handling skills as we went through a couple of treacherous spots, which we repeated in the opposite direction after turning around. No mishaps, just some skillful driving and appreciation for the low-low gear in his vehicle. We saw a few duiker along this road. Back to the main road at the gate, and heading northeast to Chimala. Descending from the highlands down into the basin on the road of 56 switchbacks was memorable. We reached Chimala on the evening, and after less than a km on paved road, headed north on another dirt road towards the home of a Masai family southwest of Kapunga, where they served us dinner in their home in the evening light. A beautiful Woodland Kingfisher was Gene’s 3000th lifer here. Our lodgings were a bit further north at a guesthouse at the edge of the Kapunga ricefields.

During the night, a Leopard growled outside on of our cabins. After breakfast and packing, we headed north again to drive a loop west of Msembe before the long drive to Mikumi. Lovely weather, cool and calm. Our route retraced our drive on the 22nd to Iringa, with a lunch stop at David's new house on the outskirts of town. After that, a opportunity to shop at a couple of handicraft stores while the land cruiser had a bent shock absorber replaced, a casualty of the main spring breakage. Then the long drive on the Tanzam Hwy, complete with a truck jam as we started into the mountains and a couple of rain storms. Arrived after dark at our lodging for the next several days at Camp Bastion Mikumi, on the east end of town. Our Christmas Eve dinner featured bbq goat.

Since we expected the NP to be full of tourists on Christmas, we chose the relative quiet of the miombo forest along the Kilosa Rd north of town. Weather in the morning was very conducive to birding, calm, cool, partly cloudy. We stopped in a stretch of forest just north of the military area, which is closed to public entry, and birded there for the morning and afternoon, with a mid-day break for lunch and siesta. A group of Dusky Indigobirds got Bill to 3000. The rain showers waited until the drive back to town, ended as we reached our lodging, returned during dinner and mostly abated as we walked back to our cabins. Christmas dinner featured a large roasted duck which was mostly skeleton by the time we ate.

After breakfast we headed for the entrance gate and discovered the park would be crowded. The swarm of safari vehicles was impressive, and the steady arrival of small planes onto the nearby park airstrip was almost jarring. We had been birding on our own every day previously and seen almost no aircraft of any sort. Even so, birding was good, at least in part as a result of a sizeable termite emergence for an hour after we arrived. The crowding was most noticeable when we joined the lineup to view a pair of lions sleeping in the shade. Rather than rejoining the crowds at Mikumi in the afternoon, after lunch and siesta, we headed back to the miombo on the Kilosa road for early evening birding to try to find a couple of targets we were still missing: wryneck and hyliota. Had success on some unexpected birds, especially European nightjar, but not on the expected birds. Back to the lodgings by dark for dinner.

After breakfast at Camp Bastion, we headed south on the road to Udzungwa,crossing the Ruaha River which had considerable amounts of flow compared to the miniscule levels that we saw in Ruaha NP. Tried to bird the old sugar cane fields and processing area just east of the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Center grounds. We had birded part of the area when we were asked to leave as it was private property, although it was unsigned and had extensive use by the locals. Walked back to the Twiga Hotel, our lodgings for the night, and checked in. The weather had become quite sunny and hot, so we were ready for a lunch and afternoon break in their common area, which also had great internet.
Later in the afternoon, we headed south to the Kilombero wetlands, passing through several rain showers. Fortunately they had passed by the time we arrived, and bird activity was good in the cooler temperatures. Both endemic cisticolas and the weaver were very cooperative, so we were able to make the return drive in the daylight while ordering dinner in advance (chicken or beef, rice or chips). The rains returned during dinner, providing the experience of intermittent power, intense lightning displays, gusting winds and periods of torrential rain.

The storms passed during the night, so dawn was a drippy and humid affair. We birded near Twiga hotel before breakfast (pancakes and eggs, and ripe mango). Then hiked the trails near the park entrance along with Leah Zakaya, a young park guide who had been on field trips Isaac had led around Arusha. Back to the hotel for lunch (chicken or beef, rice or chips). We checked out and packed up after lunch, driving back north to Mikumi to return to Camp Bastian for an additional night. But first, one more attempt at a couple of the miombo specialties along the Kilosa Road, with no success on that front. Our last dinner at Camp Bastian, and a rain shower rolled through in the evening.

Day 1. Left Camp Bastian at 0630, right after breakfast, and continued east on the Tanzam through the National Park. Traffic was briefly stopped as giraffes crossed the road, and we reluctantly sped by quite a few other mammals. Exited the highway at Sanga Sanga, and headed southeast into the Uluguru Mountains towards Bunduki Camp. The road became progressively more 'interesting' after we passed through the last major village, and we ended up stopping short of the last village (Bunduki) and the trail head. The locals informed us that we were the first car to get that far in quite a while. We walked almost 3km to the trailhead, and then another 2km before reaching the elevation where the forest started at Camp Bunduki. James, a ranger for the Tanzanian Forest Service who is stationed at Bunduki, joined us for the hike up into the protected area. The degree of land clearing and small patch farming on steep hillsides was considerable; it was easy to see why about 85% of the native Uluguru forest has been removed. The forest itself was beautiful, and the hike was moderately strenuous, with good trail conditions most places and great weather for hiking: mostly overcast, light breezes, moderate temperatures. We made it to the pass, and then went a short distance north along the ridge where we finally got great views of Mrs. Moreau's Warbler. Headed back down to the Camp, where James and Isaac had arranged a fleet of piki-pikis (motorbikes) to take us back to the main village (Mgeta), as David and Elizabeth had taken the vehicle back there to wait for us. For most of us, that was our first experience as passengers on motorbikes on rough road. By then, it was late afternoon, and time to head for Morogoro. Arrived at the Arc Hotel (https://www.archotel.co.tz/), our lodging for the next three nights, just before dinner. We were able to dine outside, fortunately under a tent as a rain storm moved through, on unexpectedly large portions of mostly good food. The pizza, reputedly the best in Tanzania, recieved mixed reviews.

Day 2. At 0700, after breakfast, we headed to the trailhead for the Bondwa Forest Trail, in another section of the Uluguru Forest Reserve. The Land Cruiser got to the edge of Morogoro, and from there we switched to a piki-piki fleet to get us up to near the trailhead. Another beautiful morning, similar weather as yesterday even with an overnight rain. The hike up to the reserve, and then from the reserve edge up the mountain side, was strenuous even though we often proceeded at 'birding' speed. Ate lunch at the high point of our hike, then headed back down to meet our piki-piki fleet for the ride back to the vehicle and the Arc. Dinner was buffet style, good with manageable portions. On cue, the evening showers began as we finished dinner.

The 4.5 hour drive north to the Ukaguru trailhead was livened a bit by a traffic stop for "improper passing". We stopped in Gairo to pick up Yusef, our TFS guide for the trail. We got to the trailhead in native forest later than we hoped. Bird activity was good, but the rain started after an hour. After waiting unsuccessfully under a tree at an akalat territory for the rain to diminish, we returned to our vehicle for lunch and shelter. The rain was intense enough that David, our driver, was concerned about road conditions. So, we returned to the Arc for a 6:30 New Years Eve buffet dinner. The evening rains may have kept NYE revelries to a minimum, as it was a calm night.

After breakfast, we loaded up and headed east on the A7 to Mlanzi, where we turned south. From Milanzi, we were on dirt roads all the way south to Nyerere. Stopped for lunch and rest stop in a small town along the way. Arrived at Nyrere Tented Camp, which is located a short distance from the Mtemere gate to the park. Google maps provided some entertainment, as the road we took fortunately deviated significantly from the non-existent road in Google maps and as the stickpin for the camp is not on the correct spot. Even so, we arrived in mid-afternoon, and after checking in, some of us wandered around the grounds in the early evening. Even without Isaac, we were able to find and identify quite a bit, including our first Crested Barbets. Dinner was simple and good, with excellent baked goods. The tent cabins were quite spacious and well appointed. A few of us heard a lion during the night.

Day 1. Breakfast at 0600, in the Land Cruiser at 0630, and through the park gates at 0700 (paperwork delay). Even though a fair number of safari vehicles passed us as we stopped for birds, we were able to bird on our own for the day without many other vehicles in sight. We worked the varying habitats along the main road, and took several side roads to check out waterbirds at the several large lakes adjacent to the river. Lunch at the hippo pool along the main road. The park was green, with a lot of standing water, particularly near the gate, so clearly the rains had come. Isaac told us that a colleague of his had visited about a month earlier, and reported a dry, brown landscape. We felt fortunate to see the vibrant green, and many large mammals actively grazing. Back to the camp at 1800, in time for dinner at 1900. Some of us had an elephant visit their tent during the night.

Day 2. Generally a repeat of day 1, just further north from the gate. A highlight was a leopard that we glimpsed as it walked away from the road. Weather both days was hot and humid, partly cloudy with an occasional light breeze.

Left at 0400 with breakfast boxes and coffee/tea in travel mugs for the 4 hour drive to the airport in Dar. David handled well the challenge of pre-dawn driving on rough dirt roads, and we arrived at the airport a bit after 0800, in plenty of time for our 1135 departure on Qatar 1499 to Doha. Joe Ndekia was there to see us off, and grab some photos and interviews. And give one of our party the laundry they left behind at the Arc Hotel; said member shall be left unnamed. Said our goodbyes to both Isaac and David as we unloaded our bags. Also to Lucy, who was catching a later Emirates flight, and picking up a box of TTF materials to bring back to the states.