7/28 -- Lake Manyara and on to Karatu

On our way to our next camp, we drove to Lake Manyara National Park, driving through some of the surrounding villages. We saw people retrieving rocks from the riverbed and smashing them into smaller pieces to sell to construction companies. A full truck (size of truck unclear) brings about $80. At the park, we concentrated on the lake shore, but had to drive through fairly heavy woods to get there, seeing primarily baboons and elephants along the way. The elephants seemed to like the park roads and ended up very close to our vehicles. These elephants are a little smaller because of the dense vegetation they have to negotiate.

The elephants don't look very small when they
are this close....

At the lake, there were flamingos, but in much smaller numbers, including a couple juveniles. We saw lots of pelicans and took a bunch of photos of them flying, landing, or taking off. There were also a couple of spoonbills, storks, gulls, cormorants, and herons.

Love bird flamingos?

Egyptian goose family

Flying pelicans above and below

Lesser flamingos

Spoonbill -- he sticks his bill under water and
swishes it around til he comes up with a snack

Pelican coming in for a landing above and below

Pelicans in back, cormorants in front

Grey herons

Young flamingos - their wings are pinker

The young pelicans are the ones with greyer beaks

We passed more elephants and baboons on our way to a picnic spot back on the lake, just above a boardwalk and pier at a hot springs, and more birds.

Baboons

Another spoonbill

Stork capturing lunch - second step below

Back on the road, we were stopped on our way out by a large bull elephant standing in heavy shade in the middle of the road, so no one could pass. We were the second vehicle to arrive and there were at least two more before he got bored with the  Mexican standoff and wandered back into the woods. While we were waiting for that to happen, another herd of elephants came traipsing by and one stopped at a mud hole and we watched as she completely doused herself with mud to cool off.

The elephant who owned the road

Cooling off with a mud bath, above and below

And scratching that itchy spot behind the ear.

Tree full of storks

Finally back on the way again, we saw  more baboons and a blue monkey, but couldn't catch a worthwhile photo of him, and arrived at our home for the next four nights at Karatu, which will provide access to the Ngorngoro Crater.

Little baboons

View of Lake Manyara as we head west