It's critter party time again!

When I thought about this week's post on Eileen's super meme, I wondered what I'd have to share. It's mid-winter in Northern Tanzania; the area is B R O W N and very dusty. However, as can be seen on my mid-week bird post which you can see here, if you wish, Grant and I managed to spot many birds even under these strenuous conditions. 

Going through my photos of the past week, I found several critters (and of course, birds) to join Eileen's party today. 

 A pair of Dik-dik seen in the torch light on our night drive last week

One evening we spotted a bird running off the road into the bush. I only managed to get one photo and sent it off to Jez in Dar for identification. He and the other Dar birding fraternity were very excited about our sighting: 

Hildebrandt's Spurfowl. This bird is endemic to East Africa and only seen sparingly so this was a good sighting! 

During the late summer we saw many bishops, the males, glorious in full breeding plumage with several dowdy, but well-marked females in attendance. At sunset one evening last week,  Grant stopped at a small bush near the road,  where several birds were settling in for the night. 

Fire-crowned Bishop, (second top from right) in eclipse plumage with his wives - a far cry from the bright red bird in summer!

While celebrating the General Manager's birthday at the club a few weeks ago, I spotted a raptor fly down onto the grass. I walked over and took several photos. 

African Harrier-Hawk 

Grant and I had business in Mwanza this week. We stopped off for lunch at the Malaika Hotel which is on Lake Victoria. As always, I have my camera to take photos.  As always, we look for birds and I photograph them!

Long-tailed Cormorant sitting on a rock in Lake Victoria

And as always, I find cats wherever we go. And photograph them! There are many cats at the hotel but we only saw one last week: a battle-scarred old Tomcat. 

A Tomcat at the Malaika hotel, Mwanza

I'm linking my post today to Saturday Critters with Eileen which you can visit by clicking here