Safari, Day Two!!

March and April fall in the rainy season in Rwanda. 

While "rainy season" means it might rain every day 

for a just short time, after awhile the waters 

begin to accumulate as you will see as we begin our 

trek north through Akagera National Park…

Making for lots of mud and deep potholes!

Our first stop at Hippo lake we saw this little guy…
but a lot of the other hippos seem to be hidden in the water.
Wait- is that a crocodile in the foreground of the picture? 

A bit of a cloudy day so it makes the water look even worse! 

Talk about hitching a ride…. or is this water skiing for a duck!

This reminds me of Babe singing "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells"!  
Or maybe he was just gargling!  

And then… the graceful ones! 

 Checking us out! 

The big Cape Buffalo cruising through the water hyacinth.

Seems like everyone likes the coolness of the hyacinth!

"YES, VERY MUCH!"

This is my better side! 

A National Geo Moment.. broke the stillness.

Quite a few moments actually!  These two young males were really locked in battle.

Eventually they just quit and ran off….
We didn't know who won.

Maybe a Plover.. but not sure. 

These young eagles were jsut walking around in the grass..
front and back view… Tawny Eagle?  or Spotted?  
Can't quite tell. 

No mistaking these guys!  The warthogs are always so cute running away with their little tails in the air!

Relaxation just watching the giraffe on the plains…
each eating their own tree! 

A fork in the road… we will go right! 

We startled them a bit…

  A lapwing on the run.

More beauty!

A Grey Herron on the mound and on the thorns of an
 Acacia Tree on the left. 

Check out the rider on the tail!!!  Bad place to sit if you ask me.
These birds are red and yellow billed ox peckers!

Favorite picture!!  Full mouth and a hitchhiker!
Not to mention that deadpan expression! 

 On our way leaving the park we caught a glimpse of this hippo way up on the land far away from water. 

 Nearing the "end" of the day. ..

And approaching another area where there were tons of animals.. zebra, topi, giraffe, antelope…

Solitude!

 A Waterbuck!  

 YES?

Love the baby fur!!!!  

 Do you remember this picture from a Feb. blog?
The zebra with the spot on her side??  I thought my camera 
had a problem or something. 

But then on this trip…  I "spotted" her again!!!!  This seems almost impossible since there are herds and herds of zebra and maybe it isn't her but how many zebras would have this same "birthmark"?

The BIG Black Storks.. on top of the acacia trees as we leave the park.  Roger and Ann have a lot more pictures but these are the ones I took of the day.  Remember me telling you about the large thorns on the Acacia Trees?

Apparently, we came home with one in our back tire!
We discovered the flat the next morning!!

Well, it had been a beautiful day with the animals
and Roger and Ann, too!

love,
margie