Photographs are as I saw things, often in challenging light and foliage also through the windows of the safari vehicle or on a moving boat and shown as a record and my excuses of poor photography.
The trip started on 31st October taking a flight from Heathrow at 5.35pm with Kenya airlines to Nairobi, an 8 hour flight then a wait for 3.5 hours for the 1 hour connection to Entebbe arriving 10.am local time
Friday 1st November. A surprisingly quick procedure to get through immigration I met up with the rest of the Nature Trek group, Sheila, Lynn, Paul, Julia, Marie-Jose and our guide Gerald. Packing our luggage into the truck we headed off for the 20 minute journey to our first accommodation at The 2 Friends Beach Hotel on the edge of Lake Victoria.
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| View from the hotel balcony |
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| View of Lake Victoria from the hotel |
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| The bedroom |
After a refreshing free drink - local beer, and getting into our rooms we then had lunch followed by a trip into the Botanical Gardens just 5 minutes down the road.
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| Marabou Stork |
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| Green Vervet Monkeys |
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| African Thrush |
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| Black and White Casqued Hornbill |
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| Crowned Hornbill |
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| Green Crombec |
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| Green-headed Sunbird |
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| Hadada Ibis |
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| Northern Black Flycatcher |
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| Pygmy Kingfisher |
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| Slender-billed Weavers. |
The weather was sunny at times, cloudy in pm.
Other birds seen today were Open-billed Stork, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Striated Heron, Hammerkop, Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pelican, Reed Cormorant, African Harrier Hawk, Yellow-billed Black Kite, African Hobby, Grey-crowned Cranes, Black-winged Stilts, Marsh Sandpiper, White-winged Terns, Speckled Pigeon, African Green Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Plantain Eater, African Palm Swift, Broad-billed Roller, Woodland Kingfisher, Pied Kinfisher, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Double-toothed Barbet, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Black and White Shrike-flycatcher, Pied Crow, Common Bulbul, Little Greenbul, Yellow White-eye, Ruppell's Starling, Red-chested Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Black-necked Weaver, Village Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, Orange Weaver, and Cape Wagtail.
Saturday 2nd November, Hot and sunny in the morning, cloudy in afternoon.
An early breakfast at 6.30 we set off at 7.am with our bags to the Mbamba Swamp birding on the way. Picking up several species on the way.
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| Sooty Chat |
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| White-throated Bee-eater |
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| Striped Kinfisher |
Arriving at the Mbamba Wetland we met our national Park Guide guide Sam.
The group was split into 2 and we set off in the motorised canoes.
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| Mbamba wetland/swamp |
With news that a Shoebill had been sighted the canoes sped off, but the one I was in broke down and the other disappeared into the depths of the swamp. Typical I thought I am going to miss out on this. However while looking at the African Jacana the engine started and we continued into the swamp and met up with the others who were enjoying the good views.
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| African Jacana |
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| The Shoebill |
Despite its size and shape it flies well, we saw another one quite high above the swamp
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| Shoebill in flight |
While watching the Shoebill we also had great views of a couple of Blue-breasted Bee-eaters.
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| Blue-breasted Bee-eater |
And then a
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| Squacco Heron |
With the main target of the trip seen we now carried on in the swamp to search for a Lesser Jacana in doing so we passed a couple of Long-toed Lapwings
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| Long-toed Lapwing |
Eventually after a bit of searching amoung the lily pads a Lesser Jacana was found, albeit at distance.
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| Lesser Jacana |
Back on dry land we had a view of a Black-headed Weaver colony and an African Pied Wagtail before setting off on our journey to Mburo National Park.
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| Black-headed Weaver |
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African Pied Wagtail
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| Red-faced Cisticola |
Stopping on the way more birds were seen
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| Spot-flanked Barbet |
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| Grey-backed Fiscal |
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| Fork-tailed Drongo |
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| Eastern Plantain -eater |
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| Long-crested Eagle |
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| Ring-necked Dove |
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| Red-necked Spurfowl |
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| Grey-crowned Crane |
Arriving at the Equator where we stopped for lunch
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| Equator Crossing |
Carrying on towards Mburo National Park we stopped several times before arriving at our Lodge for that night.
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| White-winged Widowbird |
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| Yellow-throated Longclaw |
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| Verreaux's Eagle Owl |
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| Impala |
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| Burchell's Zebra |
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| Yellow-backed Weaver? |
It was now late afternoon as we checked into our accommodation at Rwakobo Rock Lodge
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| My room |
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| Bathroom with rock lined shower |
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| View from the room |
Before dinner when dark we went out looking for Nightjars, although two were heard none were seen.
Other new birds of the trip I saw were, Helmeted Guineafowl, Crested Francolin, Yellow-billed Duck, Abdims Stork, Black-headed and Purple Herons, Black-shouldered Kite, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, African Marsh Harrier, African Fish Eagle, Auger Buzzard, Grey Kestrel, Moorhen, African Wattled Lapwing, Brown-chested Lapwing, Wood Sandpiper, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, Ross's Turaco, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Little Swift, Speckled Mousebird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Lilac-breasted Roller, Malachite Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Black-headed Gonolek, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow, Trilling Cisticola, Winding Cisticola, Splendid Starling, Pale Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Swamp Flycatcher, Purple-banded Sunbird, House Sparrow, Grey-headed Sparrow, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Viellot's Black Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Compact Weaver, Fantailed Widowbird, Green-winged Pytilla, Red-billed Firefinch, Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu, Bronze Mannikin, Western Yellow Wagtail.
Sunday 3rd November. Cloudy in morning, sunny and hot afternoon.
Another early breakfast, and at 7am a Safari drive into the Mburo National Park. Stopping many times seeing these mammals and birds
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| Topi |
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| Warthog |
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| Impala |
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| Waterbuck |
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| Eland |
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| Arrow-marked Babler |
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| Trailing Cisticola |
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| Diedrics Cuckoo |
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| Lesser-masked Weaver |
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| Water Buffalo with Oxpeckers |
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| Red-headed Weaver |
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| Ruppell's Vulture |
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| White-backed Vulture |
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| Burchell's Zebra |
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| Rothschild's Giraffe |
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| Rothchild's Giraffe |
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| Lilac-breasted Roller |
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| Lilac-breasted Roller |
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| Bare-faced Go-away-bird |
At 10.am we reached Lake Mburo, where we took a 2 hour boat trip searching the banks with success for African Finfoot, but dipped on Papyrus Gonalek.
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| Lake Mburo |
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| Hippos |
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| African Fish Eagle 1 of many |
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| Malachite Kingfisher |
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| Swamp Flycatcher |
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| African Finfoot |
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| Small Nile Crocodile |
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| Green-backed Heron |
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| Water Thicknee |
Back on dry land, we headed back to the lodge for lunch - on the way we added
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| Crested Barbet |
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| European Bee-eaters |
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| Little Bee-eater |
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| Bushbuck |
After lunch a walk around the lodge found
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| Red-billed Quelea |
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| Red-headed Lovebird |
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| Holob's Golden Weaver. |
Late afternoon we left Rwakobo Lodge and made the 1.5 hour journey to Mbarara for our overnight stay at the plush Igongo Cultural Lodge.
Other new birds added to our list were:- Egyption Goose, African Sacred Ibis, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Common Sandpiper, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Meyers Parrot, White-browed Coucal, African Grey Hornbill, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Chinspot Batis, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Tropical Boubou, Western Oriole, African Paradise Flycatcher, White-winged Black Tit, White-headed Saw-wing, Sand Martin, Mosque Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Carruther's Cisticola, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-backed Cameroptera, Lesser Blue-eared Starling, White-browed Robin-chat, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Baglafecht Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Common Waxbill, African Pipit, Western Citril, Yellow-fronted Canary, Golden-breasted Bunting, Horous Swaift, Purple Cuckoo Shrike, Variable Sunbird, Black-faced Waxbill, Lead-coloured Flycatcher.
Monday 4th November. Broken cloud in morning, sunny and hot in afternoon.
A little later breakfast today at 7am, and then a bit of a wait while our luggage was loaded back into the truck.
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| Igongo Cultural Lodge Bungalow with 4 rooms |
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| My room |
While waiting for the luggage to be collected we wandered around the hotel grounds finding
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| Southern Red Bishop |
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| Southern Red Bishop |
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| Mariko Sunbird |
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| Woodland Kingfishers |
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| Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling |
On our 4 hour journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park we stopped to find a skulking Papyrus Gonolek and also saw
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| Cinnamon -breasted Bee-eater |
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| Dusky Flycatcher |
Climbing the hills we passed several Tea Plantations
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| Tea Plantation |
Then dropped down into the rift valley of Queen Elizabeth National Park with the Kazinga Chanel in the distance
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| Queen Elizabeth National Park |
It wasn't long into the park we came across our first of many African Elephants
We finally reached our accommodation for the next two nights The Mweya Lodge on a peninsular into Lake Edward in time for lunch.
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| Mweya Lodge |
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| Mweya Lodge rooms |
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| My room |
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| The peninsular between Lake Edward and Kazinga Chanel |
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| Swamp Flycatcher that joined us for lunch |
After a bit of a rest, I had a scan across the channel with the scope picking out a few birds and mammals, we then went on a safari in the surrounding area picking up a few more species.
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| Pin-tailed Whydah |
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| Helmeted Guineafowl |
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| Crested Francolin |
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| Waterbuck |
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| Abdim's Storks |
New birds added to my list today Yellow-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, African Spoonbill, Hooded Vulture, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Spur-winged Plover, Senegal Lapwing, Greenshank, African Skimmer, Grey-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Klaas's Cuckoo, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Papyrus Gonolek, Common Fiscal, Mackinnon's Shrike, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Croaking Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola, African Dusky Flycatcher, Cardinal Quelea, Plain-backed Pipit, Common Scimiterbill.
Tuesday 5th November, Hot and sunny all day with the occasional cloud.
After a leisurely breakfast we set on another safari to an area in the north of the park spending all morning out in the field.
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| Black Coucal |
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| Black-headed Gonolek |
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| Harrier Unidentified |
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| White-backed Vulture |
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| Rufous-naped Lark |
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| White-browed Coucal |
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| Red-necked Spurfowl |
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| Red-necked Spurfowl |
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| Male Uganda Kob |
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| Female Uganda Kob |
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| Temmink's Courser |
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| Grey-headed Kingfisher |
A late lunch back at the Lodge then off onto a boat along the Kazinga Channel.
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| African Skimmers |
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| African Spoonbill |
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| Black Crake |
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| Hadada Ibis |
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| Hippo unusually out of the water daylight |
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| Kazinga Channel |
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| Killitz's Plover |
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| Crocodile coming to the boat |
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| Nile Monitor Lizard |
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| Red-throated Bee-eater |
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| Gull-billed Terns, Grey-headed Gulls, African Skimmers |
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| Water Thicknee |
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| Yellow-billed Stork |
Back on land with an hour of daylight left we walked around the Lodge grounds seeing
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| White-browed Robin Chat |
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| Green-headed Sunbird |
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| Red-chested Sunbird |
Other new birds seen today:-Intermediate Egret, Martial Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Wahlbergs Eagle, Little Sparrowhawk, Montagues Harrier, Common Buttonquail, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, White-rumped Swift, African Blue Flycatcher, Flappet Lark, Wire-tailed Swallow, African Moustached Warbler, Willow Warbler, Winchat, Copper Sunbird, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Village Indigo Bird, Collared Pratincole, Piapiac.
Wednesday 6th November Overcast, then sunny in Queen Elizabeth Park, Cloudy and thunder at Kibale.
This morning we left Myeya Safari Lodge, stopping a couple of times and travelled for 4 hours to Primates Lodge next to the visitor centre of Kibale Forest.
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| Rufous-naped Lark |
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| Crater Lake |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Primates Lodge Bar and restaurant |
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| Hmm which bed? |
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| My room |
After settling into our room and having lunch we had a rest for an hour before walking around the surrounding grounds
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| Cassin's Flycatcher |
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| African Shrike Flycatcher |
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| Butterfly the size of a tea plate! |
More new birds today:-Saddle-billed Stork, Palm-nut Vulture, Tambourine Dove, Sabines Spinetail, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Honeyguide Greenbul, White-throated Greenbul, Black-lored Babler, Purple-headed Starling, Narrow-tailed Starling, Thick-billed Weaver, White-breasted Nigrita, Black and White Manakin, Black-chinned Quail Finch, Blue-throated brown sunbird.
Thursday 7th November Sunny first in the morning, then clouded over, thunder followed by heavy rain.
This morning after breakfast we set off into the forest, leaving Julia and Marie-jose to go on their Chimpanzee trek while we looked for forest birds and primates.
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| Guereza Colobus (Black and White) Monkey |
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| Yellow-mantled Weaver |
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| White-headed Wood Hoopoe |
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| African Emerald Cuckoo |
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| another Butterfly |
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| Blue-throated Rollers |
After a couple of hours walking in the forest our Kibale guide Eddison heard Chimpanzees on the move, he led us off the track into the wood where we saw a family of chimps moving in front of us.
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| Chimp 1 |
The Alpha male was grooming a female and not bothered at all by our presence.
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| Alpha male grooming female |
She had had enough and moved off
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| Female had enough |
The alpha male just sat for a while, sadly the camera focused on the leaves in front and not the chimp
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| Emfusi the Alpha male leaf in focus but not the chimp! |
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| Kibale Forest |
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| Emfusi continues on his way |
Having saved $150 by not going on a Chimp Trek a decent tip was given to Edisson, and we carried on birding not letting onto the others how good a view we got.
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| White-chinned Prinia |
After collecting Julia and Marie-Jose Gerald took us to a sight where Black Bee-eaters had been seen recently, a heavy rain shower sent us for cover. 20 minutes later the sun was out and within another half an hour we were watching one of 2 . Although good views through the bins were had I couldn't get a decent photo.
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| Black Bee-eater |
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| Black Bee-eater |
We returned back to the lodge for lunch then set off to a nearby wetland that was community run. A few good birds were seen but then the heavens opened and our visit was cut short as all were soaked and the birds went into cover.
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| Western Nicator |
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| Red Tailed Monkey |
Other forest birds seen before the rain set in:-Crowned Eagle, Yellowbill, Narina Trogon, Chestnut Wattle-Eye, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Black and White Shrike Flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Slender-billed Greenbul, Plain Greenbul, White-throated Greenbul, Green Hylia, Buff-throated Apalis, Fraser's Rufous Thrush, Ashy Flycatcher, Grey-throated Tit Flycatcher, Western Olive Sunbird, Little Green Sunbird, Red-headed Malimbe, Grey-headed Nigrita, Little Weaver.
Friday 8th November Cloudy becoming more sunny as we head to Kampala and Entebbe
This morning we said good bye to Julia, Marie-Jose and Gerald as they were off to Bwindi for Gorillas.
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| Gerald and the truck |
Vincent our new guide/driver collected us at 9 to take us on the long journey back to Entebbe. Retracing our steps back to Fort Portal and then onto Mubende where we stopped for a very slow lunch in a very empty restaurant.
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| Baboons on the road side to see us offn |
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| Mubende (I think) |
We arrived back at Entebbe and the 2 Friends Beach Hotel around 4.30 and were greeted with a free cold beer and a room in which to shower and re-pack ready for the long journey home which was really a bonus. Dinner of Pizza at 7pm and we left at 8, and in the airport within 20 minutes for our 11.30pm flight to Amsterdam. Arriving there around 5.30am local time. We now had 4 hours to kill until our connection to Heathrow, which ended up being 1 hour delayed and eventually I arrived home 2.30pm.
My top 5 Birds in order, Shoebill, Black-Bee-eater, African Finfoot, African Skimmer, African Blue Flycatcher.
Conclusion. A brilliant trip, I saw a total of 282 birds, the group total however was 296 the difference missed by me taking photos and not getting on to birds. Of the 282, 171 were lifers so very pleased with that.
A big thank you to Gerald for his guiding and especially putting himself out to find the Black Bee-eaters which was at the top of my wish list.
Also a big thank you to the rest of the group for being so nice and friendly this being my only third organised trip with strangers, and my first with Nature Trek.
