Mfuwe's second year.

[Galana]

Thanks @xelas   Hopefully more beautiful ones to come.

Reservations for the next trip are open subject to availability.

Onwards:-

Still in Kibale for the next batch and whilst it has become a practice to mark a centenerary  with a special my system did not permit it so will this do?

400. Copper Sunbird. Kibale Forest.

 

401. Double-toothed Barbet. The second view actually outside my cottage at Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse.

 

402. Black and white Munia (Mannikin). Chimpanzee GH. Kibale.

 

403. Narina Trogon. Kibale Forest track.

 

404. Petit's Cuckoo-shrike. Kibale Forest track. Female as the male was shyer but some say the lady is more beautiful.

 

405. Velvet mantled Drongo. Kibale Forest track.

 

406. Purple headed Starling. Actually taken in Buhoma but also snapped in Kibale first.

 

407. Crowned Hornbill. Kibale forest.

 

408. Grey-throated Barbets.  Kibale Forest track. (although frequently seen in most forests.)

and finally:-

 

409. Blue-throated Roller. Not the best shot of the trip but trust me. Kibale Forest.

As we now leave Kibale Forest area may I say it is a must visit area for both birds and mammals. 11 species of Monkey, we saw five, Duikers and many birds. To avoid fees, they charge $30 on top of park fees just to look at birds, we confined our birding to the public road with some success. It was not the right time of year for Green-breasted Pitta anyway and the Flufftails deserved a break.

On the road in the next batch. An interesting road too.

Stay tuned.

[Galana]

Some interim stats for those interested.

So far we are just three full days into our twenty five day trip having arrived in EBB late in the evening of 4th December. Discounting those birds such as Long-crested Eagle that had been seen elsewhere my total so far has been 50 new species since leaving home. I am now over 4/5 of the way to my 2018 target of 500 and well content with progress so far. Will it last? Where are the specials? Where are the ECBs? Uganda can fulfill most promises.  Keep watching.

 

[TonyQ]

@Galana great additions as you score moves forward. The details of where you stay are very welcome.We went to Kibale about 12 years ago but we're not into birding then - so I don't remember any! I think we would have a differnt trip now I think.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Some great birds already, a really terrific sighting of the Trogon especially!

[Galana]

@michael-ibk and @TonyQThanks. The Trogons are special but we do have a secret weapon. My friend Emmy can whistle up most birds. No player just his lips and wind. Trogons and Turaco love him. Flufftails get quite psychotic and Pearl Spotted Owlets get mobbed by many other birds which put the blame on them.

Yes. You would love Kibale for the birds as well as the monkeys.

Now we hit the road for the far west and Semuliki Forest. After a stop in Fort Portal for provisions we take the new tar road over a lovely pass at the north of the Rwenzoris that was built about six years ago. This used to be one of the fine views in Uganda as you head down a steep sided valley with views to Lake Albert. Even now it is tarred the views are excellent.

So to the photos.

First at  Lake Nyabikere side we stop for two ticks.

410. Cardinal Woodpecker. Lake Nyabikere. Fort Portal road.

 

411. Woodland Kingfisher. Lake Nyabikere.

 

412. Yellow-throated Longclaw. Roadside on the way to Fort Portal.

After climbing the pass I decide to leave the tar road and follow the old road which is very beautiful. (In another life I once walked over Kichwamba pass from Fort Portal to Bundibogyo. Really beautiful)

After turning onto the old road, which is passable with care we hit a nice flock of

413. Crimson-rumped Waxbills and squeezed off a quick shot before a passing motorbike spooked them.

On the way down the other side we found a very obliging..

 

414. African Goshawk.

We saw other birds, indeed some of #378 were actually taken here so it is worth getting out of the car and walking the path now and then.

Then to Sempaya UWA Office to book in for some forest walks at $30 a pop.

We booked into the UWA Bandas which were 'quite modest' and gave the caretaker the food we had bought in FP as she would cook our meals. Having used the Hotel Vanilla in Bundibugyo on 3 occasons previously and found it wanting we took to the Bandas.

Lots of birds in the grounds including these two

415. Piping Hornbills. Sempaya Bandas. Semuliki NP.

 

416. African Open-billed Stork, Sempaya.

 

A cute little bird deserves three pics.

417. Yellow-throated Tinkerbird. Semuliki Forest.

 

418. Black Wattled Hornbill. Semuliki Forest.

 

419. Olive or Rameron Pigeon. Lots of flocks but this was a s close as I could get. The steam is from the Sempaya Hot Springs.

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Galana
Removal of unwanted photograph

[PeterHG]

Lots of great sightings already! We went to a Holiday Fair in Amsterdam last Sunday to get some ideas for the years to come and there were two stands promoting Uganda. We had an interesting talk about birding in Uganda with two Tanzanians ( even after stating we were not really interested in gorilla trekking ;)) and your sightings confirm what they stated: a very bird-rich country, with lots of wildlife, too. We'll keep it in mind for the future.

[Dave Williams]

Fair flying Fred (and say that in a hurry!) Some excellent birds but the Great Blue Turaco is a peach.400 soon in the distant past , roll on the next ton.

[xelas]

Not only great close-ups but also an excellent EBC photo .... you are covering them all, @Galana 

[Galana]

3 hours ago, xelas said:

you are covering them all, @Galana 

I try to cater for all tastes in my efforts.

Thank @Dave Williams and @PeterHG The Turacos are stunning but not difficult subjects. Later in the trip I had seven or eight all feeding on figs in the same tree. Never had a blue turkey at christmas but may have to try one.

Don't just keep Uganda in mind. Emmy's Landcruiser has seats for five plus gear.

[Galana]

Now for the next batch which starts at Sempaya and the road to Queen Eizabeth National Park.

Semuliki did produce other sightings but the rain and the forest did not make for good photography conditions.

420. European Honey Buzzard. Sempaya Springs and later at Nkuringo.

Something is stopping me uploading a sequence so step by step from now until @Game Warden works a fix.

[Galana]

Problem solved, thank @Game Warden, so off we go again on the road to QENP with.......

421. Winding Cisticola. Sempaya Hot Springs, Semuliki.

 

422. Grey-rumped Swallow, Semuliki.

 

423. Western Bronze-naped Pigeon. Semiliki NP.

424. Ross's Turaco. Semuliki NP

 

Called to lunch so will stop here for now but before we leave Semuliki I will include a mammal 'lifer' for me.

000. Brazza's Monkey. Cercopithecus neglectus.  Feeding on figs in a family troop of about seven. It took me three trips to Semuliki forest to see this.

 

[Galana]

Lunch over so on we go on the road to QENP 

Click to choose files

425. Grey-headed Kingfisher.  On the new road to Fort Portal. There were several that appeared to appreciate the new 'cuttings' through hilly bits.

 

426. Madagascar (Olive) BeeEater. They just love to sit on wires to make birders brake to a halt on busy roads.

 

427. Rattling Cisticola. The road side shrubbery.

 

428. Grey-backed Fiscal. Another lover of the high wire or lookouts.

 

429. Plain-backed Pipit. Katwe road, QENP.

 

430. Sooty Chat. QENP.

 

431. Red-chested Sunbird. Mweya Lodge, QENP.

 

432. Helmeted Guineafowl. QENP.

We are now established in Queen Elizabeth NP for three nights at the beautifully located Mweya Lodge.

http://mweyalodge.com 

 

[Game Warden]

Normal service has resumed @Galana  

 

Matt

[Galana]

So we are now in QENP lodging at Mweya which is one of our 'must dos'. Central and overlooking the Kazinga channel with its multitude of birds. but I am getting ahead of myself. The channel trip is still 30 species away.

On land and on a game drive:-

433. Blue-naped Mousebird. QENP.

 

434. Crested Francolin. Somewhere in the park.

435. Red-billed Quelea. Often overlookd but EBC literally.

 

436. Common Fiscal. On a Euphorbia that has not yet been eradicated. QENP.

 

437. Red-necked Spurfowl. QENP.

438. Ruppell's Long tailed Glossy Starling. Another Euphorbia lover.

 

439. Black-headed Gonalek. Mweya Lodge. QENP.

 

440. White-browed Coucal. On another Euphorbia. They are gonna miss em when they are gone. Kasenyi flats.

[twaffle]

Uganda certainly is a birding paradise.  I love seeing all the variety.

[Galana]

The next batch are all taken on a drive through the Kasenyi Flats area towards Lake George. Or maybe not if I got a better one later.

441. African Wattled Lapwing.  Kasenyi. QENP

 

442. African Fish Eagle. Great sharp reeds.

 

443. Black-lored Babbler.  Kasenye, QENP.

 

444. Flappet Lark. QENP.

 

445. Common Button Quail.  Kasenye track. QENP.

 

446. Rufous -naped Lark. Kasenye track. QENP.

 

447. African Crake. Kasenye flats. QENP

 

448. Temmink's Stint. Kasenye Flats. QENP.

 

449. Three-banded Plover. Kasenye flats.

 

450. Black-winged Stilt. Kasenye flats and Kazinga Channel. QENP.

 

Well that completes column "E" on my Spreadsheet and with three columns of 150 gone the total checks out.

Will  The next column be a full one to make 600?  Watch this space.

We are still in QENP with a long way to go.

[PeterHG]

Can't wait for the next column. Lots of special ones so far!

[Galana]

5 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Can't wait for the next column. Lots of special ones so far!

Stick around. We ain't done the Greenbuls yet.

[Dave Williams]

Yes, excellent stuff,half way to 500, keep 'em coming. Superb views of the African Crake too.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Superb views of the African Crake too.

Thanks! I am especially pleased with that as "I" found it. The others were fussing with some Stints and stuff when I noticed the bird just sitting at the foot of a nearby bush. So I helped myself and then told them!

When I get to 500 I have a real treat in store for you.

 

Still on Kasenyi:-

451. Senegal Lapwing. Best I could do in the long grass. Never an elephant around when you need one.

 

452. Lesser Flamingo. No grass here but funnily enough there were some elephant in the foreground that I had to crop out.

453. Bataleur. Juvenile. Another Cactus sitter.

 

454. Crowned Lapwing.

 

455. Black-bellied Bustard. At least she was big enough to clear the grass.

 

456. Temminck's Courser. Adult and immature.

 

457. Kittlitz Plover. One of my favourites to seek out.

 

458. Black-winged Pratincole. There were lots of them. all huddled down.

 

459. White-backed Vulture. Almost the only one we saw.

 

460. Pallid Harrier.

Tomorrow we take to the Kazinga channel to seek some waterbirds.

[Galana]

 

1 hour ago, Galana said:

452. Lesser Flamingo. No grass here but funnily enough there were some elephant in the foreground that I had to crop out.

And here it is......

[Kitsafari]

amazing number and variety of birds in Uganda! it'll be a great place to start a BY year with. 

very nice shot of the Kellitz plover and turacos are stunning. 

[Galana]

So one last straggling Plover from land which took some winkling out from the long grass and the Kobs,

 

461. Caspian Plover. Kasenyi Flats. Quite a productive place for birds as well as cats.

 

Now we embark on the Kazinga Channel that links Lakes Edward and George. A great place for viewing both mammals coming to drink and the many waders and other fowl that line the sandy shores.

We always take the larger UWA launch in late afternoon to put the sun in the right place and the crew know how to position the boat to good effect. The commentary is excellent and the commentator knows her birds. There are smaller aluminium launches but the tend to go to fast and make more noise.

Here we go then:-

462. Yellow-billed Stork.

 

463. Water Dikkop or Thick-knee.

 

464. Marsh Sandpiper.

 

465. Black-tailed Godwit.

 

466. Green-backed or Striated Heron.

 

467. Red-throated BeeEater.

 

468. Saddle-billed Stork.

 

469. Malachite Kingfisher.

 

470. Gull-billed Terns. 100s of them but always check out the flocks as you never know what they are hiding as the next batch will show. We 'scored' one really special bird on this cruise which I did not realise until I got home so it is out of sequence later.

@Kitsafari

Yes. Uganda should be on every BY person's itinerary. Even discounting the 'seen earlier birds' including some homegrown migrants I gained well over 200 new ticks. And missed about as many again!!

[Galana]

Another batch from the Channel and a nearby marsh next to the main road south of Katunguru.

 

471. Great White Pelican. Kazinga channel.

 

472. Heuglin's Gull. Kazinga channel.

473. Grey-headed Gull. Kazinga channel

 

474. White-winged Black Tern. Kazinga channel.

That's the boat done bar the special bird referred to earlier.

 

475. Wattled Starling. Queen Elizabeth drive.

 

476. Splendid Starling. QENP,

 

477. Dark-capped Yellow Warbler. Katunguru marsh.

 

478. Moustached Warbler. Katunguru Marsh.

 

479. Croaking Cisticola. Katunguru marsh.

 

480. Red-faced Cisticola. Katunguru.

More tomorrow as I edge slowly towards my set target of 500.

I hope everyone is not getting bored but I did say it was a litany.

[Kitsafari]

wonderful additions - that moustached warbler is pretty striking. 

getting closer to the 500th. must be a real special one and can't wait to see it.