Galana's fourth effort. "Never mind the quality feel the width".

[Galana]

5 hours ago, kittykat23uk said:

so I guess @xelas and I can just sit back and relax 😁😁😁😁

Guess again! This is just a Big Year with a few details for interest.

You should see the other photos I have taken before relaxing.

@xelas has the right idea.

@michael-ibk well what's keeping you and @Soukous getting together? Uganda has more than the Shoebill to offer a keen birder as you will see as I hit 100 tomorrow. (and 200 and 300 later)

[Kitsafari]

On 3/4/2020 at 6:05 PM, Galana said:

Glad you learned something apart from all those bloody Bulbuls!

Tip. If it looks like a Bulbul but is green, it is probably a Greenbul! Everyone has to start somewhere!

 

 

 

well - see I learned something today,although the green probably wouldn't show in backlit photos or if the 'buls are hidden in the shadows or trees. so i've promptly forgotten the lesson . 

[Kitsafari]

Mr Bootface was happy to see you all. 

 

 

[Soukous]

19 hours ago, Galana said:

Not bad for a country with no coastal littoral.

 

and littorally no coastline 

[Soukous]

15 hours ago, xelas said:

There was so much more than birds, so I will make an effort with a trip report, starting next week.

 

I've made a note of that promise @xelas  We'll remind you if you forget.

[Soukous]

12 hours ago, Galana said:

you will see as I hit 100 tomorrow.

 

 I may hit 100 in a few months time. 

[Galana]

9 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

the 'buls are hidden in the shadows or trees.

Sadly that rarely happens. Another Galana maxim is that "if it sits long enough to get a photo it IS a bloody bulbul'

As you will see as this tale progresses.

Todays offering follows after the intermission.

[Galana]

So we have now arrived in Kibale Forest National Park and staying at the homely Chimpanzee Forest Guest House a few km from the HQ where Jo will trek her Chimps.

We will simply bird the main road through the forest while we wait her return. Kibale is home to about 11 species of Primate so I hope others will post photos of these in their reports.

So on day one we find:-

91. A very reluctant Green Crombec.

 

92. Olive Sunbird. Oops x 2!

 

93. Olive bellied Sunbird.

 

94. Green-backed Cameroptera.

 

95. Speckled Tinkerbird.

 

96. Toro Olive Greenbul.

 

97. Yellow-throated Tinkerbird.

 

98. Common Buzzard.

 

99. Yellow-fronted Canary.

 

AND then a star bird for the trip flew over us and perched nicely.....

I can see it in this shot. Can you? Almost dead centre.

 

It then hopped to a more open perch and posed more.

100. A worthy century. Front and rear.

Shining Blue Kingfisher. Only my 2nd decent sighting and a totally unexpected find.

 

We are here for two days and no doubt will find several other birds to tick and click.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Galana
Corrected text.

[michael-ibk]

Congrats on the first century! Shining Blue KF is a cool bird to celebrate that, and plenty of other interesting species in this latest post.

[Treepol]

Wonderful sightings of the Shining Blue KF, bee-eaters and of course the iconic Shoebill. Uganda is moving up the bucket list!

[TonyQ]

An excellent way to celebrate 100! Beautiful 

[pedro maia]

Congrats on the first century, looking forward for the what comes next.

[pedro maia]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

Another Galana maxim is that "if it sits long enough to get a photo it IS a bloody bulbul'

 

Here it is a bloody corn bunting or a bloody stonechat...

[elefromoz]

@Galana, the Shoebill just makes you want to smile...

[xelas]

@Galana, is #92 Olive Sunbird or Little Green Sunbird?? The hint of yellowish at the beak base would lean me towards Little Green Sunbird??

[Peter Connan]

Some really lovely birds, and great Kingfisher and Shoebill sightings!

 

But that sculpture is really weird. What does the guy in the back with the bent sword portray?

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

@Galana, is #92 Olive Sunbird or Little Green Sunbird??

Little Green of course. There is no Little Olive. My excuse for some elementary errors is that to save weight I decided (wrongly) not to bring a heavy Field Guide this trip. Then of course in the post prandial quiet of my room after a few Nile Specials and a Waragi or two I was relying on a memory which is not too sharp even at mid day!

Olive is a shade of green anyway!! You better check the checklist as to what I ticked. #875

Do please keep me up to standard!!

@Peter Connan

I think he is from the local Poultry dealers!

Thanks everyone for following along. Must try harder tomorrow.

[xelas]

2 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

But that sculpture is really weird. What does the guy in the back with the bent sword portray?

 There are more sculptures at that place, photos will be presented in TR.

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Galana said:

Little Green of course. There is no Little Olive.

But of course there IS an Olive Sunbird and that on reflection is what #92 is.

LGS comes later. It's all too much really!

[Kitsafari]

Congrats on the 100th! and what a bird to celebrate it with. it sure was obliging  and presented you with all its sides. 

 

 

[Soukous]

20 hours ago, pedro maia said:

Here it is a bloody corn bunting or a bloody stonechat...

 

Your stonechats sit still?

here they wait until you lift the camera then fly just far enough away for you to think you might catch up to them. Same procedure over and again until they run out of fence posts and loop around to where you first saw them. 

[Galana]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

It's all too much really!

I feel an explanation is due over some of these ID errors.

If you drag an old man out of his bed at silly o'clock and force him to dress in the dark with no chance to check his pants are the right way round, and not outside his tights like Superman, before pushing him in the car and driven 30km to a lonely spot in the bush where we stare for ages at what could be either a small Termite mound or the tip of a lions head that would be trial enough. However the poor bloke then gets force fed on a packed breakfast of dubious quality and made to drink tea from a tea bag in a cup before being returned to the sanctity of his room where after more of the same in the afternoon and dinner he is allowed to rest after he has worked out what the darn birds seen that day were and whether that ash/grey/lead coloured smudge on his small screen is actually a bird or a squashed mosquito what can you expect? Repeated daily it is a wonder he lasted as long as he did.

 

Now for some more of the same or worse:-

We are still in Kibale Forest for now:-

101. Rock Martin. Chimp Forest Guest House.

 

102. Pin-tailed Whydah.

 

103. Blue-spotted Wood dove.

 

104. Western Citril.

 

105. Western Banded Snake-Eagle.

 

106. Banded Martin on left although the right hand one has the look of a swallow.

 

107. Hairy-breasted Barbet.

 

108. Yellow-crested Woodpecker. Bigodi Swamp.

 

109. Ashy Flycatcher.

 

110. Dusky Flycatcher.

 

 

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

4 minutes ago, Galana said:

I feel an explanation is due over some of these ID errors.

If you drag an old man out of his bed at silly o'clock and force him to dress in the dark with no chance to check his pants are the right way round, and not outside his tights like Superman, before pushing him in the car and driven 30km to a lonely spot in the bush where we stare for ages at what could be either a small Termite mound or the tip of a lions head that would be trial enough. However the poor bloke then gets force fed on a packed breakfast of dubious quality and made to drink tea from a tea bag in a cup before being returned to the sanctity of his room where after more of the same in the afternoon and dinner he is allowed to rest after he has worked out what the darn birds seen that day were and whether that ash/grey/lead coloured smudge on his small screen is actually a bird or a squashed mosquito what can you expect? Repeated daily it is a wonder he lasted as long as he did.

 

 

 

Hmmm 🤔🤔🤔 in contrast to the above  and unusually for a so-called "birding" trip, I recall many lazy breakfasts and oftentimes not actually getting on site until the sun was directly overhead. I even had plenty of time to cull photos as I went along, a stark contrast to Borneo where we were out at all hours and snatched barely any sleep. This trip really forced me to take it easy, which was something I am not accustomed to on safari. Just as well I only had three targets, which were all achieved quite easily! 😁😁😁

[Galana]

Ha ha ha.

I fear perceptions may differ.

Sunrise was 07.00 in February and solar noon at 13.00 by when surely we had been out for at least five hours? Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out then so none of us were really qualified.

I don't recall many, if any, lazy breakfasts scheduled for later than 07.30 which is when the light is surely just good enough for photography. Birds are canny things and rarely stir until they are warm and who can blame them?

 

[PeterHG]

Congrats on a shining #100 (and beyond). What a great collection of birds you are showing us, many are familiar, but even more are as yet unknown to me. That Shoebill is a magnificent bird. Keep them coming!