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

[Galana]

46 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

but even more are as yet unknown to me. That Shoebill is a magnificent bird. Keep them coming!

Stay tuned. I am sure you will find more of interest as the list grows.

Here is a taster.

 

[Dave Williams]

Excellent list so far, some enviable sightings for sure.

 

[Galana]

Thanks @Dave Williams

 

Here are today's offerings.

We are still in Kibale forest near Kanyanchu.

 

So first up it was very pleasing to find these which I had dipped on in Entebbe.

Not just one but two in the bush...

 

111. African Grey Parrot. Quite endangered by the Pet trade.

 

112. Yellow Canary, Very shy.

 

113. Palm-nut Vulture. Kanyanchu but the last was in QENP later.

 

114. Double-toothed Barbet. Chimp Guest House and Mburo.

 

115. Western Nicator. Kibale.

 

116. Grey-capped Negrofinch. Kibale.

 

117. From the amount of black on the nape I am going for Black Bishop. Habitat also fits well.

 

118. Vanga. Black and White Shrike Flycatcher. (female) Bigodi Swamp HQ.

 

119. African Blue Flycatcher. Grounds of Chimpanzee Forest Guest House.

 

120. Black-crowned Waxbill. Chimpanzee Forest Guest House. Lighter grey and other subleties mark this out from the Black-headed version of higher altitude.

 

Finally. Help needed.

I took this thinking it was something else. It looks awfully familiar yet I don't recall seeing it before. Can anyone help me with the ID?

Very reminiscent of Blue-bill Seedcracker with that bill. Location Kibale.

 

Thanks folks.

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Galana
editing

[xelas]

Great new additions, @Galana. The first photo of a Negrofinch gave me an idea; but I have no clue about your UFO. They are starting to accumulate also on my side , hopefully Emmy might find some time to check them here .

Edited March 9, 2020 by xelas

[kittykat23uk]

12 minutes ago, xelas said:

Great new additions, @Galana. The first photo of a Negrofinch gave me an idea; but I have no clue about your UFO. They are starting to accumulate also on my side , hopefully Emmy might find some time to check them here .

 

Ditto here! 

[Galana]

55 minutes ago, xelas said:

The first photo of a Negrofinch gave me an idea;

I thought it might!

 

Did neither of you photo this bird?

[xelas]

I did. Only my book says it is a Grey-headed Negrofinch - Nigrita canicapilla. We have missed the Bishop .

[PeterHG]

Great set of additions again, @Galana !

 

4 hours ago, Galana said:

Grey-capped Negrofinch

I think people changed the name to Grey-capped Nigrita for fear of being banned from the forums...

[Galana]

4 hours ago, xelas said:

I did. Only my book says it is a Grey-headed Negrofinch - Nigrita canicapilla.

Could be. thanks.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, xelas said:

We have missed the Bishop .

This was the Bishop we stopped for to the left of the car when driving from Chimp FG to the tar. 13/2/20  9.11 local. (Where the Tchagra was!)

[xelas]

Found it. Thanks!

[Galana]

Thanks for still following.

Here are the final captures from Kibale Forest as we prepare to go play with some elephant in Queen Elizabeth NP our next stop.

An explanation of our modus operandi may be due.

Some years back Ugandan Wildlife Authority introduced a 'birding fee' into their tarif. Bird guides and their clients just refuse to pay it. A nominal charge could possibly be justified but not US$30 pp. After all 'we' pay an entrance fee to most NPs and they don't charge extra for lions and elephants so why the heck should they try and charge for 'looking at birds'? OK. They don't want ad hoc groups wandering the forest trails but why should birders pay when chimp treckers get it for free? Of course in larger Savannah parks 'we' just ignore them and pay to watch ellies etc., in the entrance fee and if birds happen to be seen we just look the other way as scrupulous honest tourists. Not!

So 'forest birding' takes place from the public roads (unless you seek something special like a Pitta or Green Broadbill). The fact that many birds often prefer to frequent forest edges where they can be more easily seen anyway is sheer serendipity.

Enough. Here are what we saw from the Kanyanchu road.

We start out of sequence as whilst sorting the collection I realised a very common bird was missing. So I caught up with it later 'post preparation' from a bird feeder shot. This happens a lot with BY as would you believe the same happened with Egyptian Geese? I got home to realise I had not one of them either.

121. Black-headed, Village, Spot-backed Weaver. It answers to all three as well as Ploceus Cucculatus.

 

122. Little Green Sunbird.

 

123. Sooty Flycatcher.

 

124. Grey Tit-flycatcher.

 

And why pay $30 when this chap turns up for free?

125. Crowned Eagle. He is no doubt looking for the monkeys that cross the roads.

 

126. Lesser Striped Swallow.

 

127. Cinnamon chested BeeEater.

 

128. Brown-crowned Tchagra.

 

129, A rather scruffy Southern Red Bishop.

 

130. Tawny flanked Prinia.

That's it for now. Getting close to what I think is my bird photo of the trip.

Edited March 10, 2020 by Galana
Additional updated comment.

[Zim Girl]

Belated congratulations on the first century.  Lots of really interesting birds.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Zim Girl said:

Lots of really interesting birds.

Thanks. More to come I hope.

[PeterHG]

A birding fee, indeed! That is a new one ;). Your illegal harvest looks quite good, though.

[Peter Connan]

Stunning species seen and photographed!

[Galana]

17 hours ago, PeterHG said:

A birding fee, indeed! That is a new one

Has been around about 5 years or more now.

 

Here is what was written around that time.

"Ugandan Wildlife Authority have introduced a new “Birding” Activity Fee in most National Parks and Reserves. It ranges from a modest $15 to an outrageous $100 per person in Semuliki National Park. This is simply counter productive and in conflict with common sense. Most birders and bird guides I know have boycotted Semuliki as they feel the charge extortionate to say the least. The concept is both abhorrent and discriminatory and out of touch with reality.

 

Does the carrying of binoculars mark one out as a soft touch or a rich man? Most guides and tourists carry binoculars so what defines a birder from a normal wildlife tourist? How do UWA propose to police this silliness? Stop and search us? Check if we have Binoculars or pictures of birds in our camera?

 

If I go into a National Park I have paid $35 pppday AND the cost of bringing in a car and guide. This is good for Tourism and good for UWA.

For this sum I can watch Lion, Elephant, Hippo etc., lots of Antelope and Buffalo from my car. If I step out of the car I can hire a Ranger to walk with me for $15 or $20. I can ride on a UWA launch at Lake Mburo, Kazinga or Paraa for another reasonable sum. On this launch the Guide gives a very nice commentary including the names of most birds. There is NO extra charge for looking at birds here. Why is there one when on dry land?

 

If I can look at Lions and Elephants for $35 why am I expected to pay up to $100 to look at birds when in the National Park? Main roads often transect Parks, such as in QE, Murchison, Semuliki Bwindi and Kibale. If I am walking or driving that Public Highway am I expected to pay a fee if a bird flies over my head? If I stop to see a beautiful Turaco  or BeeEater will I face arrest?

What happens if I see a bird and it flies over the NP boundary? Must I stop looking at it if I have not paid a birding fee?

Will I face a fine if when watching Buffalo, an Oxpecker or Piapiac lands on its back? What about when walking back to my Lodge and some Guinea Fowl or Francolin get up in front of me? Should I close my eyes? What happens if I fall over or bump into a Leopard when my eyes were closed?

 

Imagine me sitting eating my Lunch box by the Ferry at Paraa and some birds come down for the crumbs. Have I broken the Laws? This Birding Fee is nonsense in both concept and in execution and we all know what happens to nonsensical rules. They get ignored as unenforceable so why introduce unenforceable rules in the first place?""

Happily the authorities did listen and the Semuliki Fee was rationalised down to the 'normal' $30 when the boycott hit them hard. Now we bird from our car or the road.

[Soukous]

An excellent rant sir. 

[Galana]

Today's offering as we depart Kibale and turn south for the wide open spaces, comparatively speaking, of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

A long hot drive with comfort stop in Kasese got us to the park gates by 14.00 and to our 'tents' overlooking the Kazinga channel at Mweya Safari Lodge. I cannot remember what we did for lunch. If we had lunch boxes it is probable that Alex ate them all.

 

131. Grey-backed Fiscal.

 

132. Grey-headed Kingfisher. Sometime called Chestnut-bellied for obvious reasons.

 

133. Capped Wheatear. At least that is what it was called as. Now I get to look closely I have doubts. Where is the white-throat and deep black breast? The nape should be darker.  Sadly it did not stick around and I only got a couple of shots. I am thinking this may be Pied Wheatear.

(And I've just remembered where we had lunch!)

 

134. African Golden-breasted Bunting.

 

135. Blue-naped Mousebird.

 

136. Black-headed Gonalek. Whilst common even in Entebbe it took time to get a clear shot.

 

137. African Firefinch. Again a bird much overlooked hence a struggle remember this is BY and every bird counts.

 

138. Brimstone (Bully) Canary.

 

139. Ruppell's Long tailed Starling.

 

140. Hard to resist. Little BeeEaters.

 

Finally a note on our lodgings.

The resident Banded Mongooses will keep an eye on your tent during daylight

but don't walk back to your tent after dark and expect the resident Lawnmowers to stop work.

 

Seek Help. Two visits back we had 5 lions on our stoop.

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

Capped Wheatear. At least that is what it was called as. Now I get to look closely I have doubts. Where is the white-throat and deep black breast? The nape should be darker.  Sadly it did not stick around and I only got a couple of shots. I am thinking this may be Pied Wheatear.

 

My 2 cents worth, based on location I'd say Pied Wheatear. Capped Wheatear has white/pale bib not black/dark.

[Soukous]

and a Blue-naped Mousebird too. That's on my wish list for my next visit to East Africa.

[Galana]

29 minutes ago, Soukous said:

My 2 cents worth, based on location I'd say Pied Wheatear.

Location. Now I look at the distribution map in Fanshawe's there is no contest. Pied. See what happens when you don't take a Field Guide to check such things?

I can locate that one to within 20 feet.

 

27 minutes ago, Soukous said:

That's on my wish list for my next visit to East Africa.

I would delay the completion of that list until @xelas and I have posted our results. You will need a new notebook.

Note to Jo and Alex. Amend checklist to read 'Pied'.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Galana
Additional updated comment.

[xelas]

3 hours ago, Galana said:

If we had lunch boxes it is probable that Alex ate them all.

That is one outrageous accusation! I have only worked in the best interest of the nature, leaving nothing but footprints behind . And I have no clue why others in the group nicknamed me The Great White as I don't even play golf.

[kittykat23uk]

Did you send us a completed checklist @GalanaI'm afraid we probably have to dock one mammal from the list given the misidentified otters.. 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, kittykat23uk said:

Did you send us a completed checklist @Galana

Yes. But it did not include mammals or reptiles. I left that to you.

Whilst I bow to your contacts knowledge I would still suggest Cape Clawless for those in Lake Vic and Bunyoni based mainly on size, they were big animals, and they are diurnal whereas Spotted-necked are much shyer critters. I only recall seeing them once whereas I can almost guarantee sightings of CC.