UGANDA 2020 - A TALE OF 7 SPECIALS

[Atravelynn]

A flirting and flying shoebill.  What more can you ask for?  Those purple lilies and the guy in the red hat were some colorful bookends to your shoebill.

[xelas]

2 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

A flirting and flying shoebill.  What more can you ask for?  Those purple lilies and the guy in the red hat were some colorful bookends to your shoebill.

 

Thanks for travelling with us! Some colours are always good for eyes!

[Chakra]

@xelas what were you doing when Jo was having Coffee with King Kong ? The trek did not sound too bad at all from the comfort of my chair.

@Galana I was seriously impressed to see your bird photography skill going through the roof from the evidence in page 11 but felt rather deflated after seeing your offerings in page 12.  Must be the dirt on your lens again 

I'm pleased to see how tourism is supporting the locals in Bwindi and as Alex had mentioned that place really seemed to have a nice vibe. Lovely cosy lodge as well. BTW why was Alex standing in front of a medicine shop ?

Lastly, apologies if I had missed the explanation, but I am still curious  why the lionesses climb the trees and not the lions ? 

And just to mention tree climbing tigers are a big hit in India :

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by Chakra

[xelas]

12 minutes ago, Chakra said:

@xelas what were you doing when Jo was having Coffee with King Kong ?

 

I have left this one out of my event calendar for when you will be ready to do it also! 

[Galana]

12 minutes ago, Chakra said:

Must be the dirt on your lens again 

No. Just me not wanting to discourage the two youngsters from trying!

If I show what I can really do too often they will get discouraged.

 

If you missed the reason why no Lions it was here.

"Would you want to take your post prandial nap with the rest of the family?"

 

I have seen them up at times but we all know they are really lazy beasts.

[Chakra]

3 minutes ago, xelas said:

 

I have left this one out of my event calendar for when you will be ready to do it also! 

Si Amigo ! 

 

1 minute ago, Galana said:

If you missed the reason why no Lions it was here.

"Would you want to take your post prandial nap with the rest of the family?"

 

I have seen them up at times but we all know they are really lazy beasts.

 

Of course.  Silly me ! 

 

[Galana]

6 minutes ago, xelas said:

I have left this one out of my event calendar for when you will be ready to do it also! 

I should be pleased to organise that auspicious event.

 

21 minutes ago, Chakra said:

BTW why was Alex standing in front of a medicine shop ?

He was working out what the kinyarwandan was for the medicine he needed to be a happy human.

[xelas]

If not going on the gorilla trekking, what else can be done in Buhoma? Birding, of course! For some strange, to use this mellow word, reason authorities have imposed an extra tax if one would want to go birding inside the boundaries of national park. OK, their park their rules. So we have kept ourselves outside of those limits, saved a 70 USD (40 + 30) per person, and still have a blast. Because, wildlife just don’t know about where the park limits are.

 

Our first half day birding we were handed over to local guide(s) arranged by Emmy. Fred will help me with those guys names. Or Jo. The birding started at the very edge of the village. Soon we have realized that not only birds but also mammals don’t give much attention to the park rules. So we have great close-by encounters. The Blue monkey was my and Zvezda’s lifer!

 

 

BLUE MONKEY

 

L’HOEST’S MONKEY

 

 

 

 

BLACK-FRONTED DUIKER

 

 

 

 

Now let see what birds were out there that morning.

 

LUEDHER’S BUSH-SHRIKE

 

GREY-WINGED ROBIN-CHAT

 

BROWN-THROATED WATTLE-EYE

 

MOUNTAIN ORIOLE

 

AFRICAN GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING

 

In the afternoon, and from the road

 

MACKINNON’S FISCAL

 

WHITE-TAILLED BLUE-FLYCATCHER

 

And one from the balcony when sun was really helping the bird to show its best side

 

BRONZE SUNBIRD

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by xelas

[xelas]

Second day started with rain. So we have left the lodge late, and have decided to do what is Fred’s specialty: balcony birding. Only that here it was a huge covered terrace above the Visitor’s Center. Rain was intermittent and clouds were thick but we were still having good time with birds.

 

 

 

 

BLACK-NECKED WEAVER

 

RWENZORI DOUBLE-COLLARED SUNBIRD

 

COLLARED SUNBIRD

 

LITTLE SPARROWHAK

 

and a special gift for @Peter Connan

 

AFRICAN EMERALD CUCKOO

 

 

On our way back there was another treat waiting for us

 

AFRICAN WOOD OWL

 

Please do not use flash … otherwise you may get the evil eye (Disclaimer: it was midday and the owl was resting so it night vision should be OK before the night hunt)

 

Meet our local birding apprentices/guides to be: Joseph (?) on the left and Ivan in the centre. The person on the far right is not even an apprentice yet.

 

 

 

Yes, one can stay two full days in Buhoma, not going to trek the gorillas and still have plenty to do. Although, that gorilla trekking … one day for sure.

Edited March 30, 2020 by xelas

[michael-ibk]

AFRICAN EMERALD CUCKOO

 

Oh, that´s cheating, it´s not Emerald! Great picture though - as are the others.

[xelas]

44 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Oh, that´s cheating, it´s not Emerald!

 

It is not African Emerald Cuckoo (juvenile)?? Then I have been mislead. Either by bird or by birder.

[michael-ibk]

Nono, it is, sorry, I was just talking about the colour of the juvenile. 

[xelas]

2 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Nono, it is, sorry, I was just talking about the colour of the juvenile. 

 

Aha. You should post the  before . You know have uncertain I am with birds ID  ... most of the time.

[Galana]

11 hours ago, xelas said:

Fred will help me with those guys names.

The guide on the left is Joseph I think. Next to you in the middle is Ivan who I have met before. Indeed he accompanied Emmy and I on some of our other trips. These boys are quasi apprentices learning the job until they get a GuidesCeertificate/

 

11 hours ago, xelas said:

GREY-WINGED BUSH-SHRIKE

Grey-winged Robin-Chat.

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

You know have uncertain I am with birds ID 

 

Welcome to the club. That's the problem with being a late starter. 

[xelas]

Thanks, @Galana. As for the wrong bird ID, at least I've got the wings correctly  ...

[kittykat23uk]

Here's a few more

 

P2180148 Narrow-tailed Starling (Poeoptera lugubris) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180426 Petit's Cuckooshrike (Campephaga petiti) by Jo Dale, on Flickr (heavy crop)

 

 

I was hoping @xelas might risk some LBJs for @Galana to get his teeth into but seems I have that "pleasure". So herewith and expecting to be corrected on some of these...

 

P2180215 Toro Olive Greenbul (Phyllastrephus hypochloris) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180278 Toro Olive Greenbul (Phyllastrephus hypochloris) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180279 Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180286 Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180441 white-eyed slaty flycatcher (Melaenornis fischeri) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2180450 Chubb's Cisticola (Cisticola chubbi) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2170806 African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2170645  ashy flycatcher, blue-grey flycatcher or ashy alseonax (Muscicapa caerulescens) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by kittykat23uk

[Soukous]

LBJ ?

 

[xelas]

But Jo, you can see I have problems with big colourful ones , more so with Little Brown Jobs @Soukous (there is a large volume book that deals explicitly with LBJ birds on sale in South Africa).

And as there will be all of those, and plenty of EBC and even some UFO posted on Big Year, I did not want to bother the audience .

 

Anyway, from my limited knowledge, only one is that @Galana would have a comment: the colour of the bill (light with dark tip) looks more like a Slaty-Flycatcher (last photo posted).

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

4 minutes ago, xelas said:

But Jo, you can see I have problems with big colourful ones , more so with Little Brown Jobs @Soukous (there is a large volume book that deals explicitly with LBJ birds on sale in South Africa).

And as there will be all of those, and plenty of EBC and even some UFO posted on Big Year, I did not want to bother the audience .

 

Anyway, from my limited knowledge, only one is that @Galana would have a comment: the colour of the bill (light with dark tip) looks more like a Slaty-Flycatcher (last photo posted).

 

 

 

Yes you could be right, I was having doubts about that one too..

 

[kittykat23uk]

February 19th Buhoma

 

I attempted to channel Petr Bambousek  in my atempts to photograph the garden visitors in the pouring rain..

 

P2190006 Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190043 Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190118 Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190120  Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190135 female Purple-breasted Sunbird (Nectarinia purpureiventris) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190158  Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190160 Large Rock Martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190193 Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190230 Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

Moving on, but not far, to the top of the park HQ building to shelter from the continuing rain

 

P2190320 Anthreptes rectirostris (Green Sunbird) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190405  collared sunbird, (Hedydipna collaris) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190422 Rwenzori double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190662 Dwarf Honeyguide (Indicator pumilio) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190799 Tambourine Dove (Turtur tympanistria) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2190895 Green-backed Camaroptera. Camaroptera brachyura. by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Magneto bird:

P2190907 black-billed weaver (Ploceus melanogaster) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

P2190911  brown-throated wattle-eye (Platysteira cyanea) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

After lunch at the lodge we did some shopping, I bought a beautiful painting of a young gorilla and a carving that reminded me of Makara. 

 

2020-03-30_01-05-07 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

2020-03-30_01-04-42 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Late in the afternoon, we were back to birding

 

P2190977 Speckled Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus scolopaceus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191154 Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191161 White-tailed Blue-flycatcher (Elminia albicauda) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191192 African Wood-owl (Strix woodfordii) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191217 Bocage's Bush-shrike (Chlorophoneus bocagei) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191276 grey-winged robin-chat or grey-winged akalat (Cossypha polioptera) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_175402 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_175433 Buhoma by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_175503 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2191296 Butterfly by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_182701 Buhoma by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_183008 Alex making friends by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20200219_192151 View from our lodge, Buhoma by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[TonyQ]

Excellent photos all round.

It looks like a very good place for birding, even in the rain.

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

Anyway, from my limited knowledge, only one is that @Galana would have a comment: the colour of the bill (light with dark tip) looks more like a Slaty-Flycatcher (last photo posted)

Does anyone else get a warm feeling when one's apprentice makes his mark?

Actually the Ashy would have a small black line through bill to eye topped by a small white  line.

An d seeing how I have been 'invited' I would make the following comments.

Have Rock Martins been split into Large and Small or was your subject just sitting on a large rock?

Green Sunbird. Pass. Possibly an Imm.

 

What is a magneto bird? Not heard that one, literally. Do Magnetos make a noise? Mine never did.

GW Robin Chat. Were you hedging your bets with Akalat? Nice pose whatever.

 

You went in the rain to photo AF Bulbul? Only BY players would do that.

 

Nice collection though!

[kittykat23uk]

17 minutes ago, Galana said:

Does anyone else get a warm feeling when one's apprentice makes his mark?

Actually the Ashy would have a small black line through bill to eye topped by a small white  line.

 

LOL thanks, Okay having it confirmed from @Galana I'll amend. 

 

Quote

An d seeing how I have been 'invited' I would make the following comments.

Have Rock Martins been split into Large and Small or was your subject just sitting on a large rock? 

 

Apparently so: https://www.hbw.com/species/large-rock-martin-ptyonoprogne-fuligula

 

Quote

Green Sunbird. Pass. Possibly an Imm.

 

Cool.

 

Quote

What is a magneto bird? Not heard that one, literally. Do Magnetos make a noise? Mine never did.

 

The shape of the yellow markings just reminded me of the well-known comic book villain, Magneto's, helmet.

 

Quote

GW Robin Chat. Were you hedging your bets with Akalat? Nice pose whatever.

 

Nah, just I copy and paste the names to get the scientific name- in this case the source reference had both names. 

 

Quote

You went in the rain to photo AF Bulbul? Only BY players would do that.

 

Nice collection though!

 

Didn't get wet as it was from the balcony.  Now, can you advise where on earth we saw  blue-breasted bee-eater (Merops variegatus) as I'm sure we did see them somewhere but so far all I am finding is cinnamon-chested... 

Edited March 30, 2020 by kittykat23uk