UGANDA 2020 - A TALE OF 7 SPECIALS

[ELIL]

2 hours ago, kittykat23uk said:

Hi @ELIL yes I had a travel tripod with me 😁, so nice to see you on here! I wonder if you happened to note the names of any of the chimps? I didn't take down any notes unfortunately. 

Nice coincidence - I don't have the names of the chimps either, I even did forget the name of the group 

[kittykat23uk]

Oh well, not to worry! When we come to that section of the trip you are more than welcome to add to the report

[Peter Connan]

What an incredible sighting!

 

Great photos all round. 

[Zubbie15]

I was going to say what a good start before I even got to the Shoebill photos, and then wow. I'm not much of a birder but that's one that would definitely appeal to me. And nicely captured, even if the light was challenging. 

[kittykat23uk]

Here's a video of the Shoebill

 

 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, ELIL said:

Note to myself: work on better posing for unexpected photographs

Is this any better?  Now you are all in view!

[TonyQ]

What an excellent outing. Even without the Shoebill it looks like a great trip with lots of birds. But of course the Shoebill is the star.

Very enjoyable writing and photos.

[xelas]

Thanks for all of your kind words about our Shoebill experience. But hey, we have some more hares in our magician's hat !

[xelas]

KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

 

 

Our next, or better to say, first long-term destination was Kibale Forest National Park. We have started from Nkima Lodge at around 13:30 and have arrived at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House at around 19:00. With 30 minutes of unexpected stop for Emmy to do some exercise, and us to look for the birds, those 300 kilometers were covered over 5 ½ hrs. This time Google Maps did a decent job about forecasting the driving time. The road was all tar as soon as we left Mabamba, with some sections with road works.

 

It was my and Zvezda’s first drive as passengers, so we were really not prepared for passing through villages and towns and not slowing down for taking photos. Or maybe I have just taken a nap … others will tell if I was also snoring. 

 

 

 

Kibale Forest National Park is one of the bestfor chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Kibale’s 795km2 National Park contains one of the most beautiful and most varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees. Located between 1100 and 1600 m asl, it is also home to many tea and some coffee plantations.

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by xelas

[xelas]

THE LODGE

 

Chimpanzee Forest Guest House - https://www.chimpanzeeforestguesthouse.com - is positioned close to the Visitor’s Centre, on extensive well manicured grounds, with great views. It was also home to many birds, and we (=  Zvezda and Alex) should have taken more time to explore it. Our cabin was comfortable, large bed with mosquito net (not that I have even heard one), and a large shower with hot water and a large flat but unstable rock to stand on. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabin has a covered porch, nice views and observing the birds on the grass below was always a good morning start of the day. 

 

 

 

 

AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL

 

AFRICAN THRUSH

 

 

Here we have had breakfast, lunch and dinner, and we have had time to enjoy every meal. Food was very good and service friendly and attentive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was surprised to learn that there is also a camping, and even more surprised to find out people were actually using this option. 

 

 

[xelas]

We have stayed out of the lodge on both days, but when birding on its property, we did get some nice birds.

 

 

SUPERB SUNBIRD

 

VIOLET-BACKED STARLING

 

DOUBLE-TOOTHED BARBET

 

BROWN-THROATED WATTLE-EYE

 

PALM-NUT VULTURE

 

BLACK-CROWNED WAXBILL

 

And two lizards, both Southern Tree Agama.

 

 

 

[xelas]

CHIMPANZEE TREKKING

 

 

Main attraction here is the option to get close and personal with our closest relative, the chimpanzee. Originally that was not on the itinerary. It was excellent birding that lured us to Kibale. When Jo joined the group, her main interest was to do the chimp and the gorilla trekking. So now we have the chance to see how chimp trekking is all about.

 

All trekkers has to report at the Visitor’s Center, filling up some data, and next they are allocated to respective group. Here are few photos from the beginning of the trek. Rest will be thoroughly explained by @kittykat23uk herself! 

 

 

 

[Galana]

That's a terrific shot of the Superb Sunbird and the Wattle-eye..

[xelas]

28 minutes ago, Galana said:

That's a terrific shot of the Superb Sunbird and the Wattle-eye..

 

What is terrific is that I have ID both correctly !

[elefromoz]

@xelas, great Shoebill trip, I’m surprised to see the guides up to their waists in water, no nasties lurking in there? They earn their money for sure. The accomodation looks great, I always find you never quite have enough time to enjoy it, always want that one “free” day to sit back with a book, bird the grounds.... Looks like you guys had a real fun trip.

[xelas]

7 hours ago, elefromoz said:

I’m surprised to see the guides up to their waists in water, no nasties lurking in there?

 

Nope; those are thick floating "vegetation rafts" so nothing can come from below. 

[Soukous]

23 minutes ago, xelas said:

no nasties lurking in there?

so nothing can come from below.  Really? No Bilharzia?

[Soukous]

Now, given that more and more of us are finding our travel plans for the next few months being trashed I think you have a duty to make this TR last as long as possible - so at least I can pretend I am somewhere else.

[xelas]

OK ... so instead one post every day I will do one post every week? Should it be on weekday or on weekend?? 

[Soukous]

1 minute ago, xelas said:

OK ... so instead one post every day I will do one post every week? Should it be on weekday or on weekend?? 

 

No, no, no. One post every day, but enough to last until the panic is over.

[Hads]

Awesome Shoebill pics

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

One post every day, but enough to last until the panic is over.

 

OK, will try. Today is @kittykat23uk day. 

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

so nothing can come from below.  Really? No Bilharzia?

I am not too clear on the entymology of this but believe that part of the life cycle requires a mammalian host. There fore the remoteness of the location must play a part and the odds of two 'fishermen'  (one infected the other not) being in proximity in the vastness of Lake Victoria are fairly long. Bilharzia hotspots are close to human settlement such as Jinja on the Nile where adrenalin junkies are very prone to catch it after immersion.

As for Crocs, and Lake Victoria has some whoppers, despite some 'experts' saying the Nile crocodile never got to climb Murchison Falls and thus reach the lake, I don't think they are a problem in such dense vegetation. If we needed to push a Makoro it would seem hard for a croc to penetrate too. Not that I would care to put it to the test in person.

The only 'damage' I saw was to the "pusher's" cell phone that he left in his trouser pocket.

 

Now how about getting on with that report? @xelas Your readers are waiting for more.

[kittykat23uk]

In fairness to @xelas he is waiting for me to do the next section so you will have to wait a bit longer.. 😊

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

OK, will try. Today is @kittykat23uk day. 

Correct me if my old memory has faded but whilst @kittykat23uk was visiting her cousins I don't recall the rest of the party being blindfold!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3to8QdXlpU