UGANDA 2020 - A TALE OF 7 SPECIALS

March 20, 2020

1^STGAME DRIVE – KAZINGA CHANNEL SECTOR / 13th Feb

It was around 4:00 pm when we have started our first game drive in QENP. To my recollection, and I am asking Fred and Jo to correct me if wrong, we stayed close to the Mweya Safari Lodge, within Kazinga channel sector.

There were only few mammals to be seen, not a good start for what the park is known, but hey, we were there for birds, weren’t we? OK, Jo might be there also for mammals. I think Jo has missed this little guy so specialy for her (and please ID it): African Grass Rat - Arvicanthis niloticus

So birds then. The area was bushy and while birds can be seen it was quite difficult to find the proper angle to photograph them. No surprise that you will se similar Best Of from Zvezda as have been posted by Jo.

LONG-CRESTED EAGLE

PALM-NUT VULTURE

BLUE-NAPED MOUSEBIRD

LITTLE BEE-EATER

WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATER

Edited March 22, 2020 by xelas

March 20, 2020

Already late to return, after 3 ½ hours of navigating narrow and often overgrown tracks, the herd of elephants has “blocked” us. Or it was Fred? Anyway, we did spent next 30 or so minutes observing these gentle giants.

One thing that I have really missed in Uganda were sunsets (and sunrises). This one is best and honestly, if you want to get a spectacular sunset, Namibia is much better destination.

Back at lodge, change of clothes, shower and dinner … it was another great (half) day on safari. And next day we have an early start.

Edited March 20, 2020 by xelas

March 20, 2020

54 minutes ago, xelas said:

To my recollection, and I am asking Fred and Jo to correct me if wrong, we stayed close to the Mweya Safari Lodge, within Kazinga channel sector.

Correct.

Here is what Gladys recorded.

The orange showed the bulk of our clockwise route. Red and then black were for the ellie encounters.

I cannot do a better breakdown as the ignition switch did not always turn off Gladys too.

54 minutes ago, xelas said:

Jo has missed this little guy so specialy for her (and please ID it):

African Grass Rat. Arvicanthis niloticus Larger specimens are much prized as food by most African people.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Galana
Additional text.

March 20, 2020

Excellent Fred. Please post the such map also after each game drive post. Thanks a ton!

March 20, 2020

Here are a couple of birds I recorded on this drive.

Black-headed Gonalek.

Wattled Lapwing.

I did take a couple of ellies but was mainly paying more attention to seeing the cheeky female did not manage to get around the back of the car in order to chase us.

March 20, 2020

4 minutes ago, xelas said:

Excellent Fred. Please post the such map also after each game drive post.

Can't promise as the log continues to record even when the car stops if Emmy does not totally kill the power.

March 21, 2020

2ndGAME DRIVE – KASENYI SECTOR / 14th Feb

It was an early morning pre-sunrise wake-up call, a cup of coffee while collecting the breakfast boxes (why did we paid all that good money for tasty food and then skipping it?!), before starting the second game drive in QENP. Not even the hare had an answer to that question.

This time it was Kasenyi sector, a savannah plains filled with tall golden color grass, deep green Euphorbia ingens aka Candelabra tree, and solitary acacia trees. WaIst high grass is a perfect hiding place for many animals.

To our delight many birds kept themselves to the cleared paths on which we have driven. Some of them were skittish and others not.

YELLOW-THROATED LONGCLAW

CROWNED LAPWING

SENEGAL LAPWING

COMMON BUTTON-QUAIL

Others were hanging higher, to have a better view over their potential snacks.

WHITE-BROWED COUCAL

AFRICAN HARRIER-HAWK

TAWNY EAGLE

Edited March 22, 2020 by xelas

March 21, 2020

Criss-crossing the savannah for about 3 hrs we have reached Lake Bunyampaka where obviously all game drives must stop, to have a brunch. Locals took advantage of the situation by constructing a small mall. While ladies have had a quick “no-window shopping” and a toilet break, Emmy has prepared our brunch.

Refreshed and refilled we continued the search for the wildlife treasures. The mammals were out in the grass, but the cats kept themselves well hidden.

Another 4 hrs on the tracks brought us back to Mweya Safari Lodge still in time to catch the lunch. Desert of the day was a delightful ice cream.

March 21, 2020

@xelas

That Yellow - Throated Longclaw is one of my favorites but those razor sharp pictures are all awesome !

March 21, 2020

7 hours ago, xelas said:

(why did we paid all that good money for tasty food and then skipping it?!),

A question that I kept asking over and over.

Another was "Why did we book at wildlife rich Mweya to get up at silly o'clock and drive in the dark 45km to Kasenyi?" A chart of our route shows how far it was.

The 'black' is last afternoon's drive.

Finally I have got to ask.

What the heck is this?

That Ice cream dessert looked nice.

March 22, 2020

8 hours ago, Galana said:

What the heck is this?

Ouch. Instead of controlling your birds I should control mine :wacko: . Corrected, and thank you! It was a typo as it is IDed correctly in the database.

March 22, 2020

On 3/20/2020 at 8:52 PM, Galana said:

Can't promise as the log continues to record even when the car stops if Emmy does not totally kill the power.

Nerdy question, what device and software are you using to log your tracks?

March 22, 2020

It was a Garmin with Tracks4Africa map, but Fred will correct me if wrong.

March 22, 2020

KAZINGA CHANNEL BOAT CRUISE

Upon returning to the lodge our first task was to buy tickets for one of the main highlights in QENP … the boat cruise on Kazinga channel. One can use the smaller but more expensive boat owned by Mweya Safari Lodge or the double-Decker boat owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We have opted for UWA boat. The cost of the 2-hour cruise was 30 USD pp. Each boat has a guide who will tell you’re the name of the birds and other interesting info. UWA boats are green; the boats of Mweya are metallic silver colour. Both can be seen on the below photo.

Our boat is on left

Two Hamerkops controlling the embarkation

Zvezda is prepared for the cruise

Edited March 22, 2020 by xelas

March 22, 2020

Within the 2-hours cruise we have seen plenty of wildlife, and also some sights from the local life. First the birds; only the big ones from our side, all of them hanging near the waterline.

SACRED IBIS

LITTLE EGRET

WATER THICK-KNEE

GREAT EGRET

SQUACCO HERON

CATTLE EGRET

YELLOW-BILLED STORK

HADADA IBIS

GREY HERON

MARABOU STORK & GREAT CORMORANTS

PINK-BACKED PELICAN

March 22, 2020

Getting good BIF shots is facilitated by a roof/terrace above the seats.

AFRICAN FISH EAGLE

LONG-TAILED CORMORANT

March 22, 2020

Water is attracting plenty of big game, and some smaller mammals.

OLIVE BABOON

NILE CROCODILE

AFRICAN OR CAPE BUFFALO

HIPPOPOTAMUS

ELEPHANT

Edited March 22, 2020 by xelas

March 22, 2020

There is a fishing village on the bank above Kazinga channel. Some of their daily life snaps.

As you have probably realized by the number of posted photos, we have enjoyed the cruise very much. Our cruise started at 15:00 (3 pm) and ended at 17:00 (5 pm). The light was good for the most part. Doing the morning cruise might be even a better option. And using one of the smaller and more comfortable Mweya lodge boats more so.

March 22, 2020

@xelas

My favorites this time are the Grey Heron (almost laughing) and the first one of the Fish Eagle turning in full flight ! Thanks again for sharing .

March 22, 2020

55 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Nerdy question, what device and software are you using to log your tracks?

Garmin Nuvi 2440 running Traks4Africa 'chip' downloaded onto a micro SD in the side slot on the device.

Then worked on Basecamp/Mapsource installed on PC back home.

29 minutes ago, xelas said:

Doing the morning cruise might be even a better option. And using one of the smaller and more comfortable Mweya lodge boats more so.

Consensus is that afternoons are better as the sun is then behind you. The UWA boat is bigger and thus more stable. I have found that the tin boats usually attract 'drivers' who think they are in some sort of Offshore Power boat race.

(And taking the 15.00 boat means you can still drag folks out of bed at 05.00 to go birding in the dark, have lunch, and still catch the boat.) Am I good to you people?

March 22, 2020

Those shoebill photos are incredible!! What a special bird!! It's almost what I imagined the dodo to look like

March 22, 2020

3 hours ago, Galana said:

Am I good to you people?

You were excellent to us !

March 22, 2020

3^RDGAME DRIVE – MINI GAME DRIVE

Finished with the channel, and Emmy in no mood to return to the lodge before closing time, he took us on the mini game drive on what if I remember well was Royal Circuit Trail. On Google Maps it is described as a walking track, and indeed some of the sections were fit only for a walker, and not two abreast! Yet Emmy was adamant to show us some new birds. Here are a few samples from Zvezda.

Before leaving the channel we have encountered this croc; it must be a honorable member of a local Kilimanjaro Trekking Club as there is a steep and long way up, and down, to the channel. Down in the water more hippos were wiser, most probably preparing for the night shift at Mweja lawns.

Ahh, birds. Here we go:

LITTLE BEE-EATER

WATER THICK-KNEE

CRESTED FRANCOLIN

AFRICAN WATTLED LAPWING

WHITE-BACKED VULTURE

And of course more elephants. Still a baby but soon enough it will become a force of the nature.

We were back at lodge after sunset time, for another tasty dinner.

March 22, 2020

It might be helpful to put the dates in, so the Second Game Drive KASENYI SECTOR was on the 14/2/2020, seems like another lifetime away right now. I can't really add much to the description, so just some of my photos will follow:

P2140004 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer cranchii by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140014 Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140036 flappet lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140041 Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140044 Grey-backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Of course it was nice to see this beauty hidden in the grass, but a shame she didn't move at all

P2140062 African lion (Panthera leo) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140069 African or Grassveld Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus lacuum; A.c.lichenya by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140076 crowned lapwing (Vanellus coronatus), or crowned plover by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140081 rufous-naped lark (Mirafra africana) or rufous-naped bush lark by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140083 common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2140093 Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii by Jo Dale, on Flickr