Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

164/U29) Little Swift (Apus affinis) / Haussegler

 

Seen at the Kazinga Channel.

 

 

165/U30) African Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus parvus) / Palmensegler

 

In Entebbe and Murchison.

 

 

Without a doubt there were more Swift species around but with blue skies being a rare occurrence I rarely tried my hands at them. And without photos no chance of IDing them. Very often, even with photos I´m clueless.

[michael-ibk]

166/U31) White-Spotted Flufftail (Sarothrura pulchra) / Perlenralle

 

Delighted about seeing this shy and skulky bird in Bigodi Swamp (Kibale).

 

 

167/U32) Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostra) / Schwarzkielralle

 

A couple of sightings in Mabamba, Murchison, Kazinga and Ishasha. Generally the easiest Crake in Africa.

 

 

168/U33) African Finfoot (Podica senegalensi) / Binsenralle

 

Surprisingly confiding on Lake Mburo.

 

 

 

169/U34) Red-Knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata) / Kammblässhuhn

 

Another brilliant offering. Not my favourite genus, and I assumed we´d see lots of them later. Not a single one after our first morning on Lake Victoria of course, so I´ll use a heavily cropped one which accidentally featured in a general landscape photo.

 

[michael-ibk]

170/U35) Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) / Südafrikanischer Kronenkranich

 

Uganda´s National bird. Not as common as I thought they would be but still seen several times in Murchison, QUENP, Mburo and roadside between parks.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

171/U36) Water Thick-Knee (Burhinus vermiculatus) / Wassertriel

 

Many seen on the boat trips in Kazinga and Mburo.

 

 

 

-/U37) Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) / Stelzenläufer

 

Sightings in Mabamba, Murchison and Kazinga. Already counted from Seewinkel.

 

[michael-ibk]

172/U38) Long-Toed Lapwing (Vanellus crassirostris) / Langzehenkiebitz

 

Only one sighting in Lake Mburo NP.

 

 

173/U39) Spur-Winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus) / Spornkiebitz

 

The most common Lapwing. Seen in Mabamba, Murchison and QENP.

 

 

174/U40) Senegal Lapwing (Vanellus lugubris) / Trauerkiebitz

 

Two sigthings in QENP and Mburo.

 

 

175/U41) (African) Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus) / Senegalkiebitz

 

A few in Murchison, QENP and Mburo.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

176/U42) Caspian Plover / Wermutregenpfeifer

 

One flock seen in QENP.

 

 

177/U43) Kittlitz´s Plover / Hirtenregenpfeifer

 

Only in QUENP.

 

 

-/U44) Common Ringed Plover / Sandregenpfeifer

 

Already counted from Seewinkel. Murchison and QENP.

 

 

 

Ignored a rather distant Three-Banded Plover in Semliki assuming I´d easily get one later. Mistake!

Edited May 21, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

178/U45) African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus) / Blaustirn-Blatthühnchen

 

Seen on all boat trips (Murchison, Mabamba, Kazinga and Mburo).

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/U46) Little Stint (Calidris minuta) / Zwergstrandläufer

 

One each in Murchison and Kazinga.

 

 

179/U47) African Snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) / Afrikanische Bekassine

 

Several individuals on an overgrown pond in Ishasha.

 

 

-/U48) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) / Flussuferläufer

 

Common throughout.

 

 

-/U49) Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) / Waldwasserläufer

 

Seen in Semliki and Mburo.

 

 

-/U50) Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) / Grünschenkel

 

Regular sightings on boat trips.

 

 

-/U51) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) / Bruchwasserläufer

 

Same here.

 

 

Waders seem to be quite useless for the Big Year count, almost all of these already counted back home.

[michael-ibk]

180/U52) Rock Pratincole (Glareola nuchalis) / Halsband-Brachschwalbe

 

At Murchison Falls (not only the park but exactly the falls). Only my second sighting (after glimpsing it from afar in Gabon) and my first photo.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

181/U53) Grey-Hooded Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus) / Graukopfmöwe

 

We only saw Gulls on the Kazinga Channel, and actually only at the end of it (which had a huge concentration of birds).

 

 

182/U54) Lesser Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus) / Heringsmöwe

 

 

 

Even though these two look quite different they must both be Lesser Black-Backeds. (I guess the darker one belongs to the "Fuscus" sub-species.)

[michael-ibk]

183/U55) Gull-Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) / Lachseeschwalbe

 

Good numbers of them on the Kazinga Channel. I was surprised not to see one of the Marsh Tern species.

 

 

 

184/U56) African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) Afrikanischer Scherenschnabel

 

One of my favourites. Was happy to see two huge colonies, one in Murchison, one on the Kazinga Channel. Great birds!

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

185/U57) African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus) / Mohrenklaffschnabel

 

No excuse for not getting a better photo but mostly ignored it. Common in Entebbe, Murchison, QUENP and even Kibale.

 

 

186/U58) Abdim´s Stork (Ciconia abdimii) / Abdimstorch

 

One high-flying flock in Kibale.

 

 

187/U59) Woolly-Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopu) / Wollhalsstorch

 

Two sightings, both on the road between parks.

 

 

 

188/U60) Saddle-Billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) / Sattelstorch

 

Only two birds in Murchison.

 

 

189/U61) Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer ) / Marabu

 

Quite common out of the forest areas.

 

 

190/U62) Yellow-Billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) / Nimmersatt

 

Just one individual - but a very good poser to make up for that.

 

[michael-ibk]

191/U63) African Darter (Anhinga rufa) / Afrika-Schlangenhalsvogel

 

Only seen in Murchison from the boat.

 

 

192/U64) Long-Tailed aka Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) / Riedscharbe

 

A few in Mabamba, Murchison and Kazinga - all from the boat.

 

 

193/U65) White-Breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus) / Weißbrustkormoran

 

Three sightings, the biggest concentration (30 birds) on the Kazinga Channel.

 

[michael-ibk]

194/U66) Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) / Rosapelikan

 

Just four individuals, all on the Kazinga Channel. Never really noticed how much bigger they are than their cousins.

 

 

195/U67) Pink-Backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) / Rötelpelikan

 

Which were far more common. Seen in Entebbe, Mabama, and Kazinga.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

196/U68) Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) / Hammerkopf

 

Common and approachable throughout the trip.

 

 

-/U69) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) / Graureiher

 

Already in the count, our default Heron back home. Also regularly seen in Uganda.

 

 

197/U70) Black-Headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) / Schwarzhalsreiher

 

The most common Heron of the trip. Regular sightings throughout.

 

 

198/U71) Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath) / Goliathreiher

 

Three sightings, all from the boat (Murchison, Kazinga and Mburo).

 

 

-/U72) Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) / Purpurreiher

 

Most numerous in the Mabamba Swamps (15 individuals there), afterwards one bird each in Murchison and Bugoigo.

 

 

199/U73) Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) / Rallenreiher

 

Another regular on boat trips.

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

200/U74) Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) / Schuhschnabel

 

Bird of the trip without a doubt. Mabamba Swamps.

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Finally! Now you are storming ahead. 

[PeterHG]

Great to see your Uganda collection, Michael! Many exciting species and excellent photos. I can imagine why the Shoebill was the bird of the trip, what an amazing creature!

[Galana]

And about time too. I await the rest with interest.

Would you believe this is the first time I have seen why the Pink-backed Pelican is so called?

Congratulations on your 2nd Century although I sense a 'fix' with your choice of bird to achieve it with.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks!

 

3 hours ago, Galana said:

although I sense a 'fix' with your choice of bird to achieve it with.

 

Very astute Fred! It would have been 196 by the ebird taxonomy logic.

 

Interrupting my Uganda program for a new addition from home:

 

201/E137) Citril Finch (Carduelis citrinella) / Zitronenzeisig

 

Obernbergtal/Tirol, 22/5/22. A new one for my Tirol list. A pretty rare bird in the Alps, and the entire population (confined to Europe´s mountains) is not much more than half a million.

 

 

A really beautiful day today - first hike of the year.

 

Mobile snap

Edited May 22, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

-/U75) Great Egret (Ardea alba) / Silberreiher

 

Not a lot of them, one in Murchison, 6 on the road (Bugoigo Marshlands) and 10 on the Kazinga Channel. Already counted.

 

 

202/U76) Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) / Mittelreiher

 

A few in Murchison.

 

 

203/U77) Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) / Seidenreiher

 

Common on all boat trips. And no, not counted yet - surprised about that myself.

 

 

204/U78) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) / Kuhreiher

 

Not as abundant as expected. Most numerous in Ishasha.

 

[michael-ibk]

205/U79) Striated aka Green-Backed Heron (Butorides striata) / Mangrovereiher

 

Only seen from the boat in Murchison and Mburo.

 

 

-/U80) Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) / Nachtreiher

 

Only one ebc sighting on the Kazinga Channel. Already counted. Still waiting for my White-Backed Night Heron.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

206/U81) Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) / Sichler

 

Just one sighting of four birds flying by in Murchison.

 

 

207/U82) African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) / Heiliger Ibis

 

A few in Murchison, Semliki and QENP.

 

 

208/U83) Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) / Hagedasch

 

Almost forgot to take a picture.

 

[michael-ibk]

-/U84) Western Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) / Fischadler

 

One in the Mabamba Swamps, one in Ishasha. Already counted.

 

 

 

209/U85) Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) / Gleitaar

 

Also two sightings. Beautiful little raptor.

 

 

210/U86) African Harrier-Hawk aka Gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) / Höhlenweihe

 

Seen a couple of times but they never gave me a good opportunity.

 

 

211/U87) Palm-Nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) / Palmgeier

 

Not a bird seen much in most of the classic safari routes but very common in Uganda.

 

 

 

212/U88) African Cuckoo-Hawk (Aviceda cuculoides) / Kuckucksweih

 

Only my second sighting of this bird (after last year in the Aberdares). Near Murchison Falls.

 

[michael-ibk]

213/U89) White-Headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) / Wollkopfgeier

 

One sighting early morning in Ishasha. Generally much scarcer than its cousins.

 

 

214/U90) White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) / Weißrückengeier

 

Generally we did not see many Vultures. There were two WBs in Kasenyi, 7 in Ishasha and one in Mburo.

 

 

215/U91) Rüppel´s (Griffon) Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) / Sperbergeier

 

One distant bird in Murchison.

 

 

No Lappet-Faced or Hooded.