5/7/2023 0 Comments Shoebill stork flying![]() ![]() We enjoyed of this incredible bird for about 20 minutes, and during all this time the bird moved only a pair of steps. Just the iconical, imposing figure with its massive, prehistorical-like bill. A grey-blueyish, statue-like massive bird with penetrating eyes made us forget about the world. ![]() Back to the swamps, Long-toed Lapwings were feeding in the marshes, some pairs already with chicks around, and Malachite Kingfishers were a common view along the channels.Ī Little Egret caught our attention for a few seconds, but we soon forgot about as a massive figure was revealed about 30 metres away from us. A White-faced Whistling Duck showed really well while a flock of White-winged Black Terns was a nice adding. ![]() Widding Cisticolas were singing everywhere, and were soon joined by Marsh Black Widowbirds. Once in our boat, we started moving the swamp, and soon Squacco and Purple Herons flew from both sides of the channels, rich in lotus and other floating plants. The area opposed to Entebbe is still preserving a large complex of swamps and wetlands, and right after arriving we were enjoying not only common birds such as African Pied Wagtail but also Swamp Flycatcher, Widding Cisticola, Brown-headed Batis and the always breath-taking African Blue Flycatcher. The area around the lodge is basically a farming area, but there are still interesting remants of the original forest, so we were not surprised when a gorgeous, enormous Great Blue Turaco appeared right in front our eyes to give us one of the first unforgettable momments of the trip.įrom this lodge we headed to marshes around the Victoria Lake. Long-crested Eagle was hunting in the hotel grounds, and Black-and-White Shrike Flycather and Lesser Honeyguide were seen around the cottages. Here we also had a selection of Weavers including Slender-billed, Golden-backed and Yellow-baked. Our first birding of the tour was in the gardens of the accommodation, where we had good views on several species including the firsts of many Pied Kingfisher, Village Weaver, Red-chested Sunbird, Broad-billed Roller and Yellow-billed Stork. In a few minutes we arrived to our accommodation at the opposite shore, where we enjoyed a well deserved rest before going out for breakfast. It was there, in the calm waters of the lake, enjoying the fresh night with the ecos of the firsts Ugandans going to work arriving from the city, that we had the first unforgettable footprint of Uganda in our travel book! Probably the easiest raptor to see in UgandaĪfter an evening flight from Europe, our group landed in Entebbe afer midnight, and in a magical start of the trip, only 10 minutes after leaving the airport we were crossing a small arm of the Lake Victoria in a small boat. The massive Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) was one of the highlights in the first morning of the tour Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis). At the end of the tour we have enjoyed up to 6 African Finfoots! and had remarkable views on Chocolate-backed Kingfishers, Ituri Batis, Papyrus Gonolek, Black Bee-eater, Rwenzori Hill Babbler and Archer’s Robin Chat to name a few along with several African goodies including African Crowned Eagle, Yellow-billed Barbet, Blue Malkoha, Short-tailed Pipit, African Emerald Cuckoo or Dusky Crimsonwing getting in our list. It is also to be noted in our list species such as the endemics Rwenzori Nightjar and Grauer’s Warbler as well as the rarely seen Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo and Yellow-footed Flycather. At the end, the many hours of talks with our local partners produced a tour with the perfect tone, focused in the many endemics, but not only, in an effort that at the end crystallized in 454 species of birds and 40 species of mammals! Indeed we not only enjoyed Shoebill Stork once, but three times! All in three different places. ![]() This tour was planned for some years, but the pandemia emerged in our lifes, and it had to be cancelled a pair of times. Not only due to the well known quality of the birdwatching in the country, but also because of the very rich mammal life living there, the quality of the lodges along the whole trip, the amazing landscapes all along the tour, the charming local people all along, and the very pleasant temperatures, with an average of 23✬, and many sunny days that were only broken by a pair of showers in the first and the last day of the tour. Oveview: After a long delay due to the well known global pandemia, we finally went on with our first tour to Uganda. All images in this trip report by tour leader Carles Oliver and tour participant Mike O’Neill. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |