Uganda for Bird's Wildlife & Nature - Day 11 - 30th July 2024

On the move again so we packed up and headed out of Masindi through the sugar cane fields on incredibly wide tracks used by the lorries transporting the cane to the smouldering factory in the distance whilst avoiding the hoards of children going to school on foot while trucks full of men with machetes headed off to the fields to cut the crop.  

There were birds of course with Grey Backed Fiscals on the wires and Yellow Mantled Widowbirds dancing along the crop tops where Brown Backed Bush-chats sang and by checking them all we at last found the similar White-browed Bush-chat (one big wing bar) too.  Senegal Coucals fluttered across the road before bouncing into the cane.

Once back into a more mixed agricultural area we pulled up at a random roadside and met up with a local guide called Emma.  He was taking us for a walk around the fields to try and find some of the elusive little finches and such like that live here.  The vegetation was damp with dew but the ground was still bone dry and dusty underfoot.  We started well with three Firefinch species grovelling around in one ploughed plot and with patience we got good views of Red-billed, African and Black-bellied along with Fawn-breasted Waxbills, Bronze Mannikins and Red-faced Cisticolas.

Pin-tailed Wydahs, Red Shouldered and Yellow Mantled Widowbirds danced and there were more strident Bush-chats too and the next field held displaying Plain Backed Pipits and a noisy troop of Brown Babblers.  Black Bishops appeared on the tops decked out in orange and moleskin and groups of Brimstone and Yellow-fronted Canaries and Village, Baglafecht and Compact Weavers were already breakfasting on seed heads.

Red Shouldered Widowbird

Pin-tailed Wydah

Plain Backed Pipit

Plain Backed Pipit

African Green Pigeons and White-browed Coucals sung in the valley below us and Yellow-billed Kites and a Harrier-hawk was already patrolling.  At the end of our short circuit a pair of Tawny-flanked Prinias showed nicely in the same bush as a Grey Backed Camaroptera while a Striped Kingfisher watch the ground silently from above.

Emma hopped on the bus with us for the next bit of the journey into Budongo and the famous Royal Mile  - so named as an avenue through the jungle where Ugandan royalty used to gather and feast. We did not even make it through the gate as there were distractions in all directions as soon as we got out of the truck.  White-thighed Hornbills noisily moved between the trees and the sunlit canopy held a shining Diederik Cuckoo and two clambering Chattering Yellowbills and by scanning around we found two Ashy Flycatchers, a brief Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Blue-throated Brown and a wonderful Superb Sunbird too.

The slight narrow curve before the Mile began

White-thighed Hornbills

White-thighed Hornbills

Diederik Cuckoo

Chattering Yellowbill

Chattering Yellowbill - love the blue eyeshadow

But there was one more treat before going in.  A super high pitched peep alerted Emma to an African Dwarf Kingfisher and amazingly he picked it up perched below eye level in the trees. A truly diminutive predator. He sat there head bobbing before zipping off into the dark leaves.

More White-thighed and Black and White Casqued Hornbills whooshed through the canopy of thrumming wings and our first Congo Pied Hornbills were also seen. One of our key targets that morning was Chocolate Backed Kingfisher and we could hear the whistled call coming from high up in the trees but despite it moving around we could not find it.  Our luck changed ten minutes later when it started up again on the other side of the track and Paul and I picked it up gleaming white underneath way up.  Some scope trauma ensued but everyone had great views of this big red billed Kingfisher with Bournville upperparts and blue wings.  This is a tricky bird to actually see so there were more smiles all round and before too long we picked up another and got my misbehaving tripod to behave this time.

Chocolate Backed Kingfisher - Angie Merrick

The sides of the Royal Mile were kept clear to house revellers and feasting during Royal visits

White-thighed Hornbill

White-thighed Hornbill

An African Pygmy Kingfisher popped up alongside us at this point and actually looked big compared to the earlier Dwarf! The next couple of hours was full on and almost every bird we saw was new to us.  Much of it was high in the canopy but with patience and perseverance we were able to pick out this wealth of new bird life being shown to us.  Sometimes it was a single bird but at other times it was a roving flock that you had to follow.  It was neck breaking but so rewarding and we saw Ugandan Wood Warbler (a Phllosc), Rufous Crowned Eromomelas, Lemon Bellied Crombec, Buff-throated Apalis, Little Green, Grey-chinned, Collared and Copper Sunbirds.  Olive Sunbirds were seen collecting insects from the bigger trunks and a four tail wagging Chestnut-capped Flycatchers flicked through some lower branches.

A solitary Chimpanzee crossed the track way in front and Blue, Red-tailed and Black and White Colobus hung around above us along with a chunky Red-legged Sun Squirrel.

Red-legged Sun Squirrel

Black & White Colobus - love the tails - Angie Merrick

Blue Monkey

We had better views of Yellow-crested Woodpeckers and there were various Greenbuls with Little, Toro Olive and Little Grey seen well and Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush (Fraser’s), Olive-green Camaroptera, Green Hylia and Grey Longbill were noted.  Three vocal Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoos shouted around us but only gave the briefest views and Scaly Breasted Illadopsis were once again heard.  A Brown-chested Alethe appeared on the trackside - hopping around like a Robin and its Fire-crested Cousin could be heard singing much deeper in and Western Black Hooded Orioles moved through the canopy but were difficult to see like so much else up there!

Yellow-crested Woodpecker - Angie Merrick

Lunch logs

Our time was far too short here and down at the stream we needed longer to search for Shining Blue Kingfishers but the zillions of small butterflies coming down to mineral collect were mesmerising.

Giant Orbs were strung between the trees

We drove slowly back out pausing for a final Dwarf Kingfisher just outside the windows before hitting the road once again.

African Dwarf Kingfisher

African Dwarf Kingfisher

A couple of roadside stops while still in the forest only added better views of the Rufous-crowned Eremomelas while a troop of Olive Baboons were sidling up the road towards us but as we reached the Catholic church in Nyabyeya (built between 1943 and 1945 by Polish refugees who had fled Poland because of World War II) a photo stop actually gained us two rather smart Cabanis’s Buntings sheltering out of the now strong sunshine.

Cabanis’s Bunting

The landscape changed and became drier and more rocky and before too long we were on the lip of the Butiaba escarpment overlooking the shimmering expanse of Lake Albert way below us.  It was hot but a short walk was nevertheless productive with several Beautiful Sunbirds on territory, flocks of Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starlings heading over and Croaking Cisticolas, Grey Backed Camaroptera and Tawny Flanked Prinias were in the Acacia scrub where Vervet Monkey somehow sat amongst the thorns.  A Shikra zipped through as we continued down the road and once below the cliff we managed to find both Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and a female Mocking Cliffchat back up on the rocks where Ruppell’s Starling were coming down to drink in a hidden pool.

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting - Angie Merrick

Mocking Cliffchat - Angie Merrick

Once down on the flat it was all change once again. A stunning Silverbird appeared alongside but blended in with the dried vegetation and a party of aptly named Cut-throat Finches were snuggled up together in a bush while Olive Baboons watched us with interest from the roadside.

Silverbird - Angie Merrick

Cut-throats

Cut-throats - Angie Merrick

Olive Baboon

Olive Baboon

From here on the roadside telegraph wires and poles were adorned with a succession of Red-throated and Madagascar Bee-eaters, Grey Backed Fiscals, Grey-headed, Pied, Woodland and Striped Kingfishers, Shikras, Grey Kestrels and our first long legged Dark Chanting Goshawks.  Western Banded Snake-Eagles were on Acacias and Wahlberg’s Eagles circled.

Dark Chanting Goshawk - Angie Merrick

Dark Chanting Goshawk

Western Banded Snake-Eagle - Angie Merrick

To our left was a vast expanse of what Paul called the Chinese rice fields which were dotted with Herons (including Goliath) and Egrets and an immature Saddle-billed Stork.  Pink-backed Pelicans drifted across and spooked a Fish Eagle and the marshy areas alongside the road held displaying Northern Red Bishops and Black-headed Weaver colonies and Zitting, Winding and Rattling Cisticolas were heard.  It always amazes me how the call of the familiar Zitter cuts through any sound even when driving along.

Northern Red Bishop - Angie Merrick

Saddle-billed Stork - Angie Merrick

A comfort stop once we turned back inland gave us some friendly House Sparrows and I always enjoy seeing this species wherever I go.  Pink-backed Pelicans incongruously perched in a big tree across the road.

House Sparrows

It was not too far from here to the main gate for the Murchison Falls NP and we wiggled around the queue of big lorries and pulled up the other side while Paul signed us in.  Apparently the main road that skirts around the park was closed for repair requiring everything to drive slowly through it.

We amused ourselves and found Pale and Northern Black Flycatchers, Black Drongos and Brown Babblers in the bushes around us along with our first Vinaceous Doves (like dinky Collareds) and a fly through Red-necked Falcon.

Brown Babbler

Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu

Pale Flycatcher

On again and suddenly we were back amongst the mammals again and the remainder of the drive was taken up with breath taking views of African Elephants and Rothchild’s Giraffes, great herds of Ugandan Kob and lumps of lounging Cape Buffalo. Elegant long faced Jackson’s Hartebeast, Warthogs and Waterbuck watched us pass by and Oribi with their fake rear eye scent glands and tiny Common Duiker were seen.

Jackson’s Hartebeast

Jackson’s Hartebeast

Common Duiker

Rothchild’s Giraffe

Rothchild’s Giraffe

Rothchild’s Giraffes

Rothchild’s Giraffe

Rothchild’s Giraffes

Rothchild’s Giraffe

Rothchild’s Giraffe - a striking old male

Rothchild’s Giraffe - Angie Merrick

African Elephants, Kob and Buffalo

African Elephants - Angie Merrick

African Elephant and Piapiacs - the young have pink and black bills

African Elephant

African Elephant

As we neared the turn off for the Pakuba Safari Lodge we spied a wonderful male Abyssinian Ground Hornbill having a preen on a termite mound.  I have to admit that this was one of those enigmatic grassland birds that I most wanted to see.  Our 11^th species of primate was also found with a couple of ginger Patas Monkeys with super longtails watching us from an Acacia. African Grey Hornbill became our 5^th species for the day and Helmeted Guineafowl and Red-necked Spurfowl crossed the road in front of us.

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Patas Monkey

Before long we were all settled before a fine dinner overlooking the last light glimmering on the White Nile down below in the rift and as we followed the light lit path back to our rooms later on we had to give way to a party of Waterbuck and some feisty Warthogs.

Sleep came easy but not long after I dosed off I heard Spotted Hyenas chuckling away somewhere very close by…