Uganda 27 July - 20 August 2008
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Uganda 27 July - 20 August 2008 By Dick Meijer Peter van Scheepen Red -throated Bee -eater (Murchison Falls NP) Participants: Dick Meijer Inge Meijer Juke van Scheepen Peter van Scheepen Mountain Gorilla (Bwindi Impenetrable NP) Introduction Together with our wives Juke and Inge we - Peter van Scheepen and Dick Meijer - made a bird - and ape/ monkey watching trip through Uganda from 27 July to 20 August 2008. Monkey - and birdwise we had a phantastic trip. We had great views of both Chimpan zees and Mountain Gorillas as well as of eleven other species of monkeys. We recorded 58 4 species of birds of which 8 heard only. Of the 27 Alberti ne Rift endemics occurring in Uganda we succeeded to see 23 . Albertine Rift endemics in Uganda AR endemic Location(s) 1. Handsome Francolin (Pternistis nobilis) Mgahinga Gorilla NP 2. Ruwenzori Turaco (Musophaga johnstoni) Mgahinga Gorilla NP 3. Rwenzori Nightjar (Caprimulgus poliocephalus) Not recorded 4. Dwarf Honeyguide (Indicator pumilio) Kitahurira (‘The Neck’) 5. African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena graueri) Ruhija 6. Grauer's Cuckooshrike (Coracina graueri) Not recorded 7. Sassi's Greenbul (Phyllastrephus lorenzi) Not recorded 8. Red -throated Alethe (Alethe poliophrys) Buhoma 9. Archer's Robin -chat (Cossypha archeri) Ruhija and Mgahinga Gorilla NP 10. Kivu Ground -thrush (Zoothera tanganjicae) Mgahinga Gorilla NP 11. Oberlaender' s Ground -thrush (Zoothera oberlaenderi) Not recorded 12. Grauer's Scrub -warbler (Bradypterus graueri) Mubwindi Swamp 13. Red -faced Woodland -warbler (Phylloscopus laetus) Buhoma and Ruhija 14. Short -tailed (Neumann's) Warbler (Hemitesia neumanni) Buhoma 15. Grauer's Warbler (Graueria vittata) Ruhija 16. Collared Apalis (Apalis ruwenzorii) Ruhija 17. Mountain Masked (Black -faced) Apalis (Apalis personata) Buhoma and Ruhija 18. Yellow -eyed Black -flycatcher (Melaenornis ardesiacus) Buhoma 19. Ruwenzor i Batis (Batis diops) Buhoma and Ruhija 20. Stripe -breasted Tit (Parus fasciiventer) Ruhija and Kitahurira (‘The Neck’) 21. Purple -breasted Sunbird (Nectarinia purpureiventris) Ruhija 22. Blue -headed Sunbird (Nectarinia alinae) Buhoma 23. Ruwenzori Dou ble -collared Sunbird (Nectarinia stuhlmanni) Mgahinga Gorilla NP 24. Regal Sunbird (Nectarinia regia) Ruhija and Echuya Forest 25. Strange Weaver (Ploceus alienus) Ruhija and Echuya Forest 26. Dusky Crimson -wing (Cryptospiza jacksoni) Ruhija, Mgahinga Gorilla NP and Echuya Forest 27. Shelley's Crimson -wing (Cryptospiza shelleyi) Mgahinga Highlights of our trip were: African Finfoot, Green -breasted Pitta, African -, Rufous -sided - and African Green Broadbill, Red -throated Bee -eater, Black Bee -eater, Northern Carmine Bee -eater, Red - throated Wryneck, Shoebill, Pel's Fishing Owl, Rock Pratincole, Blue Swallow , Bat Hawk and Pennant -winged Nightjar . And of course Chimpanzee and Mountain Gorilla. Our guide Alfred Twinomujuni ( [email protected] ) turned out to be very professional and of great value with an amazingly adequate skill of whistling in birds. Our driver Ph enny Gongo not only drove very carefully all the time , he was pleasant company as well. Alfred Twinomujuni Phenny Gongo Itinerary Date Activities, transport and accommodation 27 July Left Amsterdam by plane (KL 0561) at 11.10 hrs., arrived in Entebbe at 19.50 hrs. Slept in Central Inn in Entebbe. No bird watching activities. 28 July Drove from Entebbe to M ab amb a Bay, made a boat trip in the morning , drove to nearby Blue Swallow site, drove th rough Kampala to Jinja and birded Mariba Forest in the afternoon. Slept in hotel Triangle in Jinja 29 July Birded different parts of Mabira Forest on foot all day: the most easterly part, the area downhill of the Forest Lodge and the trail starting at the visitors centre. The girls visited the source of the Nile in the morning and joined us in the afternoon. Sle pt in hotel Triangle in Jinja. 30 July Drove fr om Jinja trough Kampala and Masindi to Murchison Falls NP. Birded Budongo Forest on foo t fr om 16.00 to 17.30 hrs. Slept in Red Chili Lodge at Murchison Falls NP . 31 July Went by ferry acro ss the Victoria Nil e, had a game drive in M urch ison Falls NP in the morning , made a boat trip to the fa lls in the afternoon and drove to Bugungu airstrip for night birding. Slept in Red Chili Lodge at Murchison Falls NP . 1 August Drove form Murchison Falls NP to Nya byeya al l day, birding from the minibus en route, birded the escarpment at midday and the area around the entrance of Busingiro Forest in the afternoon on foot. Slept in the Guesthouse of Nya bye ya. 2 August Birded the Royal Mile on foot in the morning and Busingi ro Forest in the afternoon, went owling near the entrance of the Royal Mile in the evening . Slept in the Guesthouse of Nya byeya. 3 August Drove fr om Nya byeya to Kibale Forest NP all day, birding en route after having breakfast in Hoima . Birded the grounds of the Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse & Camp near Kibal e Forest NP in the late afternoon. Slept in the Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse & Camp near Kibale Forest NP . 4 August Did the guided Chimp tracking in the morning in Kibale Forest NP and birded the Kibal e Forest NP in the afternoon. Slept in the Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse & Camp near Kibale Forest NP . 5 August Birded the northern part of Kibale Forest NP on foot and drove through Fort Portal to Semliki NP . Slept in Vanilla Lodge in Bundibugyo . 6 Augus t Birded on foot the Kirumia Trail in Semliki NP all day while the girls visited the Pygmies of the Batwa Kingdom . Slept in Vanilla Lodge in Bundibugyo . 7 August Drove from Semliki NP through Fort Portal to Queen Elizabeth NP , birded the eastern part of the hills near Semliki NP en route . Slept in Hippo Hill Camp at Queen Elizabeth NP . 8 August Did a game drive in the morning and a boat trip in the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth NP in the afternoon and again a game drive (Leopard Loop) at dus k. Slept in Hippo Hill Camp at Queen Elizabeth NP . 9 August Birded on foot the Maramagambo Forest in Queen Elizabeth NP in the morning while the girls did a second Chimp tracking in the Kyabura River Gorge, did another game drive (Crater Circuit) in the afternoon . Slept in Hippo Hill Camp at Queen Elizabeth NP . 10 August Drove form Hippo Hill Camp through Ishasa to Buhoma , game driving and birding en route. Slept in Buhoma Community Rest camp. 11 August Birded on foot the Bwindi I mpenetrable NP near Buhoma whil e the girls did the village tour. Birded a swamp in the valley at the other side of the village in the late afternoon . Slept in Buhoma Community Rest camp . 12. August Left Buhoma by car to drive to Ruhi ja and birded ‘the Neck’ near Kitahurira on foot and later the forest edge of Ruhi ja. Slept in the (old) IFTC Guest House in Ruhi ja. 13 August Birded on foot the trail to Mubwindi Swamp, while the girls visited the local market and relaxed a bit. Slept in the (old) IFTC Guest House in Ruhi ja. 14 August Lef t Ruhi ja very early to do the Gorilla Tracking from Rushaga , drove to Kisoro and birded the lak e side of Lake Mulehe late in the afternoon . Slept in motel Graceland in Kisoro . 15 August Birded on foot the trail to the gorge of Mgahinga Gorilla N P and the border (with Congo) trail. Slept in motel Graceland in Kisoro. 16 August Drove fr om Kisoro to Kabale, birded the lake side of Lake Mulehe again , Echuya Forest along the road and the extensive papyrus Muko Swamp near Kabale . Slept in the White Horse Inn in Kabale. 17 August Drove fr om Kabale to Lake Mburo NP , did a game drive in Lake Mburo NP in the afternoon . Slept in Mantana Tented Camp at Lake Mburo N P. 18 August Drove fr om Lake Mburo NP to Masaka after a boat trip on Lake Mburo in the morning , went to meadows at Sango Bay near the Tanzanian border . Slept in hotel Brovad in Masaka. 19 August Drove fr om Masaka to Kampala and Entebbe , stopped at the Equator, visited the Royal Tombs and birded the Entebbe Botanical Garden and the area around the airport of Entebbe in the afternoon. Left Entebbe by plane (KL 0562). Sle pt on the plane. 20 August Arrived in Amsterdam at 6.00 hrs. Day-by- day account 27 July 4light KL 561 Amsterdam -Entebbe. Left: 11.10 hrs., arrived 19.50 hrs., flying time: 7.40 hou rs. Smoothly obtained our visa and passed customs. Met our guide Alfred and our driver Phenny. Short ride to Central Inn in Entebbe (1140 m.), where we slept after sorting out the remaining fee of the trip. No bird watching activities resulting in the only ‘bl ank day’. 28 July Left Entebbe at 6.45 hrs., made a boat trip on M abamba Bay from 8.30 to 10.30 hrs. and mad e a short visit to nearby hill for Blue Swalllow, had lunch in Kampala from 11.45 to 13.45 hrs. , drove to Jinja from 14.45 to 16.15 hrs. and birde d Mariba Forest from 16.15 to 18.00 hrs. Slept in Hotel Triangle (1150 m.) in Jinja. Weather: hot and dry, a bit cooler in the afternoon Best species: Shoebill, Bat Hawk, Blue Swallow, Yellow -spo tted Nicator, Grey Parrot and Red -headed Bluebill. Number of birds seen/heard: 11 0. Mabamba Bay 29 July Left Jinja at 6.00 hrs. and birded the Mabira Forest the whole day walking three different trails: the western part in the morning, downhill from the Forest Lodge (1410 m.) early in the afternoon and the trail starting at the visitors centre and crossing the main road later in the afternoon.