NW Tanzania - Bukoba & the Lake Victoria beach

The campsite in Bukoba was on the beach and had 3 traditional huts as bandas - going inside was a pleasant surprise as there was a huge double bed with mosquito net, the works. This reminded me that I was in mozzie heaven again and needed to take some precautions i.e. tons of repellant.

Bukoba Harbour

Musila Island just east of Bukoba beach

The birds were numerous beyond my wildest expectations and although my island trip was off due to very strong winds, I could hardly be bored. Pied Kingfishers were in excess of 100 birds, well I stopped counting then, as were the Little Egrets. A few Open-billed Storks were around, couple of Fish Eagles and many Sacred Ibis.

Little Egret

Open-billed Stork

Pied Kingfisher

Other birds around the afternoon included Spur-winged Lapwing, Woodland Kingfisher, Lesser Striped Swallow, Yellow White-eye, Marabou Stork, Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (stacks of them as well), cracking sighting of Shikra in the campsite, Hamerkop, MORE Rueppell's Long-tailed Starling and a few Long-tailed Cormorants.

The evening was relaxing next to a fire on the beach and a full moon

The next morning early produced a huge surprise, 2x Abdim's Storks arriving at the beach! Due to the light I only managed a record shot unfortunately.

After my sighting of the Abdim's Storks I sat around watching waking and arriving birds while I waited for our Tanzanian guide to arrive who'd be with us for the next days. The plan was to set off early to the Uganda border (80km) slowly and do some birding along the way. I was craving some coffee first and the campsite cook was off duty hence I had to wait for the guide and then find something in town.

Meanwhile a group of 16 Great Cormorants flew over and all the above species started arriving in great numbers again, with Pied Kingfishers taking the lead again. Eventually the guide arrived and we went to town where we joined the traditional morning coffee stops where one gets a double tot measure of some strong Bukoba coffee - after 5 of these and 300 Tz Shillings (1,400 = $1), 15+ Hooded Vultures including a juvenile, 3x Grey Plantain-eaters and 2x Palm-nut Vultures, we set off for Mutukula (Uganda border post) via Kyaka.