Green-breasted Pitta found! Kanyanchu, Kibale Forest (Day 2)

11 Aug: Birding from Kanyanchu UWA office, Kibale Forest with UWA guide Gerald T. 06:00 - 11:00

Once again we started off our morning hearing the Wood Owl calling as we left Chimp's Nest, the lodge where we were staying. At Kanyanchu, we set off 6am with Gerald and our head torches to the area where we were hoping to hear (and see!) the Green-breasted Pitta. The waiting was a bit nerve racking as this was our last chance during this visit to find the bird - no pressure! The first forest calls we heard were the Black & White Colobus followed by the Great Blue Turaco and Red-chested Cuckoo.

Green-breasted Pitta

At 6:55 we heard the 1st "prrrrp" of the Green-breasted Pitta's display followed a couple of minutes by a second, although by the second display we were already moving and Gerald was homing in on the display area. It was the 3rd or 4th "prrrrp" when we saw the bird displaying on a branch, doing it's hop into the air and creating the "prrrrp" sound with its wings. This was followed by a second softer version and a few metres away there was another GB Pitta, also displaying in response!! This Gerald explained was most likely the female.

Green-breasted Pitta

There were a few more displays, gradually lower eventually, till the displays stopped and the 2 birds met up on the ground and started moving around foraging for food. Now the challenge was for me to try and get some photos - with some sneaking and staying still alternately, the birds became reasonably relaxed and I managed to get some photos. They seemed to have a knack of finding centipedes under the leaf litter and at times turned the heads like they're listening before a quick move and dart and lifting the head with a centipede in the bill.

My second species of Pitta but by no means a lesser experience. Being able to watch this pair move around and forage was just simply put - amazing! Eventually we left the pair on their own and we walked back to the main trail with huge smiles. Other birds were now heard calling as well and included Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Speckled and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, and Red-capped Robin-chat; also a great view of a pair of African Shrike Flycatchers. A troop of Baboons moved past and some Grey-cheeked Mangabeys were calling further away.

Butterfly hovering at Kanyanchu, Kibal Forest

Back at the UWA office, a quick coffee and tea and then moved on to some birding down the road. Pied Wagtail, Little Greenbul, Vieillot's Black and Black-necked Weavers, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds and an immature Green Crombec were the first batch of sightings from here. Further down onto the main forest road we found Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Afep Pigeon, Little Green and Collared Sunbird. A White-breasted Nigrita immature was begging food from a parent and was size-wise in stark contrast the large Yellowbill nearby. A pair of White-tailed Ant-thrushes seemed to be nesting.

Two Green Hylia made an appearance followed by Slender-billed Greenbul, Chestnut-fronted Wattle-eye, Speckled, Yellow-throated and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Purple-headed Starling and good views of Buff-throated Apalis and Cassin's Grey Flycatcher. Moving further along the road the bird traffic continued with White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Green-backed Camaroptera, Black & White Casqued Hornbill and a cracking view of Great Sparrowhawk. A few Red-tailed Monkeys were trying to entertain us nearby.

Epiphytes in Kibale Forest

The final birds were hardly "lesser" species as we ended with brilliant views of a pair of Brown-chested Alethes. I missed out on a Velvet-mantled Drongo but considering the above sightings, there was hardly reason to be complaining - I would just have to come back again.

Around lunchtime back at the lodge, I saw two White-thighed Hornbills flying over the canopy of the forest adjacent to the lodge property.

Both the Green-breasted Pittas

Search for Green-breasted Pitta, Kanyanchu, Kibale Forest (day 1)

10 Aug: Birding from Kanyanchu UWA office in Kibale Forest with UWA guide Gerald T 06:00 - 12:20

Red-capped Robin-chat

As we were leaving Chimp's Nest to go to Kanyanchu, a Wood Owl was calling but there wasn't time to look around for it, the hunt for the Green-breasted Pitta had to get underway. We set off at 6am from the UWA office with head torches into the forest to get to the location where we'll be hoping to hear the display of the Pitta and then find it from there. 20min into the walk a soft rain started coming down and when we reached the spot where we would wait, there was a good shower underway.

By 7:30 we still hadn't heard any Pitta displaying and started searching on the ground in the areas that Gerald knew as their territories. The rain eventually let up but the forest was still dripping from the rain and it was also strong dusk-type light inside the forest, not making it any easier to find this lovely yet cryptically plumaged bird. Other birds were waking up and the first calls were that of Red-chested Cuckoo, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush and White-tailed Ant-thrush.

Luckily we also eventually started seeing some other birds as well whilst the Pitta eluded us; White-throated Greenbul, Crested Guineafowl, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Western Black-headed Oriole, Purple-headed Starling and an immature Narina Trogon were the first sightings.

We slowly worked our way back to the main trail where we encountered a Red-capped Robin-chat busy with its morning song. Perfectly posing, it was ideal (other than the light) for some good photos and I gradually crept closer getting better shots. One moment I paused, shocked/surprised/amazed - the bird had just mimicked my camera shutter! Big smiles all round at this amazing mimic and songster. Still no Pitta yet though - luckily we had booked an extra night at the lodge, so we'll try tomorrow again.

Narina Trogon immature

We reached the office at 10:40 where there was time for a quick coffee and tea. Whilst chatting and seeing what birds were around the UWA office area, 2 large Hornbills flew in rather quietly which seemed a bit odd considering we just randomly put them down to B&W Casqued. Having a closer look with the binoculars though revealed a pair of White-thighed Hornbills! What a bonus - totally an unexpected species here, for us anyway. Gerald then tells us that they haven't been noted there for quite a few years and that it was also his 1st sighting of them there in 7 years!

Little Green Sunbird at nest

Other birds were quite active and Little Green and Collared Sunbirds were nesting and Gerald found us a pair of Buff-spotted Woodpeckers. A Yellowbill also made a brief appearance. Wandering through the campsite and the office approach road, we also found Bronze Mannikin, Olive-bellied (nesting) and Green Sunbirds, Lizard Buzzard and rounded off very nicely with excellent views of a pair of Yellow-billed Barbets (the species I'd missed out on in Semuliki Forest).

Collared Sunbird with nesting material

As we were leaving the office, we found a pair of Little Green Sunbirds with a juvenile, Black-necked Weaver and White-winged Widow, the latter being as we left the main Kibale Forest along the road to the lodge.

Other species heard (some seen) included; Blue-spotted Wood Dove and Tambourine Dove (seen), Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbirds (both only heard), Yellow-crested Woodpecker (heard), Black & White Casqued Hornbill (heard).