NW Tanzania - Road to Kyaka & Mutukula PLUS Minziro Forest

The birds weren't being very obliging for photos but managed to get this one of a Bare-faced Go-away Bird. We did have quite a few sightings though with Fan-tailed Widowbirds doing their displays everywhere along with their cousins the Red-collared Widowbirds and one sighting again of Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah, a new record for the area. Sooty Chats were everywhere once again and we saw White-browed and Blue-headed Coucals, heard Ross' Turaco and Black & White Casqued Hornbills. Flappet Larks displayed very audibly and we got some views of them. Red-headed Queleas abounded. Black-shouldered Kites were seen every few kilometres and Little Bee-eaters weren't too uncommon.

We added another Palm-nut Vulture to the list, 7x Southern Carmine Bee-eaters, Thick-billed Weaver, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-crested Eagle, White-headed Saw-wing, Yellow-throated Longclaw (rather common), Singing Cisticola, Grey Kestrel and Broad-billed Rollers.

Kyaka was where we would stay for 2 nights. This building above, well the ruins of it anyway, was on a hill in the town. One of the buildings Idi Amin bombed during the 70's.

At and near the border we had a couple of Meyer's Parrot, 30+ Open-billed Storks soaring, Hooded Vulture again, Yellow-billed Stork, Rock Martin, some more Fork-tailed Drongo, Black-headed Gonolek heard, Black-lored Babblers (who gave me a great call recording and interestingly sound a little higher pitched than those in Rwanda), Marico & Variable Sunbirds and yet another Flappet Lark.

After meeting up with my friends and the birding guide Emmanuel (brilliant guide) from Uganda we set off back to Kyaka to check in to our basic local motel and have a bite before going to Minziro Forest.

Marsh Tchagra opened our trek followed by Great Blue & Ross' Turaco, Red-chested Cuckoo and Crowned Hornbill. Afep Pigeon was a cool lifer for me. On way into and through the forest the sightings and calls came thick and fast with only an opportunity for a photo of the Black & white Casqued Hornbill.

A Yellowbill (Green Coucal/Malkoha) was trying its best to stay hidden as were the Toro Olive Greenbuls. The Little Greenbuls were only slightly more obliging with a few seconds longer view. The Nigritas came in pairs as well with great views of White-breasted and Grey-crowned Negrofinches. Yellow-spotted Barbet (a stunning steroid version of a Tinkerbird), Black-throated Apalis, Olive-bellied & Little Green Sunbirds, Green Crombec and Black-necked Weavers. The Black-billed Turaco was calling but refused to show itself.

Later some Red-headed Lovebirds gave me another lifer and we had some more weavers like Baglafecht and Holub's Golden Weaver. Driving back in the dark we flushed some nightjars which the driver had frustratingly no experience of dealing with, so some records lost there. A pair of Water Thick-knees was our last species for the day.

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.

NW Tanzania - Rusumo Falls to Bukoba

I arrived at Rusumo Falls, the Tanzania/Rwanda border at 7am Rwanda time on the 27th and after a not too lengthy process of passport, vehicle documents and changing money, I was on my into uncharted territory - for me anyway. Before I crossed the bridge over the Akagera River I walked halfway first to get a photo of the falls in full tilt after all the rains in the north and had to try and get a good angle without getting the lens wet from the spray. Across the border I entered I entered East Africa time-zone and it became 8am - hour lost grrr!

A stretch of road for 15miles with Copper Sunbird and Yellow-throated Longclaw when I reached a little village where I suspected the turn-off north should be but got no sign saying so. Stopped and chatted to a local, getting my Swahili back into swing and he explained about the road, the alternative route further east and the need for a cop escort on the road I intended to take. He pointed out where the cops were although all I saw was guerilla-like figures with AK47's slung over the shoulder. Apparently they don't wear uniform for this as it attracts more attention than is necessary. Anyway, I set off with my escort into amazing bush country with 2m+ high grass along the road-side and stacks of birds flitting up and dropping down into the realms of invisibility.

After dropping the escort off, north of Kamisi Game Reserve we'd just driven through, there were some more patches and amazing scenery. This is a "good" section of road by the way!
Stopping occasionally, the Tz list got underway with Sooty Chat (extremely common I would eventually realise), Green-winged Pytilia and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. The Lilac-breasted Rollers were everywhere with a few female Bateleurs along the way.

Many species were in breeding plumage and displaying including Pin-tailed Whydah and Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah although I was gutted I couldn't get shots of the latter.

Trilling Cisticola kept me busy for awhile with one of its lesser known calls and Plain-backed Pipits abounded along the way, many of them showing a light tawny-orange wash on the flanks. Further species to Kyaka included Common Buttonquail (flushed from the side of the road), Common Scimitarbill, pair of Black-chested Snake-eagles, Arrow-marked & Black-lored Babblers. Rueppell's Long-tailed Starling was all over the shop and competing with Speckled Mousebird for abundancy awards.

At Kyaka I drove a section of road along the Akagera River again, and saw the bridge along the road heading north to the Uganda border - the road I would be taking the next day to meet up with friends coming from the Uganda side.

The road further to Bukoba and Lake Victoria was good tar seal and it was getting late in the afternoon (I had planned an island trip but was already 2hrs late), So not much stopping but did get a pair of Palm-nut Vultures along the way. Massive wetlands along the road and some rocky outcrops promised some good birding for the next few days.

Finfoot & Battle weary buffalo (Lake Mburo Part 4)

We also came across another buffalo who had clearly just returned from an un-televised WWF fight somewhere. Nothing was left of the right eye and the left eye was seriously swollen - what did the other guy(s) look like??!! He was well grumpy with his only eye opening painfully on the lake and probably wondering where all the land had disappeared to. Needless to say, Moses steered the boat out of reach of this old man.
Pleasantly chugging along, Moses pointed out (less excited than before) another Finfoot. OK, I can get excited about a 2nd Finfoot - no problem with that, so off went the rapid shutter fire again, hoping for at least one decent hit. Why can't these birds be curious and stop and look at us at least for a few seconds?? They just don't make them like they used to anymore!

Well, a few near misses with the rapid fire accounts for this shot;

Starting to make our way back towards the shore (geez, time's flying!) it was only about 5min later when Moses blandly stated "Oh, there's another one." Another what?!...buffalo, flying pig, jumping fish, storm...talk to me!! My head spinning like somebody at a Red Arrows aerobatic show trying to watch 5 planes all over the sky. Just another finfoot he says - my exclamation of 'HUH' this time is not due to shock but the near ridiculous occurrence of Finfoots here. Who said they're hard to see - they're a dime a dozen for Pete's sake! But still trying for a decent hit, rapid shutter fire is engaged which appears to be more accurate - lack of adrenaline maybe?

Getting to shore after spotting some distant Pink-backed Pelicans, we thank Moses with huge smiles for an entertaining and extremely productive boat trip. He later comes over to us again asking if I would please send photos of the White-backed Night Heron and mating Fish Eagles - these are important sightings you see. And of the African Finfoot Moses, I ask - nah, that's ok he mumbles. (I wonder how many Finfoots he sees every day?!)

Settling down for a soda in the lakeside local restaurant, we continue to watch the 30-40 Yellow Wagtails foraging in the grass and dozens of Barn and Lesser Striped Swallows feasting on the emerging lake flies/midges. Turning to look at the Village Weaver colony with the seemingly single intruding Lesser Masked Weaver, something swims out from the tree and along the campsite shore - ANOTHER finfoot - Nooooooooooo!?!? This must be a joke! They got zillions of radio controlled finfoots or what? and NO, I didn't take pictures of this bird as well.

The missus gave me the good news that she felt quite relaxed and there was no rush back to the lodge so a leisurely birding drive was in order. Must be something in air bringing me all this luck on a single morning! (I did ask for confirmation about this leisurely drive a few times before we left though).

Relaxation was clearly on the mind of others as well (we were only a accorded a very brief perfunctory look before dozing off again)
The rest of the drive back wasn't extremely busy bird-wise (something to do with it being 1pm?) but we came across our 1st baboons for the trip and more of the very common Bateleurs in the sky. I have absolutely no reason to believe that the Bateleurs in this park ever perch in trees, but in fact spend their life on the wing soaring at great heights. A Long-crested Eagle was following suit and enjoying the afternoon thermals.

A little junction where we turned off appeared to be the birds' junction as well with Red-rumped Swallows, Spot-flanked Barbet, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-necked Weaver and at least 10-15 Little Bee-eaters.

After about 6x Broad-billed Rollers, all seemingly in fresh plumage, and some Fork-tailed Drongos, we stopped later closer to the lodge for a photo of our room perched on a rocky outcrop.
We took a bit of a break at the room before my contemplated walk into the woodland and bush around the lodge later.

Part 5 soon

Fish Eagles going for gold! (Lake Mburo Part 3)

With heart rates slowly returning to a state of what would be considered sort of normal, Moses angled the boat toward another section of papyrus and reeds, going nice and slowly. Malachite and Pied Kingfishers abounded to the point they made sparrows and house crows seem rare, although their numbers were never remotely near the number of Fish Eagles.

As far as one could see along the shores there were pairs, individuals and immatures perched - pairs were max 100m apart, so the call of Africa was in "super theatre" surround sound, occasionally shattered to embarrassing smithereens by the breaking and untrained voice of a youngster (not a dissimilar interruption to that of a single strum of a loud un-tuned electric guitar in the middle a choral choir's performance!)

We slowly crossed this section of lake to where the shore was lined with large fig trees and acacias - in addition to overhanging vegetation and some papyrus and reeds here and there. After the heron's blaze of glory, I remained silent about the possibility of African Finfoot, not wanting to jinx the possibility of a sighting. The perched Fish Eagles provided for some relaxing photography of pairs as well individuals flying and calling at the same time which rather looked like a Boeing plane with a Concorde nose upside down - don't these flippen birds care to look where they're flying, heads pointed at the sky and calling yet hurtling through space like kamikaze pilots?!! A nice scoop for me was a sequence of photos of a pair mating (missed out only on photos of some Fish Eagle laying eggs I think)

Let's do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel darling!

Hang on love!! Nearly there (thinks... "damn, almost losing my balance here!")

Phew!! Male: "That was hard Work!" Female: "THAT's IT??!"

Pushing this avian exhibitionism reluctantly to the back of our minds we approached the outer edge of the comfort zone of a buffalo relaxing on the shore with a small retinue of attendees including Little Egret, 6x Water Thick-knees, Pied Wagtail and at a safer distance, Common Sandpiper.

The 'upstanding' member of the retinue

Common Sandpiper preferring the safer option a bit further away

Slowly drifting past this scene of inactivity, I almost did a back somersault out of the boat when Moses hissed "quick!! Photo!! Finfoot!!!". My eyes wide at this sudden excitement, searched and saw nada! "Where Moses?" "In front of us!!" came the tolerant reply. ahhhhhhhh!!! oh WOOOW! The sound of rapid shutter fire dominates the air waves for a few seconds, then quiet - gets rather difficult taking photos when your grin is halfway around your head! Heart now again racing, palms sweating and adrenaline pumping, Moses makes the understated and softly spoken comment of "Oh, and there's a crocodile" Hmmmmm! the visible parts about about 3m but can't see the tail - this thing was &^%$&*(read "VERY") huge! Oh, and there's a hippo yawning. HUHHHH??! about 10m away!

At this stage it appeared we had intruded on Hippoville's monthly council meeting and the whole district's members were attending. The channel is narrow with hardly any space (to me it seemed it like none) to turn around, only go forward. Moses calmly (I think) finds a wee dent of penny-sized space in the papyrus and makes a perfect 180 degree U-turn with the rear end passing only a couple of metres from an irritated council member. We exited quietly yet with some haste from here but not before Moses had pointed out both the Striated and Squacco Herons. Oh yes, I had forgotten - International Heron Day or something today as well!?!

Part 4: MORE suprises!

Bird "circus" on Lake Mburo Boat Trip

Getting to the boat provided a few birds at the lakeside including at least 30-40 Yellow Wagtails and a host of Village Weavers with a couple of lonely/lost Lesser Masked Weaver (photos of these landlubbers in the next episode).

This place is also a lovely campsite with hot water for showers provided by what seemed a constant burning 'donkey' and a local restaurant of wooden poles, open sides and on a raised deck. The menu on the blackboard had a small foot note "Meals will take 45min/1hour" - at least you knew how long it would take!

Anyway, very soon (with life jackets on board - these help when there are hippo's around??) we set off with our brilliant guide Moses who was also the skipper.

1st up was a Pied Kingfisher who seemed intent on committing suicide by trying to swallow a fish the length of its body - only got some if-ish shots of that part but here it is still swallowing hard to get it down;

A few metres on - pair of Black-crowned Night Herons (my smile quite big at this stage already)
Hammering off the shots, Moses had started the motor again and almost instantly switched it back off "White-backed Night Heron!!" he hissed Very excitedly. True as nuts - a pair of them!!! Lifer for me, I had to recover from my shock quickly and start hammering away at the shutter - AND change memory card !!! and carry on again.



AAAAND, to crown it all - both Night Herons in one frame!!


As the last WB Night Heron flew further into the undergrowth I was speechless, and so was Moses! This was too much excitement in only 10-15min. While we're trying to converse through our stunted speech organs, Papyrus Gonolek and Greater Swamp Warbler called next to us - WTH!! This a damn bird circus?! We knew the calls and the birds, so set off further on the lake to allow our heart rates to return to normal-ish.

Part 3: Fish Eagles galore and more heart-racing sightings!

Uganda: Lake Mburo National Park (Part 1)

On 29th March we left Ruhengeri via the Cyanika border, the most SW border with Uganda, and proceeded over a rather wet and muddy mountain pass through Kibale and on to Mbarara. Filling up with fuel we realised the weather was a bit more favourable than that in the SW although the hint of rains remained. Another 50km brought us to the turnoff for Lake Mburo where the road to the gate (9km - allegedly) is dirt/mud/slush-puppy but not severe.

Getting to the gate at 3.15pm we were well beyond the missus' off-hand prediction we'll be in time for lunch at the lodge - still approximately 12-15km away. Anyway with not much time to spare (and potential rain looming) we 'rushed' on, stopping I think 3x for a bird (including a Green Sandpiper) or animals - by far the most frustrating way of driving through such a fantastic park.

Sod's law, at the lodge the sun was out and it was lovely and warm. Here I got to take my 1st photos in the NP -a Spotted Bush Snake. Eventually we'd come across 4 just around the pool and the bar.

View from the pool, bar & restaurant was certainly nothing to complain about...

Some of the birds we did manage to see through the rush and at the lodge included Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling (zillions), Black-headed Gonolek, Double-toothed Barbet, Bare-faced Go-away Bird and Green Pigeon. Nightjars heard included Black-shouldered (very very similar call to Fiery-necked), Square-tailed (Mozambique) and Freckled.

Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling

Morning kicked off with a cacophony of nightjars, Go-away Birds, Doves, Starlings, Francolin and Spurfowl and some seriously loud Ross' Turaco (I always forget how loud these lovely looking twats are) This morning we were also booked for a 10am boat trip on Lake Mburo with a drive to park HQ of 45min (wildly under-estimated if you ask me). The missus realised that with me driving this was impossible as we would need minimum 2 hours given that she knows I wasn't planning on doing a repeat of the previous day's scan of the park.

We set off with more than 2hrs to get there but alas the last half hour had to be "rushed" again - at this stage I was seriously grinding my teeth. Before the rush some animals and birds did happen along including Slender Mongoose (a very hasty one - was he also on the way to/for the missus?), Palm-nut Vulture (spotted by the chief spotter in the passenger seat aka the Missus) Some other sightings along the way;

Defassa's Waterbuck

Lesser-striped Swallow

A warthog trying its best to get rid of as much grass as possible at Park HQ

Part 2: The Lake Mburo Boat trip