Kihingami Wetland Sanctuary (Kibale Forest, Uganda)

7 Aug; Guided walk in and around Kihingami Swamp. (Local guide - Alex and student Moses) 07:30 - 13:15

Kihingami Wetland Sanctuary is a community-based project and located adjacent to Kibali Forest at the Sebitoli area. The local guides are trained with backing from Kaberole Tours in Fort Portal who also initiated the project. A walk through part of a village and agriculture brings one to patches of forest and closed woodland after which crosses the swamp area.

Our walk toward the 1st patch of forest produced a few of the more "common" species like Green-headed Sunbird, Western Citril (with nesting material), Tawny-flanked Prinia, Brimstone Canary, Violet-backed Starling, Holub's Golden Weaver, Great Blue Turaco, Black-crowned and Common Waxbills we hadn't seen yet on the trip. The African Blue Flycatcher was a huge bonus and we had reasonable albeit a bit distant views of it.

Reaching the 1st forest patch was like a veritable bird rush-hour starting with Green Hylia, Luhder's Bush-shrike, Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher, Grey-headed Nigrita, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat (ID on photo by Callan Cohen - thanks a lot), Red-headed Bluebill and an ever elusive calling White-spotted Flufftail.

Crossing over the swamp and through the papyrus, a White-winged Warbler responded to playback but refused point blank to show itself. Going into another stretch of forest produced cracking views of Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, something which doesn't happen often - well, has never happened to me before this. This was just after some good views of Masked Apalis and an elusive Black-faced Rufous Warbler. We tracked the latter down eventually and got some good views followed by quick glimpses of Lizard Buzzard.

Leaving this area and walking back through the tea plantation which is bordered by some good forest trees; we came across a little sunbird party with Collared, Olive-bellied and Green-throated Sunbirds. A Long-crested Eagle lazily floating in the afternoon wind rounded up a pleasant morning's birding even though the birds weren't in the mood for posing for photos as opposed to the insects who were much more obliging.

Kibale Forest (Sebitoli area), Uganda (Aug 2010)

Sebitoli Forest Camp

5 Aug; Drive Ruhengeri to Sebitoli Forest Camp, Kibali Forest Uganda

Self-guide walk: 17:15 - 19:00

We arrived at Sebitoli Forest Camp at around 17:15 after a full day driving from Ruhengeri (Rwanda). Sebitoli Forest Camp is run by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and has no electricity yet but comfortable twin rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The shower has cold water but I did notice a "donkey" outside so hot water would be available on request. Food is available at the campsite and includes a fair range of really tasty food. Having sorted out the room etc we walked down the approach road to the camp which goes through a section the forest and were welcomed (upon arrival already actually) by Common Bulbul and the calls of Great Blue Turaco and in the air the pleasant surprise of Rufous-chested Swallows. The birds were initially a bit quiet as we walked, probably due to the heat, but things soon started happening with Sooty Flycatcher, 4x Olive-bellied, Collared, Green-throated and Green-headed Sunbirds, Purple-headed Starling and Grey-headed Nigrita. Brown-capped Weavers had a nest and it appeared that the young had already fledged. Another surprise was the short but very good view of a Dusky Crested Flycatcher, one of this family that has eluded me for awhile. Other birds for the afternoon till dark (around 7pm) were White-chinned Prinia (2x adults with 2 young), Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Yellow White-eye, Speckled Mousebirds, African Dusky Flycatcher, Red-faced Cisticola, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Black & White Mannikin, White-headed Saw-wings and last but not least, an African Black Duck flying over.

White-chinned Prinia

6 Aug; Guided walk along road to river and back through forest: 07:30 - 13:15

Guided walk in forest: 16:00 - 19:00

Up early in the morning and waiting for the coffee, a Black-shouldered Nightjar was calling nearby followed by the Yellow-whiskered Greenbuls and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. Just after breakfast we set off with Richard our ranger/guide at 07:30 down the approach road to the camp. The birds were being spotted at a very quick pace starting with a pair of Petit's Cuckoo-shrike, Grey-throated Barbet, Olive-bellied Sunbirds, Green Pigeon and White-chinned Prinia. Grey-headed Nigrita, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-backed and Brown-capped Weavers and Western Citril. Whilst a Luhder's Bush-shrike was calling nearby we got stunning views of Bocage's Bush-shrike.

We decided to walk down to and along the road to the river to see if we could find Mountain Wagtail and Cassin's Blue Flycatcher. The walk along the road commenced with Brown-crowned Tchagra, Buff-throated Apalis, Collared Sunbird, Petit's Cuckoo-shrike and Chubb's Cisticola. We were still dealing with the massive surprise of an Alpine Swift (brilliant views) when a group of Red Colobus came into sight on the other side of the road. This was time for some mammal moments and photos (if possible) of this lovely primate. Back on the other side of the road, both of us got a lifer with Joyful Greenbul complying nicely with all the field guide notes and making ID fairly easy, especially with it's song. More notable species as we walked further down the road, in addition to the Olive Baboons, were Black & White Casqued Hornbills. Little & Slender-billed Greenbuls, Thick-billed Weaver, Levaillant's Cuckoo and some Hooded Vultures in the air as well as Narrow-tailed Starlings flying over.

Emerald Cuckoo

Down at the river it was all "quiet" although a couple of Great Blue Turacos and Emerald Cuckoo kept us happily occupied. Red-tailed Monkeys didn't want to show themselves but we clearly heard them on our return route before we left the road and took a more pleasant route back to camp through the forest. Going through the forest was rather quiet as it had become quite hot by this stage but we still got little extras like Toro Olive Greenbul, Black-necked Weaver, Western Black-headed Oriole (great views, recordings and photos) and Luhder's Bush-shrike. Otherwise on the animal front we encountered a variety of dung beetles doing their thing, Blue-headed Agama, Red-legged Sun Squirrel and some more Red Colobus.

The afternoon at camp proved extremely productive with Mottled Spinetail stealing the show and side appearances by Alpine Swift, White-rumped Swift, African Black Swift and Red-rumped Swallows. Ross' Turaco popped in for a few moments but some time was spent with a pair of Yellow-crested Woodpeckers. The afternoon walk started at 4pm and we kicked off on a high note once more with Masked Apalis, Luhder's Bush-shrike and a very obliging Blue-throated Roller (photo at left) while Afep Pigeon was calling in the distance. Levaillant's Cuckoo was seen again and Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellowbill, Black-billed and Great Blue Turacos, Honeyguide Greenbul, White-breasted Nigrita, Buff-throated Apalis and Many-coloured Bush-shrikes - all in the same patch! The walk back eventually was complimented by an elephant grunt a little way off and some fairly fresh signs of it's movements. Close to camp an African Broadbill teased us with it's display deep inside the forest and a Red-capped Robin-chat hopped onto the path briefly.

Syderstone & Sculthorpe, July 2010 - Norfolk (UK)

Chaffinch (female) at Sculthorpe Moors
A few days in Norfolk is always rewarding as far as birding goes, whether one visits one of the many excellent reserves or not. My visit was no different and actually got some more "common" European & British birds onto my list that have been conspicuous in their absence. During the visit I stayed in the village of Syderstone which has some great 'walks' around the village and is also has about 10-15 reserves in a 10 mile radius.

The garden in Syderstone produced my 1st lifer with a Song Thrush stuffing itself with cherries, in competition with 2-3 Blackbirds though. A juvenile European Robin was great to see which I'd not seen before, only adults up till then. Swifts were plentiful and at least 5 of them I suspect were nesting nearby as they came through low in the mornings and evenings with their distinctive screams. Other birds seen in the garden; Chaffinch, Gold and Greenfinches, Magpie, Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove. Individuals of House Martin and Barn Swallow showed up once as well.

Song Thrush in cherry tree

The fields behind the church in the village turned out to be great for Skylarks, as pointed out before they appeared, by a friendly resident. I managed to get a recording of the display call and even a reasonable record shot of it in flight. Whilst watching this, a Grey Partridge appeared in the path ahead of me - another lifer! A road out the other side of the village produced brief views of a Wren.

The visit to Sculthorpe Moors Nature Reserve was even more rewarding and even though a small reserve, I think it has great potential when visited a few times. My walk here started on a high note with the amazing Golden Pheasant, a brief but good view. Great Tits were at the feeding station and Chiffchaffs were calling all over. A quick and partial photo I got was later confirmed as Dunnock. Walking further along the boardwalks, another friendly birder pointed that they had seen a Tawny Owl and gave directions - I found it, pretty well hidden but unmistakable; a lifer and making up for missing it in London.

Dunnock at Sculthorpe Moors

In one area a Blackcap was singing constantly and eventually it showed itself but not long enough at a time to get a photo. A Water Vole had been seen in the channel nearby but I never got a view of it. A lovely bit of "air-play" commenced with a Sparrowhawk dive bombing an Eurasian Marsh Harrier giving all great views of both. The Marsh Harriers had chicks in a nest nearby which could be viewed on the site webcam. Huge numbers of Starlings seemed to congregating on the adjacent field where a lone Common Pheasant was foraging.

We went for lunch the last day at Sculthorpe Mill, lovely view and good fare as usual. Here I managed ok-ish shots of Grey Wagtail and Spotted Flycatcher (photo left; something else I missed at Sculthorpe Moors). A Wood Pigeon was busy with nesting material nearby and a tiny chick of a Common Moorhen was spotted at one stage. The other notable was a Water Vole leisurely swimming along making up for yet another dip from Sculthorpe Moors.

London Wetland Centre - June 2010 (UK)

One of the views from the Peacock Hide
On 22 June I did a half-day visit to London Wetland Centre and got in just after they opened at around 09:30am. There was a lot of breeding activity going on with Coots, Common Moorhen and Tufted Ducks with chicks. Other immatures recorded were those of Blue Tits and Lapwings. Unfortunately I didn't come across many waders; Starlings were around in huge numbers and I counted at least 10-12 Grey Herons. Below are some photos from the visits and some notes on them.

Some of the other species listed were Black-headed and Common Gulls, Great Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Chaffinch, Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern and Sand Martins. I did however miss out apparently on a Tawny Owl outside the Wetland Centre that was in one of the big trees along the road.

Eurasian Coot

Common Tern hovering

Tufted Duck (male)

European Robin

Common Moorhen

Grey Heron

Bernese Oberland June/July 2010 (Switzerland)

Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald

During the latter part of June and early July, we did a walking trip in Switzerland. The weather was on our side and even a little too hot at times but the scenery certainly made up for that. During the walks I managed to cast my eye in the direction of a few birds and/or find a few in the villages where we stayed. I didn't come home with a massive list but managed to get a few good species for my list like Lammergeier over Mannlichen and Alpine Accentor on the Bachalpsee trail. The rest of this trip's photos can be viewed in my Flickr "Switzerland" album.

Eurasian Swift

The walk from Wilderswil to Murren probably chalked up the most birds with Kestrel, Swifts (many everywhere), Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Common Redstart, Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Willow Tit up to the half-way mark. From there I added Black Redstart, Ring Ouzel and Nutcracker - 3 lifers in a row! The area around the Hotel Alpenruh produced quite a few birds as well with Bullfinch, Greenfich, Goldfinch, Alpine Chough (also at Schilthorn and Kleine Scheidegg), Coal Tit, Sisken and White Wagtail. On our visit to Schilthorn we saw Chamois (antelope) from the gondola/cable-car.

Alpine Chough

On the walk from Wengen to Grindelwald via Wengernalp and Alpiglen, I added Tawny Pipit and an adult male Fieldfare with great sightings of the dark morph Red Squirrel which was way too quick for photos. Grindelwald and our walks there produced more notables like Green (2 adults & 2 immatures) and Medium Spotted Woodpeckers, Common Cuckoo (which we heard along some of the walks to Grindelwald too). The walk from First via Bachalpsee to Faulhorn was great with White-winged Snowfinches, Fieldfare and Alpine Accentor with Alpine Marmots and a very large and furry Red Fox adding to the mammal list.

Bachalpsee (between First & Faulhorn)

White-winged Snowfinch (juvenile)

Interlaken on the last day was a surprise with Great Crested Grebe, Common Moorhen, Tufted Duck and Goosander, I'd not been expecting to be anywhere for waterfowl and managed a couple of good shots here.

Great Crested Grebe

Goosander

Mubwindi Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)

View of Mubwindi Swamp
Byron and I met up with a ranger at the Ruhija UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) office who happened to also be the guy who took some birders the day before to see the African Green Broadbill. This was going to be a "go go go" trek so we didn't hang around and set off. The trek starts with a short section along the main road before cutting into the forest from where a couple of ascents and descents test the old legs a bit. At one stage we came across some very fresh mountain gorilla faeces and tracks - the ranger radioed in to the UWA office to report that the gorillas had passed a few minutes. Just after this we reached a look-out point where we could Mubwindi Swamp below us in the distance - we still had to drop around 600m to get to the Swamp level.

Black & White Colobus monkey

With not much time to hang around for 'other' birdwatching unfortunately, we hammered on and commenced a very steep descent where the ranger also pointed out where an elephant had slipped its way down a few days before. 09:05am we reached the site where the broadbill had been seen the day before and we went into high alert mode for an appearance. While we were waiting, we took some time to see what other birds were around; Bar-tailed Trogon, African Paradise Flycatcher (2 adults at a nest), Tambourine Dove and Northern Puffback were there whilst Grauer's Warbler and Black-billed Turaco were calling.

African Green (Grauer's) Broadbill

09:30 on the dot, the ranger pointed excitedly as an African Green Broadbill arrived at the nest. What a stunning little bird! Another adult soon arrived as well and the 2 of them continued collecting lichen and working on their nest. As if this wasn't enough, 2 juveniles/immatures also arrived and were flitting about - it wasn't clear if this was a recent 'batch' from the same parents but didn't seem unlikely as the adults didn't chase them away.

We had to set off back again, so after 20minutes of watching these little jewels started on the return trail which is a different route to the descent route and not as steep. Half-hour into the walk and there seemed to be an opportunity to get Byron his bogey bird, the Black-billed Turaco - and didn't he get it. There were eventually 4 birds around us and all calling and providing great views including a couple of flight views which showed their amazing red underwings. Some White-headed Wood-hoopoes popped out just after this as well. A Black-fronted Duiker (photo below) was foraging on the trail ahead of us giving me a brief opportunity to get a photo.

Once we got back to the road, Byron got another of his wishes - great views of Black & White Colobus monkeys in addition to some Sykes (Blue) Monkeys in the immediate vicinity. This was a brilliant ending to a fantastic morning and overall, excellent trip.

Birding in Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)

Sharpe's Starling

We arrived at what is known between birders as the "School Trail" which goes through a patch of forest along a wide path to the edge of the forest. This trail also leads to one of the local schools and used by school children and the community, hence the name. Walking down the trail, one overlooks some canopy on the left whilst looking up on the right into forest. Not overly dense and also with some vegetation on the trail level, the altitude here of c. 2600m makes it ideal for Albertine Rift Endemics that don't occur at the lower altitudes of Buhoma.

We met Ugandan birding guide Emmanuel and his client there (whom I'd been birding with in Minziro Forest, Tanzania) who were staying at Trekker's Tavern nearby. The specials and endemics came rapidly (with a host of "normal" ones as well of course) with Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grauer's Warbler, Ashy Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Luhder's Bush-shrike, Montane Oriole, Northern Puffback, Sharpe's Starling, Strange Weaver (2 adults and a juvenile), Yellow-streaked Greenbul (nesting) and African Paradise Flycatcher (also nesting - photo above). A Carruther's Mountain Squirrel (photo below) was the only mammal during the birding.

Chatting to Emmanuel and his client, we learnt that they'd seen the African Green Broadbill down at Mubwindi Swamps the previous day. Byron and I debated our timeframe for getting back to Rwanda and decided that we'll stay one night at Trekker's Tavern and see if can get a chance to see the broadbill. Worst case scenario would be some early morning birding at the School Trail (as if that's a bad thing). (photo left: Yellow-whiskered Greenbul)

The afternoon, most of the birders at Trekker Tavern set off to the School Trail including Herbert Byurahanga and his group. Byron and I did a brief sortie down the main road first where we got great views of 4 Crowned Hornbills and some Black & White Colobus monkeys. Back at the School Trail things were hotting up with species coming out in rapid mode again; White-starred Robin, Grauer's Warbler, Ruwenzori Apalis, Regal Sunbird, Chinspot Batis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Collared Sunbird, Strange and Baglafecht Weavers, Mountain Illadopsis, Black Cuckoo and a Stripe-breasted Tit (a ringed adult - part of a research project on their nesting).

Willcock's Honeyguide made a spectacular appearance slightly downhill from us but great views with Sykes (Blue) Monkeys in the distance. Ruwenzori Batis was obliging followed by White-browed Crombec, Hill Babbler, Northern Puffback and Mountain Masked Apalis. Luhder's Bush-shrike (photo at right) appeared again with a Dusky Turtle Dove flying over as a finale.

Happy chappies and all, we returned to the lodge for a celebratory drink, hot shower and some good food. Chatting with everyone here, also Saul (Ugandan birding guide we'd met in Buhoma a couple of days earlier) with his clients who had seen the broadbill at a confirmed nesting area the day before, said that we could do the trek on a "quick in & out" which would be about 2.5 hours. We were going to "risk' it and see what happens.

African Stonechat at Trekker's Tavern