Journey to Nowhere

Uganda 2019, part 4: Last one

davidnartan@gmail.com February 16, 2020 Comments Off

Saul and Rupert strike a pose on the road to Moroto

There’s lots more to this trip but I will keep it short. I am off to Uganda again in a few weeks, so it’s time to wrap this up.

From Kidepo we headed South on a long two-day drive through the wild Karamoja lands. The roads were bad, the scenery incredible.

If you wondered why Monique doesn’t feature in many pictures – here’s why

After the first day we reach Moroto, the district capital. Mount Moroto Hotel turned out to be, as I expected/hoped a fairly busy and well run African establishment (we are really off the tourist route here). To add to the fun a monster thunderstorm brews up in the night. We are forced to cancell our morning walk on the slopes of Mt Moroto. As we wait for Tonny and Hamza to pick us up, we discover an intriguing statue in the courtyard. At first I think I am imagining things, but the receptionist confirms: it is Moshe Dayan, another Israeli army guy and an American with an Ostrich (or is it a Flamingo?) and a Lion! She says they stayed here “long ago”. Later I try to find any mention of this but – nada. However the Israelis where very much involved in all kinds of military goings on in Uganda and South Sudan in the sixties so it’s not a total mystery.

Moshe Dayan in Moroto (in Red is the receptionist)

From Moroto it’s another long and scenic drive. It is a market day – lots of people along the road carrying goods. The heavy rain has made some bits of the road almost unpassable; however, our problem is the Karamajong’s opportunity to earn some shillings and we get through with a bit of help.

We stop for lunch at Pian-Upe Game reserve. A tame Oribi and a couple of Ostriches welcome us and I have a look around. It’s a lovely spot and the bungalows are very neat and clean – definitely a place to stay next time. After lunch I sit out on a view point and watch a grey curtain of rain rolling towards us over the grasslands – time to go!

From her it’s a very bumpy ride but we finally come out on to a “proper” road at the foot of the massive Mount Elgon (about 4000 metres high). It’s a short (and delicously smooth) drive up the foothills to Sipi River Lodge – a lush Oasis at 1800 metres, right by some dramatic waterfalls and cliffs. It’s also a beautifully designed lodge – the rooms hidden in the tangled jungle. The ladies are ecstatic about the decor and we enjoy a cosy evening with good food and a warm fire.

The next day, after a leisurly breakfast, Saul and the ladies go on a “Coffee Tour” – to explore the local Coffee growing culture. Rupert, Humphrey and I are joined by Tonny for some very productive birding around the lodge and on the paths up to the waterfall.

From Sipi its a short drive to Jinja, on Lake Victoria. I have a bit of a row with Tonny on the way. This has been brewing for a while – I won’t go in to details. Anyway, I switch to Hamzas car and send him with the boys on to the hotel while we go in to Jinja for some shopping. Later we meet up at the Kingfisher resort where a boat awaits to take us on our sunset cruise to the source of the Nile.

The boat trip is terrific. First we cruise around and enjoy lots of water birds and a close-up massive Nile Monitor Lizard. Then to the official Source – a rickety platform set over a spring. The water bubbles up in the channel where the great river starts it’s 6000 mile (or is it kilometres?) journey. By now the sun is setting and huge flocks of giant Fruit-bats rise out of the trees as we check out monuments to Mahatma Ghandi and Speke (the British explorere who “discovered” Lake Victoria). Bats overhead, we make our way back over the darkening lake to a fish dinner at the Kingfisher.

Rupert and Humphrey are returning to the UK, but for the rest of us there is still one last adventure. After breakfast we say goodbye to the Brits ( they will have a day’s relaxed birding with Tonny before their nightime flight home) and Hamza drives us to Entebbe. There we board an Aerolink Uganda Cessna and fly to Kihihi in the far South-West.

To my delight we are met at Kihihi by none other than Tony himself (not Tonny the guide I had a row with but Tony, owner of Mamaland Safaris, a friend, and great fun to be with on safari). Tony is a fantastic birder – we have hardly driven out of the airfield’s parking lot when he points out a Red-necked Wryneck – a pretty rare bird I have never seen before. This is, of course, wasted on the others, but never mind.

We are headed to Bwindi Impenetrable Park, home to about half the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas. While the others do their Gorilla adventure I plan to see as much of the park’s very abundant and unique birds as I can manage. With Tony around that should go well

We have a great couple of days – a bit of local culture, some nature walks and a very successful Gorilla Trek ( I skip this one – it’s very expensive and I want to spend all the time on birds!). And fantastic birds. I won’t bother with the details – here’s a little photo diary.

After the Gorila trek we drive down the mountain, back the way we came. We make a stop in small Eucalyptus grove and while everyone is getting back in to the car I look back along the road to make sure we haven’t left anyone behind. A large black-and-white hawk glides out of the trees and crosses the road right in front of me, diving into the woods and disappearing in seconds. Not before I recognize it: a Great Sparrowhawk – the bird I missed seeing on the first day of our trip at Mabira Forest. It’s special, a sort of goodbye gift.

But the day is not quite over. We arrive at Topi Lodge with enough time for a quick evening drive through Ishasha – the Southern tip of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It’s a beautiful clear evening, clouds over the mountains across Lake Edward in Congo. Antelopes and Elephants graze the lush grassy flats and almost every tree seems to have some kind of Eagle sitting on top.

But then we stop next to a huge old Fig tree and it is full of Lions! I have heard about these “tree-climbing Lions” but thought it was just hype. Not at all, here they are, fast asleep, a tree full of them.

We have seen almost every Eagle possible – Tawny, Spotted, Wahlbergs etc. But on our way out I spot a really big one on a small tree up ahead – can’t be anything but a Martial Eagle, the biggest of them all. He is totally relaxed, surveying the wide savannah as we ooh and aah and take pictures.

We stop at the gate and watch as the sky turns pink and the Acacia trees become silhoettes. Tommorrow it’s back to Entebbe and from their onwards. I think this is good place to leave it.

With heartfelt thanks to the Mamaland team and so many other lovely people who took such good care of us

Uganda 2019, part 3: Kidepo

davidnartan@gmail.com January 28, 2020 Comments Off

Why do I travel so often to Africa? Well, the simple answer is that I love being here, I always have fun and feel great. But to rationalise – one reason is that in Africa there are still large expanses of more-or-less intact wilderness, ecosystems that we humans evolved in, still with just about all the animals living in them. I am pretty sure that with the way we are changing things everywhere on our planet this will not last much longer. Tourism helps protect these precious places and the more people see them before they are gone forever … well, I don’t know really why exactly, it just feels important, urgent.

Kidepo National Park in the far North-East of Uganda is such a place. It is remote and wild, rich in wildlife, rare birds and rugged landscapes. I have never been there, only heard and read about it.

We reach Kidepo late in the day, in pouring rain. It’s a long drive from Murchison Falls and our departure was delayed by the disappearance of my Brother Saul’s suitcase (abducted by Chinese tourists as it later turned out). We pull in at the Kidepo Savanna Lodge with just enough light to see that it’s a beautiful spot on a hilltop overlooking the national park’s wild valleys and mountain ranges. I am busy for the first couple of hours with sorting out this and that (the plumbing doesn’t work in Moniques bathroom – as usual) but finally I can retire to my safari tent , the last along the path down the hill. I sit out on the terrace and hear a familiar call in the moonlit night. I play “Freckled Nightjar” on my phone and to my delight an answer comes , followed by the Nightjar itself landing for a moment on top of the tent. From far away on the savanna come the deep bass roars of a lion. Who can sleep on a night like this?

At the first hint of light I am up. I watch the sky change colour and the mountains take shape as I make my way up to the reception where the staff are setting up for breakfast. I get a cup of coffee and sit on the terrace with my binoculars. Everyone else is still asleep or doing whatever they do early in the morning so it’s just me, the birds and the view.

Kidepo is in the far Nort-East corner of Uganda and has many bird species typical of the drier regions of the Sahel and of North Kenya/Ethiopia. I am hoping to see some of these and as I sit on the terrace they start showing up, particularly on a dead tree just opposite. Straight off are a pair of colouful Bruce’s Green Pigeons, then a White-headed Barbet (I have a thing for Barbets – more about them later) and finally a small group of Yellow-billed Shrikes. All new birds for me and we haven’t yet had breakfast!

The rest of the gang turn up and after breakfast (and a pair of Jackson’s Hornbills pointed out by Tonny) we head down the hill to the cars for the short drive to the park gate.

We barely pass through the gate ( a flimsy pole across the track manned by a sleepy ranger) when we are halted by a party of Buffaloes crossing in front of us. Francolins (including the local Clapperton’s) and Guineafowl along the roadside keep us busy on the way to the park HQ where we are met by a pair of Side-striped Jackals – not a bad start.

We make a rather long stop at park HQ. First we meet ranger Zacharia, a tall, smiley man with a passion for birds who will be our local guide for the next 3 days. The little Land-cruiser has been having some electrical problems so Tonny goes off to see about repairs while Zacharia conjures up an astonishing variety of Finches, Wattle-eyes, Starlings and a very smart Nubian Woodpecker out of a small hedge for us. The less ornithologically minded members of the party are fascinated by some workers trimming the grass with machetes (bent at the end for this purpose – known as “slashers”). Soon Tonny is back, announcing that he and the Land-cruiser will be staying behind at the park garage. So we all pile in to the min-van with Hamza and Zacharia and head off for our first proper taste of Kidepo National Park.

Out on the Savanna its a cool morning, clouds still hanging around the wooded mountains. There are lots of animals around : Zebras with Magpie-like Piaciacs riding on them, lots of Buffaloes, some distant Elephants and all sorts of Antelopes: the familiar Oribis, Hartebeste and Uganda Kob and also some Elands and Reedbuck.

We take our time driving slowly and stopping frequently; I am just thinking that with so many herbivores around the predators can’t be far when we come upon a green truck parked by the track. Next to it a group of official-looking men are busy with something on the ground … a Lioness! The team have darted the Lioness to place a radio-tracking collar. We watch them at work and they invite us to return in half an hour when they wake her up.

We make a short round nearby – taking in a huge herd of Buffaloes and some Vultures and checking trees and rocks for possible Leopards . Then we return to the Lioness.

The Lioness in awake but still a bit woozy from the anasthetic – we watch her sitting there, take pictures, and then Zachariah says : ” lets move on, there is something better up ahead”. Indeed, just a short way down the track, perched on a beautifully sculpted rock is a male Lion – perhaps keeping an eye on one of his mates.

This is a perfect end to a lovely morning and we head back to the lodge for lunch and some rest.

After lunch, some heavy rain and a bit of a siesta it’s time for our afternoon program: a community tour at a nearby Karamajong village. Rupert opts for a quite afternoon on his terrace ( I’m secretly jealous, but feel obliged to go as tour leader – luckily, otherwise we might still be stuck behind the herd of goats blocking the road to the village)

Saul, Yehudit, Trainee Guide, Guide and Hamza

At the village we are greeted by a guide and a trainee guidess and shown around. I am more interested in the birds – three different species of Falcons: Lanner, Peregrine and Fox Kestrel all fly over in a short space of time – no doubt cruising for a tasty little duckling or chick. The guided tour is followed by a very lively dance – Hamza saves our honour by joining in ( I don’t think my old bones could take too many of those leaps!). Then a bit of a crafts market . It’s pretty standard but done nicely and enthusiastically. Good fun + some nice birds.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch .. er, Lodge: Tonny has managed to refill the Landcruiser’s battery acid so that tomorrow we will enjoy the luxury of two vehicles. Still no news of my brother Saul’s missing suitcase – it is still patiently waiting for a ride from the restaurant on the Kampala -Masindi highway where it was left by the Chinese tourists who hijacked it two days ago at Murchison Falls.

We enjoy a dinner of local cuisine I have requested (much to the staff’s delight) – “Pushu” with beef stew. After, I try to call up a Nightjar for Rupert and Humphrey but get no response . Only later in the night, when it’s just me and the almost full moon the Nightjar returns, an Eagle Owl hoots right by my tent and far off, again, the Lions roar.

It’s another fine morning as we set off on our second day in Kidepo. Today we are venturing a bit further afield, to the Kidepo Valley itself in the northern part of the park, near the South Sudanese border. It’s a drier area, with less animals but other species, especially of birds are possible. Since we are in two cars I figure we can be a bit flexible today.

First we pass by Park HQ to pick up Zacharia. After some excellent birding in the bushes around the compound we are on our way North. There is some traffic on the road – it leads to a border crossing and is used as a route in and out of South Sudan.

By mid-day we reach the Kidepo river. It is prone to flash-flooding so we stop here and go no further. We find a shady spot for our picnic lunch and venture out on foot. The wide, sandy river-bed is flanked by Borassus Palms and has a wild beauty; it’s a special place.

We eat our sandwiches, have a bit of a break and decide to head back, especially as Tonny has got a message that Sauls suitcase is finally moving and he will have to drive to Kitgum (2 hours away) to pick it up.

We drive back slowly, taking our time to check out lots of birds and beasts ( we almost see a Karamoja Apalis but it turns out to be a Yellow-bellied Eremomela – another drab little warbler for Rupert’s collection). A fine Long-crested Eagle caps the day and we are back at the lodge where Tonny immediately sets off for Kitgum and the by now almost legendary suitcase. I wait up after dinner to meet him and bring the suitcase to Saul but the hours tick by and no Tonny.

Next morning – still no Tonny ( has he taken a wrong turning and ended up in South Sudan? or is he lying drunk outside some bar in Kitgum? – not very likely with such a school-teacher type but you never know). Anyway, it’s our last day in Kedepo, I have planned it carefully and we can mange fine with or without Tonny.

For the morning we are splitting up: the non birders are off to the park with Hamza to spend a few hours in the game-rich area . Rupert, Humphrey and I will do some “proper birding” with Zacharia: on foot, in the wooded hills around the lodge. I am very excited: besides all sorts of Cisticolas and whatnots, this is prime habitat for the biggest Barbet of them all, the rare and seldom seen Black-breasted.

It’s a super morning, we stop every few yards, to admire Cisticolas, Pipits and a splendid Sooty Boubou. There are fresh Leopard tracks all over the place to add a bit of a thrill to things. We bump in to a troop of White-crested Turacos, lovely birds but they are too sneaky to get a picture of.

Plenty of the smaller Barbets – Spot-flanked and Black-throated (also a new one for my growing collection). And then the big moment arrives: Zacharia beckons urgently and points to a tree up ahead and there in it are two large black-and white birds scuttling along the branches – Black-breasted Barbets! They fly off almost immediately but I’ve had a god look, though alas, no photo. I quitely slip Z. a crisp bill (I had promised a reward if we coud find one of these) and we head back to the lodge where the others are just arriving back from their game drive where they had fun with a big male Lion on a kill.

For our final afternoon we are going for a walk in the Park – literally. Hamza drops us off on a flat topped hill overlooking the Savanna. Zacharia tells us this would have been a hunting camp of the hunter-gatherer tribes who used to live here. We set off on foot over the smooth, ancient granite, making our way slowly, in single file towards the grassy plain below. We see some nice birds (more White-crested Turacos and the last Barbet I’m missing for a full house – the Red-fronted), but really there is not so much to say, the landscape is doing it’s thing, talking to each of us. We come out on to the flat ground, grass towering over our heads; somewhere (not too close) a Buffalo snorts and we walk on towards the distant hills. One of those moments, I could just walk on and never turn back …. but all too soon we come to a track and there is a smiling Hamza ready to take us back to the lodge and the rest of our lives.

Back at the Lodge – still no Tonny! Hamza assures me he is on his way back, with the infamous suitcase. Also, finally, we get some of the story: last night he had a flat tyre on the way to Kitgum and discovered he had no Box Wrench in the car – hence no way to exchange the wheel. Nighttime on the road in Karamoja is not a very safe time and place to be – it seems- (the region was going through a civil war until a couple years ago and people are still a bit nervous) so he and the lodge manager who accompanied him failed to get any help and spent the night in or by the car. Still that was 24 hours ago and he still hasn’t shown up when I give up and head to my tent. Then, shortly before midnight I here sounds from Saul’s nearby tent and head over: the suitcase has arrived! To my astonishment it has a large label on it saying “Not your Bag”. People!

Well, tomorrow we leave Kidepo. We’ve seen and experienced alot. And I have learnt a great lesson for future trips in Africa: never, never, ever go anywhere without a Box Wrench!

Uganda 2019, part 2: In to the Wild!

davidnartan@gmail.com November 23, 2019 Comments Off

Uganda Kob, Murchison Falls National Park

After three days birdwatching in the Entebbe area (see previous post) our little group is about to grow in numbers. First to join us is bird guide Tonny ( not to be confused with Tony who we shall met later on). He meets the three of us on the Lake Victoria View Guesthouse roof as we are waiting for the rest of the group’s arrival. As he is to be our birding guide for the next 10 days, I fire a few bird questions at him and play calls of the first bird that comes up on the player app on my phone; he answers the questions to my satisfaction and is completely baffled by the calls ( correct response as they are of an Abyssinian Scimitarbill – a rare and normally silent bird). Humphrey and Rupert, somewhat taken aback by my harsh grilling of Tonny, hasten to extend him a warm welcome; whereupon he announces that he will now give us a “briefing”. He launches in to a monologue on a wide range of topics that looks to be anything but brief . Luckily for me, at that moment the rest of our party arrive and I excuse myself to welcome them, arrange their accomodation and congratulate them on their impeccable timing.

My brother Saul, family friend Yehudit and her chum Judy, all veterans of last year’s Uganda trip, have arrived from Israel. Later in the night Yehudit’s other friend Monique lands from Paris to complete our group.

Next morning, after an early breakfast and reports from the night (Monique’s shower failed to deliver hot water) we set off. Our destination: Murchison Falls National Park. First we must get out of the Kampala metropolis. This does not take too long – we have only a couple of junctions to negotiate. However the colorful roadside scenery awakens Judy’s journalistic intincts (she used to be a TV reporter). Tonny keeps warning her about having her camera snatched when she sticks it out of the window and then, when we are stopped at a traffic control, she starts taking photos of the policemen/women. Horrified, ( I have visions of day- long delays in police interrogation rooms) we all beg her to desist and Tonny mollifies the upset (and poorly paid) cops . Somehow we get through without any trouble and are soon speeding along on the road to Masindi. I must admit the pictures came out nicely – Uganda’s finest are sharp dressers.

A couple of hours later we make an early lunch-stop at the Kabalega Diner, a roadside restaurant . I order far too much food (especially Avocado starters) and after eating what we can, coffee and a quick look around ( gift shop, Ruppell’s long-tailed Starlings and rest-rooms) we are back on the road . We pass through Masindi town, and turn off where a sign points to Murchison Falls National Park. The landscape of human settlements we have been passing – mud-brick houses, maize and plantain patches – is now replaced by trees, lot’s of them, a forest. This is Budongo forest and before long we arrive at the National Park’s entrance gate where we are welcomed by a baboon and papers to fill in.

The entrance gate to Murchison Falls N.P

From the gate it’s a short drive to Budongo Eco-lodge, our final stop today. It’s a lovely place with little cottages set in the forest and a team of expert forest guides. We have made good time and I am keen to get everyone checked in to their rooms so they can have a bit of a rest before our afternoon activity. But – oh dear – we must first have a briefing. The manager himself, all smiles, charmingly describes in exquisite detail the meal plan, toilet facilities, charging points and many other aspects of our stay. Briefings seem to be the latest fashion in Uganda’s growing tourism industry.

An hour or so later we meet up for our forest adventure. Our main aim is to meet some of the Chimpanzees living in the forest here. They are used to visitors, so if we can find them we should be able to spend some time at close quarters with them. But this is also a birding hot-spot where some Congo-Guinea Biome rarities and local endemics can be seen. We will go in two groups – Rupert and Humphrey with bird specialist Dan, the rest of us with Steven who hopes to find us some Chimps. Inevitabely, there is a briefing first; mercifully short – I have already instructed everyone to put their trouser bottoms in to their socks to keep ants out – the guides see how ready we are so no need to waste time.

We walk round the back of the reception/dining room/lobby, pass between two trees and suddenly we are in another world. With all these briefings and avocado starters and whatnots I had completely forgotten why we are here. I breath in the forest: the giant trees, soft wet leaves underfoot, green everywhere you look …

Dan points out Mahogony trees and strangler figs, spiders and centipedes as we make our way slowly in to the lush forest. Then we spot a dark figure sitting by the path short way ahead. A Chimpanzee! We approach slowly but the Chimp walks off in to the forest. Dan follows (presumably to have a few words with him) and shortly after they both re-appear, the Chimp settling on a low branch in a tree just above us. He is joined by a pal and after a short exchange of hoots they go about their business, chewing leaves and occasionally glancing down at us (checking with Dan if they are doing OK). Mission accomplished, very nicely.

Humphrey, Rupert and bird guide Steven have joined us in the meantime and after admiring the obliging Chimps, report some top-notch birds. I am particularly jealous of their seeing Pavel’s Idallopsis (a rare forest babbler) and decide to join them when they move on. However, we have hardly gone a few paces (passing a third Chimpanzee hurrying along the path – late for his appointment with Dan ) when after a rumble or two of thunder the heavens open and the rain pours down. We all have rain coats so we plod on for a bit, but the birds know better and are nowhere to be seen (although Steven catches a glimpse of a very desirable Nahan’s Francolin ) and the rain shows little signs of stopping soon. So we call it a day and return to the Eco-lodge.

We enjoy a splendid briefing at dinnertime about all the possible eggs and trimmings we can order for our breakfast, followed by options and combinations for our packed lunches tomorrow from a shy waiter who seems as amused as we are. Everyone seems in a good mood, it has been a successful day and I sleep like a log that night.

Group portarait on the Nile Ferry: Tonny, Humphrey, Saul, Yehudit, Judy, Rupert and Monique.

Next morning we depart the Eco-lodge with time to spare . We are still all in the one mini-van – Hamza will be joining us later today with a second vehicle so we can split the group, the idea being that the birders and the non-birders may often want to stop and look at different things. Tonny is concerned about road-works along the way – Chinese construction teams are widening the road and are at the moment busy on this tricky section where it descends in to the rift valley and meets the Nile River. There are no big hold-ups but the road works interest some of our group and various birds of prey perched on roadside trees interest others – we make it to the ferry with only minutes to spare. Good thing too as the next one only leaves in two hours and we have booked a boat for a trip up the river – on the other side.

All is well and soon we are all aboard our motorboat and heading upriver. We take our time exploring the banks and Islands of Papyrus on our way up to the falls. There is plenty to see: Hippos and Waterbucks, a huge Bull Elephant, Giraffes, Crocodiles and birds all over the place: Fish-eagles, Kingfishers, Weavers, Herons, Jacanas, Swallows and many, many more – the rare Scarce Swift for one.

African Darter
Red-throated Bee-eater

Hippo watching
Babboon beach party
Nile Croc

After a short stop in a Papyrus patch (failed atempts to tempt Papyrus Gonoleks and White-winged Warblers out of hiding with playback) we come round a bend and there are the falls in full glory. And – a pair of rare Rock Partincoles sitting (appropriately) on a rock. The current here is really strong but we (well, the skipper actually) manage to tie up for a brief comfort stop ashore before we head back downriver.

Murchison Falls
Rock Pratincoles

Our time is almost up. This shoud be a quick journey with the current but a strong wind is pushing up waves on the wide stretches and our skipper has a hard time finding smooth water for the flat-bottomed boat. It’s a slow and bumpy ride and we all get a bit wet. Then we discover a herd of Elephants have joined the solitary bull we saw on the way up and have to make a stop for them.

Very late back at the ferry we step back on to terra firma. It has been a fantastic trip – lots of animals, birds and plenty of excitment, and it’s only the middle of the day!

Hamza has arrived from Entebbe with our second car – a small Toyota Landcruiser – and after giving him a warm welcome we settle down for lunch at one of the picnic tables nearby. We are joined by a family of friendly Warthogs who behave themselves and wait patiently for us to finish eating before going around the table in search of scraps.

After lunch we take a bit of break at the nearby fancy Paara Lodge – coffee on the terrace, overlooking the Nile. Then it’s time for our evening game drive to the delta – the low lying area along Lake Albert, between the inflow of the Victoria Nile (the one we just navigated) and the outflow of the White Nile (which goes on for about 6000 Km to the Mediterranean).

The sky has clouded over and now forms a backdrop of greys, blues and purple to the green grass and trees of the savanna. As the weather, so the mood – at least mine; after the thrills and spills of the morning now it feels more relaxed, contemplative. The car roofs are open and we drive slowly along the red-earth track through herds of Antelopes, Buffaloes and Giraffes. . It is a beautiful afternoon.

Water Buck
Uganda Kob
Hartebeste

There are also plenty of birds too. The stars are a pair of the uncommon Denham’s Bustard , huge yet graceful, we run in to just before reaching “Delta point” , the end of this track.

Here is a a wide open space within site of the lake shore. There is a small concrete hut – a toilet! We are allowed out of the car and everyone is happy to stretch their legs and enjoy the beauty of the the place and the moment. Three Side-striped Jackals watch us warily from the edge of the clearing.

Black-headed Lapwing
Wattled Lapwing

Tonny is very concerned about arriving late at the lodge, but I tell him to relax – such a lovely evening is to be enjoyed to the max. I also like the idea of driving back in the dusk/dark – we might see something interesting. And we do: along the road a single land-cruiser is parked. We pull up alongside and there, a few yards from the track are a lioness and her half-grown cubs. They are just shadows in the near-dark, and when the mini-van arrrives behind us they move away and melt in to the darkness. It’s just a glimple, and I hope we will see more Lions.

I have booked us a night at Pakuba Lodge – it’s one of the few lodges actually inside the park and has 4 stars. Should be pretty good I reckoned. We arrive in the dark to scenes of hectic activity. The place is packed and just before us a group of about 30 (of course) Israelis arrived. It’s a bit of a shock after our serene afternoon but we are all pretty chilled out so we wait patiently for our turn to get our rooms and the inevitable briefing.

Then at the dinner buffet we discover there’s not much food left – the Israelis have done a pretty good job on it and the staff don’t have much left in reserve. We manage on scraps but this is not quite the 4 star hospitality I had expected. Choice for our packed lunch for tomorrow is cheese sandwich or cheese and tomato sandwich. Same goes for the hot water situation later in the rooms (Monique is particularly affected – I have found a trick with the taps to produce lukewarm water but it doesn’t work in her room). I usualy don’t worry too much about this stuff – it’s not what I come to Africa for after all – but this place is really a bit too much.

I am up early and enjoying Spotted Palm-Thrushes, Black-and-white Cuckoo, all sorts of Sunbirds and the bright red Bishops. Saul joins me, then Rupert and Humphrey and later the others and we make the best of what’s left of the breakfast buffet. Hardly surprising, there is no bread left at all, just a little fruit juice and some cold and hard fried potatos. We make do with fried eggs and some pankakes rustled up by an enterprising staff member.

Today we have just a drive ahead of us, so I have scheduled a late start. We are ready to go when I check our luggage and realise we are missing one item – Saul’s suitcase. I know he was up early and put it outside his room so I’m pretty sure I know what has happened. But the lodge staff insist on a search for it – to no avail: it has been taken by another party! I naturally suspect the big Israeli group but an hour later we recieve whatsapp images of their luggage – no little blue suitcase. The staff are tracking down other guests and Tonny wants to wait – but I insist – it’s time to go, we’ll hear from them when and if.

Black-billed Barbet
Rupert and Humphrey checking out the birds of Pakuba
Bishop

We have a long drive ahead of us, all the way to Kidepo in far North-East corner of Uganda. Saul seems pretty unconcerned about his luggage – he has most of what he needs in his backpack and I can lend him a few bits and pieces. At midday we stop in Gulu town and Tonny, Saul, Humphrey (who is a doctor) and I set off in search of a pharmacy – Saul has realised he needs some medicines which are in the missing suitcase. Following directions given to us at the filling station where we have parked, we arrive at a tiny pharmacy – I can see doubts all over my brother’s face. But inside, the elderly pharmacist proves to be extremely knowledgeable and finds replacements for all the missing medicines – we are all suitably impressed. We stop at a restaurant to eat our cheese/cheese and tomato sandwiches with some much nicer local samosas. And finally news of the suitcase – it has been found in the luggage of a Chinese tourist who left the lodge just before us. They are having lunch en-route to Kampala (at the same restaurant where I ordered all those Avocado sarters two days ago). That’s a long way away and in the wrong direction, so we ask them to leave the suitcase there and we will try to figure something out.

After Gulu we leave the paved road. There are almost no cars on the road and fewer settlements. The landscape gets wilder, the mountains steeper – we are entering the Karamoja region. In the last light of day, under heavy rain we reach our destination, Kidepo Savannah Lodge.

Next time: Will Saul be reunited with his suitcase? Will Monique ever have a hot shower? And all about box-wrenches. Dont miss part 3 !

Uganda 2019, part 1: Birds, Briefings and the Quest for the Hairy-breasted Barbet

davidnartan@gmail.com November 11, 2019 Comments Off

I land at Entebbe International Airport at 3 AM in pouring rain. It has been a smooth trip from Belgium (via Istanbul) and I have even managed a few hours sleep en route. I slip through immigration quickly, change some money and …. discover that Turkish Airlines have left my luggage (and about 20 other people’s) in Istanbul. The lost luggage desk people swear by all that’s holy that it will be here tomorrow and after some lengthy paper-work I finally exit to meet Joel, the driver from Lake Victoria View Guest-house who impatiently bundles me in to his car. Normally 10 minutes drive we take a bit longer as Joel is late for a pick-up to the airport. I don’t mind at all, I am happy to be back in Uganda, so we go in to Entebbe, pick up a worried traveller, go back to the airport and finally to the guesthouse. Still raining, and no sign of it stopping when I get up a few hours later for some breakfast and a first look around .

View from the guesthouse roof – you **can** see the Lake!

While I enjoy my Passion-fruit Juice and eggs on toast the rain comes to a sudden stop and the clouds lift. I take my coffe to the roof and watch a host of slightly wet birds of all colours and shapes come out of hiding. With the new tele-extension I have for my camera I hope to get good shots of some. Unfortunately something is not quite right with the camera and I can’t always get the focus on the birds perfect. It has to do with the settings and modes and throughout the trip I will struggle with it – finally finding a solution about one hour before sunset on my last day (of course). Still, Ugandan birds being so plentiful and not very shy (at least these ones) I manage something.

Black-headed Gonolek
Double-toothed Barbet
Bronze Mannikin

From the roof you can also see the airport and, a bit later, I watch a Kenya Airways (“the Pride of Africa”) jet glide over Lake Victoria and land. In it should be Humphrey and Rupert from England, the first of our group to arrive. I know Humphrey from childhood family holidays, his friend Rupert, a keen ornithologist, I will be meeting for the first time. The plan is for the three of us to do some birdwatching in the Entebbe/Kampala area for a few days before the rest of the gang arrive and we head out to more remote areas.

Soon they arrive, and although I am eager to catch up with Humphrey after more than 40 years (how tall he has grown!) and to show Rupert all the birds in the garden, they have just completed a long-haul flight. They check in to their room and reappear acouple of hours later with field guide and binoculars ready for action. We settle in at the open-air dining room with Avocado-Mango Salad, Sandwiches and a Ugandan Pizza while various Starlings, Sunbirds, Palm-swifts and other birds provide the entertainment.

The weather is fine, the mood is good, so when Hamza from Mamaland Safaris turns up in a green mini-van we invite him for a coffee on the roof and later drive the short way to the lake-side Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

Trying to locate an African Grey Parrot at Entebbe Botanical Gardens

Hamza explains to me that he is not bird expert – Hilary , who was supposed to be our guide was shanghaied by a Spanish hard-core Birder’s Club for their safari. Herman, who was supposed to replace him was hit by a motorbike last week (yes – he’s ok, we will meet him soon) – so for now he (Hamza) will take care of all arrangements and we will take on local bird guides as and where needed. This should work fine – local knowledge is very helpful and it will be nice to meet some of Uganda’s thriving birdwatcher community.

First of these is Rafiki at the Botanical Gardens. This is a lovely place – 100-year old trees with lots of space between them, some bushy tangled bits, resulting in a high diversity of birds and good chances of actually seeing them. Rafiki knows the good spots, recognizes the calls and has sharp eyes. The birds are active and there is lots to see, even some monkeys (Vervets and Black-and-White Colobus). We get in to some identification issues (a greyish flycatcher – could it be a Dusky-blue? a small sunbird – Rafiki thinks it’s Northern Double-collared but that doesn’t quite fit – I later realise it must have been an Orange-tufted; fascinating stuff eh?). A couple of hours and many, many birds later we end up at the lake-side cafe for a cold Stoney (Ugandan Ginger-ale) and Kingfishers and Weaver-birds at sunset.

Harrier Hawk
Colobus Monkeys

Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, collecting mud for it’s nest from a termite mound

Next day we leave Entebbe, our destination – Mabira Forest Reserve. To get their we have to pass Kampala. Hamza asks if I mind making a short detour via Mamaland’s office: he didn’t get there last night and the box of Belgian Chocolates I brought for Tony (owner of the company and a friend) is still in the car. Can’t be helped, I suppose, so in to Kampala we go (after a longish trip to the airport for my luggage which, as promised, has arrived). After delivering the chocolates to Anna, Tony’s wife (Tony is away with the Spanish birdwatchers) we get stuck in a horrendous traffic-jam in the downtown area. Rupert, who has a bit of cough, suffers the worst as Hamza drives up and down various side streets and finally finds a way out of the clouds of exhaust fumes. Finally on the Jinja road out of city we are then hit by a torrential downpour. Traffic slows down – you can hardly see the next car in front – and several lorries slide off the road. Herman (I told you we would meet him soon) calls from Mabira to ask what’s taking us so long – we are only about 15 Km away but it’s sunny and dry there!

Somehow we get there in the end. The Rain Forest Lodge is a treat after such a tough morning. I had expected something a bit fancy, maybe a bit on the tacky side. But this is real style. The rooms are huge, more like small apartments, finished beautifuly with local wood. Hidden away in the forest, you can sit on your terrace and watch birds in the trees. Or at least listen to them; as we enjoy another superb lunch we struggle to see any birds in the far away canopy. I have down-loaded bird-calls on to my phone; I’m beginning to remember some calls and now I get a response to playback of Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. I am very pleased with that, but still no bird to be seen – just some Red-tailed Monkeys come to see if we might throw them some leftovers from lunch (we don’t – not supposed to and we ate it all anyway).

In the afternoon we meet up with Herman who is the local expert, and go for a walk (or a slight limp in Herman’s case, but he is well on the mend he assures me) in the forest around the lodge. He’s the real deal and starts sorting out all the calls for us – 3 different Tinker-birds, a baffling variety of Greenbuls and , not very far away, the soft hoot of a Hairy-breasted Barbet! Now I like Tinker-birds but Barbets (their larger cousins) are my BBs (Best Birds). Totally. I take them so seriously that until now it never even occured to me that this one (the H-bB) has a funny name. It’s also a particularly difficult one to find. We zero in on the tree it’s calling from and Herman points it out to us – somewhere up there in the canopy. Very difficult to see but eventually we all get reasonable glimpses of it hopping from one concealed position to another. Can’t say I saw the hairy breast, but good views of its spotty belly and yellow fringed wing feathers. That’s forest birding for you.

We carry on until dusk; along the road to the lodge the open space allows good views of Flycatchers, Thrushes, White-eyes and Greenbuls. We hear a Greater Sparrowhawk calling nearby but just can’t get an angle to see the tree the sounds are coming from – a pity, this large bird of prey is high on my wishlist. The birding has been challenging but I think my fellow travelers have had fun; I am delighted with the HbB and the almost Sparrowhawk.

Hairy-breasted Barbet (by William Swainson, F.R.S., F.L.S 1821, courtesy of Wiki commons)
all those trees to hide in

In the night rain comes again, a soft patter punctuated by the strange shrieks of the Tree Hyrax. Somewhere far off there is some music or is it gunfire? I didn’t sleep very well in spite of the luxorious room, nor did Rupert (feeling the effects of Kampala’s air pollution). However we are off early to a different patch of forest. We meet Herman in the parking lot of the Mabira Eco-tourism Project. The forest here is quite different – much denser, not as tall, probably what’s known as secondary forest. It’s quite chilly and wet after last night’s rain but shafts of sunlight are penetrating the dark interior as we set off with Herman in the lead and the friendly puppy from the parking lot told to stay there.

We can hear a lot of birds in the dense vegatation on all sides. Herman easily identifies the sounds, reeling off a long list of rare forest birds. Seeing them is another matter altogether. Except for Common Bulbuls and the ubiquitous Weyn’s Weaver all we seem to see are rustling leaves and a flick of a wing here and there. The big breakthrough comes while Herman is trying to entice a Robin-chat out of hiding with playback of it’s song. Rupert, who has wandered off a bit , spots a large bird of prey sitting in a tree. It’s a bit obscured but we can all see it, tearing at some unseen prey wedged in a fork. Crowned Eagle, Herman pronounces. It is indeed, I can see the short crest, long tail and even a glimpse of the reddish flanks. Probably having monkey for breakfast, top predator of the African forest.

After this our luck seems to change and we start to actually see the birds – Forest Robin, Bristlebills and Greenbuls, Negrofinches (or Negrittas for the politically correct). The star bird here is a tiny flycatcher called Jameson’s Wattle-eye. I expected it to be fairly easy to see – as other Wattle-eyes I have met have been. No such luck. We track the distinctive high-pitched calls of several of them – but these birds have a true talent for concealment. They move so quickly through the thick foliage that getting one’s binoculars on them is almost impossible. Only Rupert manages a decent view of one, I have to settle for micro-second glimpses. Another challenging session of forest birding (which Greenbul?) but rewarding too. A stunning male Narina Trogon gives us a nice show – bonus for all the hard work.

Back to the lovely lodge for a super lunch and it’s time for the dreaded drive back to Entebbe. This time however, we take the bypass + expressway and so it is almost a pleasant experience. We are back at Lake Victoria View in time for Beers and Stoney’s on the roof at sunset with Hadada Ibises and an African Hobby ( a Falcon).

We are up early again the next day. It’s wet and cold and I am worried there may be more rain coming. So I instruct everyone to bring all rain gear possible – and of course it soon clears up (it always works!).

We are off to look for the elusive giant Shoebill Stork and other wetland residents at Mbamba Swamp. Hamza hires a boat/canoe for us at the nearby ferry and we have a nice ride along the lake shore, discussing the identity of some Terns. Soon we enter the swamp and meet up with another boat parked alongside a mass of Water Hyacinth and other floating plants at the side of the channel. We meet Joseph our bird guide and ship over into the official birding canoe. “Are you ready to look for the Shoebill?” he asks – of course we are! He points to starboard (or port or whichever) and there it is – it’s been standing there patiently all the time, about 25 metres away! Not so elusive after all. Of course – why else would Joseph have chosen this spot to meet us? We dutifully admire and take photos of it and when the first boatload of visitors emerges from the swamp we set off for some more challenging birdwatching elswhere .

Captain Hamza and his merry men
The patient Shoebill

We spend the next couple of hours drifting through Papyrus beds, patches of Water-Lilies and banks of reeds. Lots of nice birds (most of them easy to see ), including some rare ones – Marsh Tchagra, Lesser Jacana and Black Heron. I draw a blank on Papyrus Gonolek and Pygmy Goose – special target species for today – but couldn’t care less it is so nice out here on the water. We run in to our first Cisticolas – small brownish warblers; I usually more or less ignore them – there are so many species (page after page of them in the field guide) all looking almost the same. But they have a strange effect on Rupert. I already noticed at Mabira that the Greenbuls (another rather uniform and difficult group) interested him. But the Cisticolas are catnip for him (as Barbets are for me). Never mind Fish-eagles, Coucals, Pelicans and Ibises – these drab little fellows are what make him tick!

We head in to the landing – a busy little spot where eco-tourism, fishing and canoe transport all go hand in hand. Here we are to be handed over to another bird guide for a bit of a walk. While we wait for him to arrive (he is still out on a boat) we explore a bit on our own and pick up a couple of interesting warblers (was that a White-chinned Prinia?) and a swarm of stinging ants. After removing as many ants as we can from our clothes we meet Ismail, the new guide who takes us on a ramble through the mixed bush nearby.

There are birds everywhere – lots of Cisticolas for Rupert – and overhead large numbers of birds of prey are migrating. They are mostly common Buzzards with some Lesser-spotted Eagles mixed in – exactly the mix you would see in Israel about a month earlier. Of course I always knew these birds migrated to Africa but actually seeing them flying the same way, thousands of miles further on…

We wander around picking up Scrob-robins, Waxbills and Wood-doves, Pipits and Larks and, of course, Cisticolas. Finally we head back to the landing to eat our packed lunch and take the boat back to Entebbe .

Croaking Cisticola
Migrating Buzzards
Blue-headed Coucal

We have come to the end of our “Birding pre-tour” (as I named it in the program). We sit up on the roof at the guesthouse to relax (Humphrey), look through Cisticolas in the field-guide (Rupert) and watch the sky for Ethiopian Airlines (“The new Spirit of Africa”) flight 334 from Addis Ababa (me) – the rest of our party will be arriving any moment.

NEXT TIME: the wonders of Murchison Falls National Park, too many “briefings”and a suitcase goes walkabout. Coming soon

Crossing a great river: which? all will be revealed

Namibia Story

davidnartan@gmail.com May 16, 2018 Comments Off

I am back from my trip to Namibia. Actually I got home a week ago, a little earlier than planned, and have been trying to figure out what to write about this rather strange journey. It’s difficult because:

a. Things didn’t work out as planned/expected due to a complicated mixture of bad planning, miscommunication, unfortunate timing etc. etc. Hard to blame anyone and all rather uninteresting.

b. The private game ranch I visited asked me not to disclose details of their operations ( I even signed all sorts of documents to that effect), even though they do have a website and are trying to attract tourists ( who I presume will be blindfolded before being choppered in at night or something like that) – they are very security-minded and worried about potential poachers ; I will respect that.

So without going in to any sort of details (who-did-what-and-why), I travelled a very long way to find myself more-or-less stranded in a very comfortable house in the middle of nowhere with a freezer full of Oryx meat.

A very nice house in the middle of nowhere

The plan had been for me to help design and set up some sort of Community Permaculture Project alongside a cultivation area somewhere in the reserve and in my spare time do a bit of a bird survey. I imagined long walks on sandy plains and setting up some clever floodwater catchment systems with the local bushmen. The sandy plains turned out to be rather rocky and crisscrossed with fences; the local community were a Boer businessman (the owner) and his stressed out team – all Afrikans-speaking Namibians of european descent. Still I am a flexible and unprejudiced (I hope) so I did my best and managed to get some work on both of these done. But the overall situation was such that I had very low priority on any recourses I needed ( tools, transportation, manpower etc.) and couldn’t make very long walks due to safety and security restrictions. So a lot of time was spent just hanging out around the very nice house , getting to know the animals and birds in the vicinity and experimenting with Oryx cuisine.

Oryx T-bone

: Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

: Crimson-breasted Shrike

At first I did get rather fustrated. Again and again I was all set to go out birdwatching or to get started on the land only to be informed that something or other had come up and perhaps tomorrow… Then I realised that this is how the place works, it is in a constant state of crisis, stress and improvisation. I had no wish to be part of that so I relaxed, did what I could when an opportunity came my way and enjoyed the quiet. It’s nice to stay around one spot – I get to know the rythms of the animals around the house and learn the calls of the birds. On the rare walks I manage (security issues) I meet some nice animals and birds too.

: Kudu

: Dik-dik

It’s all a bit of a struggle; I make a nice design for the permaculture project and we do get started, but no one knows how long it will take to set up any sort of irrigation; I have about 80 species of birds on my list but the promised trip to the wilder part of the reserve keeps being delayed. And so on and so forth. I understand the reasons and hate to be a pest but the idea of leaving early gets more and more attractive… Finally I have a long chat with the manager and agree to cut my visit short. I feel a tremendous relief, and I am happy with the permaculture plan – if they want to go on with it they have enough information and a good foundation to build on. I enjoy a final evening with the Oryxes and Francolins around the house and early in the morning catch a ride in to town.

: Pearl-spotted Owlet

: Crested Francolin

Arriving in town around dawn, I am dropped at the parking lot where share-taxis leave from. The staff member who drove me warns me about thieves and other bad things that might happen to me and drives off leaving me to find a ride to far away Windhoek. There appear to be no taxis, but presently the door of a small parked car opens and out steps a chubby black man and asks if I am looking for a ride? I like and trust him straight away – but then some little nasty voice in my head comes up with a scenario where I am robbed and abandoned on some side road in the desert. The man goes off to take a leak and I walk over to the security guards at the nearby supermarket and ask them if they know this guy – to which they answer yes, of course ( without even looking). However this does satisfy the nasty little voice in my head and when the man returns I say “let’s go”! He turns out to be a very nice guy and takes me all the way to Windhoek for just 50$ (about 400 km) and we have a lovely drive.

The road to Windhoek

My new friend and his little car

I realise this is the first time since I arrived that I really feel I am in Africa. It’s the people I have been missing. That little voice in my head this morning was Fear – and this is what I have been picking up from my hosts at the ranch, what lies behind the panicky, stressy management of the reserve; I would go further even and say it is what underlies the hundreds of years of animosity between them and the black people surrounding them. It reminds me so much of Israel where I grew up, and, though it may not be an earth-shattering revelation, something clicks for me. It always puzzled me that nice people could behave so badly to others – I just could not believe there is so much evil in them. And now I see what drives them – Fear. Like a cornered animal, when fear is there, one is capable of anything.

In Windhoek I treat my driver to a late lunch while I make some calls – seems I can get a flight out next day if I like. I consider spending a day or two at a nearby Park, but I suspect it will be run, like most of this country, by Afrikaners. They do a good job of it – everything works very well here – but somehow it just doesn’t do it for me. I have had enough and am ready to go.

Lunch in Windhoek

And so, 48 hours later, via Addis Ababa, Vienna and Brussels, I find myself back in the Belgian countryside. Spring has exploded in my short absence and I drink in the soft , lush greenness of it after what has been a strange and sometimes hard journey.

In the land of the Oryx

davidnartan@gmail.com April 28, 2018 Comments Off

Namibia, 2 weeks gone, 2 weeks to go. I am staying at a private game reserve where I volunteered to help set up a small Permaculture project. Also to make a bit of a bird survey.

Not much internet connection here so just a short post ( I am on a rare visit to a nearby town at the moment) and more when I get home.
Well, it hasn’t been so easy. People, people….
The place seems to be in a constant (and to my eyes totally unnecessary) state of crisis. So it is difficult to get anything done. Still some progress and I have met some nice birds and animals – like these Oryx who come by the house I stay in.

I have also eaten a lot of Oryx! The Afrikaaners who run this place may be a bit stressy and inefficient at running things but they sure know how to barbecue wild animals.

Anyway, the seeds on my front door step are coming up nicely and hopefully (if we can get some irrigation issues sorted out), will be planted out together with a nice mixture of fruit trees and native species before it’s time to go home.
So when everything goes all wrong, I sit on my little terrace, watch the seeds growing and wait for the Oryx.

Uganda, part 3: at the end of a long road, love -Rhino style

davidnartan@gmail.com February 4, 2018 Comments Off

There is quite a lot left to cover in this last post, plus I have finally received a whole lot of photos from Judy and Zvika; I’ll try to fit it all in but I warn you: this will be long!

Our first port of call from Masindi is known as the “Royal Mile”: a wide track through tall well-preserved forest, hopping with rare birds. I am a bit concerned that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea – the birds move around quickly high up in the canopy – but there are some easy ones too: White-thighed Hornbills for example. The forest is lovely and somehow everyone spreads out, moving at their own pace, communing with the great trees, or, in my case, ticking off Rufous Flycatcher-thrush and numerous other new species. Adyeri (Yehudit) and I find a Woodpecker’s nest and incur Zvika’s wrath for not marking the location; we thought we could find it again, but there are so many trees….

: The Royal Mile

: White-thighed Hornbill

We enjoy a picnic in the magical forest and head back to Masindi for our luggage and coffee at Hemingway’s Bar while Zvika, Judy and myself head off to the market with Hilary to buy some bags for excess luggage. Back on the road we head north to Murchison Falls N.Park. An hour or so along the dusty road we pass the park gate and enter Budongo Forest and turn off to the eco-lodge where we are to stay. It is early afternoon, hot and still. The staff appear one at a time and welcome us and we are assigned to cabins in the woods. I was a bit worried this might be a bit “basic” (compost toilets etc.), but the cabins are beautiful and spacious and there is time for a siesta (and a far off glimpse of some Black-billed Turacos for me) before we set out for a short evening exploration along the road. We are hoping for Colobus Monkeys (we saw a few briefly in the morning and on the drive) but are quite happy with some forest birds, butterflies and – of course – Baboons.

The plan had been to go Chimp-trekking next morning – I hadn’t been too sure how well things would go in Kibale and had booked this as a back-up. We could skip this now and instead I had arranged a forest walk. However James,one of the lodge’s guides is a very keen birder and so I arrange to go birding with him myself, and though tempted to have a break from the group, I invite the more ornithologically inclined (Zvika, Tsila and Yehudit) to join me (though I warn we might not see much).

Indeed,while the others enjoyed a later start and learned about the forest trees and heard some chimps hooting, we did see just a few birds (and, very briefly, a Blue Duiker), but a stunning male Narina Trogon that responded to a call and came and perched on a branch above us made it all worth while.

: Narina Trogon

: White-thighed Hornbill

Our time in the forest is over and we head out on the road to the Nile ferry. On the way we finally get a good look at some Colobus Monkeys (we have the roof open, in spite of the dust, just for this). At the ferry we have a bit of a wait and time to check out some birds and Agama lizards or just watch the water flowing past.

: at the Victoria Nile

: Agama

Finally we cross and rush to report for our cruise (we are a little late); however it seems there is no boat and we will have to go tomorrow instead. I am a bit suspicious and try to push things around but it is no good. So we check in to our rooms at Paraa lodge and take a break. The lodge, though run by the same lot as the rather sleepy Mweya is quite a different place. The staff are happy and upbeat, all meals are buffet (not the painfully slow table service we had to sit through at Mweya) and the whole vibe is good.

Well rested we set off for an evening game-drive. We see various animals, including the cute little Oribi antelopes and this and that. Some nice birds – Abyssinian Roller, Carmine Bee-eaters – it’s a nice relaxed evening. At one point Hilary excitedly points out some birds in an Acacia – White-crested Turacos! They fly across the road and in to another distant tree. They are hard to see, but while the others try in vain to get a look I check the tree they came from and there, just for a brief instant, I see through my binoculars a perfect view of one Turaco standing and checking us out before turning away and flying off. Not a common bird, and I now have 4 Turacos on my trip list.

: Oribi

: Hartebeest

It’s been a good day and it gets even better when we discover the dessert table at dinner. Quite amazing really. I just eat some salad for my main course to leave space. The whole group are worried that we may never see Saul again, but he , as ever, takes it in his stride. There are about 5 different cakes, various flans and chocolate this and thats, all sorts of sauces – never mind the fruit. I pig out unashamedly and go to bed very happy.

Next morning we set out early. We are targeting Lions today; so far we have just had a glimpse of one’s ear and it would be nice to see some properly. Hilary has a friend in a car up ahead of us who works out of the lodge and knows where to look. It seems the good areas are a bit of a way towards Lake Albert so we drive for about an hour untill we start seeing big herds of Uganda Kob. Hilary’s friend is still far ahead but to me this looks fine and we slow down and start looking at the animals and birds. There is lots to see. We find some Jackals being followed around by the Magpie-like Piapiacs. Large herds of Buffaloes are on the move raising clouds of dust as they head for their water-holes. Girraffes amble along and far-off we spot a Pattas Monkey in an Acacia. Birds everywhere, including the ungainly Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill.

: Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

: Pattas Monkey

While we take our time with Hornbills, Monkeys and Giraffes, other cars pass by us – stopping to check what we are looking at (only a Jackal?) and heading on towards the delta area where Lions are reputed to be. Hilary’s friend has reported a siting but very poor views so we stay with our relaxed pace and don’t go chasing after the rest. And it pays off: we come up to a single car watching a solitary Lioness just out in the open about 30 metres from the road. Perfect, couldn’t ask for better. She is relaxed, a beautiful animal in perfect shape and we have plenty of time to enjoy her before all the other cars come hareing back from wherever they where.

We go on for a bit – picking up some nice birds (the spectacular Black-billed Barbet) and taking time to photograph Buffaloes before calling it a morning (a fine one) and heading back to the lodge for lunch (also a fine one!).

Now it’s time for the long-awaited boat trip. We drive down to the ferry dock and park the car in the shade – Hilary has a bit of a scare as a window won’t close and there is a large male Baboon making eyes at the car. However finally he gets it shut and joins us as we impatiently go through the long signing in process and finally are off on to the river.

The swampy bits alongside are a delight – packed with interesting birds (besides huge crocodiles): Purple Swamp-hens, Whistling Ducks, Crakes and all sorts of Herons. Kingfishers of all sizes and shapes and the multicoloured Bee-eaters. There are plenty of animals too: Elephants shiny with mud, Waterbuck and even a giraffe.

: Malachite Kingfisher

: Pied Kingfisher

: Grey-headed Kingfisher

: Goliath Heron

: Red-throated Bee-eater

: Saddle-billed Stork

: Hilary enjoys the cruise

: Waterbuck

: This guy had an eye on our car

There was a lot to see! Things got really exciting when we pulled in to a little sandy beach and there was a bird I had only ever seen pictures of: a Nile Plover – the famous Crocodile Bird (the one that picks food out of crocodile’s mouths). It’s not really supposed to be here, only further north and west so this is a real bonus. It’s not shy at all and we can really have a good look at this special and pretty bird. We go on and reach the Falls (Murchison’s) they are pretty good, but much better are the Rock Pratincoles – another rare bird – flying around and perching on the rocks!

: Nile Plover

: Rock Pratincoles

We head back downstream, stopping for as many Swamp-hens and Storks and whatnots as the time permits. Zvika (who is actually a teenager though he may not look it) has a go at driving the boat for the last stretch – speeding down the Nile with the warm wind in your hair, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Back on land we all agree that although there is still time for a short drive, it’s enough for today. This has been such a fantastic afternoon it seems a waste to go poking around for some Bush-shrike or whatever. Anyway, when we get to the car we find that the Baboon, unable to break in, has instead defecated all over the windows; for the short drive to the lodge the smell is just bearable. (This Baboon attacked a woman while we standing by the car and it seems continued to attack people later – the Park rangers shot him that night. The group where a bit shocked by this but such behaviour is not normal for Baboons and this one may have been infected with rabies or otherwise unwell).

We set off with the first ferry next morning. We have a long drive, all the way to Entebbe. Most of the day we are on the road, watching the country pass by. African roads are very different from the dull, monotonous highways we know in the west. There is so much life – people and markets and colour – that we enjoy our long drive (except perhaps for Hilary who has to drive!).

We make one stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Here, in a small patch of wilderness, White Rhinos are living and breeding, in preparation for re-introduction to other protected areas in Uganda. We are taken for a walk in to the bush by Thomas the guide to meet some Rhinos (they are used to people – so it isn’t really dangerous).

It’s hot and the Rhinos are in the shade under some scrubby trees. We stand quite close and look; after a while, cameras and phones satisfied, we just watch them, the baby nuzzling his mum, such gentleness in these huge animals. They get up and move, searching for better shade and we follow for a bit, then leave them and head back to the visitor center for our packed lunch and some really awful Coffee. I can’t really say what it is, but everyone is deeply touched by the experience; it is a very fitting end to our trip.

: Thomas, Rhino guide

: Saul meets Rhino

There’s more to tell – how the engine stalled and Zvika started it with a cigarette lighter, almost getting lost in Kampala, a flat tire 10 km before Entebbe and so on ; but really enough is enough, this is a good place to stop. I’ll just leave you with some pictures (now that I have so many to choose from) from the whole trip, from Uganda – a lovely country.

Uganda Bird (and Baboon) watching trip, part 2: in to the forest

davidnartan@gmail.com January 29, 2018 1 Comment

Uganda is bang in the middle of Africa. To the west lie the great rain-forests of the Congo basin, to the east the savannas of East Africa. Here these biomes and their birds and animals meet. I had planned our trip so we could get a taste of both; personally, I was more interested in the forests and the chance of seeing some very special species. But forests are not easy – you can go a whole day with just a few tantalising glimpses of a bird or a monkey far above in the canopy and I wasn’t sure how well our group would do. Also, this has to be done on foot, and we are not a very athletic bunch. So I had given us enough time in the lower altitude savanna areas to see some big game, easier birds and so on. But now it was time for something different.

Now as we headed out of Queen Elizabeth National Park the landscape began to change. Yehudit carefully tracked our route on her detailed map as we passed through small towns along the foothills of mostly obscured Mountains of the Moon. Then we leave the tarmac and enter a hilly region. It is very pretty country, Banana orchards run up and down the slopes interrupted by wooded ravines and little crater lakes. Along the road we pass huge mounds of bananas (or rather plantains – the cooking variety which is the main crop here) on wheels : farmers taking their crop to market. We pass by the trading centers where all these plantains are collected and sold and everyone is eager to snap photos, but Hilary is adamant: “taking pictures without permission is like stealing”. We are getting an education. We stop and negotiate with a fellow with a bicycle and do it correctly.

By lunch time we have reached our destination – Kitojo guest house. I had asked for a lodge closer to Kibale Forest – the reason for our visit here – but all were booked out and Tony suggested this. Hilary, who lives in the area has never heard of it so I hope it’s OK. When we arrive Yehudit asks me: “did you know it was so beautiful when you booked it?” and I think: this is going to be fine. It is a lovely spot. Perched on a hill, one side a little woodland (with Red-tailed Monkeys and a pair of Wood Owls in residence) and a fine view over the countryside. Simple facilities and, it turns out, family hospitality and an excellent cook. What more can you ask?

For the afternoon I had the idea to do some birding around the area of the lodge, perhaps check out one the many lakes nearby. But Hilary suggests a visit to Bigodi, his home village, next to Kibale Forest, where a cultural program is on offer. Sounds good to me and the gang like the idea so off we go. Its a bit of a way, but a good road through the forest where we start running in to bands of Baboons on the road. We dutifully stop for photos, little knowing how often this is going to be repeated in the next days.

At the village we arrive at the cultural museum, but get sidetracked by the bright yellow café next door. A round of cofee, a game of pool and a visit to the craft shops across the street later we are ready. The young men at the museum are very nice and explain about preserving the traditions of their village. Surrounded by all sorts of tools and utensils, from stretchers to violins, we learn about life here and finish with a lively little dance. It’s really from the heart, it doesn’t feel very touristy at all.

We then visit several homes in the village : the young man’s – whose name I’ve forgotten – Grandmother, Great Uncle and the local traditional healer (a.k.a witch doctor). All are absolutely charming, and tell us in their soft voices about local customs, medicinal plants and this and that. The doctor gives us “pet names” ; for the rest of the trip Zvika is Apuuli (=puppy) and Yehudit is Adyeri (=friend). Sadly we run out of time and have to skip the ladies’ basket weaving club – we wave to them in passing.

A warm welcome at Bigodi

Apuuli poses with grandmother Akiki

On the drive back to the lodge (after more stops for Baboon photos) , Hilary spots a pair of Ross’s Turacos in some trees near the road. Unfortunately, they are moving away, it’s almost dark and we are on a busy road – so , no go. We head home for dinner and owls.

As we sit and chat with Mr Ezra – owner of the lodge and the adjoining hospital, a charming man – I realize something is shifting in our experience. Maybe it’s just that due to a shortage of rooms I am sleeping in Mr. Ezra’s spare bedroom , or perhaps because we are on Hilary’s home territory, but it feels to me that we are connecting much more personally with the land and the people who live here. We are ready to enter the forest.

We are booked for a Chimpanzee trek in Kibale the next morning. This is an official affair with permits and rangers and so on and we need to be there on time so I am very strict on the early morning drive: “no Baboon photos!”. We arrive on time only to discover that someone made a mistake and our permits are for the afternoon! This actually works out rather well – it means we can do some birding around the forest edge in the best, morning hours and, maybe, there won’t be quite so many people going after Chimps in the afternoon – I know there are supposed to be a lot of them here but am a bit surprised how many trekkers are setting out at the same time.

: L’Hoest’s Monkey

: Great Blue Turaco

We spend a very fruitful couple of hours along the road near the Park Headquarters; a party of the ridiculously exotic Blue Turacos flop around on the trees and a band of the rare L’Hoest’s Monkey cross the road and settle down nearby. For the “serious” birders there are Barbets and Tinkerbirds, a Nicator, a Greenbul and a Yellowbill. Zvika is so busy photographing Wooly-necked storks through his telescope he almost misses everything else. Finally, after the obligatory Baboon photo-stop, we head out of the park for a traditional lunch in Bigodi village.

[ I have to say a word here about the quality of this last photo and others in the blog: I was a bit too busy/distracted with managing the rather tricky program and somewhat unruly group to focus on photography; so I missed covering a lot of it with my camera. Judy, our leading Baboon photographer (and other subjects), I am sure has some fine photos but due to some problem with her internet connection has only managed to whatsapp me the ones off her phone; so for now I have a limited choice – hopefully soon to be improved on, but I’d rather get this all written while it’s fresh in my memory]

Anyway…

The lunch was terrific – We chewed our coffee beans (we already learned that yesterday) and listened and watched as a charming young woman about 6 feet tall plunked down dish after dish and explained what they were. Everything was delicious, though Saul kept murmuring “Peanut Sauce” for a while after the meal. My vote went for the Matoke (steamed plantain) and the millet and sorghum stodge, the local staples.

We couldn’t linger though – it was time for our Chimp trek.

Back at park headquarters, along with four other parties, we were briefed and prepped for our jungle mission. I explained to our guide that we would be a bit slow and asked if it would be possible to find us the nearest Chimps available. He said he would do his best. After driving a short way in to the park we set off on foot in to the forest, trousers tucked in to our socks (against ants), well slathered with mosquito repellant and sun-cream, hats on, extra water bottles – ready for anything!

About twenty minutes in, after some busy radioing to and fro by the guide on his walkie-talkie we converged with another group and there were two large Chimps! The chimps were ambling up a slope at a fairly brisk pace and the guides frantically tried to move their groups in to position to take pictures of them. As more groups of tourist arrived at double pace the scene turned in to a chaotic melee of smart phone waving hikers in safari outfits crashing through the undergrowth as the two Chimps nonchalantly made their way through the forest. I was disgusted. I found the rest of the group and our guide as the Chimps and their pursuing trekkers disappeared into the distance and the forest became still again. We resumed our walk, picking up Zvikka – who had followed the Chimps part of the way, at great cost to his knee – along the way, and after a while we came to where the Chimps had joined two others and settled down to feed on nuts. This was much better and we spent the next hour watching them feeding and grooming and even had the excitement of a ruckus as another male rushed in and made a bit of a display. Some of the other groups moved on and so we had a nice meeting with our cousins of the forest.

It seems the morning trekkers had only seen Chimps up in the trees, so we had done well to have such a close encounter (though I wonder if they say that to everyone). In any case, everyone was pleased as punch. This had been our biggest challenge and it had been a doddle (see my post about Chimp trekking at Gombe Stream Short Visit to Pradise for a much tougher one – though perhaps more satisfying). On the way home we discover my door in the car won’t close. We tie it with a strap (the one we’ve been using for the back door) and later a mechanic comes over and takes it all apart and puts it together a number of times uselesly until Zvika intervenes and solves the problem with a few drops of oil from the engine’s dip-stick. We round off the evening’s entertainment with some Owl watching.

Next Day we face a long drive to Masindi, gateway to MurchisonFalls N.Park and the adjoining Budongo Forest of ornithological fame. Hilary has been going on about how bad the road is and that if we don’t start early and avoid too many stops we will not make it before nightfall. I warn everyone to be on time and we set off at a brisk pace, only to divert almost immediately in to the town of Fort Portal for an hour of gift shopping and what must be the only espresso machine in Western Uganda.

Finally we get on the road and make good progress. Hilary’s warning’s are unfounded – the road has been graded and several sections are even tarmacked and we speed along enjoying the scenery and our stops in small towns along the way. When we stop for cold drinks in a market street in Hoima,there is no awkwardness as we sit at the little table and drink fresh made passion-fruit juice. We are rapidly becoming Africanized!

At Masindi we stay at the Hotel where Humphry Boggart and Lauren Bacall stayed when they filmed “African Queen”; Hemingway recovered here from a plane crash. I expected something a bit special but it is totally unremarkable – just a place to sleep. In the empty bar there is a small plaque saying “Hemingway’s Bar”. That’s it. But the kitchen staff have done a splendid job of making a birthday cake for Yehudit, faithfully copying the inscription Zvika sent them in advance, and we celebrate in style – Birthday (Yehudit say’s it isn’t her birthday at all) , success in the jungle, being in Africa, Baboon Photos – whatever. Everyone seems pretty satisfied and at peace and I get a good night’s sleep.

The rest – coming soon.