We enjoyed a Phenomenal tour through Uganda in February / March 2003 with Mr. Herbert Byruhanga. This month long trip, to see some birds and other animals it of this diverse country was about a week longer than most organized trips. In our estimation, four weeks is minimal, there were many places that required further exploration and appreciation. Throughout the trip Herbert's attitude remained professional, practical, and accommodating, noted especially where we needed to change the itinerary to allow longer stay at certain sites. The network of local Birders throughout the country, who have either birdied with or been trained by Herbert proved to be invaluable locating the more elusive species such as the deep forest denizens. Uganda is relatively small and undeveloped, a beneficial confluence when attempting to visit a good number of disparate sites. We felt that Herbert knew someone in every village, reassuring and very useful when planning dawn journeys to remoter spots.
After checking the usual trip stops we decided to take a loop through the country heading North and East from Kampala, alongside the Ruwenzori foothills and returning fairly directly from Bwindi impenetrable forest. We saw plenty of Wetland species, due to the existence of a number of undamaged papyrus swamps. The forest birding was chancy and occasionary rewarding as usual. Where I think we were short of habitats was in the dry scrub landscape such as Murchison, and also the high montane birding which may necessitate another trip through the Ruwenzori peaks. The trip count was over 600 species, about half of which were lifers, the others having been seen on previous trips to Africa and Europe. Our first week was spent at Murchison and Budongo, including the royal mile. Murchison is a grand place to visit, one can feel the hugeness of the continent, life and death balanced on a razor's edge, that plays out every moment. Two events that stand out are an evening visit to the Bat roost at the falls, where thousands of these hoary mammals exit their roost cave at dusk, into the waiting jaws of falcons, bat hawks and a suite of raptors who have been assembling, circling and landing for the last hour before sunset. The implicit randomness of survivorship was the key theme of the event. Very spectacular. Another outing was in small quiet boat, drifting down the Nile, and nosing around the floating papyrus beds as we searched for gonoleks and shoebills, which we found. On that float we saw also a troop of five or six young male Elephants horsing around in shallow water. Special moments.
In the same region as Murchison, we birded the Budongo forest and the royal mile. Both are rich sites, Budongo has and added cache of being stewarded by local villagers, which added a color to the time there. Highlights from Budongo/royal mile included western black headed oriole, Chocolate backed kingfisher, red tailed and thrush, several illadopsis, and a variety of greenbuls.
Heading south from Budongo we wasted time stopping over night in Fort Portal before heading down over the ridge to Semliki reserve and the Semliki National Park. Semliki reserve is primarily grassland, a wide valley in the Rwenzori foothills. Time there was regrettably short, just enough to see the Leaflove at dusk and miss the Pell's fishing Owl at night. This area could be very fruitful, because of its proximity to the DRC. Semliki National Park is for determined hikers as the first six Kilometers into the trail are cutover second growth. Not too much happened there for us but we did find a Red billed dwarf hornbill. This area has seen an explosion of refugees from the DRC, so there is a scene of desolation for the people living in temporary shelters alongside the park.
Kibale forest was a mixture of good and bad luck. To put it Bluntly, the birding was a bit of a bust, but the time spent hanging out with and extended Chimp family was awesome both for the drama of the interactions and the trust that they extended to let us be close observers throughout and afternoon and evening, with a return to the nest site at dawn. A truly humbling experience.
In Queen Elizabeth park we stayed at Mweya Lodge, Memorable for the tame wild boar and nocturnal hippos utilizing the short grasses around the lodge. Preferentially for those with an appreciation of quietness, a stay at Jacana lodge will provide some good forest birding, canoe access to a sizeable lake and an excellent chance of watching a locally resident Finfoot.
The last stay was Bwindi, where we tracked gorillas and searched for elusive forest birds with a coterie of willing, accomplished and greatly equipped local birders. The overriding feeling was one of privilege. We first world birders live in a dream of wealth and denied to the majority of African birders who may or may not own anything resembling a pair of functional binoculars. We must find a safe way of delivering some of our optical surplus to these dedicated birders who have a far greater responsibility than us in protecting the continental diversity from human depredation.
Don't forgo the chance in Buhoma of spending some time with the gorillas. Afforded more restricted access than the Kibale Chimps because of their imperiled status, an hour or so in their company allows for an experience of a soulful primate whose preoccupation with digestion equals the captive bovines seen throughout the temperate zone.
The High altitude part of Bwindi at Ruhizha is well worth the drive and the rustic accommodation. We took the short trail of about 4kms. Down to the finer Mubwindi swamp, where we saw seven lifers including African green broadbill, Grauer's rush warbler and carruther's cisticola.
All in all, a really good trip, regrets are that we couldn't stay longer, maybe take a canoe ride down the Nile, or check out the Virunga Volcano gorilla sites.
ananga@gis.net.