Uganda: Shoebills and Gorillas

Uganda, the jewel in the crown of East Africa, is generally recognised as having some of the best remaining forest on the continent, and with it some truly remarkable birdwatching.  Our first taste of this will be at Budongo Forest where we will explore the famous Royal Mile, a wide pathway that simply drips with birds.  At Murchison Falls National Park we take to the water, not only to visit the spectacular White Nile Falls but also to seek out the unique Shoebill in its papyrus home.  In Kibale Forest we will be surrounded not only by birds, but also by some of the eleven species of primate, including Chimpanzee, that live here.  While in Queen Elizabeth National Park we will encounter a variety of habitats more typical of East Africa, together with an equally varied array of birds and mammals.

The wonderful Impenetrable Forest is a magical place of mists, hanging mosses, and luxuriant vegetation, and it is also where we shall see some of the rarest and most exotic birds of the trip.  However, it will probably be a mammal that is uppermost in people’s minds here.  Over half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas can be found in this forest and, during our stay, there will be the chance to take part in a guided-trek to search for a group of these magnificent animals.

Sunday 6 July to Saturday 26 July 2008
with Brian Finch as leader.

Bird List
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Day 1:  The tour begins with an overnight flight from London to Entebbe.

Day 2:  We’ll arrive at Entebbe International Airport in the morning and transfer to the nearby Lake Victoria Hotel for a short break.  Entebbe sits on the shores of Lake Victoria.  We will begin our tour with some birdwatching along the Entebbe Peninsula, and especially in the lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where both forest and lakeshore birds can be encountered.  Our first birds could include Palm-nut Vulture, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, African Pied Hornbills, Splendid Glossy Starlings, and Orange and Slender-billed Weavers.  Later in the day we’ll set out for Masindi, passing through undulating grasslands and mosaic woodland where we can look for such species as White-crested Turaco, Bronze-tailed Starling, Marsh Widowbird, and Black Bishop.  Night at Masindi Hotel.

Days 3-4:  Each day we’ll depart early for the nearby Budongo Forest.  Our drive takes us along the ‘Golden Mile’, a truly spectacular road with forest canopy towering far overhead.  There is a good trail system in the forest, and exploring this over the next two full days, we can hope to see vociferous Nahan’s Francolins, excessively noisy White-tailed Hornbills, graceful Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails, rather secretive Blue-throated Rollers, Yellow-browed Camaropteras puffing out their blue cheek patches as they give their incessant piping, Chestnut-capped Flycatchers high in the canopy, Ituri Batis, and Black-capped Apalis.  Nights at Masindi Hotel.

Day 5:  Departing Masindi, we’ll pass through Budongo on our way to Murchison Falls National Park.  We shall stop for our picnic lunch on the spectacular Butiaba Escarpment, overlooking Lake Albert, where we can admire the stunning view out towards Butiaba, and keep an eye open for Foxy Cisticola, White-winged Black Tit, and Red-winged Pytilia at the same time.  Descending into the Albertine Rift we’ll continue north to Murchison Falls, arriving in the late afternoon.  Night at Sambiya River Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park.

Days 6-7:  These two days will be given over to exploring this interesting park.  We shall visit the awesome Murchison Falls, where the mighty White Nile is forced through a thirty-foot wide gap.  A highlight of our visit will undoubtedly be the boat trips to the foot of the falls and to the delta area, and, of course, the one bird that will be on everyone’s mind is the bizarre Shoebill.  Superb views can be had of this wonderful bird, and both the captain and naturalist on the boat rarely disappoint their passengers.  There will be other birds as well, including vivid Red-throated Bee-eaters that breed in a cliff to which we pass very close.  And there will be mammals to look for too, such as Rothschild’s Giraffe, Elephant, Waterbuck, and many others.

Our drives around the extensive plains provide classic African vistas which are complemented by the exciting birds.  Among others we shall be on the look out for Saddle-billed Storks, African Finfoot, Red-necked Falcon, Senegal Thick-knee, White-collared Pratincole, and Giant and Woodland Kingfishers.  In the scattered woodland and savannah there will be different species to search for, including Heuglin’s Francolins irrupting on noisy wings from the rank grass, gem-like and graceful Swallow-tailed and Blue-breasted Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Rollers, comical Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, and buzzing jewels in the form of Northern Red Bishops.  Nights at Sambiya River Lodge.

Day 8:  Leaving Murchison Falls, we have a short drive to the recently discovered population of Puvel’s Illadopsis, a dowdy bird with an impressive voice.  Towards Hoima there are a few papyrus swamps where specialities such as White-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek can be found, while the surrounding scrub may harbour Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-bellied Seedcracker, and Grey-headed Oliveback.  Night in Fort Portal.

Day 9:  Fort Portal will be our base from which to visit the extensive, mid-montane Kibale Forest Reserve.  Kibale is home to nine species of primates, and there is the opportunity for a Chimpanzee trek on easy, well-marked trails.  Birding along the road is also very rewarding and we could encounter White-spotted Flufftail, White-naped Pigeon, African Grey Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Oliveback, and Brown Twinspot, among others.  Night in Fort Portal.

Day 10:  Our next port of call is the world famous Queen Elizabeth National Park on the shores of Lake Edward.  After checking in at our lodge, we shall head straight out to spend the remainder of the day driving along trails looking for such specialities of the park as Uganda Kob and Giant Forest Hog.  Numerous birds inhabit the surrounding scrub and lakeshore and, in the evening, there are often groups of spectacular Pennant-winged Nightjars flying around the grounds of the lodge.  Night at Mweya Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 11:  Today we shall explore Queen Elizabeth National Park in earnest, taking scenic drives around the extinct volcanic craters, and searching the scrub and lakeshore for the many birds that live here.  We shall split the day into three, with pre-breakfast, morning, and late afternoon excursions.  Birds are numerous, and could include the magnificent Martial Eagle, comical Red-necked Spurfowl, the secretive Black-rumped and Common Buttonquails, cautious African Crakes peering out from the grassy verge, African Skimmers cutting a trench across the waters in the quiet bays, enormous Verreaux’s Eagle Owls booming around the lodge in the evenings, crisp Sooty Chats, glistening Red-chested Sunbirds, and Slender-billed Weavers coming into the dining room to share breakfast.  Night at Mweya Lodge.

Day 12:  This morning we shall have a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, the narrow neck of water that connects Lakes George and Edward.  This will give us views of many waterbirds and some of the skulking birds in the reedbeds.  Later we depart Mweya for Buhoma in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.  Night at Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Days 13-16:  For the first two days we shall be based at Buhoma, and it is here that we have the opportunity for Gorilla trekking.  The chances of finding a troop are good, and spending an hour with these immense but placid creatures is an experience never to be forgotten.  The forest of the lowland portion of the Park has an avifauna quite different from the higher parts, where altitude and the steep tracks make for slow progress.  Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Broadbill, and White-bellied Robin Chat are just a few of the species we may find in the forest.  The following two days will be spent at Ruhija, exploring the montane forest in search of a variety of birds including many Albertine endemics.  The list will be impressive but should include Rwenzori Nightjar, African Green Broadbill, Stripe-breasted Tit, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin Chat, Rwenzori and Mountain Masked Apalises, Grauer’s, Short-tailed and Red-faced Woodland Warblers, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Fulleborn’s Black Boubou, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Blue-headed and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, and Strange Weaver.  Nights at Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Day 17:  Leaving Bwindi we have a brief stop on route to Mbarara, where we may find Black-chinned Quailfinch before continuing to Lake Mburo National Park for the remainder of the day.  Tracing the edge of the dense papyrus-filled bays we’ll stop at several locations looking for the specialities of the region such as Senegal and Brown-chested Plovers, Brown Parrot, Yellow-eyed Black Tit, and Yellow-throated Leaflove, to name but a few.  Impala, Topi, Oribi, and Burchell’s Zebra are some of the commoner mammals we can expect to see.  Night at Mbarara.

Day 18:  From Mbarara we return to Kampala and, passing through the city, continue to Jinja where, time permitting, we will have a look at the source of the White Nile.  Night in Jinja.

Day 19:  After an early breakfast we’ll investigate Mabira Forest.  Although isolated by the surrounding banana and sugar plantation, this remarkably productive forest is possibly the richest in the country, and well-maintained trails make birding easy.  Mixed flocks are often found along the broad rides, and noisy groups of the near-endemic Weyn’s Weaver, arguably the most attractive of the group, busy themselves in the canopy.  We can also hope to see African Pied Hornbill and Forest Wood-Hoopoe, while the seasonal pools can attract Blue-breasted, White-bellied, Dwarf and Shining-blue Kingfishers.  Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbirds live in the canopy, while Toro Olive Greenbul and Green-tailed Bristlebill are secretive interior inhabitants.  If there are safari ants on the march, Fire-crested Alethe, Forest Robin, and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat may be in attendance.  Night in Jinja.

Day 20:  We have another morning in Mabira Forest, then after lunch we’ll return to Entebbe and Lake Victoria Hotel.  After a farewell evening meal we’ll transfer to the airport for an evening flight back to London where the tour ends on Day 21.

Cost £5690
Single room supplement £370

Please note that at Ruhija Research Hostel, there is dormitory accommodation.  A couple may have to share a bunk-house with other couples, there is no lighting or running water and the toilets are several meters from the rooms.

Maximum group size: 6 with 1 leader.

E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.

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Last updated July 2007.

A close encounter with Mountain Gorillas will be one of the highlights of the tour. Sanctuary Lodges.