18 DAYS UGANDA BIRD WATCHING HOLIDAY

Today we visit Mabamba Swamp and adjacent swamps. En route we shall look out for Madagascar Bee-eater, Red headed lovebird, Black-necked and Weyn´s Weavers. We enter Lake Victoria in hand paddled boats, exploring amaze of channels and mudflats for Shoebill, African Marsh Harrier, Allen´s Gallinule, Lesser Jacana, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola and White- winged Warbler. After we transfer to Lake Mburo national park for two nights stay.

A day of exploring Lake Mburo national park, an area of wetlands and acacia forests. Grassy fields scattered with acacia trees lure Senegal Lapwing, Bare- faced Go way-bird, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, and White-winged Tit. We take boat trip on the lake for White backed Night Heron and African Finfoot. In the park itself, an exploration of tracks and reed-lined swamps may produce Nubian Woodpecker, Yellow -breasted Apalis, Spot-flanked and Black-collared Barbets. At Nshara gate, large seasonal marshland has Rufous-bellied Heron, African Water Rail and Three-banded Plover. Drier areas attract Crested Francolin, Red-faced, and the rare, Long-tailed Cisticola, Yellow -throated Longclaw and Golden-breasted Bunting.

Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, our journey takes through villages and highlands. Birds to see include: Augur Buzzard, White headed Woodhoopoe, Black crowned Waxbill, Thick-billed Seedeater and Chubbs´s Cisticola. We will eventually be at Bwindi, a huge montane forest for two nights.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is exceptionally rich in the forest species restricted to the Albertine Rift Endemics covering Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Walking along forest trails is a wonderful natural experience with hundreds of colourful butterflies and areas of streams and tumbling water falls. Bwindi offers some of the best forest birding in Africa. The camp ground before the main track attract Black Saw wing, Petit, Cuckoo-shrike, Vanga Flycatcher, Mackinnon`s Fiscal Lunder’s Bush-shrike, Black-belled Weaver, Variable Sunbird and Grey-crowned Negrofinch.  On the main track, we enter the forest with its huge trees and lichen-lined trunks a reliable area for White-tailed and Red- throated Alethe, Black-faced Rufous Warbler and Yellow- eyed Black flycatcher. Other species recorded on recent visits have included Crested Guineafowl, Black throated, Yellow-rumped and Speckled Tinkerbirds, Grey-throated and Yellow spotted Barbets, Equatorial Akalat, White-tailed Crested-fly cat

Cher, Sooty Starlings, Slender-billed, Plain, Little tailed greenbuls, Green. Throated sunbird and Brown- capped Weaver.

After breakfast we transfer to Ruhija which is situated at an elevation of 2550m. The neck is an important habitat for birds and we may see Grey-headed and little green sun birds, Dusky blue Flycatcher, Pink-footed Puffback and the poorly known Lag den’s Bush shrike. The river has Mountain Wagtail and the Cassin ´s Fly catchers. As we ascend in the height we should find Augur Buzzard, Olive Pigeon, Thick-billed Honey guide, Chestnut-throated and Rwenzori   Apalis´s, Doherty´s Bush shrike, Mountain Oriole, Regal and Blue-headed Sunbirds.

Ruhija has many important birding areas. During our stay we intend to explore several trails and habitats. Along the main track we may find Handsome Francolin, Mountain Greenbul, White-browed Crombec, African Hill Babbler, Collared Apalis, Warbler. In areas of grasses and thickets, we search for Shelley´s crimson wing, Mountain Illadopsis, Archer´s Robin Chat, Cinnamon Bracken and Mountain Yellow Warblers.

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, birding enroute. Our journey takes us through the southern sector of the. At Ishasha, a remote camp ground, we look for Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Yellowbill, and African Firefinch. The road passes (seasonal) pools with Red-billed Duck, Hottentot Teal and Greater Painted-snipe. We eventually reach the Kazinga Channel, linking lake Edward and lake Goerge.

We have a full day exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park and the northern sector, an area of savanna, bush, river and lake habitats. The hotel gardens have Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Grey -capped Warbler and Slender-billed Weaver. We take an early morning game drive towards the Kasenyi plains track. Along the road, we should find Scaly Francolin, Crowned Lapwing, Harlequin Quail and common Button-quail. Larks are numerous and comprise Rufous-naped, Flap pet and the localised White-tailed lark. Raptors we aim to locate include Lappet- faced and White-backed Vultures, Martial Eagle, Banded Snake Eagle and Bateleur. Wet grassland may hold Broad-tailed and African Moustached Warblers, Trilling and Croaking Cisticolas, Marsh Tchagra, Fawn-breasted and crimson-rumped Waxbills. Acacia trees are home to black headed Batis.

In the afternoon, we embark on a boat trip down the Kazinga channel. This is an incredible area for water birds, giving us close views of Saddle-billed Stork, African spoon bill, water Thick-knee and African Skimmer.

The town is close to Semliki National Park. Trails running through humid forests are productive for White-bellied King fisher, Black-casqued, Black Dwarf and Red billed Dwarf Hornbills, Forest Robin, African Piculet, Red-rumped tinkerbird, Brown-chested Alethe, Yellow-throated Nicator, Xavier´s Greenbul and Chestnut Wattle- eye.

The rare species we hope to find include Hartlaub´s Duck, Long-tailed Hawk, Black-collared Lovebird, Yellow throated Cuckoo, Spotted and Lyre-tailed Honeyguides, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher and Grant´s Bluebill, Semliki also has habitats of grassland dotted with scrub and palms attracting another wide range of birds. On the afternoon of Day 13 we transfer to Fort portal for the night.

After breakfast, we head towards Masindi along a maintained dirt road. An agricultural area close to a village offers us Speckle-breasted woodpecker, lesser Honey guide, Brown-crowned and Black-Tchagras, Green- throated and Purple- banded Sunbirds. As we approach Masindi, forest patches may produce Grey Woodpecker, White Helmet shrike and African Grey parrot.

A pre-dawn starts in order to arrive early at Budongo forest and the Royal Mile, a pristine forest reserve. Before entering the forest, we should see white thighed Hornbill. Our main interest is locating forest species either on the forest floor or

In the giant trees. We have good chances of locating Chocolate -backed and Dwarf kingfishers, Brown -eared and Yellow-crested Wood peckers, Apalis, Forest Robin, Red-capped Robin chat, Red-crested malimbe, Grey Long bill, -crowned Eremomela, Green-forest, we find colonies of yellow-backed Weaver.

Travel to Murchison falls where we drop into the rift valley with views of lake Albert and the Congo. The habitat changes and we may locate Brown snake eagle, White bellied Go way bird, Foxy Cisticola, Red-winged Grey Warbler and Brown -throated wattle-eye.

To day we cruise up the Victoria and Albert Nile towards Lake Albert a haven for water birds. We should record Goliath Heron, Long-toed lapwing, Senegal Thick-knee and Blue-breasted Bee eaters. Riverside banks and trees Northern Carmine and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters. Murchison, with its abundant bird and mammal life, is our afternoon safari.  Along the tracks we can see Crested and Heuglin´s Francolins, Black-bellied Bustards and Flappet Lark, Whilst the taller trees attract Striped Kingfisher, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Bronze tailed starling and Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red -necked-Falcons and parties of wandering Abyssinian Ground Horn bills, Grey crowned cranes, Spotted mourning Thrus and Bar -breasted Fire finches

This morning you leave for Kampala with the option of Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to bird or do rhino tracking and finally to Entebbe International Airport for home flight