We had a Sunday afternoon in Mpanga Forest recently.
We drove through a thunderstorm to get there and there was still nearby - rumbling as we set off on the trail. It gradually moved away however and we had a good 3 hour walk. I don’t think we saw a bird for the first hour (but plenty of butterflies) then the activity slowly picked up and we eventually recorded 21 species. The lowlight was African Emerald Cuckoos calling in several locations. I’ve heard these in Minziro Forest and Arusha National Park in Tanzania and now Mpanga Forest but I still haven’t seen one. The highlight was a pair of Fire-crested Alethe - a small robin-type bird that skulks in the dense undergrowth. Another highlight was meeting Herbert Byahurunga. Herbert is a birding legend here with his own tour company (Bird Uganda Safaris - www.birduganda.com). He is tireless in promoting Uganda to international birders and has been most active in developing the skills of women bird guides. He has visited the USA and Europe but was recently rejected for a visa for Australia.
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| Fire-crested Alethe |
Some of my recent bird photos are on my Flickr account at:
All taken at the two School for Life campuses.
Finally - at SFL Mbazi Riverside yesterday I managed to see one of the monkeys that live in the tiny remnant swamp forest patch the school owns. They are Grey-cheeked Mangabeys - normally a primary forest species. Apparently they are in Mpanga but we haven’t seen them there. Our school population is marooned on a tiny island! How can we ensure their continued survival?
Those red eyes are amazing!
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