One of the participants on my #Epic_Uganda_Vacations safari in Uganda decided to come in a day early to look for the Shoebill Stork in the Mabamba Wetlands near the airport in Entebbe. Though I had already made my flight arrangements, on mature reflection (the only kind I am capable of at my age) I decided it was worth the money to change my flight to join her. It turned out to be a magical day. We saw, not one, but two Shoebill Storks, and many other interesting birds, both at the Mabamba Wetlands and at Entebbe Botanical Gardens. And we got our only good soaking of the trip. A storm came up as we were watching the first Shoebill and we huddled under a beach umbrella in the boat and tried to take photos through the rain. This bird mostly just stood and endured the wetting, but it became more active toward the end of our observation, stalking slowly forward and obviously intent on something below water level. If you look closely you can see the rain in the air. 🙂 Shoebills are solitary, except during their mating season, which only comes around once in 5 years. That, and habitat reduction, accounts for their small numbers and isolated distribution. We did see a third Shoebill on the trip…an isolated individual in the Delta of the Victoria and Albert Niles in Murchinson Falls National Park…and that is a high count for any trip to Uganda. Sony Rx10iv at 1200mm equivalent (2x Clear Image Zoom). This is stretching the limits of what the camera can do…using digital enhancement in low light for distant shots…but it was the only way to get the image. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

A few more shots from our visit to the Riwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda. First, to give you some perspective, some of our group (plus a random tourist who was also assigned to our guide) with the guide. The Rhinos are under the shade of the bushes on the left. Second frame is the male Rhino on the move. The third is the view of a Rhino you do not want to have, though I was still too far away for the Rhino, with its near-sighted, grazing adapted vision, to be aware of me. And finally, one of the Rhino calves nursing. Again, Rhino Trekking is a unique experience, and one not to be missed when you visit Uganda. Sony RX10iv at various focal lengths. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in polarr.

I am back from 14 days in Uganda with Epic Uganda Vacations. 5 of us did a tour of the major National Parks and Refuges. You will be seeing a lot more and I will have much to say about the adventure…with was excellent. This shot is from our trip from Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park. We stopped for lunch at the Ziwa Rhino Santuary. Rhinos were hunted to extinction in the 1970s in Uganda for their horns, but efforts are underway to reestablish them in Ugandan Parks. The Ziwa Sancturay is a breeding project. They imported 3 White Rhinos from Kenya and 2 from a zoo in Florida. They now have 29 Rhinos on the refuge. When they reach 40 they will begin to introduce them into one of the National Parks, and continue until they are represented where ever they historically roamed. At Ziwa we had a unique opportunity to walk out and see Rhinos on foot, at close distances. These Rhino Treks help support the conservation work of the Sanctuary. While most tourists at Ziwa typically see 2 Rhinos resting in the shade of trees, we saw 6, and several up and moving. This is a mother and her calf moving from one shade tree to another. This is about the moment the ranger took my arm to remind me to move back 🙂 The “white” in White Rhino is not a color but a corruption of the Afrikaner word for “wide” and refers to the width of the mouth. The White Rino is a grazer, eating low grasses, while the ”Black” (beaked) Rhino is a forager, eating leaves from bushes and trees, and has a much narrower mouth. I am not aware of any other facility that provides this kind of experience…and it is an experience…seeing wild Rhinos up close on foot. It is just one of many unique aspects of a Ugandan Safari.