Black-bellied Bustard: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Probably the most common Bustard in Uganda and in East Africa, and certainly the most widely distributed, this Black-bellied Bustard was along the road before we entered the park and the game drives. It was had to catch through the tall dry grasses, but I managed at least this one good shot. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Papyrus Gonolek: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Two mediocre shots of a great bird! We stopped at the Kazinga Channel on our way to the morning game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park to see if we could scare up a Papyrus Gonolek…the field guide says “locally common but shy and difficult to observe” and this was already our third try, in likely stands of papyrus along our way, for this elusive bird. The light was terrible and the bird, though we saw it moving through the reeds for 10 minutes or more…only gave us glimpses. Best I could do! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Senegal Lapwing: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — This is a bird that I would not be able to identify from the illustrations in the Field Guide to East African Birds. The paintings there only remotely resemble the bird in the photo. Fortunately there are quite a few photos on-line that do look like this bird…including a remarkably similar photo on the eBird page. So I am confident that this is, in fact, a Senegal Lapwing. It is common in dry grasslands along the west coast of Africa, in East Africa, and south down to the very north east corner of South Africa. But not, according to the eBird range map, in Senegal???? Strange. Sony Rx10iv at 526mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Ring-neck and Laughing Doves: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — The subtle colors of most doves have an attraction all their own. We saw these two species within a short distance along one of the game drives in the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Both are common in almost any habitat below 6000 feet, and occasional up to 9000. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm and 500mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Flappet Lark: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — The Flappet Lark gets its name from the clapping, or flapping sound the male makes with its wings during its energetic display flight in breeding season. Out of breeding season it spends most of its time on the ground foraging…only occasionally getting up higher to sing, and presumably to have a good look around. We caught this one on the cactus bush along one of the game drives in the northern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. There are 15 recognized sub-species of this little bird, and two of them occur in Uganda, split between a northern sub-species, Abyssinian, and a western sub-species, Rwenzori. Sony Rx10iv at 567mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/800th.

Red-throated Spurfowl: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — A common bird of the grasslands of Uganda, and and grassland in Africa south of the Sahara, the Red-throated Spurfowl is a handsome bird, even with its head on backwards 🙂 Note the wicked looking spur from which it gets its family name. It is also sometimes known as the Red-throated Francolin, though in general terms the Francolins and Spurfowls have very different looks and behaviours…and this is certainly a typical spurfowl. Sony Rx10iv at 525 and 580mm equivalents. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photos and Apple Photos. ISO 160 and 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

African Wattled Lapwing: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — For a photographer (or at least for this photographer) it just does not get any better than this. An interesting bird, right beside the Land Cruiser in great light. ! Oh, I could nit-pick and say I might have preferred an eye-level view…but honestly this is just fine 🙂 The African Wattled Lapwing is a very common plover all through East Africa and beyond…sometimes even seen on lawns and golf-courses. Still a very special bird to me. Sony Rx10iv at 320mm equivalent (this bird was really close). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Yellow-throated Longclaw: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — It was very hot by the time we finished our boat tour on the Kazinga Channel, but with only parts of two days in Queen Elizabeth, we pretty much had to get out on a game drive. We were rewarded with several interesting sightings, including these Yellow-throated Longclaws. I defy anyone from North American not to think Meadowlark when you see this bird for the first time. 🙂 But, it is actually a pipit. Go figure. They love to sign from the tops of the bushes and hunt in the grass. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Bush; ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/1000th, grass: ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.