Posts in Category: Uganda
Little Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — We saw 8 of the 12 possible species of Bee-eaters in Uganda…most of the ones we missed have restricted ranges that we did not visit (mostly North-west Uganda), or are seasonal migrants that are only in Uganda during a different season. So not bad at all. And I always like seeing Bee-eaters. They are so bright and somehow so alive! We did eventually see Little Bee-eater at closer distances…but this was our first encounter in the brushy savannah of Murchison Falls National Park. 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.
Wildlife edition: Rothschild’s or Nubian Giraffe (or Northern?)
Rothschild’s (or Nubian) Giraffe, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Or Northern Giraffe, or just plain Giraffe. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature only currently recognizes one species of Giraffe, though there have been numerous (and conflicting) genetic studies over the past 10 years that indicate that there are at least 3, possibly 4 (just maybe up to 9) different species of Giraffe. The Nubian and Rothschild’s were considered sub-species of Northern Giraffe under the 3 species scheme, but are now suspected to be the regional variations of the same species. At any rate, all the Giraffes in Uganda are (or were) Rothschild’s (if they are not really Nubian) and definitely Northern Giraffes. Confused much? Wherever the ball comes down in the Giraffe species roulette, the Ugandan Giraffe is a beautiful animal…with a boldly marked hide, pale legs, massive shoulders and a long neck. They browse the tops of Acacia trees, giving the trees their characteristic flat tops, and taking only the tender new leaves…stripping them off the thorny branches with nimble lips and an agile tongue. They are big animals…not only tall, but massive, with powerful legs. They do indeed stand tall in the savannahs of Uganda. Sony Rx10iv at 412mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ 4 @ 1/500th.
White-browed Coucal
White-browed Coucal: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — One of the more common birds of the brushy savannas and open grassy groves of Uganda, the White-browed Coucal is a cuckoo, often seen clinging on at the top of a bush or walking on the ground hunting for insects and small toads and lizards. I like the patterns in the plumage of the adults and the interesting poses it gets itself into. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 and 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Primate edition: Patas Monkey
Another road-side attraction from Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. Patas Monkeys appear to be the most common primate at Murchison. We saw our first one before we got to the lodge on the first day of our visit, and several on our game drives over the nest days. This one was, as you can see, right beside the road. It looked to be a solitary male, as it did not have a troop of females and young with it. I have to admit that on more than one occasion I almost called out Lion! when I saw a Patas moving on all fours through the tall savannah grasses. It has very much that look about it and it moves in a similar, stalking, way. 🙂 Still I was almost as happy to see another Patas as I would have been to see a lion…almost. Sony Rx10iv at 111mm equivalent (that close!). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/320th.
Helmeted Guineafowl
Helmeted Guineafowl: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — There are three possible Guineafowl in East Africa, and two in Uganda, but I have only ever seen the Helmeted…which is the most widespread and common. You see them frequently by the roadside (and in the road) at Murchison Falls National Park and at both Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo…generally in small groups of up to half a dozen birds. I had to zoom back and lean out over the open top of the Land Cruiser to get this shot. The bird was that close. Sony Rx10iv at 247mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th. (Actually, it is hard for me to think of Guineafowl as “wild” birds as I grew up with Guineafowl running around the yard in Upstate New York. My Grandfather raised a number of “exotic” birds…we had a peacock and various fancy chickens and ducks as well.)
African Buffalo
African Buffalo: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — I always want to call this animal, wherever I see it in Africa, a Water Buffalo, but, of course it is not. You do see Water Buffalo in Africa, as domestic cattle along the upper Nile, but the Buffalo of the savannahs is the African Buffalo…most often the larger sub-species sometimes called the Cape Buffalo (there is a slightly smaller and less common subspecies called the Forest Buffalo, which I have probably seen in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, but the difference are small and hard to be sure of). African Buffalo are notoriously mean-tempered…but that is probably not fair to the Buffalo…they do not see well at a distance and respond unpredictably to threats when detected…so they have to be approached cautiously…and preferably, not at all. Left to themselves they are relatively placid animals, fond of wallowing in mud-holes and grazing. Sony Rx10iv at 184mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/400th.
Palm-nut Vulture
Palm-nut Vulture: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — The Palm-nut Vulture is exactly what the name says. It is, oddly enough, a vulture that feeds primarily on palm nuts…both Oil and Raffia, and its range in sub-Sahara Africa closely matches the range of those trees. It does occasionally feed on fish (crabs, reptile eggs, smaller reptiles, etc.) and it is listed in the field guides as a “fish-eating raptor,” and is most often seen near water. The black and white adults, with their huge yellow beak and red eye-patch, are unmistakable. The immatures are plain brown, developing more white plumage as they age, but they have the bare patch around the eye and, of course, that big beak.
Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Adult: ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th. Immatures: ISO 100 @ f4 and 6.3 @ 1/1000th.
Antelope edition: Oribi
Oribi are small, graceful antelope, and are very common in the tall grass savannah of Murchison Falls National Park…apparently less common elsewhere in Uganda. The females and young can be seen at the edges of grazing herds of Uganda Kob, or off by themselves. The males seem to be more secretive, at least in my experience. I have only seen males twice in Uganda. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 and 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
White-faced Whistling Duck
White-faced Whistling Duck: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — These White-faced Whistling Ducks were in the same little puddle-pond/water-hole with the Crake from yesterday, along the road into Pakuba Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park. A look at the range map tells me that the White-faced Whistling Duck has perhaps one of the widest distributions in East Africa and Uganda, and can be seen just about anywhere there is appropriate habitat. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Antelope edition: Jackson’s Hartebeest
In Uganda they call this the Jackson’s Hartebeest…but a little research this morning indicates that the Jackson’s Hartebeest is considered to be a cross between the Lewel’s and Coke’s subspecies…and in Uganda, at least at Murchison Falls National Park where we saw this one, is most probably identical to the Lewel’s…it is certainly counted as Lewel’s for conservation status purposes. On the other hand, other websites and local guides seem confident that this is the Jackson’s ??? Whatever it is, it is a handsome beast, closely related to the Wildebeest. The name, apparently, means “tough ox”… Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.