Posts in Category: Queen Elizabeth National Park
African Fish Eagle
There is perhaps no bird more emblematic of Africa than the African Fish Eagle. It ranges over the whole continent south of the Sahara, and is common wherever there is enough water for fish. I have seen and photographed it in Greater Kruger National Park along the Olifants River in South Africa, on snags in the rift valley lakes in Kenya, in the marshes along the shores of Lake Victoria and on the banks of the Nile River and Kazinga Channel in Uganda. It is not threatened, endangered, or even rare, but it is worth a look at every encounter. And it’s call is familiar from hundreds of African film soundtracks. These shots are from our small tour boat on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Take a look at the talons on this bird…fish hooks indeed! Sony Rx10iv at 1200mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Kingfishers on the Kazinga Channel
Besides Hippopotamuses, a boat also provides one of the best opportunities to get close to Kingfishers. These three species were along the Kazinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edmond in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda…all taken from our small tour boat. We have the Malachite Kingfisher, which we saw several times on our trip, the Grey-headed Kingfisher which we saw here and, surprisingly, deep in the dry brush of Murchinson Falls National Park, and the Pied Kingfisher, which we saw just about wherever there was water. Sony Rx10iv at 600-1200mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. #Epic_Uganda_Vacations.
Hippopotamus at eyelevel
As I have said before, the only safe way to get close to a Hippopotamus is in a boat…and the most dramatic views are from a small boat, where you are close to the waterline. On our boat tour of the Kasinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edward in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, we had a smallish launch, maybe 14 foot, and were close to the waterline indeed, and eye to eye with the Hippos we encountered. The Hippos in the channel are used to people in boats, some smaller even than ours, and, though certainly aware of us, went about their business pretty much undisturbed. This shot is at 600mm equivalent. Sony Rx10iv in Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Brown-throated Wattle-eye
We got to Irungu Forest Lodge, where we planned to have our first lunch in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Western Uganda before the noon cook fires were even lit…so we had a good 90 minutes to explore the little thicket between the cabins and around the water tank. Irungu is only a few moments from the boat ramp where we would take our afternoon tour on the Kasinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. It turned out to be a rewarding 90 minutes as the small area was rich in birds. This is the Brown-throated Wattle-eye. It is actually 2 shots of the same female and one shot of an immature. The male would have a white throat with a black chest band. Birds of East Africa says it is a common bird across its range, but Irungu is the only place we saw one on our #Epic_Uganda_Vacations Bird and Wildlife Tour. Certainly a strikingly unique bird. Sony Rx10iv at 600 to 1200mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.