African Green Pigeon: One of the more common and widespread birds of Africa, with a range that includes all but the driest areas south of the Sahara: from the Congo of West Africa, all of East Africa, and down the eastern edge of South Africa all the way to the Cape. It is easy to find in the woodlands, parks, and yards, pretty much wherever there are mature trees. On both trips to Uganda, I have seen it in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, and I saw it in both Kenya and South Africa when I visited there. Just a pigeon, you might say, but green and red and yellow, and uniquely African! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 and 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1.3EV exposure compensation.

Great Blue Turaco: Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Uganda, August 2022 — The Turacos, according to Wikipedia, are a uniquely African family of birds that includes the named Turacos, the Plantain-eaters, the Mousebirds, and the Go-Away-Birds of South Africa. The Great Blue is the largest by far. They are all weak flyers, but strong runners and climbers. The young of the family often have spurs on the wings to help them climb. (And, according to some authorities, they are best tasting of the wild birds of Africa. Amazing what you can find out on Wikipedia. 🙂 These were very far away and high in a huge tree along the shore of Lake Victoria at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens when we visited the second morning of our safari. Still, just close enough for an acceptable photo with my Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (with a little help from the Machine Learning Resolution tool in Pixelmator Photo.) Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 200 and 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1.3EV exposure compensation.

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird: Jet Dream Suites, Entebbe, Uganda — Our first morning in Uganda, along with the Black-headed Gonolek in the courtyard of our lodgings, there was this tiny, very noisy little bird bouncing around deep in the branches of the same tree. I managed a couple of shots, and Gordon, our birding specialist trainee guide for the trip, identified it as a Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. We were to see lots of Tinkerbirds during out trip around the southwestern sector of Uganda, but this was, as far as I can remember, the only Yellow-fronted. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent, Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1EV exposure compensation.

Black-headed Gonolek: Dreamjet Suites, Entebbe, Uganda, August 2022 — On our first night in Uganda we stayed at the Dreamjet Suites on the hill overlooking the lake, because there were no rooms at the Dreamjet Cottages, where we generally stay and it was only a few hours of rest after our long flights anyway. They had a postage stamp garden and I was greeted by this Black-headed Gonolek, certainly a treat on any morning, and a great welcome to the birds of Uganda. It is a cousins of the Bulbul, which is probably the most common and widely distributed of East African Birds, but, of course, much more colorful Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1 EV exposure compensation.

Ross’s Turaco: Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Entebbe, Uganda, August 2022 — There are several Turacos in East Africa and Uganda. The Ross’s is arguably among the most colorful. We found this one with a group of Great Blue Turacos at the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1.3EV.