Monthly Archives: September 2022
Dog edition: Black-backed Jackal
We were still on our way to the lodge in Murchinson Falls National Park when we spotted a Black-backed Jackal crossing the road behind us. It was in and out of deep grass and hard to photograph, but not much further on we stopped for antilope and found what was probably its mate enjoying the late day sun in the grass much nearer the road. These are of course, from the northern, East African population of Jackals, far removed from the South African population that hunts similar savannahs. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (the first shot considerably enlarged in post processing). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 and 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1.3EV.
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Blue-breasted Kingfisher: Royal Mile, Bodongo Forest, Uganda, August 2022 — I posted one photo of this Kingfisher…my second life Kingfisher from our visit to the Royal Mile (see a few posts back for more info on the Royal Mile) in Uganda’s Bodongo Forest adjoining Murchinson Falls National Park, but it deserves a couple more shots 🙂 We had given up and were turning back on the Royal Mile when our guide’s head snapped around and he said “Kingfisher.” I was still hoping for the Chocolate-backed (a Royal Mile speciality), and was totally surprised to see the Blue-breasted…a bird that was not even on my radar for the Royal Mile. What a bird! What a Kingfisher!. Again with the poor light under the dense canopy, but still 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Nominal exposure: ISO 6400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV.
Antelope edition: Ugandan Kob
Ugandan Kob: Murchinson Falls National Park, Uganda — As far as antipopes go, the Impala, by sheer numbers and its wide distribution, could be said to rule the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. Except in Uganda, where the very closely related, but separate species, the Uganda Kob replaces them over much of the country. The Kob has very similar horns, much the same life-style and habits…but lacks the distinctive M on the butt. It is also, to my eye, a very slightly more “chunky” version of the Impala, with less of the elegance, and more of the sturdiness. This early morning shot captures some of the “peacefulness” of a herd of Kob grazing the lush savannah of Murchinson Falls National Park. Sony Rx10iv at 477mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 ! 1/640th.
African Dwarf Kingfisher
African Dwarf Kingfisher: Royal Mile, Bodongo Forest, Uganda — If I thought the African Pygmy Kingfisher was small (and I did), the African Dwarf Kingfisher is absolutely tiny! In fact, according to some references, the African Dwarf is the smallest Kingfisher in the world. On average it is just under 4 inches long, half an inch shorter than the average for the African Pygmy Kingfisher. It also lacks the blue cap and has that back bar across the forehead. Though eBird shows sightings on the Royal Mile, the Birds of East Africa only shows a range spot around Entebbe and a band along the south-western border of the country. It is a more common bird in the rainforests of West Africa, though it is not common or easily seen anywhere, especially as it sticks to low vegitaion deep under the canopy…often far from any watercourse.. So, all in all, it was a surprise to see it on the Royal Mile, only a few hundred yards down the road from the Pygmy. With the low light under the canopy and the diminutive size of the bird, I had to work my way cautiously closer to get any photos at all. And again, special processing was required even with multi-frame noise reduction engaged. The Dwarf was a life bird for me, one of two life Kingfishers I picked up on the Royal Mile (again, look back two posts for more information on the Royal Mile). Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Nominal exposure: ISO 6400 @ f4 @ 1/160th and 1/125th. Plus .3 EV.
Ugandan Primate special: Red-tailed Monkey
This Red-tailed (White-nosed Black-faced Monkey) observed us passing along the Royal Mile in Bodongo Forest next to Murchinson 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 1250 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .7EV.
African Pygmy Kingfisher
African Pygmy Kingfisher: The Royal Mile, Bonyoro, Uganda, August 2022 — One of my hopes for our visit to the Royal Mile (and if you did not read my post yesterday, you should check it out for more information on the Royal Mile) was Kingfishers! The Mile is famous among birders, among other things, for the frequency of sightings of the rarer Ugandan and African Kingfishers, including the Chocolate-backed…which is a bird I really want to see. You can probably guess from the tense in that sentence that I did not see it this trip…but I did get good looks a Kingfisher I had only glimpsed by chance in 2019, and added two new Kingfishers to my African Kingfisher list…and that despite the fact that the light remained poor all morning under the dense and very high canopy of the Bodongo forest. This is an African Pygmy Kingfisher…not all that rare a bird…but one I had only seen for a moment when no one else was looking (but managed a photo of) in the Botanical Gardens of Entebbe on my first Ugandan adventure. I was still delighted to see one sitting in the open along the Royal Mile. There were other Kingfishers calling there…both the Chocolate-backed and the Blue-breasted…but we had to settle for visuals of the Pygmy. Settle! 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. It was very dark, as I mentioned, so even with multi-frame noise reduction engaged the nominal exposures were at ISO 6400 @ f4 @ 1/200th and 1/160th. Plus .3EV. And I still had to use Pixelmator’s AI noise reduction to get acceptable images.
Widowbirds of Budongo
Red-collared and Yellow-mantled Widowbirds: Bodongo Forest, Uganda, August 2022 — In the 1950s the king of Bonyoro in Uganda was exiled to Scotland, and while there he saw the famous Royal Mile in Edinburg. When he returned home he had a similar road constructed through the Bodongo forest between his place and the parliament of the kingdom, which he had built along the lines of the Scottish building. The Bodongo Royal Mile is now one of the most famous birding destinations in the world…known for regular sightings of a number of rare East African specialties. We set aside a morning to bird it, but you really need a couple of days there to improve the odds of seeing the birds you want. Worse, the forest was socked in under low clouds when we arrived and our local guide, hired for the excursion, advised us to spend a few hours in the fields of the community at the edge of the forest until the light improved. My companions, all on their first trips to Uganda (and two of them on their first trip to Africa) were just happy to be seeing new birds, but it was a struggle getting good photos in the brush at the edges of the cultivation. The panel above shows two shots of the Re-collared Widowbird and two shots of the Yellow-mantled Widowbird. Both are somewhat variable by region. Apparently the Red-collared shows very little red and the Yellow-mantled shows a lot of yellow in the kingdom of Bonyoro. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (cropped and enlarged to 1200mm at the least). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos.
Bonus: Giraffe in the late sun
On our way to Murchinson Falls National Park, on our third full day in Uganda, we drove to the top of Murchinson Falls on the Nile for the view, and then crossed the new bridge over the river on our way to our lodge for the night. That put us in the park in the soft light of late afternoon/early evening, as the wildlife was settling and taking care of last chores for the day. This was our first giraffe of the trip. Sony Rx10iv at 371mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
African Green Pigeon
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.
Grey Crowned Crane
Grey Crowned Crane: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda, August 2022 — The Grey Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda and features on the Ugandan flag. It is a striking bird by any standard. I find it interesting that the brightest colors, the white and red on the face and neck, are actually bare skin. We were losing the light to an oncoming storm when these photos were taken, but the colors are still brilliant. Though it is resident over much of sub-sahara Africa, the Grey Crowned Crane was recently listed as “endangered” due primarily to habitat loss. Sony Rx10iv at 340, 354, 534mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 5000 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus 1ev exposure compensation.