NikonGear'23

Travelogues => Travel Diaries => Topic started by: chris dees on October 23, 2017, 13:11:00

Title: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 23, 2017, 13:11:00
Last month we (4 persons) did a roundtrip in Uganda. This trip was already a long time high on my bucket list and this year it was my turn to choose. I'm glad the others could agree with my choice. ;D
We flew from Amsterdam via Kigali to Entebbe and arrived after midnight in our lodge.
The next morgen we had to get up early for our first tour. At 7:30 we left for a swamp-tour in the Mabamba Swamps west of Entebbe.
Our first goal was to find the Shoebill Stork, a prehistoric looking large (up to 1m 40cm and 6.5kg) bird. There're only between 5,000 and 8,000 birds left.
Although not many left we spotted 3 of them during our trip and this one was pretty close.
All with D500 + 200-500
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Thomas Stellwag on October 23, 2017, 14:15:46
what a unique animal - never heared of it
thx a lot for showing
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Jakov Minić on October 23, 2017, 15:16:21
you have overexposed this exotic bird to our community, thanks :)
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Frank Fremerey on October 23, 2017, 16:08:14
ein Schuhschnabel in German. We have one of these featured in a popular children's book
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Olivier on October 23, 2017, 16:22:20
They have wonderful feathers, I like the white rim, so elegant!
I had never heard of them either, thanks for showing them so nicely. The first image is close to perfect for me.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Frank Fremerey on October 23, 2017, 17:22:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-hvd0G9rFE
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Akira on October 23, 2017, 19:21:34
I've known about the shoebill stork, seen on TV, but never seen any images captured it in the wild.

Thanks for sharing, Chris, and hope you would share more from the trip!
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Erik Lund on October 24, 2017, 12:09:29
Indeed it looks prehistoric ;) Very well captured! Please show more from the trip ;)
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 24, 2017, 14:00:28
Thanks for the comments.
That bird is so ugly it looks beautiful again. :D

Spotted of course a lot of other birds.
Common Sandpiper, Black-headed, Lapwing, Malachite Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Bee-eater
The last two are 100% crops.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 24, 2017, 14:29:00
This one was at a small fountain at our lodge.
Brown Weaver (not 100% sure) and Yellow-vented Bulbul
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: armando_m on October 24, 2017, 21:58:27
Impressive images of the shoebill stork
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: golunvolo on October 24, 2017, 22:07:07
Great work. The connection in the first one is impressive. I enjoy the whole series.

Your birds look happy too. :D
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Erik Lund on October 25, 2017, 11:20:06
Very clean crisp images, funny Bird Spa image ;)
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Jakov Minić on October 25, 2017, 17:47:33
Chris, the bird watcher, really nice 2nd set of images, esecially the bathing one :)
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Ann on October 25, 2017, 20:13:34
You found Shoebills !!

How special was that?!

And you got a beautiful photograph of the Malachite Kingfisher — it's not easy to get close enough and to get an uncluttered view of those shy little birds.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 26, 2017, 17:47:18
Chris, the bird watcher, really nice 2nd set of images, esecially the bathing one :)

There're over 1000 different species of birds, so it's a birders Walhalla.
There're a more to come. ;D
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 26, 2017, 17:49:32
You found Shoebills !!

How special was that?!

And you got a beautiful photograph of the Malachite Kingfisher — it's not easy to get close enough and to get an uncluttered view of those shy little birds.

Shoebills are not that difficult to spot in Uganda, but it's still very impressive.
I saw quite a lot of Malachite Kingfisher (dozens) and other Kingfishers as well.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 26, 2017, 17:55:10
The next morning was an even more earlier start (5:30) as we had to drive 11 hours to the Kidepo Valley NP in the North of Uganda near the border of Sudan.
We crossed the White Nile (from Lake Albert to Lake Victoria.
A long the road there were lot's of small villages.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Frank Fremerey on October 27, 2017, 11:13:50
This one was at a small fountain at our lodge.
Brown Weaver (not 100% sure) and Yellow-vented Bulbul

Lovely bathing scene!
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: chris dees on October 29, 2017, 19:43:58
Our first game-drive at the Kidepo Valley NP.

Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Thomas G on October 29, 2017, 20:14:27
Chris, keep'm coming. Like the opener shots. Following with interest.
Title: Re: Uganda 2017
Post by: Akira on October 30, 2017, 01:58:41
Chris, anything you decide to show here looks enjoyable.  I'm interested in the "street" scenes, and remembered that Richard Bona, now pretty famous bass player from Cameroon, had told me that he used the break wire from bicycle as the strings for his guitar.  :)