2 Days Birding - UWEC, Entebbe Botanical Gardens and Mabamba Swamp
ITINERARY -2 DAYS BIRDING ADVENTURE IN UGANDA
Day 1:Birding in Entebbe
Whie EgretToday morning after breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and transfer you to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) for birding. With over 170 species of birds, UWEC has rescued these birds from poachers, kidnappers and has even taken up a few orphaned birds. These include 7 species of weavers: the rare Northern Masked and Orange Weavers, Kingfishers, Sunbirds, parrots, African fish eagle, ostrich, crested crane and many others. After lunch go experience superb Ugandan bird species in Entebbe Botanical Gardens. Over 150 bird species are resident here in the remnant patch of rain forest, trees, gardens and the nearby shores of Lake Victoria. The rocky headland makes an ideal observation point for pair of Verreaux’s eagle owls, orange tufted and red chested Sunbirds; orange weaver, with slender-billed, Northern Brown – throated, yellow backed, Jackson’s Golden backed, Black-headed and Vieillot’s black weavers. The lake shores are habitat to long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco and black-headed herons; hamerkop, African Open-billed Stork, yellow billed duck, Grey headed gull, various terns, giant and pied Kingfishers, swamp Flycatcher, Pratincoles. Black headed Gonolek and Red- chested Sunbird occur in the dense scrub covering the headland. Great Blue and Ross’s turacos, Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoos, Woodland Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Black and white casqued horn bill and splendid starling are resident in the small rain forest. In the gardens you should find two highly vocal and conspicuous species; the African Fish eagle and eastern Grey Plantain-eater, the latter constantly uttering their strange, chimp-like calls. Watch out for Hadada Ibis , palm nut and Hooded Vultures, Shikra, Lizard buzzard , Long-crested eagle , Grey kestrel, Black Crake, Blue-cheeked Bee eater, Angola swallow, winding and red faced cisticolas, Grey capped warbler, common wattle-eye and Green throated and scarlet-chested Sunbirds. Return for dinner and overnight stay at your lodge/Hotel in Kampala/Entebbe.
Day 2: Transfer to Mabamba Swamp
Early morning after breakfast, transfer to Mabamba Swamp. This wetland is one of the most spectacular bird watching sites in Uganda. Take a canoe ride for better bird viewing. Spot the rare shoebill and other birds like the Papyrus Gonolek, White Shouldered Tit, Red Cap, Western Banded Snake Eagle, White Winged Warbler, White Spotted Fluff tail and Weyns’ Weaver. Other resident bird species include: the Allen’s and Purple Gallinule, Grey herons, Jacanas, Ruffaus’ Bellied Heron, Squacco, Purple and Goliath Heron, the globally threatened Pallid Harrier. Migrant waders from Europe include the Blue Swallow egrets; ducks etc. have lunch on site ending your birding adventure in the evening. Transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe reaching in time for dinner and Overnight stay at your lodge/Hotel.
END OF THE SAFARI
