Day 1: Arrival in Uganda
You arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will be met by a representative from Africa Uzuri Safaris who will transfer you to your booked accommodation in Entebbe. Early arrivals can be introduced to birding around Entebbe preferable in the Botanical Gardens which produces great results of birding with views of the Great Blue and Ross’s Turacos, Red Chested Klaas’ and Diederick Cuckoo. Others are Great Reed, Grey Capped, Greater Swamp, Fain Tailed Widow bird, Striped, Malachite, Giant, Woodland and Pygmy Kingfishers, Black Bishop, Grey Woodpecker, Olive bellied, Red chested, Green Throated and Collard Sunbirds, Orange, Yellow Backed, Golden Backed, Slender Billed and Black Headed Weavers, Lizard Buzzard, Grey Kestral, Black Kite, Gaber Goshawk, African Paradise and Red Bellied Paradise and Ashy fly catchers and many more.
Dinner and overnight stay at your booked accommodation within Entebbe.
Your guide will also join you at dinner and explain the plan of action for tomorrows’ assault on Mabamba Swamp in search of Shoebill.
Day 2: Birding Mabamba Swamp
Morning drive to Mabamba swamp for the Shoebill Stork and other water birds. Look out for many different birds on our way to the swamp, like the Papyrus Gonolek, White Winged Warbler and Weyns Weaver. This Swamp is one of the best places to spot the exceptional Shoebill Stork. Other water birds we should be on the lookout for are the Allen’s and Purple Gallinule, Grey, Purple, Rufous Bellied and Goliath herons, African and Lesser Jacanas, Squaco Herons, the Globally threatened Pallid Harrier and Blue Swallow. The migrant species will include a variety of egrets, ducks etc. The best way to enjoy the rich bird life is by canoe and you might be in luck and encounter the elusive Sitatunga Antelope, which is adapted to swamp habitats. Later drive to Lake Mburo. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 3: Birding Lake Mburo
After breakfast, head out on foot with an armed ranger. Your birding today will be coupled with mammal viewing. Look out for the Brown-chested Plover, a migratory specie from West Africa, the Red-faced Barbet which crosses over from Northern Tanzania. Here we shall have the chance to see the Zebra, Eland, Topis, Impalas and some other game. In the afternoon, you will continue your birding trip on a boat across the lake in search of the African Finfoot, Giant Kingfisher, White Backed Night Heron, Little Bittern, Black Crowned Night and Green Backed Heron, African Open Billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, Madagascar and common Sqacco Heron. Lake Mburo National Park is 260 sq. km and it has markedly different fauna from other reserves. It is the only park that contains an entire Lake. Situated in rolling hills and open grassy valleys, the park consists of 4 other small lakes. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 4: Transfer Mghahinga
Today, we transfer to Kisoro in south western Uganda for the birding experience in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is Uganda’s most scenic protected area. Dinner and overnight and your booked accommodation
Day 5: Birding Mgahinga
Today, we bird through a variety of montane habitats in search for the Rwenzori Turaco, Dwarf Honeygude, Kivu Ground Thrush, Rwenzori Double-collared, Regal and the Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Archers’ Robin Chat, cinnamon Bracken and Mountain Yellow Warblers, the Dusky and much sought after Shelley’s Crimson-wing along with many more.
Day 6: Birding to Ruhija
Today, we bird Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through bamboo in search for the Handsome Francolin, White-starred Robin, Mountain Illadopsis, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Augur Buzzard, Ayres’s and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, Red-throated Alethe, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Collard, Chestnut throated and Black-throated Apalis, Dusky and Shelley’s Crimson-wing, Dusky Tit, Stripe Breasted Tit, Red Faced Woodland Warbler and many other birds. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 7: Birding Mubwindi Swamp
This sector of Bwindi is at a higher altitude and therefore is cooler. Temperatures range between 10-18 degrees centigrade.
Specialty birds include the African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Purple-breasted, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Mountain Greenbul, Mountain Illadopsis, Chestnut-Grey-Buff-throated Collard, Mountain Masked-Black throated-Blue headed and Regal Sunbirds, Yellow-crowned Canary, African Wood-owl, Bronze-naped Pigeon, Shelly’s Crimson-wing, Oriole Finch and much more. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 8: Transfer to Buhoma
Birding Ruhija then transfer to Buhoma in search for Handsome Francolin, Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler and many other birds. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 9: Gorilla Tracking or Birding
Optional Gorilla tracking or birding the Buhoma area. Those that go birding expect to see the Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Pink Footed and Northern Puff Back, Red-tailed Honey Guide, Toro Olive, Cameroon Sombre, Slender Billed- Little Grey, Shelley’s Crimson-wing, Cabani’s-white-Throated and Yellow-wiskered Greenbuls, Elliots, Cardinals, Yellow Crested, Fine Banded woodpeckers, Red-throated Allethe, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Black-faced Woodland Warbler, White-headed Wood Hopoe, Wallers Stulmans and Narrow-tailed Starlings, Black Bee Eater, Banded and White Chinned Prinia, Northern Double Collard, Collard, Green, Green-headed Sunbirds, Bar-tailed Tragon, Kivu Ground Thrush, African Broad Bill, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher and a lot more. Return to your lodge for overnight stay and dinner.
Day 10: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today we depart early in the morning driving North West to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Bird through the Ishasha sector of the park on a drive that takes you through the savannah. Therefore, you will pick some savannah and woodland species. Mammals will include; African Buffalo, tree-climbing lions, African elephants and a number of antelope species. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 11: Birding Mweya Peninsular and Kazinga Channel
You start early for a game drive and birding the Mweya Peninsular and in the afternoon we take a boat on the Kazinga Channel. You will look out for the African Skimmer, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catchers, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Jacana, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Egyptian Goose, Papyrus Canary, Great White and pink-backed Pelicans, just to mention a few. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Day 12: Bird as you transfer to Kampala
We have breakfast and bird on our way to Kampala via Fort Portal. We might have several stops along the way for spotted birds. Your guide should then transfer you to Entebbe International Airport for your departure.
