13th & 14th July - the Gorilla trek and Bwindi
Breakfast was taken at the unearthly hour of 5:30 as we had a 1 hr 20 mins drive to get to the Gorilla centre where we had the pre-booked permits. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the Ugandan part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which straddles the Albertine Rift between Uganda and DC Congo, and has an area of some 331 sq km [128 sq miles]. The area contains c.400 Mountain Gorillas, about half the world population. The Ugandan area has four areas where habituated groups of Gorillas can be visited. These are tracked daily by trained trackers, so that their locations are known – they wander quite widely in search of food. The trackers have to be admired for this daily trek, a single one of which nearly finished some of us! After some formalities including a fairly lengthy but important briefing we were allocated our guide and guard [the latter walks ahead armed with a gun to scare off for example any aggressive elephants or other animals that maybe encountered]. We drove to our start point and then the trek began in earnest. The area is heavily forested and has deep ravines and steep ridges – Anne & myself had brought our walking poles which we found invaluable. Fortunately each individual had their own porter to carry their rucksacks and camera equipment and at least part of the 2 litres of water each we were required to take. After about 2 hours our guide received info that the trackers had found ‘our’ troupe. To reach them involved our leader hacking through pretty dense [indeed Impenetrable!] undergrowth to provide us with a path, but we got there, and then had a wonderful hour with these magnificent animals. There was a very large silverback male, and a younger male just developing his silver back, a mother and very young baby and other immature animals numbering about 10 in total. Photography was pretty difficult as the ground was quite steep and covered with slippery vines, and the vegetation quite thick. The trackers were very helpful, cutting away annoying branches where possible to give a better view. The animals seemed unperturbed, except when a tracker next to me tried to pull aside some branches for a better view of the young silverback, who decided enough was enough [especially as the mum & baby was nearby] and charged towards us! Pretty intimidating but the tracker batted him on the wrist with the flat of his machete blade [yes he got that close] and he skulked off and sulked for the rest of the time under a bush. In the commotion the tracker had stepped back and bumped into Anne who unceremoniously fell into the undergrowth! All too soon and our hour was over. The trek back to the main track was epic. The last section was all up a steep narrow track for around 1 1/2 hours or more, in heat and humidity. All 2 litres of water were consumed and we were totally exhausted when finally reaching the road track, after many stops for breath, but what an experience, never to be forgotten. Birding was virtually impossible mainly due to exhaustion and trying to keep up, but we at least did see African Olive Pigeon and Waller’s Starling. Back at the centre we each got a certificate to show that we had done the trek, and we ate our now quite late picnic lunch in the shelter there. The only other new bird during the drive back to the lodge, was an African Wood Owl which our guide knew was roosting in a tree by a small settlement. Needless to say it was good to relax back at the lodge, and after dinner, which the cook made special by flambé-ing a selection of self selected meats and other items, we did the checklist, and then it was time to pack in preparation for tomorrow’s transfer to Lake Mburo National Park.
14th July
We had breakfast at 6:30 and Herbert decided to take us back to the Gorilla centre so we could bird around there and then make our way to the route to Mburo from the other side of the forest. Basically we parked the bus up at the centre and then birded along the rack from there before walking back to the centre to pick up the bus again. Basically we saw many of the birds we had seen on 12th but Stripe-breasted Tit was another Albertine endemic for the list, and whilst I was taking a bush pee, an amazingly coloured Sunbird came and perched near me. I described it to Herbert and it was a male Regal Sunbird, another area endemic. Fortunately we had excellent views of another obliging male back at the centre, feeding on flowering shrubs there. In the trees viewable from the track we had a group of 4 Guereza Colobus [Black & White Colobus western race], resting in a tree, and then distant views of a large white Carruther’s Mountain Squirrel. A delightful L'Hoest's Monkey was quite confiding. A Grey Cuckooshrike was a new bird, as was Chestnut-throated Apalis, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, and Thick-billed Seedeater. We also picked up Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Augur Buzzard and Golden-breasted Bunting. Time marched on so after our enjoyment of the Regal Sunbird back near the bus we set off for the long journey to our lodge at Rwakobo Rock in Lake Mburo NP.
We continued through very hilly, forested countryside for some while, then descended into contrasting agricultural land. A picnic was had en route and we stopped at Kabale, the chief town of Uganda’s Western Region, for a comfort stop and coffee. Another comfort stop was made at Mbarara, another sizeable town. We then pressed on and eventually entered Lake Mburo NP and made our way to the delightful Rwakobo Rock lodge, which has a wonderful setting high on a rocky outcrop with stunning views across the savannah below. It was dusk as we arrived and whilst unloading the bus, we were entertained by a number of incredible Pennant-winged Nightjars flying around above the parking area. We vowed to watch them properly the following evening. Like the other lodges there were individual thatched cottages spread well apart, with meals etc being taken in a central dining area. Whilst unpacking Anne discovered she was missing her bumbag, which contained passport, all our money, credit cards etc! She thought she’d possibly left it on the back of a chair at the Kabale or possibly the Mbarara stops. Mad panic – Abia called Herbert to check the bus – no luck. Phone calls to emergency bank number wouldn’t connect – calls home to daughters etc. Not much sleep was had that night! Dinner was excellent tho’.
We had breakfast at 6:30 and Herbert decided to take us back to the Gorilla centre so we could bird around there and then make our way to the route to Mburo from the other side of the forest. Basically we parked the bus up at the centre and then birded along the rack from there before walking back to the centre to pick up the bus again. Basically we saw many of the birds we had seen on 12th but Stripe-breasted Tit was another Albertine endemic for the list, and whilst I was taking a bush pee, an amazingly coloured Sunbird came and perched near me. I described it to Herbert and it was a male Regal Sunbird, another area endemic. Fortunately we had excellent views of another obliging male back at the centre, feeding on flowering shrubs there. In the trees viewable from the track we had a group of 4 Guereza Colobus [Black & White Colobus western race], resting in a tree, and then distant views of a large white Carruther’s Mountain Squirrel. A delightful L'Hoest's Monkey was quite confiding. A Grey Cuckooshrike was a new bird, as was Chestnut-throated Apalis, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, and Thick-billed Seedeater. We also picked up Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Augur Buzzard and Golden-breasted Bunting. Time marched on so after our enjoyment of the Regal Sunbird back near the bus we set off for the long journey to our lodge at Rwakobo Rock in Lake Mburo NP.
We continued through very hilly, forested countryside for some while, then descended into contrasting agricultural land. A picnic was had en route and we stopped at Kabale, the chief town of Uganda’s Western Region, for a comfort stop and coffee. Another comfort stop was made at Mbarara, another sizeable town. We then pressed on and eventually entered Lake Mburo NP and made our way to the delightful Rwakobo Rock lodge, which has a wonderful setting high on a rocky outcrop with stunning views across the savannah below. It was dusk as we arrived and whilst unloading the bus, we were entertained by a number of incredible Pennant-winged Nightjars flying around above the parking area. We vowed to watch them properly the following evening. Like the other lodges there were individual thatched cottages spread well apart, with meals etc being taken in a central dining area. Whilst unpacking Anne discovered she was missing her bumbag, which contained passport, all our money, credit cards etc! She thought she’d possibly left it on the back of a chair at the Kabale or possibly the Mbarara stops. Mad panic – Abia called Herbert to check the bus – no luck. Phone calls to emergency bank number wouldn’t connect – calls home to daughters etc. Not much sleep was had that night! Dinner was excellent tho’.