Day 8: 3 Aug 2018 (Elizabeth NP – Buhoma)
We left the Pumba Safari Cottages early morning in search of the Papyrus Gonolek, eventually finding the bird in a small papyrus patch along the roadside.
We then drove to Buhoma via the Ishasha sector reaching the Community Rest Camp by evening where we continued birding along the forest edge till sunset. Overnight at Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Birding Highlights:
White-headed Barbet, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Marsh Tchagra, Northern Fiscal, Papyrus Gonolek, Slender-billed Weaver, Croaking Cisticola, Winding Cisticola, Purple-banded Sunbird, Olive Bee-eater, African Crake, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Tawny Eagle
Western Banded Snake-eagle, Sooty Chat, Long-toed Lapwing, Stout Cisticola, Speckled Mousebird, White-faced Whistling-duck, Pin-tailed Whydah, Diederik Cuckoo, Village Weaver, Rufous-necked Wryneck, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Little Weaver
Mammals: Guereza Colobus
Day 9: 4 Aug 2018 (Buhoma: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)
It was a festive atmosphere early morning with drum beats and excitement in the air as massive crowds waited for their turn to venture into the forest to see the Gorillas. However, we spent the day birding on a different trail system and managed to see most of the important birds of the forest except the Short-tailed Warbler that remained heard only. Overnight at Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Birding Highlights:
Lühder’s Bush-shrike, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Bar-tailed Trogon, Shining-blue Kingfisher, White-bellied Robin-chat
Speckled Tinkerbird, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Equatorial Akalat, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Red-capped Robin-chat, Black-faced Rufous-warbler, Green-throated Sunbird, Grey-throated Tit-flycatcher, Little Green Sunbird, Olive-green Camaroptera, Plain Greenbul, Short-tailed Warbler (H)
Mammals: L’Hoest’s Monkey, Black-fronted Duiker
Day 10: 5 Aug 2018 (Buhoma – Ruhija)
Today we drove up to Ruhija, the higher elevation part of the Bwindi National Park via the “neck”. The neck is nothing but the road that connects Buhoma to Ruhija and this corridor gives the impression of a Gorilla’s neck when seen on the map, hence the name. We spent considerable time in this area as we were still looking for some important birds and reached Ruhija only by late afternoon where we birded the School trail that turned out to be quite birdy. Overnight at Gorilla Mist Camp
Birding Highlights:
Buhoma forest edge:
Buff-throated Apalis, Grey-winged Akalat, Rufous Flycatcher-thrush, Pink-footed Puffback, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Little Greenbul, Red-chested Cuckoo, Angola Swallow, Yellow-fronted Canary, Mackinnon’s Shrike
The “neck” corridor:
Black-throated Apalis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Brown Illadopsis, Black-faced Prinia, Mountain Greenbul, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Black Bee-eater, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Black-billed Turaco, Black Saw-wing
Ruhija and the Gorilla Mist Camp area:
Mountain Oriole, Baglafecht Weaver, Chubb’s Cisticola, Streaky Seedeater, Variable Sunbird, Golden-breasted Bunting, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Pied Crow, Collared Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird
School Trail:
Rwenzori Batis, Thick-billed Seedeater, Grey Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Apalis (Mountain Masked Apalis), African Yellow White-eye, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Strange Weaver, Grey Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Purple Starling, Rwenzori Apalis, Yellow-spotted Barbet