The Nile River

The Nile River

August 31, 2024

This morning we were up at 5:30, leaving at 6:30 for a drive to the launch area where at 7:00 we began a 4 ½ hour trip downriver on the Nile to look for wildlife.  It was primarily birds, and it was astonishing.  None of the five of us on the trip are birders, but we took pictures as if we were, and I’ll post a few.  Those of you who are birders, this is an amazing place.

 Before we left I took a couple of photos on the premises of our lodge.  There is a herd of waterbucks who spend the night on the grounds, apparently because lions don’t like light and there is sufficient light to make the waterbucks feel safe: 

There also is a flock of resident maribou storks here.  These have been described as the ugliest bird in the world; they stand about four feet tall and are, indeed, strange: 

A common sight as we cruised along the river bank was pods of hippos: 

We found an African fish eagle having a fish for breakfast: 

The African snake darter looks like a snake when it’s in the water: 

We came across a tree full of baboons—there probably are 15 in this photo: 

Here’s the Northern Carmine Bee Eater: 

And the pied kingfisher: 

At many places the river bank was thick with papyrus: 

Our guide was hoping the whole time to find us a shoebill stork, and he did.  They’re very unusual, he said, and hard to find: 

Here’s a very large stork called the Goliath stork: 

We came across a very sad sight—an elephant whose trunk had been shortened by being caught in a trap.  He had to stand in water in order to drink and would have had trouble eating and dusting as elephants do: 

The last bird I’ll post is the national bird of Uganda, the Great Crowned Crane: 

We landed, and our guide, Alex, had arranged for a group of traditional musicians to perform for us.  They were wonderful, and their instruments were all home made!  Click on the arrow: 

We returned for lunch, and afterwards had a long talk on the history and modern political situation in Uganda.  It’s quite problematic to say the least.  Things are not good for the ordinary person in Uganda.

Tomorrow we visit a rhinoceros sanctuary on the road back to Entebbe.