Today we travelled from Bwindi to the far SW of Uganda where The Congo and Rwanda are in touching distance. We based ourselves about 45 minutes from Mgahinga National Park. We left our lovely lodge in Ruhija and birded a couple of spots on the way out of Bwindi, but despite having targets set, we didn't spend too long searching. (From one of the spots along a single track road, we came across a large lorry and then the stale-mate started. No one moved, Paul got out, the other driver got out, all to no avail and it took some time for Paul to realise the lorry wasn't going to reverse uphill on a dodgy handbrake. It was all worth it though as a Doherty's Bushshrike showed well). This meant a dull and very slow drive SW towards Lisoro where the speed didn't really exceed 30kph. All very annoying as there wasn't much to see and time elsewhere at known spots would have been more productive. We dipped on Papyrus Yellow Warbler which was a big target for me with this species being critically endangered. Lunch was had at Bunyiyo Lake where a few common species that hadn't been seen for a while were nice. A couple more roadside stops in good secondary forest produced a Mountain Yellow Warbler and a heard only Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo. We descended from some hills and from a distance birded a shallow lake, then continued to our hotel driving past a refugee camp that has been present since the problems that occurred in Rwanda over twenty years ago. The atmosphere amongst the locals towards us again wasn't the most welcoming I've encountered in this continent, but hey ho. At the hotel, Mottled Swifts were flying around displaying their impressive size. A frustrating day today with a call home being a much needed task to try and cheer me back up. Dinner was eventful with a huge power cut that meant initially no dinner, and when it came they might as well have not bothered. The Goat course was pretty much a bone course!!
HANDSOME FRANCOLIN - 5
Grey-crowned Crane
Common Moorhen - 1
Mottled Swift - 10
African Pipit
Mountain Yellow Warbler - 1
White-browed Crombec
Swamp Flycatcher
Cape Robin-Chat
Red-chested Sunbird
Doherty's Bushshrike - 1
White-necked Raven
Slender-billed Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Brown-capped Weaver
Fawn-breasted Waxbill
Yellow-crowned Canary - 6
Pin-tailed Whydah
Yellow-bellied Waxbill
Chubb's Cisticola
Handsome Francolin
Grosbeak Weaver
