Uganda July 2016 - Birds

I am just back from my third tour to Uganda with Ornitholidays. The theme was 'Birds and Primates', and we saw almost 350 species of birds in two weeks. (Mammals in the previous blog, below). Strangest of all the birds we saw is this Shoebill, an inhabitant of huge papyrus swamps, where it feeds mostly on large fish. 

Shoebills only breed in seven countries - South Sudan, western Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, western Tanzania and northern Zambia. They can reach 140cm when standing up, and weigh up to 7 kilos. They can also catch frogs, water snakes, water monitors and small crocodiles. The estimates for the total number of birds are uncertain, but it is currently thought that there are 5,000 – 8,000 Shoebills, most of them in South Sudan. On take-off, it reminded us of a 747, lifting its huge bulk into the air!

Turacos are mostly forest-dwelling fruit-eaters found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This Great Blue Turaco has also managed to adapt to open, cultivated habitats in western Uganda. A distinctive sound in Ugandan forests is their (impossible to describe!) hollow rattling, bubbling call. 

The Martial Eagle is Africa's second largest raptor, where it inhabits open Acacia savanna and feeds on guineafowl and mammals as large as small antelope. This adult allowed us to drive right below it without taking off. Later we came across a white-headed immature, almost as impressive in its size. 

From the huge to the tiny, here is a family of Red-billed Firefinches; but look carefully! (Click on the photo to enlarge). Close inspection shows that one chick is a firefinch, but the other two are juvenile Village Indigobirds, with streaked backs, a little larger than the firefinch chick. Indigobirds are nest parasites on firefinches, but both species are raised together in the nest.   

On our last day, we had a long drive from Bwindi back to Entebbe Airport, with few opportunities to stop. A legstretch by the road also gave us a chance to find this bush-shrike, a Papyrus Gonolek, on the edge of its marshy habitat. Many thanks to Carren and Mark for the photos that illustrate these two blogs. 

Uganda July 2016 - Mammals

I am just back from a two week Ornitholidays tour to Uganda. 'Birds and primates' was the theme: one major highlight was our 90-minute visit to a family of Mountain Gorillas in the highlands of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Our trackers led us down a steep slope, slipping on vines and logs as we went, until we found the gorillas at the bottom. But they were on the move, climbing the opposite hillside! Eventually they settled down to feed and rest, and we were able to get our breath back too.

There are 17 in the Oruzogo family, with an alpha male (silverback, above) and a beta male, not much younger. Perhaps in a year or two this large family will split into two, as the older male will not tolerate a second silverback. There were several females and youngsters, all climbing small trees to feed on the vines they love. An adult gorilla can eat 25 kg of vegetation in a day, so feeding is a fairly constant activity. We had a great team of trackers and porters, who helped us over the challenging terrain - often having to pull and push us! 

On another day, in Kibale Forest, we tracked a family of Chimpanzees. This 17-year-old was on the ground when we found him, but he soon climbed a tree for a mid-morning rest. Other family members were already sleeping in a large fig-tree, while another was testing the green fruits and finding them still unripe.

The western Uganda forests - close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo - are also home to various monkey species, notably the handsome Black-and-White Colobus. At present the forests are well protected, but there is great pressure from the ever-growing human population that lives all around it. The considerable income from gorilla tracking permits (over US $25,000 per day in Bwindi alone) is ploughed back into forest conservation, including the training of forest guards and trackers.

In more open country near the Queen Elizabeth National Park, we had to wait for these heavyweights to cross the road. This landscape is a transitional one, between the forests further south, and the acacia savanna in the Ishasha sector of the park. 

Following a tip-off from other drivers, we soon found this pride of Lions draped over the branches of a huge fig-tree in the Ishasha Loop. Their main prey is an Impala-like antelope called Uganda Kob (below). During the chaos of the Amin presidency, unpaid soldiers killed most of the park's game animals, but they have recovered their numbers very well. Controlled burning in some areas ensures fresh green grass, which in turn attracts both herbivores - and inevitably carnivores too. 

Due to a camera battery malfunction, my photography was virtually non-existent this trip: how could I have forgotten to pack a spare!? I am very grateful to Mark and Carren for allowing me to use their images. My next blog will feature a few of the special birds we watched. 

    

A week in St Lucia

Clare and I are recently back from a relaxing week in St Lucia, in the Lesser Antilles. She was on holiday, while I was leading the Ornitholidays group. The profile of the island is dominated by twin volcanic plugs, called Pitons, that rise sharply out of the Caribbean. Here only one is visible: the other is directly behind it. 

Our resort, Anse Chastenet, is on the west coast. It has two beaches, including this quiet and little used one, Anse Mamin. Good birding is available right there, including two endemic species, St Lucia Warbler and St Lucia Pewee. Our room had views over the sea and across to the Pitons. 

 A number of birds could be enticed to our verandahs with a few crumbs liberated from the breakfast buffet. Boldest are Lesser Antillean Bullfinches and Bananaquits, but with patience this shy Grey Trembler was tempted away from its usual diet of fruit and small lizards. The trembler is so-called as it quivers its wings as if in excitement. In family terms, it is a thrasher, related to mockingbirds. 

On three days we had early starts with picnic breakfasts, guided by one of the top birders on the island, aptly named Vision. Here we are on the Des Cartier Rainforest Trail, where Vision is explaining the importance of some of the rainforest trees. In particular, we were keen to see the national bird, the St Lucia Parrot. The island has six endemic species of birds, which can all be seen fairly easily in the company of a good naturalist guide.

After finding shelter from a passing shower, our driver Sherman summoned us back along the trail to watch a pair of parrots that he found. At their low point, in 1975, the parrots declined to about 150 birds. A national campaign and education programme persuaded islanders to protect them and their nesting trees, and made it illegal to keep them as pets. Now there are over a thousand birds, and all the schoolchildren know about 'Jacquot.'

On another day out with Vision, we watched Magnificent Frigatebirds and this Red-billed Tropicbird flying around the southernmost point of the island. Tropicbirds were always a welcome sight to seamen in the sailing ship days, since they rarely fly more than a day's sailing from land. One morning we took a boat out from the resort, where we found a school of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, many Brown Boobies, plus one Red-footed Booby and two wintering Pomarine Skuas. 

The afternoons were for relaxing, or exploring the coral reef just off our two beaches. Here a Yellowtail Damselfish swims past Yellow Tube-Sponges. Among the brain corals, sea-fans, sea-plumes and giant clams swam a great diversity of fish, in many shapes, sizes and colours. In addition to Clare's and my photos, many thanks to Eoin Hanley and Sue Goodyer for the others. 


 

Emperor Penguin!

One of the highlights of my Antarctic season came at 2100 hrs local time on Christmas Eve. In GMT terms, that's the moment Christmas day started! The Vavilov was sailing past Waterboat Point, where the Chilean station of Gonzalez Videla is situated. It was a clear, sunny evening, and we had just finished dinner on board. We had heard from our sister ship that a lone Emperor was among Gentoos on the isthmus that links the mainland to the peninsula where the station is built, and where the Gentoos have a colony. We rushed up to the port bridge-wing and manned the two ship telescopes. There, lying down on the isthmus, was the unmistakable bulk of a huge penguin. At that late hour we had no chance to get closer, as we were heading for Paradise Harbour to offload our campers for a night in bivvy-bags on the ice. 

Our plans to return for a landing or a zodiac cruise in the morning were foiled by an unfortunate medical emergency that had us passing Waterboat Point at full speed - there was the Emperor again, standing up this time. (Happily our patient was safely evacuated and has recovered well.) 
This is how we saw the Emperor on Christmas Eve: the rounded shape on the left of the image! (Click to enlarge the picture). Luckily it remained in the same spot for several days, enabling One Ocean staff photographer Tony Beck to capture his portrait (top image), with a Gentoo for size comparison. 

Here is the Chilean station, with the isthmus on the right of the picture. Our ships could only reach 64 degrees south in December on account of ice; Emperor colonies on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula are well south of the Antarctic Circle at 66 degrees, 33 minutes. Nevertheless the odd vagrant is reported at this latitude from time to time. This one is in immature plumage, with white rather than golden cheek patch. It is probably 18 months old, since Emperors chicks hatch in August. It will spend most of the next two years at sea, returning to its nesting colony aged four, and breeding at five. The weight range of Emperors is 20 to (an unbelievable) 41 kg, while a Gentoo averages 6 kg. So, although it is not much taller than the Gentoo, it is probably four times its weight. 

Despite our views being distant, it was a fantastic Christmas present! Many thanks to Tony Beck for the main photo; also to Nate Small for alerting us to look for it and then spotting it first, and to Alastair and Ruthie McLauchlan for the other photos.  

Antarctica October 2015-January 2016

My latest Antarctic adventure was my longest: 12 weeks on the Akademik Sergei Vavilov, seen here on a sunny morning off the Antarctic Peninsula, at 64 degrees south. In recent years, there has been too much ice to head further south than this much before Christmas. February and March are the easiest months to cross the Antarctic Circle, at 66 degrees, 33 minutes. As usual this and her sister ship are operated by One Ocean Expeditions, from Canada. Although my main jobs are spotting and identifying wildlife, and giving presentations on the seabirds (especially penguins), we staff all have plenty of other roles. Most revolve around ensuring that our passengers are safe and have a wonderful time!   

We had six groups of passengers while I was on board. The first voyage was just for South Georgia, since October is too early to visit Antarctica. Here King Penguins - with their brown downy chicks aged 8 months - form great colonies close to the beach. On some beaches they have to share space with hundreds of Elephant Seals and (from late November) Antarctic Fur Seals too. 



 Once we reach the Antarctic Peninsula, these are the three penguins we see most: (from left to right) Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap, though it's not common to see the three standing together as here on a beach in the South Shetlands. They usually nest in one-species colonies, apart from the other two. This part of Antarctica (the west side of the Peninsula) is changing quickly, with far less sea-ice remaining in winter compared with a century ago. This has caused a decline in Adelies and Chinstraps, which feed on krill. (Krill feeds on algae on the underside of the sea-ice). However, the more generalist Gentoo - a fish-eater too - is increasing rapidly at the expense of the other two.  


This Gentoo has a nest with two eggs, laid in mid-November. Then came a snowstorm, as often happens early in the season. Like all penguins, both Gentoo parents share all the nesting duties. In a day or two, the other partner will return to take a turn incubating. Provided the nest has a good foundation of small stones to help the eggs dry out quickly, they should hatch as normal - around Christmas or New Year's Day.

Adelies begin their nesting season earlier than Gentoos: this is the colony at Brown Bluff on 3rd January. After two more weeks the chicks' down falls off, revealing their first waterproof plumage underneath. Their first underwater forays are fraught with danger, as they have to learn to swim, find food, and avoid Leopard Seals and Orcas. 



Elephant Island, in the South Shetlands, is home to large colonies of Macaroni and Chinstrap Penguins. Here two Macs pose on the rocks with a Chinny. Macaronis are the world's most abundant penguin, with about 9 million pairs, but by no means the easiest to encounter. They nest in large inaccessible colonies on steep slopes, either under tussock or in scree. Although they lay two eggs, they only ever raise one chick to fledging. The first of the two eggs is often smaller than the second, and usually fails to hatch. 


On a snowy day on South Georgia, we are watching Albatrosses (Grey-headed and Light-mantled) on their nests. Some passengers are busy with cameras, while others enjoy the 30x magnification of the ship's telescope. In early November, the albatrosses are at the courtship stage, strengthening their pair-bonds with mutual preening on the nest and synchronized fly-pasts.

This is a pre-digital slide I took many years ago in South Georgia, of two half-grown Light-mantled Albatross chicks on their nests one February. As with all of the family, only one egg is laid. 

In the evenings there is 
often a chance to make music in the bar. Michael, Kaylan and I have just recreated the song 'My Hut on Elephant Isle' - written in 1916 by the crew of the Endurance as they awaited rescue by Shackleton. Some of these photos are mine; many thanks to One Ocean staff and passengers for the others.  

Some common British birds' nests

Song Thrush's nests are easily recognized by the hard mud lining, typically placed in a hedge or thick shrub. Although this one was up against the wall of our house, we couldn't prevent predation of the young chicks - either by Magpie or Jay. We didn't catch the culprit red-beaked.  

Similar in size to a Song Thrush nest, the Blackbird lines its nest with grasses. Both species lay four or five eggs, and in a good year raise two broods. By mid-July the males stop singing until next March, depriving us all of what must be my favourite birdsong. 

The tiny Wren punches above its weight: both in the volume of its song and the size of its nest. The mossy nest is always domed, with a small side-entrance, typically in low bushes or ivy against trees or walls. This one, which successfully fledged a family in June, was in ivy and clematis, against the wall of the old garden privy, now our tool-shed. Male Wrens build several nests each spring, and let the female choose which to use. The other nests are often used as roosts. They are also double-brooded, and usually lay five or six eggs.  

The Dunnock is one of our commonest but most understated garden residents. Their mossy nests are placed in low bushes, brambles or hedges; and the four or five pale blue eggs are incubated only by the female. Their shy retiring character belies an unexpected sex life: analysis of eggs in a nest reveals that many females have two or more partners.  Cuckoos sometimes victimize Dunnocks, but these days (as Cuckoos have drastically declined), Meadow Pipits and Reed Warblers are more usual hosts.  

Until recently, the Blackcap (one of our most tuneful warblers) was strictly a summer visitor, wintering in Africa; but now many stay in the UK, surviving our milder winters on ivy-berries, insects and (increasingly) bird-tables. The flimsy nest is usually placed in low bushes or brambles, and again four or five is the usual clutch size. The male is illustrated here: females and young have a chestnut cap.  

Blue Tits take readily to bird boxes, and can be attracted to most gardens. One pair successfully nested this year in our garden in the top of a roll of roofing felt. The nest itself contains moss, animal hair, and often wool and feathers. Adults will readily come to a basket of hair or wool put out in early spring to provide easy nest material. The female lays about ten eggs, and the huge outlay of energy in fledging such a large brood ensures that pairs only nest once in a year. 

Typically building on a ledge or rafter in a barn, the Swallow devotes its entire summer to raising two or three broods. The nest is a mixture of grass and mud. Occasionally they build an unsupported nest against a wall, like a House Martin's, but with an open top. The clutch is of four or five white eggs, with reddish-brown freckles. Unlike the Blackcap, Swallows always migrate across the Sahara each autumn, and many winter as far south as South Africa. 

The Chaffinch's cheery song starts in February and heralds another breeding season. The beautifully constructed nest is usually well hidden in a hedge, bush or tree. It is carefully woven of moss and grasses, lined with hair and decorated on the outside with cobwebs and lichens. Four to six eggs are laid, and usually only incubated by the female. The male is illustrated here - females and young have more sober plumage.

 The Goldfinch also builds a neat, compact nest: usually in a tree or tall bush, and often in a fruit tree. Their twittering song - at its best rich and canary-like - is one of the joys of our garden, heard in any month. We attract them here with a year-round offering of niger seed, supplemented by sunflower hearts from October to April. From July the adults bring their plain-faced young to the feeders, but the gold wing-bar is characteristic from the moment they fledge.

Not obvious from these photos, a Greenfinch nest is usually much more untidy than a Goldfinch's. They always choose a bush, tree or creeper on a wall, usually between 4 and 15 feet up. Grass and moss are the main materials used, sometimes on a base of small twigs, (though not as much as a Bullfinch's). Hair and feathers are used as lining. Four to six whitish eggs are laid, with some reddish speckles. As with most birds in this post, incubation is about two weeks, as is the fledging time (i.e. the time from hatching to leaving the nest). 

 A pair of Bullfinches often nest in one of our hedges: when feeding young the pair usually arrive and depart together. The rather untidy, twig-based nest contains five greenish-blue eggs. Only the male is brightly coloured; in most species as dimorphic as this, only the female attends to nesting duties. Two broods are normal. (My thanks to Richard Fitter's classic Pocket Guide to Nests and Eggs, first published 1954, for many of the facts and figures. R.A.Richardson's wonderful illustrations were an important part of my childhood). 

The Linnet has declined rapidly in Britain; but loose colonies are still common especially in gorse bushes. In June a large flock feeding on local rapeseed surprised me - typical winter behaviour occurring in the breeding season. The nests in this collection belong to Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust; many were donated by Paul Roughley. All were collected after the nesting season. My thanks to the Trust and to Paul. When displaying them at our recent village show, I was asked if I had made all the nests!

Costa Rica

Following on from last year's successful tour, I co-led another Ornitholidays group to Costa Rica in March. We stay in five main centres, at various altitudes and on both Pacific and Caribbean slopes. In the mossy, cool forests of the highlands we found a pair of Resplendent Quetzals excavating a nest-hole. This is the male, but the female took turns too throwing out beakfuls of rotten wood. This is such a special bird that the Guatemalans have adopted it as their currency. However, they don't seem to value it much: one US dollar buys you (at today's rate) 7.74 quetzals! As the four corners of the photo suggest, I took this through the telescope. 

In tropical heat on the Pacific coast, our local guide Herman led us to a roosting pair of Black-and-white Owls at their day-time roost. They are strictly nocturnal, flying after dark to feed on large insects, small rodents and bats. This is another digiscoped image.

Back in the highlands, Herman took this portrait of a Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, a member of a small American bird-family more closely related to waxwings than to flycatchers. They feed more on berries than insects, and build a beautiful nest of mosses and lichens that is very well camouflaged with the branches that support it. It is the size of a thrush, but with long tail and pointed crest, quite a different shape. This species is one of over 100 that are endemic to Costa Rica and West Panama, though only three or four of these, including two hummingbirds, are strict Costa Rica endemics. 

Here the highland forests are much better preserved than in other Central American countries. Costa Rica, which has no army and so no military expenditure, directs an unusual proportion of its income towards the environment.   

The tanager family is huge and usually colourful. This is the male Passerini's Tanager, a common bird of open country on the Caribbean slope. The female is less brilliant, being olive on the back and orange-buff below. The male's plumage is a velvety-black, making a vivid contrast with the neon-bright scarlet rump. 

Though primarily a birding tour, we are always happy to watch other wildlife - like this Northern Tamandua. Sometimes known as Lesser Anteater, they feed on ants, termites and bees. Their long, sharp claws are designed to rip open termite nests. This one moved fast in the canopy, on a hunting mission. They are both diurnal and nocturnal, but on hot days they curl up in a ball in the canopy and sleep. I failed to capture any in-focus shots, but luckily Mark was more successful. 

This strange portrait of a Black Iguana or Ctenosaur is from Carara National Park, on the Pacific coast. These large lizards are great burrowers and climbers, often noisily clambering about on roofs (and sometimes falling off). They frequent fields and savannas more than forest, and are mostly vegetarian. However, birds' eggs and young are also on its menu.  

As for invertebrates, some Costa Rica species are huge. This is Rothschild's Silkmoth, which was attracted to a lamp and white sheet at a lodge on the Caribbean slope. Many thanks to Herman and Mark for the two photos; the others are mine.