Location: Kibale, Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks

Conditions: During the day, it was warm and pleasantly overcast, averaging around 20 – 25 degrees Celsius in the country side and QENP, while slightly cooler temperatures were experienced in the rainforests of Kibale and Bwindi, where some good rain was received in the form of late afternoon and evening thundershowers. As always, we had excellent Chimp and Gorilla trekking as well as fantastic game viewing and birding.

Tour leader: Greg Whelan

All the participants were greeted with the fresh warm air upon exiting the airport terminal, which was most welcomed, especially for those who were coming from winter back home. As we made our way to the Boma Hotel, situated within 10 minutes’ drive from the international airport, we could see that the clouds were building up for a thundershower. Although the rains are mostly only expected from April/May, one may expect some showers of rain at this time too, which was realised later that night.

Our guests had the opportunity to relax at the Boma’s pool, to decompress after their travels, while listening to the sounds of the wonderful birdlife that abounded in the lovely garden setting. After an enjoyable dinner, where all the participants were able to meet and learn more about one another, and where I was able to brief everyone on the very exciting tour that lay ahead, we all retired to our rooms for a good night’s rest.

We set off the next day after an early breakfast for our flight to Kasese. The flight heads almost due west towards the spectacular Rwenzori mountain range. The air was crisp after the previous night’s rain. On arrival, I introduced all our guests to our local guide, Livingstone, who would not only be transporting us all safely to all our destinations, but who would also be engaging with interesting information about the local culture, history and of course wildlife, especially the feathered kind!
En route to Kibale, we were able to enjoy sights of country life in rural Uganda. We stopped to buy some delicious bananas, which we were able to enjoy en route as well as a whole packet full of delicious avocados, which became our regular side dish for the rest of our meals throughout the trip.

On entering Kibale Forest we spotted our first primate!!! A family of Guereza colobus monkeys. These great looking black and white primates were resting after their morning feed.

Colobus monkeys, have a complex and sacculated stomach, which is able to process difficult plant materials as they prefer unripe, green or brown fruits, seeds or pods instead of more ripe, soft and colourful fruits like most other primates, and therefore spend long periods resting to allow digestion to take place. This allowed us to get a great view of them before they decided to leap very confidently and acrobatically from tree to tree, with their long balancing tails.

A great start! Next up was the ‘border patrol’; a troop of olive baboons. A mother suckling her baby, a flirtatious female seductively approaching the dominant male and then suddenly an unruly youngster hopped onto the bonnet. He’d spotted the bananas in the vehicle but we were not letting him have any of them.

We arrived at Primate Lodge, which is aptly named since Kibale is renowned for being the primate capital of the world, in time for a well-deserved lunch. Later, we set off for Bigodi Wetlands, which offers a trail around the wetlands to look for primates and birds.

Among the larger of the bird species, we found the black-and-white-casqued hornbill and also had great views of the great blue turacos, which were feeding on some palm fruits. We were also fortunate enough to get a fantastic view of Uganda’s national bird, the grey crowned crane!

We had some more great views of Guereza colobus monkeys, their close relatives, the red colobus monkeys, as well as a family of grey-cheeked mangabeys; a very recognizable primate with its naked black face, long ragged tail and tufted crown. The male’s loud, distinctive “gobble” call, was one we would all become familiar with over the days ahead. They, in fact, have enlarged vocal tracts and when males become dominant, their call becomes the beacon for their group’s movements and orientation. Dotted amongst the mangabeys was a family of red-tailed monkeys. These small primates, weighing no more than 5kg, as their name suggests, have beautiful long red tails. They also have a very recognizable white nose-spot and blue facial skin. They spend early mornings foraging for fruit, which makes up more than half of their diet, before being displaced by larger monkeys.

After walking through some tall papyrus, we came across some young children who were selling some clay carvings of chimps and gorillas and it was hard to resist supporting them, even though we knew that these kids should have actually been in school. With the youth learning that there is great value in the wildlife that they have on their doorstep, it will hopefully bode well for the conservation and preservation of their natural resources for generations to come.

Livingstone decided to catch a taxi to fetch our vehicle, while we continued ambling slowly around the wetlands. In Uganda the local taxis are motorbikes called Boda-bodas (which comes from the word “border”). When people wanted a lift to the border to get across into the neighbouring country Kenya, they would hold up their hands and cry “Border-Border”. After dinner and a quick stroll around the camp to look for nocturnals, we headed off to bed for some much needed rest, as we had a big day of trekking ahead of us!

We strolled down to the visitor’s centre, after an early breakfast, where we were to meet our guide. After a brief orientation talk, as sun was just starting to rise, we set off into the forest. We were doing the full day habituation with the chimpanzees, and we were all very excited! This meant that we were going in search of chimpanzees, which were not used to seeing people. By doing this over time, the chimps would hopefully not perceive people as being a threat, as would be their first impression, and allow us to view them more closely as they do in other parts of the forest.

Birding in the forests may often prove to be challenging as the birds themselves are difficult to see high up in the canopies. The sounds however are wonderful. As we strode through the forest along wet but not muddy trails, we could hear the repetitive call of the scaly-breasted Illadopsis.

As we walked further into the forest we could see where chimps had built previous nest sites, something they do at night to sleep, but also at times during the day during heavy rains. The smells of the forest were so clean and the colours of green so vivid and walking among the giant trees of Kibale was inspiring. After crossing a beautiful running stream, we received news from our guide that the trackers, who headed out ahead of us to track the chimps from where they’d been seen the day before, had found a small group of the family.

With the keen help of our porters, the guide was able to navigate his way successfully to the trackers, where we were able to feast our eyes on our first sighting of our closest living relative!

They were up in a fig tree, enjoying their breakfast and did not seem to take too much notice of us, which was great as this meant that the habituation process was working well! While watching them from a distance of about 40m we also observed and heard the distinct loud bark of a male olive baboon, just behind us. He too would have been keeping a close eye on the chimps, which are known to strategically hunt baboons as well as the red colobus monkeys. The call may have been a warning to the rest of the baboon family as to the whereabouts of the chimps that were spotted, as well as a signal to the chimps that they would be wasting their time too, as they’d already been seen. The chimps however took no notice. One of the female chimps appeared to be in estrous as the anogenital region looked swollen and had acquired a pink hue. This was far more interesting and was attracting the attentions of a few of the males.

As the light was not in our favour, we decided to move around to get a better view for taking photographs, which was good for a while, until the chimps decided to move and without hesitation our trackers were hot on their trail.

We caught up with them again and spend at least another hour watching them at much closer range above us in the trees. At one point a male chimp moved suddenly, fortunately just after some of us had repositioned, and a piece of a branch came crashing down beside us. I for one, was well impressed by the progress that the habituation team had been making with this family of chimps, who seemed very relaxed in our presence. Just one year ago, the family had been far more elusive.

After having spent 4 hours walking in the most beautiful primary forest, we were all ravenous and so decided to take a break and enjoy some lunch, which we had packed and brought along. A picnic beside a small stream where butterflies of all colours, shapes and sizes were attracted to the moisture and flittered all around us. Bellies full, we headed off to another part of the forest. Our guide, had a surprise up his sleeve. After another hour of walking we heard the screaming of chimps ahead of us. A group of females and their young were up in the trees feeding. As we approached to get a better look, we heard the males calling in the distance, to which the females responded. We decided to head for the males, but when we found them they were heading straight towards us and strode right past, without even a glance. The new ‘chief’ who recently took over from the previous dominant male, ran right behind one of our participants, brushing right up against her. On the ground, on all-fours, they can move really quickly; there was no time to get out of the way! This was the well-habituated family of chimps that we were now viewing, and what a privilege it was to be in their presence! One of the males lay on his back with his hands behind his back for a good 20 minutes giving us all ample opportunity to get some good close-ups of him. Seeing and hearing the chimps all around us, was a totally exhilarating experience and one that everyone will cherish for a long time to come!

After having spent most of the day on foot in the gently-undulating terrain, we headed for the lodge and enjoyed ice cold drinks, while we relived and chatted about our experiences in the Kibale Forest.

While we enjoyed a more leisurely breakfast the next day, red-tailed monkeys fed in the trees around the camp. We decided to take an alternative route as we headed back south to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). En route we got to see snow on the equator; the Rwenzori Mountains’ snow-capped peaks were a sight to behold! We also relished the incredible sights of some of Uganda’s impressive volcanic crater lakes. Makekwa ndali, being one of them, which apparently is the same lake that appears on Uganda’s bank notes.

The volcanic field is about 200 square kilometers and some of the craters in QENP are up to 3 kilometers in diameter and 100 meters deep. These unusual formations were formed individually by a series of violent volcanic explosions over the last 1 million years. The explosions were a result of superheated gas and steam, and despite the volcanic activity, there was no lava flow. Many of the craters have now developed into picturesque saltwater and freshwater lakes.
Soon after Kasese, we passed the equator and entered the famed Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was fitting that the first animal we saw was in fact Uganda’s national animal, the Uganda kob.

We arrived at Mweya Lodge in time for a hearty lunch. The superbly located lodge overlooks the Kazinga Channel, which is a wide, 32-kilometre long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George.

While enjoying a lunch, overlooking the channel below, we could see a breeding herd of elephants in the distance walking to the water for a drink, while hippos and buffalo were cooling down in muddy shallows on the edge of the channel. In the late afternoon, we set off on our private boat trip along the channel. From the boat we were able to get up close to the hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, warthogs, waterbuck and kob. The calls of the African fish eagle resident on the channel could be heard throughout the trip. Fantastic views of red-throated bee-eaters, African skimmers, pied kingfishers and a plethora of wading birds was adored by everyone. An elephant bull in musth put on an impressive display as he broke a massive branch from a euphorbia tree and proceeded to wave it around for the other bulls that were nearby to see. He was a big bull in his prime and the other bulls in his vicinity gave him a wide berth. When elephant bulls enter into musth, their testosterone levels are much higher than normal, which forces them to look for females in estrous and gives them the competitive edge when there are other bulls around looking to mate. This usually lasts for about 3-4 months a year and is easily recognisable by the wet marks on the sides of the heads, where their temporal gland secretes a fluid, which rubs off on the trees as they pass. They’re also continually dripping urine, which may also allow the females to pick up on their scent and seek out the more dominant bulls. Even from a distance, one may see the inside of a bull-in-musth’s legs stained green and wet with urine. As the sun was starting to fade, we relished a game drive along the banks of the channel before heading back to the lodge for dinner.

The following morning as the sun rose over the channel, to the honking sounds of hippos and striking cries of the African Fish Eagle, we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast. We made a slight detour before heading south to Ishasha, as we caught wind that there were lions found in the kob leks, which are the mating grounds for the Uganda kob. The day was starting to get quite warm. By now the lions would be resting up. In the distance we spotted a young lion moving from a bush to a Euphorbia tree in order to find more suitable shade. The lion climbed the tree and we were all absolutely thrilled that we had managed to find the famed tree-climbing lions of QENP!

After enjoying some great views, we headed south. En route, we passed through the Maramagambo Forest, which borders the eastern side of Lake Edward.

We had some more great sightings of Guereza Colobus monkeys and Olive baboons close to the road. After passing through the forest, the landscape again changed to be that of savanna grasslands. Having deliberately been burnt a few weeks prior to remove all the old moribund grasses to allow for all the new fresh growth after the rains, it was looking was spectacular! The new growth was attracting large herds of buffalo, Uganda kop and on entering the Ishasha section of the Park, we had our first sighting of topi, before arriving at Ishasha Wilderness Camp in time for a delicious lunch.

During our time exploring the southern parts of QENP, we enjoyed wonderful sighting of the plains game as the grasslands were littered with herds of buffalo, Defassa waterbuck, topi and lots of sure-footed Uganda kob lambs, which were no more than a couple of weeks old.

In the evenings, from our tents, we could hear the croaking sounds of the Guereza Colobus monkeys, which could easily have been mistaken for frogs calling. In the distance, we could also hear hyaenas whooping, as well as the rasping call of a leopard.
On two occasions during our drives, we had fantastic sightings of the territorial female leopard (most likely the one we had heard calling during the night). On one drive, while driving along the raised banks of the Ntungwe River, we spotted a hyaena in the distance below moving into a small stand of papyrus. Suddenly right next to us the leopard lifted her head and moved to reposition, which was perfect to allow us a fabulous up-close look at this elegant yet powerful feline. On returning to the lodge one evening, we could hear the call of a leopard in the distance and hoped that we may get another glimpse. Our wishes came true as we saw her up ahead strolling through the plains whilst calling to signal her dominance in the area.

A great way to leave behind the riches of Queen Elizabeth National Park, as we drove the next day towards the rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for our final adventures.

While enjoying our lunch, we were treated to the ever-present call of the brown-throated Wattle-eye, whose call always reminds me of a child’s rusty swing. Afterwards, we decided to stretch our legs a bit and headed into the local market to see some of the local crafts. After a wonderful dinner, we were briefed on what to expect on our first gorilla trek that lay ahead.

After just over an hour of walking the slopes in this beautiful forest, we were led to find the Habinyanja family. The dominant silverback lay flat on his back, while a couple of the youngsters seemed to be in a very playful mood. It was incredible to watch them climbing up the vines, swinging while beating their little chests, and at times we even had to move back, as they seemed to be very curious and without any fear of us observing their antics. A black back made his way between our group and beat his chest loudly, which at such close range, gave most of us a fright. Since the adults were resting after having spent the morning feeding, we had some outstanding views of the young gorillas in particular and all the participants were extremely pleased with their first sighting of the endangered and much loved mountain gorillas!

Since we’d returned back to the lodge a little earlier on this day, we decided to visit a craft centre, which was established by a young woman and her mother as a way to empower many of the local woman. We were able to see first-hand the skills of these talented woman as they wove mats, bowls and baskets. Others were making clothes from very colourful fabrics attained in West Africa. Later in the afternoon, a few of us enjoyed some birding around the lodge in the afternoon, which yielded some delightful new species, as well as some great views of a very playful family of L’Hoest’s monkeys.

The next day was to be completely different. We set off from the visitors centre straight into the Impenetrable Forest in search of the Mubare family. In the beginning it was all up and up the hill. Fortunately, we were well assisted by our helpful porters, who not only took the weight off our shoulders by carrying our bags, but were always very willing to pull and push us whenever we required any assistance. It was almost midday and our legs could feel that they’d worked out. Finally we received word from our trackers that they had found the family and that we were getting close.

We were particularly excited to see this group, as we’d been told that it has the youngest gorilla in Bwindi Forest, just 2 months old! The terrain was a bit denser than what we’d encountered the day before, nevertheless we had some great views of a female and then the silverback, who was trying to make advances on the female, as she was in estrous. He was a new dominant male in the group and had taken over from the previous silverback, who sadly died from his injuries after the fight. An impressive display was witnessed as he suddenly thrashed a bush to show off his dominance. Not far behind him we spotted a female who’d made a small nest in a tree to settle with her youngster. As she moved down, we could see that it was in fact the 2 month old baby. What a thrill to see the helpless little being, as she supported it in one hand as she moved. We all managed some great views of the mother and baby; a truly soul-touching experience, and a phenomenal way to end our time in Bwindi!

We rested our weary legs and enjoyed a well-deserved lunch in the forest, before making our way back to the lodge; at least all downhill from there!

We relished another really enjoyable dinner, which was filled with stories of our incredible encounters of our trip. The following morning we chartered a flight back to Entebbe, enjoyed a final lunch together at the Boma hotel, and said our farewells with memories that will last a lifetime!

A special thanks to our local guide Livingstone for his kind nature and wealth of local knowledge and to all the respective lodges where we stayed for their incredible hospitality and wonderful meals. Also, a big thank you to all the trekking guides, who spend each day in the forest informing guests about the need for conservation and the special role that they play in preserving such habitat and the animals that reside within. And of course, a big thank you to all our participants for being on board this expedition and for the great enthusiasm shown throughout!

Photo credits to Greg Whelan.

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Location: Kibale, Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks

Conditions: During the day, it was warm and pleasantly overcast, averaging around 20 – 25 degrees Celsius in the country side and QENP, while slightly cooler temperatures were experienced in the rainforests of Kibale and Bwindi, where some good rain was received in the form of late afternoon and evening thundershowers. As always, we had excellent Chimp and Gorilla trekking as well as fantastic game viewing and birding.

Tour leader: Greg Whelan

On final approach to landing in Uganda one is treated to the beautiful sight of the massive Lake Victoria, one of Africa’s Great Lakes, containing no less than 2750 cubic kilometers of water, where local fisherman can be seen fishing from their small boats. The arrivals hall, was where I met each of our participants, who were also greeted with the warm air of this tropical country, which was relished by all after having come from their cold winter homes. With the tour officially underway, everyone felt a rush of excitement as we chatted all the way to the Boma Hotel. This hotel is superbly situated within 10 minutes’ drive from the international airport, while all of the rooms had also been recently refurbished and of course the food was excellent as always.

For those guests who arrived earlier in the day, there was the opportunity to walk in the gardens and get their first taste of Uganda’s exquisite birdlife, as Ross’s Turacos, Red-chested Sunbirds, Black-headed Gonoleks, together with the amusing chimp-like call of the Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, all introduced themselves to us. After an enjoyable dinner, where all the participants were able to meet and learn more about one another, and where I was able to brief everyone on the very thrilling tour ahead, we all retired to our rooms for a good night’s rest.

We set off early after breakfast for our flight to Kasese. The flight heads almost due west towards the spectacular Rwenzori mountain range. After a very relaxed flight in calm conditions, we were greeted by Uganda’s National Bird, the Grey Crowned Crane, which was just off the grassy runway, as we landed in Kasese.

I introduced all our guests to our local guide, Livingstone, who would not only be transporting us all safely to all our destinations, but who would also be engaging with interesting information about the local culture, history and of course wildlife, especially the feathered kind!

En route to Kibale, we were able to enjoy sights of country life in rural Uganda. While stopping to buy some delicious bananas, we watched a Variable Sunbird enjoying the nectar from the tubular orange flowers of the wild dagga (Leonotis leonurus) plant.

Just before entering the Kibale Forest, we stopped alongside Lake Nyabikere, where we were fortunate to spot a spectacular looking bird, the Shining-blue Kingfisher. This beautiful kingfisher, with a dark blue cap and wings, contrasting with an electric blue back and a long black dagger bill, sat perched on the edge of the Lake allowing us to enjoy its magnificent colours.

On entering Kibale Forest we spotted our first primate!!! A family of Guereza Colobus monkeys were sitting high up in the Eucalyptus trees, which mark the start of the Forest. These great looking black and white primates were resting after their morning feed. Colobus monkeys, have a complex and sacculated stomach, which is able to process difficult plant materials as they prefer unripe, green or brown fruits, seeds or pods instead of more ripe, soft and colourful fruits like most other primates, and therefore spend long periods resting to allow digestion to take place. This allowed us to get a great view of them before they decided to leap very confidently and acrobatically from tree to tree, with their long balancing tails.

A great start and it just kept getting better! Soon after entering the forest, Livingstone spotted a Blue-throated Roller, a real rare Uganda special. We alighted our vehicle, in order to get a better view. We set up our scope to bring this stunning bird up close and it was then that our guests could appreciate its true beauty. The roller, aptly called because of its rolling aerial displays, led us to see its nest in the hollow of a tree as flew in, and then out after a while.

Then, suddenly we heard shrieks in the distance behind us. Chimps!!! We all hoped to get our first glimpse of our closest living relative, but this was not to be, for now.

We drove on a little further and found a relaxed family of Grey-cheeked Mangabeys; a very recognisable primate with its naked black face, long ragged tail and tufted crown. The male’s loud, distinctive “gobble” call, was one we would all become familiar with over the days ahead. They in fact have enlarged vocal tracts and when males become dominant, their call becomes the beacon for their group’s movements and orientation. Dotted amongst the Mangabeys was a family of Red-tailed Monkeys. These small primates, weighing no more than 5kg, as their name suggests, have beautiful long red tails.

They also have a very recognizable white nose-spot and blue facial skin. They, spend early mornings foraging for fruit, which makes up more than half of their diet, before being displaced by larger monkeys.

We had great views of both and had hardly entered the forest, when a flock of Great Blue Turacos could be heard with their loud hollow wooden rattle call. As they flew overhead we were able to see the impressive blue colours of the extraordinary-looking turacos.

We arrived at Primate Lodge, our home in the forest for the next two nights. A couple of our guests, soon after checking into their chalet, came face-to-face with a big male Olive Baboon. What a welcome to the primate capital of the world! After a well-deserved lunch, we set off for Bigodi Wetlands, which offers a trail around the wetlands to look for primates and birds.

After having been in planes and in the car travelling, being out on foot to stretch our legs and warm up for our trek in the forest the next day, while being in nature, was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

We managed to find a host of many new birds, notably the Brown-throated Wattle-eye, whose call reminds me of a child’s rusty swing, Green-headed and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, the large Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Purple-headed Starling, while calls of Bocage’s Bush-shrike and a Snowy-headed Robin-chat where lovely to listen to.

We also had some more great views of Guereza Colobus monkeys, chatted to a local who was harvesting his coffee beans, interacted with some small children who were fetching water and just as we were on our way out, found a family of Red Colobus Monkeys.

As time had run away with us, Livingstone decided to catch a taxi to fetch our vehicle while we continued ambling slowly around the wetlands. In Uganda the local taxis are motorbikes called Boda-bodas (which comes from the word “border”). When people wanted a lift to the border to get across into the neighbouring country Kenya, they would hold up their hands and cry “Border-Border”.

That night, just before dinner, we received a spectacular thunderstorm. The rain was welcomed by all, as it gave a freshness to the air and cooled down the night allowing us a restful sleep. Before climbing into bed, I did one more quick survey from my balcony and was ecstatic to find a Wood Owl perched eye level in front of me. Time for sleep though, we would all need our rest for the day that lay ahead.

After an early breakfast we strolled down to the visitor’s centre, where we were to meet our guide. After a brief orientation talk, the sun was just starting to rise, as we set off into the forest. We were doing the full day habituation with the Chimpanzees, and we were all very excited! This meant that we were going in search of Chimpanzees, which were not used to seeing people. By doing this over time, the chimps would hopefully not perceive people as being a threat, as would be their first impression, and allow us to view them more closely as they do in other parts of the forest.

Birding in the forests may often prove to be challenging as the birds themselves are difficult to see high up in the canopies. The sounds however are wonderful. As we strode through the forest along wet but not muddy trails, we could hear the sounds of the Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Red-chested Cuckoo, African Goshawk and the ghostly Asef Pigeon. Livingstone told us that when he was a young boy, sent to fetch water by his parents, that his parents warned him of a monster living in the forests, who would prey on young children. The Asef Pigeon, heard but rarely seen, has a call that seems like it is far away and this would give Livingstone and his siblings enough time to flee the forest to escape the “monster”.

He later learned that this was just his parent’s way of making sure that he did not dilly-dally while doing his chores.

As we walked further into the forest we could see where chimps had built previous nest sites, something they do at night to sleep, but also at times during the day during heavy rains. We could also hear the sound of rain frogs, which must have been so thrilled to have had the rainfall during the night.

The smells of the forest were so clean and the colours of green so vivid and walking among the giant trees of Kibale was inspiring. After crossing a beautiful running stream, we headed for a fig tree where we had hoped to find some chimps enjoying their breakfast.

En route we found fresh elephant dung from the night before. It was full of dung-beetles scraping it together and making balls to roll away. The female dung-beetle after mating with the male, will lay a single egg in the ball and then bury it so that the dung-beetle larva which hatches, not only has a safe place from in which to develop but also nutritious food to eat. In nature, nothing goes to waste. We found the tree, and it was full of figs, but we came to realise that that the chimps had moved away upon hearing our approach. We were so close.

Our guide set off ahead to see if he could determine which way they had gone, while we waited to see if some would return. Alas, right above us was a female chimpanzee with her baby. Our first sighting of a chimp! As expected, she was shy and hid from us, but we were patient and waited and although the sighting did not improve, we felt that our time with her would be valued in time to come, after all this is a wild animal and it was doing what it knows best; self-preservation. Our guide came back but had said that the others were moving too quickly away and so we decided to move along too.

Around midday, our guide told us that we would be going to the habituated family and thanked us for our efforts for spending time in an area of the forest less travelled by humans. It wasn’t long before we came across a male chimp, who was seated at the base of a tree, feasting on the bark and even heartwood of the tree. And then another close by who was simply taking a nap in the middle of the trail. We had a great sighting and spent about half an hour watching him as he sat crossed-armed looking straight through us. When he decided to move, he followed a trail where the other had moved towards and soon we were following 5 males striding down the path ahead of us. On all fours, they moved quickly and with purpose.

Before finding them again, we’d heard a few shrieks and now looking at one of the chimps who had a small gash in its upper thigh, it appeared to us as though there may have been a small altercation between the chimps. Chimpanzees within a family form very close bonds with a clear rank among the individuals.

Males from other families are not tolerated and groups of males will often patrol their territory perimeters to ensure that there are no intruders. On this occasion however, it was more a case of hierarchy within the troop as we found the dominant male not too far away grooming another adult male. The male who had the wound allowed us to watch him as he treated his injury. He took a leaf, licked it and then dabbed in on his cut, licked it again and continued with this for at least 20 minutes, until he was satisfied that it was on the mend. Since he could not reach his thigh directly with his mouth to lick it, we found this behavior of using a leaf, although at times he did use his finger, very interesting!

When we caught up with the dominant male, we spent our last few precious minutes with him and another male, which eventually decided to rest and groom one another, just a few metres from us. What a delight. The finale was when they decided to move. The ‘big chief’ as he was affectionately called by our guide, walked right between us, as if we were rocks on either side of his path. We could not have hoped for more after spending 8 glorious hours in Kibale Forest.

After another scrumptious dinner, we took a short walk around the camp to see if we could spot any interesting nocturnal animals. Careful not to surprise an elephant, which seem to prefer moving around these parts at night, we treaded slowly looking high and low for anything that moved. Luck struck, just a few metres from the path we spotted a genet, who was standing motionless watching us, but within seconds it made its move to get away.

While we enjoyed a more leisurely breakfast at a slightly more reasonable hour, we watched Guereza Colobus and Red-tailed Monkeys feeding in the trees around the camp. As we headed back south, we decided to take the back route. After the rains we had a couple of nights ago, we hoped that the dirt road would be less dusty and this proved correct. As we drove, our Toyota Landcruiser handled the conditions extremely well. It was market day, and locals were loading up their bicycles with plantains to sell at the markets. They would walk beside their bikes pushing their heavy loads for kilometers to reach their selling point; no easy feat! We stopped to stretch our legs and enjoy the incredible sight of one of Uganda impressive volcanic crater lakes, Makekwa ndali, which apparently is the same lake that appears on Uganda’s bank notes.

The volcanic field is about 200 square kilometers and some of the craters in Queen Elizabeth National Park are up to 3 kilometers in diameter and 100 meters deep. These unusual formations were formed individually by a series of violent volcanic explosions over the last 1 million years. The explosions were a result of superheated gas and steam, and despite the volcanic activity, there was no lava flow. Many of the craters have now developed into picturesque saltwater lakes.

Soon after Kasese, we arrived at the equator. A wonderful opportunity to stretch our legs and take some photos of the group standing with a foot on either side of the equatorial line. Now south of the equator, we were driving in the famed Queen Elizabeth National Park, and fitting that the first animal we saw was in fact Uganda’s national animal, the Uganda Kob.

On our drive through the park, which hosts more savanna wildlife and very different terrain from the forests where we recently stayed, we were able to see Cape buffalo, Defassa waterbuck, while great sightings of both Cinnamon and White-throated Bee-eaters swooped alongside us catching insects on their wings.

We arrived at Mweya Lodge, superbly located, overlooking the Kazinga Channel in time for a hearty lunch. From our rooms, overlooking the channel below, we watched elephant bulls meandering down to the water for a drink and hippos and buffalo cooling down in muddy shallows on the edge of the channel. In the late afternoon, we set off on our private boat trip along the channel, which is a wide, 32-kilometre long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George.

From the boat we were able to get up close to the hippos and buffalo along with crocodiles, warthogs and kob. The constant calls of the Fish Eagles resident on the channel could be heard throughout the trip. Fantastic views of Red-throated Bea-eaters, Pygmy, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers and a plethora of wading bird was cherished by everyone. Seeing the African Skimmers in action and up-close was definitely a highlight and then as we rounded a corner, a family of 3 Giant Forest Hogs were feeding on the lush green grass at the water’s edge. This was a great sighing as they were out in the open and allowed us a good look. As with all wildlife trips, one must grab whatever one can see for one may not get the opportunity for a better chance again.My mantra in the bush; relishing and appreciating every moment for it is never repeated and seeing what we had up until this point, made me feel truly blessed. And yet there would still be much more to come!

The following morning as the sun rose over the channel, to the honking sounds of hippos and striking cries of the African Fish Eagle, we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading south to Ishasha.

En route, we passed through the Maramagambo Forest, which borders the eastern side of Lake Edward. The area had just receive good rain and what was incredibly striking was the groups of butterflies which collected around the muddy puddles along the edge of the dirt road. We got out of the vehicle to inspect and were astounded by the beauty of all the different colours, shapes and sizes. This also allowed us to listen to the sounds of the forest and we heard some branches snapping close-by, but unfortunately did not see the elephants responsible, although fresh dung was a clear sign that they had moved through fairly recently.

We had some more great sightings of Guereza Colobus Monkeys and Olive Baboons close to the road, as well as sightings of a few elephant bulls browsing in the distance. Our Landcruiser sloshed through the muddy potholes and it was exciting to see how green the landscape had become. Just 2 weeks prior, the whole area was dry and in some of these parts, deliberate fires were set to remove all the old moribund grasses to allow for all the new fresh growth after the rains, and how spectacular it was looking! The new growth was attracting large herds of buffalo, Uganda Kop and our first sighting of Topi. Our eyes were also searching hard in all the fig trees for the famed tree-climbing lions of QE.

We did enjoy good sightings of some large raptors, including the regal looking Martial Eagle, the Rüppel’s Griffon and unmistakable flight of the Bateleur Eagle, which rocks from side-to-side like a tight rope walker walking on a high rope. We arrived at Ishasha Wilderness Camp in time for a delicious lunch.

I was asked by our participants to make a special mention of all the meals we had in Uganda during our stay. They were all equally amazing!!! All made with authentic Ugandan flair, using all local ingredients. The avocados, bananas, pineapples and tree tomatoes were all a massive hit, not to mention the tea and coffee; two of Uganda’s main exports.

In the afternoon we headed out on a game drive. The plains were littered with herds of buffalo, Defassa waterbuck, Topi and lots of sure-footed Uganda Kob lambs, which were no more than a couple of weeks old. A Pallid Harrier was spotted scanning the short grasslands for prey, while the call of the Black-bellied Bustard called for our sundowner stop, as the guests enjoyed local lagers and appreciated the beautiful expansive vistas.

That night after dinner, we retired to a fire-pit on the edge of the river to enjoy a night cap. While we did so, two of the resident ‘dugga boys’, the affectionate name used to describe the big ol’ buffalo bulls, came sauntering through the camp between our rooms and down to the river for a late night graze. The days can be quite warm at this time of the year, so the bulls spend much of the heat of the day relaxing in mud wallows to keep cool, while the nights being much cooler, are great for moving around and grazing. Since these bulls do not follow a herd, their movements are less especially when they find a good patch of grazing and fresh drinking water. During the night we could hear the gentle rapids of the river, which made for all having a great night’s rest.

In the morning we awoke to the sound of Guereza Colobus monkeys and Crowned Hornbills calling. After breakfast, we set off and soon came across a Black-bellied Bustard intensely involved in a courtship display. We watched this fascinating ritual for over 20 minutes. The male was pecking the feathers around the head of the female, while she lay crouched on the ground. It’s often this bird’s call, which is amusing to watch as it sounds like a champagne cork popping from a bottle, but seeing this show was equally impressive. Another comical looking creature, which enjoys the short grass is a warthog, and we saw many enjoying the fresh new grass shoots coming through.

We did however also find the fresh remains of one warthog, just the skull; evidence of a predator nearby. A Yellow-billed Kite was feeding off these remains but we did not see any other parts of the carcass. Another bush mystery!

We searched in the morning and later on our drive in the afternoon for any sign of the tree-climbing lions but to no avail. We heard reports that they had moved further north but with the abundant prey had hoped that they would return. In the afternoon however, we did come across a young Kob, which had been hoisted into a tree. Exciting, a leopard in the midst. We decided to return the following morning to see if we could find it. Before breakfast, we were treated to a pair of Black-and- white Casqued Hornbills feeding their hungry young which were safely nested high up in the hollow of a tree.

While driving up on the edge of a swampland, we stopped to have a look at a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, resting in a faraway tree. While we were watching this massive owl through the scope, we spotted a couple of hyaenas resting in the papyrus reeds below. One of them was flushed out when a herd of buffalo approached the muddy waters and we managed a great view of her running through the fields, which sending warthogs fleeing, when they caught sight of her.

Leopard!!! We went back to the tree with the young Kob that had been hoisted and found a leopard sleeping in the tree alongside her prey. She was so relaxed that she hardly moved; her belly was full and hung between the forks of the branches. We all enjoyed some great photos, albeit at a distance, of this gorgeous feline. A great way to leave behind the riches of Queen Elizabeth National Park as we drove towards the rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for our final adventures.

After lunch, we headed into the local market to see some of the local crafts. We also heard drumming and this drew us in to see a dance performance by some children from the nearby primary school. Excellent talent and filled with energy, the children put on quite a show, which was to raise awareness and funds for their new school.

Birding around the lodge in the late afternoon yielded some delightful new species, namely Lüdher’s and Many-coloured Bush-shrikes, African Paradise and Blue Flycatchers and Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike. After a wonderful dinner, and a briefing on what to expect on our first gorilla trek that lay ahead, we all retired to bed with the sounds of rain all around.

The next day, calm after the storm, fresh clean air was filled with excitement for the day that lay ahead! We all chose our walking poles, provided by the superbly located Buhoma Lodge, and headed eagerly down to the visitor’s centre for our pre-trek briefing. There are 3 habituated Mountain Gorilla families that one is able to trek from this point. On this day we were to trek the Rushegura family, and walked from the centre directly past our lodge and into the primary forest of Bwindi in search of the endangered and much loved Mountain gorilla.

En route, our gorilla guide David, spoke about the Batwa tribe, who previously inhabited the forest and were relocated outside of the forest in the early 1990’s.Sounds of a Bar-tailed Trogon, and the very sought-after Willard’s Boubou (a recent split from the Mountain Black Boubou) were heard as well as the interesting sound of the Black-faced Rufous Warbler, whose call sounds like the beeping of a truck in reverse. Massive avocado trees, strangler figs, and giant snails were all glistening after the rain.

After a couple of hours of walking, we were alerted by the trackers, who had headed off earlier to locate signs of the gorilla family, that they had found where the family had slept the night before. Gorillas make a nest on the ground at night to sleep. The trackers guided us to where they were moving, as they were hot on the heels following the fresh tracks of the family.

It wasn’t long and we were in amongst the family who were up in the trees feeding. Kanywani, a young black back, whose name means the ‘playful one’, was the first gorilla we encountered.

This was in fact the very same one, who on the previous years’ trip, had approached me and sniffed my cheek before moving on. What a thrill it was to see him again, this time looking very relaxed as he came down from a tree and sat listening to the forest, allowing us a wonderful view!

Soon afterwards, we saw the family’s silverback, who strode along vigilantly listening to the sounds in the forest and family nearby, before settling down to rest. We enjoyed great views up close of a mother with her youngster, which was very playful. His mom however was building a nest to rest and tolerated her baby with the utmost gentleness.

Another mother with a baby climbed down from a tree and walk confidently right past us and came to rest near the other mother. This gave the two youngsters a chance to wrestle; one even tried its luck with a sub-adult female, who subtly rolled over and sat gently on the little one as if to say “I’m too big for you to play with and I’m trying to sleep”. We had great views of them in the open.

After a fantastic hour with these majestic animals, we slowly retreated to a distance away, where we could all enjoy our packed lunches and chat about our incredible first encounter with the Mountain Gorillas!

In the afternoon, we headed over to a craft centre, which was established by a young woman and her mother as a way to empower many of the local woman. We were able to see first-hand the skills of these talented woman as they wove mats, bowls and baskets. Others were making clothes from very colourful fabrics attained in West Africa. A visit to the adjacent hospital also gave us a chance to see the wonderful work that is going on to uplift the healthcare in the community. Those who stayed behind at the lodge for a complimentary massage enjoyed great views of a very playful family of L’Hoest’s Monkeys, which bounded around on the decks in front of their rooms.

The next day we were to trek the Mubare family, a real thrill indeed, since this was the very first habituated family of Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We drove for about an hour through the beautiful countryside before reaching the point from where we would trek. We were with David, who was once again in radio contact with the trackers. We headed down a steep slope, while being helpfully assisted by our porters, who not only took the weight off our shoulders by carrying our bags but were always very willing to pull and push us whenever we required any assistance.

After a couple of hours of walking the slopes in this beautiful forest, we were led to find the Mubare family who were settled in a valley between the sloping hills. We first encountered a young black back who was sitting on a vine. He started to swing on it to reach some of the leaves on a tree that he desired but then suddenly and very playfully reached out to one of the participants and grabbed hold of her jacket and then let go as he swung away. We retreated slightly, and no sooner than we had, he mischievously tried this move again. It was so much fun and an incredible privilege to feel a part of this family as we moved around, the gorillas not paying any attention to our presence.

The family has a very old silverback in charge of the group, who was very vocal whenever he wanted the group to move. On a couple of occasions we watched him make some low grunts after which he would stand up, effortlessly lean on a branch and then snap it as he moved with great authority. According to David, he’d been receiving some pressures from other outside males trying to take some of the females away from his family. A light rain had begun to fall, which just added to the wonderful feeling of being in the presence of these gentle giants and being one with this stunning habitat. We observed at least 4 females with young and were fortunate to have them stride right past us when they were instructed to move by the chief male silverback.

Before our hour was up, we were able to sit and watch this massive silverback lying prostrate watching us; a truly soul-touching experience, and a phenomenal way to end our time in Bwindi!

We relished another really enjoyable dinner, which was filled with stories of our incredible encounters of our trip. The following morning we chartered a flight back to Entebbe, not before giving out a few soccer balls to some very excited young children, enjoyed a final lunch together at the Boma hotel, and said our farewells with memories that will last a lifetime!

A special thanks to our local guide Livingstone for his kind nature and wealth of knowledge and to all the respective lodges where we stayed for their incredible hospitality and wonderful meals. Also, a big thank you to all the trekking guides, who spend each day in the forest informing guests about the need for conservation and the special role that they play in preserving such habitat and the animals that reside within.

And of course, a big thank you to all our participants for being on board this expedition and for the great humour and enthusiasm shown throughout!

Photo credits to Greg Whelan and L’Hoest’s Monkey and Silverback by Bellingham Safaris participant Louise Studd.

Download the Mammal & Bird species spotted on our Uganda Expedition

The post Uganda Expedition 2018 appeared first on Bellingham Safaris.

Dates: 15 – 26 March 2017
Location: Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India

Upon arriving at the Grand Dragon Hotel, I requested that everyone have a good meal, hydrate, and go to bed. Too many people want to explore this beautiful landscape well before their bodies have acclimatized to the altitude, and I asked them to resist this temptation and rest. Half an hour after they had gone to their rooms, I woke them up and asked them to ignore what I had just said, get changed, and meet me in the lobby as soon as they could… against all odds Phunchok and our ground team had spotted a snow leopard while having lunch an hour outside of Leh!

What followed was a thrilling (or terrifying, depending on which side of the vehicle you were on) high-speed ride in a minibus along a network of tiny mountain passes and hairpin bends, with sheer drops, warning hoots and breath-taking views of the Indus and Zanskar Valleys. When we joined Phunchok he had a concerned look on his face, fearing it had disappeared, but as the cold seeped into our bones we saw a movement in the scopes… a snow leopard… sighted within hours of arriving in Leh and two days before we were to enter Hemis National Park. It was far away but we all had a clear view, and were hugging each other like long lost friends.

We stayed with the great cat for almost two hours and I had the feeling that if this was the only sighting we had this lovely group of people would have been satisfied. Everything from here on in was going to be a bonus.

The next day we went to a local market, got some extra supplies in town and visited the majestic Thiksey Monastery and Maitreya the grand Buddha of the future that resides inside. We passed through scores of adobe houses, settled into the altitude and got a taste for the simplistic and beautiful Buddhist lifestyle of the people. Another majestic sunrise at Grand Dragon the following day heralded the beginning of our journey into Hemis.

We were lucky to see a herd of Ladakh urial on the way into India’s largest national park. As is custom we spent half an hour in a ritual respecting the guardians of the mountains. There are two rock spires at the entrance to Hemis that remind me of a scene in Lord of the Rings, and here we saw our first blue sheep. It’s hard to describe the feeling of returning to this deep, soulful wilderness.

We made it to the base camp where we met our amazing crew and settled into the gentle days of camp life.

Flocks of hill pigeons and curious magpies would join us in camp, often stopping by looking for scraps. Golden eagles soared overhead almost daily. One day, one stooped out of the sky and narrowly missed a Himalayan snowcock. We had lammergeiers constantly floating above us daily and there were lots of wolf tracks and droppings. This year blue sheep dotted the cliffs in abundance. A large-eared pika scrabbled from its stony hideout, and every morning chukar partridge slid awkwardly across the frozen river. At night we caught the occasional glimpse of the Tibetan red fox and were spell bound by the stars.

Photographically the landscape is incredible. Many of the scenes, like the dzo, cow-yak hybrids, plodding their way past dilapidated Buddhist stupas feel like something out of a star wars set. We visited the Rhumbak hamlet and while walking along the frozen river we found a pair of Eurasian Eagle-owls nesting in the gorge. I was distressed to see that the government are continuing to blast a road up to the hamlet and I wonder what impact this might have on snow leopard and other wildlife in the years to come. Certainly I think the time to come and try and see these cats is now. We shared a body-warming cup of chai a very heart-warming cultural exchange with our spotter Nawang’s family.

Our other spotter I had not worked with before. His name is Sonam, and had on previous trips worked as a chef. I remembered a trip in 2013 when the only two sightings had been spotted by a chef in camp while everyone else was out. I put two and two together and realised this was the same Sonam. I was incredibly impressed by his sharp eyes but more by his determination and belief that we were going to find a snow leopard in what often seems like an impossibility in this vast place. He was up at the break of light and was very often the last person to put his scope away even when we were having lunch breaks. His patience was a beautiful thing to witness.

At lunch time on day five we were feasting in the tent and heard a commotion outside. Sonam had found what he thought was a snow leopard. Choking down our food we shakily got scopes on what was essentially a tuft of hair not too far from our camp. Movement! But there was something strange about the size… another tuft of hair that couldn’t belong to the same cat. Two snow leopards! No, three! A mother with two sub-adults, and the first time these sub-adults had been seen! We pulled up camp chairs and spent the afternoon watching them until at dusk they finally rose and sauntered down the mountainside and into the valley.

One day we woke to a snowy wonderland, there was child-like delight amongst us as we brushed the white from our tents. The snow can be a blessing once it clears: it can make tracking a little easier and also covers up the vegetation which brings the blue sheep (and thus the snow leopards) down to lower altitudes.

On the last day we did another walk up to the Rhumbak valley, it was an incredible day bathed in sunshine. We felt so lucky we had seen so much and simply enjoyed our last day in the peace and solitude of the mountains. We essentially had the national park to ourselves, the few locals from Rhumbak were the only other humans. We stopped at our viewing point and alternated between sleeping in the sun and scouring the mountainsides.

At about 4pm, when the light was starting to fade and we were considering heading back Nawang spotted a Eurasian lynx!

It was just a dot on the snow-covered slopes but we could make out enough of its feline features to realize what it was. Hurriedly we started aiming the rest of the scopes in its direction worried it would disappear. Just as I was about to reposition my scope for our guests I had the strangest feeling and what I can only describe as an energetic tap on the shoulder from behind us. I turned and lifted my binoculars and to my surprise they fell on a magnificent snow leopard sitting in the rocks. It likely had been watching us for the entire day. So, we had a Eurasian lynx in some of the scopes and a snow leopard in the other! This king of the mountain was very generous with his presence as the light dwindled we got to admire him walking across the rocks and higher up into his snowy domain.

*******

I would like to thank Phunchok and the amazing staff that we work with, their hospitality and grace was as always, remarkable. I’d like to thank the incredible guests: Jacqui, Jeremy, Craig, Karlien and Lauren… you really made this journey extra special. I hope the memory of that Himalayan air comes to you whenever you need it.

Compiled by Bellingham Safaris Tour Leader James Kydd

Annotated list of bird species seen:
Clements [ommissions] and (changes)

Pheasants (Phasiannidae)
Himalayan snowcock, Tetraogallus himalayensis
Seen on most days of the trip

Chukar partirdge, Alectoris chukar
Seen on most days of the trip in and around camp

Ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
Seen near the Shey Marshes

Gadwall, Anas strepera
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus

Hawks, vultures and eagles (Accipitridae)
Bearded vulture (Lammergeier), Gypaetus barbatus
Seen on most days of the trip, we had some excellent sightings

Himalayan vulture (Griffon), Gyps himalayensis
We had two distant sightings

Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos
This impressive apex predator was seen on most days of the trip.

Crakes and coots (Rallidae)
Eurasian coot, Fulica atra
Seen at the Shey Marsh

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)
Rock dove (pigeon), Columba livia
Seen in most villages of the larger villages we passed through.

Hill pigeon, Columba rupestris
Seen at basecamp and in the small hamlets of Hemis.

Crows, jays (Corvidae)
Eurasian magpie, Pica pica
Seen on most days throughout the trip.

Red-billed chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Seen on most days throughout the trip.

Alpine (yellow-billed) chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus
A handful of sightings in Hemis.

Carrion crow, Corvus corone
Seen once in Leh.

Tits (Paridae)
Great tit, Parus major
Seen around the camp.

Chats, old world flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Guldenstadts (White-winged) redstart, Phoenicurus erythrogastrus
Seen on numerous occasions in the valleys around Leh.

Old world sparrows, snowfinches (Passeridae)
House sparrow, Passer domesticus
Seen around human habitation.

Tibetan (Black-winged) snowfinch, Montifringilla adamsi
Seen in the Rhumbak Valley.

Accentors (Prunellidae)
Robin accentor, Prunella rubeculoides
Seen on a number of occasions, especially in the Rhumbak Village

Brown accentor, Prunella fulvescens
Seen near camp.

Wagtails (Motacillidae)
White wagtail, Motacilla alba
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus.

Finches (Fringillidae)
Red-fronted (Fire-fronted) Serin, Serinus pusillus
Seen once in Leh, and once briefly near base camp.

Annotated list of mammal species seen:

Pikas (Ochotonidae)
Large-eared pika, Ochotonidae macrotis
An excellent sighting of this beautiful lagomorph

Hares and rabbits (Leporidae)
Wooly hare, Lepus oiotolus
We saw few hares compared to previous trips, but were able to get a couple of sightings through the scopes.

Dogs and allies (Canidae)
Red fox, Vulpes vulpes Montana
Seen twice around the camp at night, and were alarm calling on one of the evenings.

Cats (Felidae)
Snow leopard, Panthera uncia
We had a distant view of an individual on or first day, and hour from the hotel. We had a wonderful late evening view of a mother and two sub-adults from our camp on our 5th day in Hemis, apparently the first viewing of these sub-adults. We saw a beautiful individual in the Rhumbak Valley on our last full day.

Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx
A distant but thrilling view of one in the snowline on our last full day.

Bovids and horned ungulates (Bovidae)
Bharal or blue sheep, Psedois nayaur
The most common large mammal: we had a number of excellent sightings of these hardy creatures.

Ladakh urial, Ovis orientalis vignei
We had two lucky sightings on our way to Hemis.

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Bellingham Safaris guests on tour in India had excellent Tiger sightings over the Easter weekend (they spent over an hour with 5 Tigers in Kanha National Park!). While the general wildlife sightings have been excellent in India this year, it is the cat sightings that have really stolen the limelight-:

• The group currently on tour in India saw 3 Asian Leopards in Satpura National Park.
• Our Snow Leopard Tour last month produced 5 Snow Leopard sightings and a Eurasian Lynx.

Also on the cat front (but this time in Brazil) in early April the Oncafari team in the Brazilian Pantanal added an additional female Jaguar to the growing number of animals they have respectfully worked with to habituate. Bellingham Safaris has helped the Oncafari Jaguar project in numerous ways since it’s inception with Simon being a co-founder. The credibility of the work done by the Oncafari Jaguar Project was further elevated when BBC showcased their work to the world at the start of this year in a documentary narrated by, none other than, Sir David Attenborough!

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Gorillas, Chimps and more!!! Our Bellingham Safaris scheduled expedition to Uganda in February this year was a wonderful success. Hosted by tour leaders Simon Bellingham and Greg Whelan, the intrepid tour participants were able to enjoy fantastic sightings of Uganda’s wildlife including the endangered Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi, tree-climbing Lions in Ishasha and Chimps in Kibale…

View the trip report

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Location: Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India

Conditions: Cold! We had a number of mild evenings, but also some very cold ones, two thermometers recorded -15C inside the “relative warmth” of the tent. There was very little snow when we arrived, but we got a fair amount of it on our last few days obscuring visibility.

Compiled by: James Kydd, including photos

One of the most impressive sights on this expedition is from the flight into Leh and the view of the Himalayas from above. We spent our first two days acclimatizing to the 3500m altitude at the Grand Dragon Hotel, and took a few minor excursions from this base. We had some good birding in and around Leh, highlights being excellent sightings of both Ibisbill and the elusive Solitary Snipe. The visit to the Thiksey Monastery and the beautiful Maitreya Buddha was a cultural delight with Phunchok teaching us the intricacies of Ladakhi Buddhism. Some of us spent an enjoyable afternoon bargaining in the Leh market. We managed to catch a delightful sunrise over the mountains from the elevated Shanti Stupa, and then dedicated an afternoon to looking for the Ladakh urial, passing the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers and eventually finding a herd near the Nimmo village just as we were about to call it a day.

The next day we made our way deep into the mountains, the winding roads and their precarious drop-offs adding to the building excitement. We loaded up the mules and made our way up the valley. There had been very little snowfall so far this winter, and so not only was the snow-line at a much higher altitude, so were the blue sheep, the snow leopards’ major food source in Hemis. We thus decided to shift base camp from our usual area to just below the little Rhumbak hamlet at an elevation of 3950m.

I had really missed Hemis and was delighted to return to its towering rocks, ice-capped streams and frozen waterfalls. When we arrived in camp we were greeted with the news that there had been no sightings for the last 5 days, and that 15 groups this season had returned home empty handed…not that it in any way dampened the positive spirit in our team. We spent that afternoon just above our camp on an open field that would be our main scanning area for the next 8 days.

The following day we headed up the Rhumbak valley, and found a wooly hare, robin accentors, Chuckar Partridges and a few flocks of Fire-fronted Serins. There were also tracks of both Snow Leopard and the Tibetan Wolf.

We took our time, allowing our bodies to adjust to the altitude, and before we knew it the day had passed. We returned to the little Rhumbak hamlet for a memorable tea with Dorjay’s family, and then made our way back to camp for a last scan before sunset.

The radio suddenly was ablaze with excited voices, and luckily we were in the perfect position…. within minutes we had our scopes on a mother Snow Leopard and her two sub-adult cubs! They were far away, perhaps 1.5 – 2km, but we could see them clearly as they moved about on the opposite slope. We watched them in the evening light for roughly an hour, even watching her attempt to hunt some Blue Sheep (with the impatient youngsters eventually betraying her presence). There was much hugging and dancing…we couldn’t believe our luck having a sighting on our second day! According to Smanla this was the first time these cubs had been seen!

Scanning these mountainsides metre by metre, day by day is a meditative experience, requiring great patience and concentration, and can be difficult for anyone who is used to a world of instant gratification.

Though we saw no more Snow Leopards for another week, Hemis was full of magical experiences, and here are a few of our highlights in the eyes of our expedition team:

The smiling faces of Dorjay and Dorjay. The sound of the water flowing underneath the iced river. The Blue Sheep jumping from impossibly precarious perches, and their ability to survive on the incredibly sparse vegetation. The plethora of colourful lichens that stained the mountain rocks. Petroglyphs on the rocks that could date back pre-1500 BC. The light falling on snow flakes. The jangling sound of the bells on the donkeys’ necks, that somehow seemed to add to the peaceful Buddhist atmosphere. The haunting call of the Himalayan Snowcocks. Cups of hot, sweet masala chai that always seemed to arrive at the perfect moment. The Tibetan Foxes calling around camp in the evening. That first kiss of morning light on the snow capped peaks. The giant yak that gently sauntered through camp every day like an old samurai warrior. Finding fossils in the rocks and the consequent thought of these great mountains being pushed up from the sea as India crashed into Asia some 40-50 million years ago. Having a mountain weasel run in between a few of our group, and then allowing us to watch it for a good ten minutes. A young Lammergeier, with its formidable wings, that would soar right over our heads at 12 o’clock each day. The flocks of Hill Pigeons that danced through the valleys in unison. The thrill of scoping, and looking for treasures through the eyepiece. Meditations on a rock overlooking the Rhumbak valley. The beautiful places we stopped for lunch. The jangling melodies of the Fire-fronted Serins as they drifted past in little clouds. The family of Chukars ice-skating their way across the frozen rivers. The anniversary celebrations of two of our guests and the cake chef Dorjay somehow managed to make. Following tracks of a Snow Leopard into a small valley (with Petra) in a howling snow storm. The hot water bottles in our sleeping bags. Waking up to a white wonderland after an evening of heavy snow. Making snowmen and even a reasonable effort at a Snow Leopard sculpture. The fleeting glimpse of the Large-eared Pika. The majestic Golden Eagles that lorded over the skies. The moonlit evenings, and the stars when the clouds cleared. The celebratory snow leopard dance…caught on film!

The best was saved for last. On our final morning we headed up to our usual spotting area for a last attempt. One of our ground crew came to meet us and had information about a Snow Leopard that had been seen near the Matho village, about an hour from the Grand Dragon where we were to stay that night.

We immediately packed up all our gear and began our decent. Four hours later we were within 150m of a snow leopard that was resting next to two calves it had killed in the village!

The villagers were amazing and thanks to a good relationship with our team had not chased it away. We were able to spend most of the afternoon in its presence. A sighting as good as this we had not imagined, and it was an incredible finale to our trip.

Much thanks to the amazing team that looked after us with such care and constant smiles: Dorjay and Norbu for your gentlemanly service, Chefs Dorjay and Sonam: your food was amazing, Spalzang and Dorjay you have incredible eyes and great natures, Tundup for all your help carrying the load, Smanla for your incredible knowledge and skills, Stanzin and Phunchok for always going out of your way for us. And lastly thanks to this year’s expedition team for your good nature and positive vibes…that’s the first time there’s been such a party in such a small tent!

Annotated list of mammal species seen:

Pikas (Ochotonidae)
Large-eared Pika, Ochotonidae macrotis
An excellent sighting of this beautiful lagomorph

Hares and rabbits (Leporidae)
Wooly Hare, Lepus oiotolus
We saw few hares compared to previous trips, but were able to get a good sighting of one through the scopes.

Dogs and allies (Canidae)
Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes Montana
Seen once around the camp at night, and were alarm calling on one of the evenings.

Cats (Felidae)
Snow Leopard, Panthera uncia
We had a distant and breathtaking sighting of a mother and her two cubs, apparently the first time they had been seen by our local guides. We had an excellent sighting of another snow leopard on our last day near a tiny village called Matho.

Mustelids (Mustelidae)
Mountain Weasel, Mustela altaica
We had a couple of excellent sightings close to camp, after many hours of searching.

Bovids and horned ungulates (Bovidae)
Bharal or Blue Sheep, Psedois nayaur
The most common large mammal: we had a number of distant sightings but few close sightings compared to previous years, probably due to the snow line being so much higher this year.
Ladakh Urial, Ovis orientalis vignei
The Urial proved to be hard work. After an afternoon of searching we had a long distance view of a herd near Nimmo Village, and then a lucky sighting just before Zingchen on our way into Hemis.

Annotated list of bird species seen:

Clements [omissions] and (changes)

Pheasants (Phasiannidae)
Himalayan Snowcock, Tetraogallus himalayensis
Seen on most days of the trip
Chukar Partirdge, Alectoris chukar
Seen on most days of the trip in and around camp

Ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus
Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus and at the Shey Marsh
Northern Pintail, Anas acuta
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus
Garganey, Anas querquedula
Seen at the Shey Marsh
European (Green-winged) Teal, Anas crecca
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
Seen near the Shey Marshes
Gadwall, Anas strepera
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus

Hawks, vultures and eagles (Accipitridae)
Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier), Gypaetus barbatus
Seen on most days of the trip, we had some excellent sightings
Himalayan Vulture (Griffon), Gyps himalayensis
We had two distant sightings
Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos
This impressive apex predator was seen on four days of the trip.

Crakes and coots (Rallidae)
Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus
Seen in Leh along a tributary of the Indus
Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra
Seen at the Shey Marsh

Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha)
Ibisbill, Ibidorhyncha struthersii
A couple of excellent sighting of this prized bird outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus

Sandpipers and Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Solitary Snipe, Gallinago solitaria
A wonderful view of this hard to find bird near the Thiksey monastery.
Common Redshank, Tringa totanus
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus.
Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus.
Green Sandpiper, Tringa ochropus
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus.

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Pigeon), Columba livia
Seen in most villages of the larger villages we passed through.
Hill Pigeon, Columba rupestris
Seen at basecamp and in the small hamlets of Hemis.

Owls, Strigidae
Eurasian Eagle-owl, Bubo bubo

Crows, jays (Corvidae)
Eurasian Magpie, Pica pica
Seen on most days throughout the trip.
Red-billed Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Seen on most days throughout the trip.
Alpine (yellow-billed) Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus
A handful of sightings in Hemis.
Carrion Crow, Corvus corone
Saw a number of individuals in Leh.

Tits (Paridae)
Great Tit, Parus major
Seen throughout the trip especially around the camp.

Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
Seen outside Leh along a tributary of the Indus, and once within Hemis.

Chats, old world Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Güldenstädts (White-winged) Redstart, Phoenicurus erythrogastrus
Seen on numerous occasions in the valleys around Leh.

Old world Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae)
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
Seen around human habitation.
Tibetan (Black-winged) Snowfinch, Montifringilla adamsi
Seen in the Rhumbak Valley.

Accentors (Prunellidae)
Robin Accentor, Prunella rubeculoides
Seen on a number of occasions, we had an excellent view of one in the Rhumbak Village
Brown Accentor, Prunella fulvescens
We had a sighting close to our camp.

Finches (Fringillidae)
Brandt’s Mountain Finch, Leucosticte brandti
Seen in the Rhumbak Valley
Spotted (Great) Rosefinch, Carpodacus severtzovi
Seen near the Rhumbak village
Red-mantled Rosefinch, Carpodactus rhodochamys
Seen by one of our team in the Rhumbak Village
Red-fronted (Fire-fronted) Serin, Serinus pusillus
Seen once in Leh, and once briefly near base camp

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