Bulletin 376 - Uganda #20 - Sandpipers and other water birds, baboon

After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

There are many lakes and rivers in Uganda, so they have a diversity of resident and migrant shore birds and other water birds.

I was hoping to see some new sandpipers from Eurasia and I did get one lifer, the 8.5" Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea). It is IDed in winter plumage here by the slight droop at the end of the bill. In breeding plumage, it is a beautiful chestnut color on the head and underparts.

Curlew Sandpiper - non-breeding

The 16"  Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a winter resident. It is IDed by the long straight 2 toned bill. This was only my second time to see this bird.

Black-tailed Godwit

The 13" Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) has greenish legs and a slightly upturned bill.

Common Greenshank

The 8" Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucus) is identical to our Spotted Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage. The white spot on the shoulder is the ID mark.

Common Sandpiper

The 9" Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is similar to the Solitary Sandpiper here, with the eye ring, dark wings with white spots.

Green Sandpiper

The 8" Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) has spotted wings and back and yellow legs.

Wood Sandpiper

Snipes tend to be secretive, so it is always nice to see them in the open as this 11" Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago). It is similar to our Wilson's Snipe with the long bill and stripes along the back.

Common Snipe

An exciting find was another lifer, but it is a member of a closely related family - the painted-snipes. This is a tiny family of 3 species. The 9.5" Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) is a secretive bird in marshes. I had looked for this bird in rice paddies in China without success. 

Greater Painted-snipe

The 6.5" Lesser Jacana (Microparra capensis) is a small, secretive marsh bird. This was another lifer and the only one of this species for the trip. It has long legs and a rufous crown.

Lesser Jacana

I saw my second baboon species in Uganda, the Olive Baboon (Papio anubis). It is a large gray to olive brown monkey with a range across central Africa.

Olive Baboon

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 50 of the 93 species of sandpipers

I have photos of 5 of the 8 species of  jacanas

I have photos of 9 of the 135 species of  old world monkeys

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

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