Thursday, November 26, 2009







THE FIRST TIME I WENT BIRD WATCHING



What an amazing country Uganda is, it has over 1043 bird species, over 100 mammals and now about 33 million people country-wide.



The first time I went bird watching had been the exciting moment of my life. I was given a chance to appreciate the wildlife in Uganda. My father was the tour guide and decided to bring me along so that I could also share in the wonderful experience of bird watching. Of course, it doesn't involve birds only but animals and plants as well.To become a bird watcher, one must be equipped with binoculars, a field guide book and a notebook to write down the creatures seen. After picking up the guests from Entebbe, we headed for our first stop,the largest national park in Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park. This is where the spectacular Murchison Falls are located. It is rich in wildlife as well such as: lions, elephants,antelopes and warthogs as well as the rare Shoe bill. We had a boat trip on the Nile and had the opportunity of seeing the great falls as water gushed downwards at incredible speed.

Next we moved to the south west , our destination being Queen Elizabeth National Park, the second largest national park in Uganda. Within the park is the Kazinga channel, which joins Lake Edward to Lake George. Both the game drive and boat trip were fantastic. Water birds like the pelicans couldn't be missed. And also, for the first time, I was able to see a wild cheetah in the grasslands.








Our next destination was the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This national park is home to at least half of the world's mountain gorillas. These gentle but big beasts are the main attraction in this park. My father encouraged me to start bird watching so that he can start the young birder's club in Uganda.







The destination that followed was the most uncomfortable for me as the temperatures were too low. I had to cover my self with two bed covers and put on a jacket. From there, we transfered to Entebbe where we did a little birding and I earned my first salary for having some knowledge about birds at such a young age(which was five dollars). We bid the visitors farewell and a safe trip as we also turned to go back home. Accomodation throughout the journey was satisfactory.



Young birders at Entebbe