10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2012

I’m heading in a slightly different direction, focussing on a group we haven’t really looked at here before, but one that most people enjoy seeing, monkeys! Kibale National Park, in the west of the Central African nation of Uganda, is home to a 13 primate species, from Common Chimpanzees to bush-babies.

Monkeys 168

Monkeys Uganda Primates Cameroon 168

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2016

and dreaming of a place where the heat is moderate, beer snake-cold and birds innumerable… Let’s say, where the average annual maximum varies from 22 to 24 degrees Celsius / 72 to 75 Fahrenheit and where some 700+ bird species – 24 of them endemic – are waiting for an intrepid birder… Answer to the riddle?

Africa 140

Africa Uganda Gorillas Rwanda 140

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

The first time I went was for my Masters Field Trip, studying tropical ecology in Kenya (otherwise known as the best month of my life). My third trip was six months spend working on a monkey project in the jungles of Uganda. As has been the case every time I’ve been to Africa before, I won’t be there just for play.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). Ethiopia, a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Yellow-billed Stork.

Ethiopia 249

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Birds 249

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 14, 2012

There are also dry areas but this great diversity has resulted in an incredible bird list of over 900 species including Africa’s 2nd highest count of endemics (after South Africa). A two-week birding tour could expect around 400 species and up to 550 in 3 weeks, including sightings of most of Ethiopia’s endemic and near-endemic birds.

Ethiopia 273

Ethiopia Eritrea Africa Mammals 273

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

A few years ago while I was watching elephants in the Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya with elephant researcher Iain Douglas-Hamilton, I noticed a teenaged female, Babyl, who walked very slowly and had difficulty taking each step. Stories about animals rescuing members of their own and other species, including humans, abound.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100