Our boat guide said “Purple,” but I couldn’t understand his pronunciation. I asked three times, and it always sounded like he was saying something that started with a “C” and had a bunch of letters. I thought I knew all the wading bird species we might see at Mabamba Swamp, but I couldn’t pull something … Read more
The termite mound glistened in the late afternoon sun. Sand silica caught the rays, making it look as if thousands of diamonds had been embedded by those insects in their home’s exterior. We were climbing a dirt road through scrub savannah, heading for our next stay at Lake Mburo National Park, having just started our … Read more
The bird looked over its shoulder and back at me. His black eye sent an arrow right into my chest, and I shivered. It was as if he was checking me out, assessing whether he could take me or how much of a fight I might put up. The wind twisted his tail back and … Read more
“Please find me a good seat, someplace where I can sit in the sun and watch the world go by. My happiness will soar.” We spotted this young male Olive Baboon crotched down, with its back to a thick trunk. He gazed out across the bush. One hand gripped the broken branch, and his eyes … Read more
Turacos live in equatorial Africa, and 23 living species occur in this family. Turacos are the only bird family found in the order Musophagidae. In graduate school, we studied all the orders (41) and many birds’ families, trying to build a broad ornithological knowledge in our education. Turacos are intensely colored, and their feathers contain … Read more
The Nubian giraffe is a subspecies of the northern giraffe and is the most endangered subspecies of this mammal. It is found in Uganda and Kenya. Habitat loss has decreased populations, and this subspecies, because of its unique coat, was highly prized by zoos. We hoped to see some in Lake Mburo National Park, where … Read more
Our problem was our fascination with everything from butterflies to elephants. It slowed us down everywhere as one or another of us would spot something to investigate. Our guide, Nelson, was a fantastic person. His knowledge is vast, his patience tremendous, and his ability to show us things impressive. He knew all the places to … Read more