Note
My name is D. Sande. I have been birding for more than 7 years now, a hobby I picked up while
working as a reservation assistant at an adventure company in Uganda. In the last years I have been
inspired to start Nature Trails East Africa where I share prominent and new birding destinations and
trails in our region of East Africa, and have planned birding and wildlife trips for a number of
twitchers and nature lovers.
Area
My country is Uganda which is so beautiful and so diverse, no wander it is famously
referred to as the “Pearl of Africa”. It is gifted with nice weather (here it is not blazing hot
and it is not cold, you can comfortably be shirtless through the day and the night). Uganda is a
meeting point of Africa’s several biomes and so is endowed with beautiful landscapes and diverse
habitats and wildlife. This diversity can be seen in the huge checklist of 1097 (and counting)
bird species and all types of animals including primates like gorillas and chimps, all the
famous big five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) and lots of reptiles and fishes. I
live near Lake Victoria and enjoy birding in the many wetlands (Mabamba, Lutembe, Makanaga),
gardens, bushlands and forests along Africa’s biggest lake. My favorite time of the year is the
migrants’ season that starts from around October to May when lots of wintering birds fly in from
the Palearctic region running from the freezing winter of Europe and beyond to take shelter in
the beautiful warm weather along the Equator. I look forward to seeing the arrivals in October
and follow their plumage changes from dull when they just arrived, to stunning when they are
setting off to go back. My checklist increases every migration season.
My favorite local bird in my locality is the legendary Shoebill. For the visiting
migrants, well I don’t have a fixed favorite because I see something exciting each time. But I
never get enough of the stunning European Roller, as much as I love the challenge of the very
difficult warblers.
Area Birds
Lutembe wetland: Little Bittern, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Tchagra,
Rufous-chested Swallow, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Black Crake, Nubian Woodpecker, Orange
Weaver, Purple Heron, Klass' Cuckoo, Diederik's Cuckoo, Red-headed Lovebird, Fawn-breasted
Waxbill, Slender-billed Weaver
Mabamba wetland: Shoebill, African Darter, African Jacana,
Lesser Jacana, Weyn's Weaver, Superb Sunbird, Purple Swamphen
Botanical Gardens: Northern
Black Flycatcher, Crowned Hornbill
Mabira Forest: Red-headed Malimbe, Green-tailed
Bristlebill, Honeyguide Greenbul, Forest Robin, Narina Trogon, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Forest
Woodhoopoe, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush
Interests
Nature: birdwatching, twitching, photography, hiking, butterflies,
fishing, sport fishing, boating
Travel: bus, car, biking, long walk
canoe
Visit: tourist site, museum, restaurant, nature spot, beach, lake
Attend: theatre, live music,sports event, antique, convention
Participate: night life, party, dance, club, bar