Mburo lake safari and birding trip
August 27, 2010

Mburo lake, together with Kidepo valley to the north, is the only place where to see the zebras in Uganda, and we see many of them, sometimes playing just in front of our car. Thanks to the expert eyes of our guide, we see also a beautiful leopard, a very rare event, as this animal is very shy. A cruise on lake Mburo has offered many birds, including some of them that can be found only here.

The trip from lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo lasts only a few hours, thanks to the presence of a road paved for most of the distance. Crossing the town of Kabale, we have to wait for about an hour for the arrival of gas truck from Kampala, before getting fuel and continue our trip.

	While waiting for the fuel truck, we watch how the life goes on in this small Ugandan city, among people carrying loads at times unimaginable, using a simple bicycle.

A bus in Uganda...

Tailoring...

We continue our trip to Mburo lake national park. The last part of the road becomes again very bumpy and dusty.

Once in Mburo lake national park, we find again the typical African savannah landscape, although here the vegetation is thicker and greener than the national parks visited in the days before.

We start our game drive in Mburo lake in southern Uganda and we soon spot a river warthog with her cub.

During our safari to Mburo lake, we see many impalas and some waterbuck.

	Zebra pictures. Mburo lake national park is the only place in Uganda, together with Kidepo valley to the north, where is possible to see zebras.

We get a leisurely cruise into Mburo lake, searching for birds, hippos and other typical wildlife.

This cruise is especially attractive to birdwatchers, as it allows to observe a large number of birds, some of which are endemic and only live in Lake Mburo. In the photos, some majestic African fish eagles. The Mburo lake national park is a destination that shouldn't be missed by birders looking for a birding trip to Uganda.

In fact, during our cruise, we continue to see a large number of colorful birds.
Blue-breasted kingfisher picture ( Halcyon malimbica )	Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus )
Pictures of Kingfishers ( Alcedo cristata )

	Beside some hippopotamus, we don't see many additional larger animals during the cruise to Mburo lake, but such cruise remains still spectacular because of the countless birds seen.

Resuming our trip on the Toyota 4x4, heading back to the accommodation for the next night and convinced they we have seen everything for today, our guide miraculously manages to see a magnificent leopard camouflaged in the vegetation of the dry bush. Spotting a leopard in Uganda is rare, as these animals are typically nocturnal, shy, and they know perfectly how to hide themselves in the bush.

	Finally, leaving the Mburo National Park, a group of zebras greets us rolling on the ground and beginning to play. Our goodbye to magnificent Uganda couldn't be better than this. The next day, we have a long journey back to Kampala and Entebbe, from where a British Airways flight will take us back to Italy thru London.

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