Feb 8th – Arrival to Entebbe, Uganda.  Transfer to a hotel near the shores of Lake Victoria.  For those who arrive early enough we will have an afternoon trip to the botanical gardens which is a great place to photograph a variety of birds including African Grey Parrot, Ross’s Turaco and Black-headed Gonolek.  The bottle brush bushes here attract a wide variety of beautiful sunbirds.  Accommodation: K Hotel, 4 star

Feb 9th – We will spend the morning photographing at the Botanical Gardens.  The lake edge usually has White-throated Bee-eaters and we will look for various sunbirds.  Then we will check out and drive down to the west side of Lake Victoria to the Mabamba Wetlands.  After we check in to our lodge, we will take a boat trip where we have a very good chance to photograph the iconic Shoebill Stork.  We will also photograph a wide variety of waterbirds as well as some kingfishers and bee-eaters on the boat trip.  Lodge: Nkima Lodge

Feb 10th – We have another boat trip on the lake photographing the majestic Shoebill and other birds as well as a bit of bird photography at the lodge, then we will check out.  We have a six hour transfer to our next location near Lake Mburo National Park.  Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge.

Feb 11th – In the morning, we will set up on a waterhole that usually attracts many birds coming down to drink including Bare-faced Go Away Bird, African Green Pigeon and others.  Wattled Lapwings, Gray-headed Kingfishers and Water Thick-knees are often flying around the area.  Buffalo and other mammals come into drink.  In the afternoon we will have a game drive to photograph Rothschild’s Giraffe, Zebra, Eland and other mammals as well as raptors, francolin and other birds.  Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge.

Feb 12th – Morning photography in the park then we have about a five hour transfer to the mountainous Bwindi region of Uganda.  On the way we will stop at some papyrus swamps for specialty species there such as Papyrus Canary, Gonolek and Yellow Warbler.  We will arrive at our lodge in the late afternoon.  Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Feb 13th – Today we have the option of doing some bird and monkey photography around the lodge grounds or heading out with the guides to do some forest bird photography.  The bird photography in the forest is not easy but it can be very rewarding with difficult birds such as Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Strange Weaver and Purple-breasted Sunbird.  On the lodge grounds Cinnamon Breasted Bee-eater, White-browed Robin Chat and many other birds can be photographed.  Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Feb 14th – Today is our Mountain Gorilla trekking day.  Many people have described photographing and being amongst these gentle giants as a highlight in their lives.  We have requested to photograph a troop which is usually reasonably close to the headquarters but there will be some walking involved to get to them.  Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Feb 15th – Today you have the option of going on another Gorilla trek or doing forest bird photography looking for Albertine Rife endemics including Regal Sunbird, Banded Prinia and more.  The bird photography right outside the lodge is excellent for White-tailed Blue Flycatcher and many Sunbirds including Bronze and Scarlet-chested. Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp  

Feb 16th – We will head out after breakfast and visit a lake which is very good for photographing Hamerkop and Sacred Ibis.  The flowers here attract many sunbirds including Red-chested.  Then we will look for Black Bee-eater on our drive to our next lodge in the Buhoma section of the park.  Lodge: A nice hotel in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi National Park. 

Feb 17th – We will visit the Buhoma headquarters which is a great area to photograph many species of sunbirds including Green-throated, Green-headed and Blue-throated Brown Sunbirds. Then we will check out and and have a game drive as we enter Queen Elizabeth National Park to photograph Lions, Uganda Kob and other mammals.  With luck we will find Queen Elizabeth’s tree climbing lions.  This is also the best part of the park for Leopard.  In the late afternoon we will end up at our lodge.  Buffalo Lodge

Feb 18th and 19th – We have two full days of bird and mammal photography in Queen Elizabeth National Park.  Queen Elizabeth has the longest bird list of any park in all of Africa.  The bird photography around our lodge is excellent with Prong-billed Barbets, Black-headed Gonoleks, Grey Kestrels and many other species in the area.  Behind the lodge there are often Giant Forest Hogs and Buffalo.  Game drives can produce great species like Secretary Birds, Ross’s Turaco, Martial Eagle and Verreaux’s Eagle Owl as well as Uganda Kob, Lions, Bustards and more.  We will have boat trips on the Isinga Channel.  We photograph African Fish Eagles, Pied Kingfishers, African Skimmers and much more.  This rivals the Chobe in Botswana for river photography.  Lodge: Buffalo Lodge

Feb 20th – Morning photography at Queen Elizabeth followed by check out and two hour transfer to Kibale National Park.  This afternoon we will have a walk at the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.  Here we should photograph Red Colobus and a variety of monkeys and birds such as Superb Sunbird and Shining Blue Kingfisher.   Accommodation: Kibale Guest Cottages.

Feb 21st – Today is our chimpanzee trekking day.  We will photograph a troop of habituated Chimpanzees which allow us to be very close.  In the afternoon we will do some bird and monkey photography along the main road of the park, Blue, Red-tailed and L’Hoest’Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus and Olive Baboon can all be photographed here, occasionally we can find Crowned Eagle  Accommodation: Kibale Guest Cottages

Feb 22nd – Morning bird photography at the lodge, the open forest attracts Black and White-Casqued Hornbill, raptors such as Lizard Buzzrd and African Goshawk, African Pygmy Kingfisher and more.  Then check out and either head on the the extension to Murchison Falls or return to Entebbe.  Accommodation: K Hotel, Entebbe

Feb 23rd – Depending on your departure time we will spend the morning at the botanical gardens.  Then transfer to the airport for your trip home.