Aren't
animals
beautiful??!!
It's about time I said something about wildlife here. A Gerald Durrell in Uganda sort of thing, but instead of the ‘rose-coloured villa’ we will have to talk about the ‘Lwase compound’.
It's about time I said something about wildlife here. A Gerald Durrell in Uganda sort of thing, but instead of the ‘rose-coloured villa’ we will have to talk about the ‘Lwase compound’.
Starting with our compound then. The first amazing sight that I encountered was a giant snail. In fact now I know that there are quite a few living alongside us, all with quite distinct shells with differing patterns and whirls. From the photo you should get a feel as to just how big they are! It wasn’t exactly a delightful 
experience to have one crawling across my hand; I think that even I washed afterwards.
The next thing was the range of birds that we are exposed to here. Being Uganda there are always Black Kites flying to and fro, hovering with their tails twitching ominously looking for carrion and rubbish below. Then there are the Marabou Storks (ugh), the most ugly and disgusting creatures around. Their faces especially are covered with faeces and filth (they live off rubbish) and they have a huge red crop that swings pendulously below their long thin heads and enormous beaks. They never land
here but soar high above. They are so huge and strangely shaped, that they appear like ancient pterodactyls, blotting out the sun for a split second as they pass over.
But the main feathered visitors each day are the Sacred Ibis’s. Their cry is so raucous and ear splitting that it is quite obscene. For such a ‘sacred’ bird one wonders how they got this title from the Egyptians. Maybe it was an in-joke? They land on our lawns and start picking away at worms and ants, their gloss green-black feathers glinting like car windscreens in the car parks.
Another screecher is the hornbill .. and
yes …… and the toraco … oh and the fish eagle (worst of all although majestic sounding in some strange way). In fact for goodness sake nearly every large bird seems to make a din here! The Fish eagle is my favourite bird. Its white head and neck and its size make it immediately obvious and it sits haughtily on the highest perch possible, swinging its head around on elastic in its search for fish.
My second favourite has to be the Pied Kingfisher. Its is a small black and white kingfisher that chatters and chirps away at 13 to the dozen and speeds across water looking for minnows. It will suddenly change course like a Harrier Jump-jet in mid flight and rise to a perfect hover only to drop like a stone from about 30-50’. It exists in large numbers and it is great to have a kingfisher that isn’t rare and hard to find.
I will save writing about the Weaver Bird for another blog.
experience to have one crawling across my hand; I think that even I washed afterwards.The next thing was the range of birds that we are exposed to here. Being Uganda there are always Black Kites flying to and fro, hovering with their tails twitching ominously looking for carrion and rubbish below. Then there are the Marabou Storks (ugh), the most ugly and disgusting creatures around. Their faces especially are covered with faeces and filth (they live off rubbish) and they have a huge red crop that swings pendulously below their long thin heads and enormous beaks. They never land
here but soar high above. They are so huge and strangely shaped, that they appear like ancient pterodactyls, blotting out the sun for a split second as they pass over.But the main feathered visitors each day are the Sacred Ibis’s. Their cry is so raucous and ear splitting that it is quite obscene. For such a ‘sacred’ bird one wonders how they got this title from the Egyptians. Maybe it was an in-joke? They land on our lawns and start picking away at worms and ants, their gloss green-black feathers glinting like car windscreens in the car parks.
Another screecher is the hornbill .. and
yes …… and the toraco … oh and the fish eagle (worst of all although majestic sounding in some strange way). In fact for goodness sake nearly every large bird seems to make a din here! The Fish eagle is my favourite bird. Its white head and neck and its size make it immediately obvious and it sits haughtily on the highest perch possible, swinging its head around on elastic in its search for fish.My second favourite has to be the Pied Kingfisher. Its is a small black and white kingfisher that chatters and chirps away at 13 to the dozen and speeds across water looking for minnows. It will suddenly change course like a Harrier Jump-jet in mid flight and rise to a perfect hover only to drop like a stone from about 30-50’. It exists in large numbers and it is great to have a kingfisher that isn’t rare and hard to find.
I will save writing about the Weaver Bird for another blog.
Truly amazing!
The most beautiful birds that are regularly seen here are the firefinches and sunbirds. Their feathers of the latter are iridescent and catch the sun; in addition they have patches of gloriously mixed colours from an artist’s palette and a long, thin and rapier-like curved beak that gives them the appearance of Dumas’ medieval musketeers. In fact many birds here, including common starlings and crows have amazingly iridescent plumage.
Finally, in this brief roundup, are the egrets that glide up from the Lake and perch in the trees in the early morning. Having picked ticks off the local animal population and waded in the waters, they seem to indulge in snooping outside bedroom windows from the taller trees. I think they are really rather dirty old men in pure white clothing!
Insects next. Ants are everywhere. Little, big, long, bulbous, but all aggressive, nasty and hard working: “Go to the ant,
thou sluggard, and consider her ways”, says Solomon, and if you do you will be amazed at their activity (and their bite, but read on …). Between many of the pavers in our yard are 2” high pyramidal mounds of sand. Every single grain of these has been individually lifted out by an ant to crate an underground metropolis. I kick them down each day only to find them reappear the next day. What phenomenal energy and activity! On our walks we come across solid lines of aggressive soldier ants. Don’t let them for a minute got onto you! They are lethal! But even the very tiny, tiny little ants have a deadly bite. One of the team found a large number had crawled up his trousers and drastic measures failed to deal with them. I can see you cross your legs!
Not just ants. At night the walls become lined and black with them of all shapes and sizes. Because we are near the Lake there are masses of lakeflies – midges and gnat-like things - that are so thick in some places that you can’t help but breathe them into your lungs and need to breathe through a cloth filter. Mossies of course. In fact there aren’t many
here but believe me they (the female ones only) are causing more grief in Africa than HIV/AIDS. Malaria seems to be a general feature of most Ugandans’ lives. Then there are huge cockroaches that crunch underfoot at night as you peer into the fridge looking for a binge …. Then caddis flies or something that looks a cross between them and mayflies. Large translucent wings and a curved body with a long abdomen ending in a twin set of spikes.
On our trees and walls are various weird-looking pupas of I don’t know
but probably moths. They look like something from ‘Aliens’ – masses of cream threads woven into a tight shell with a strange protuberance at one end. “What is that?” you wonder. Which reminds me of the butterflies, which are spectacular. Ther are few boring looking ones here. This is Africa! Even the cabbage-whitey looking thing is huge with swallow tails.
Snakes. Need to mention those or people will think I am avoiding the truth. I was told that I was unlikely to see any, and in fact that is proving to be true. Everyone else is seeing them!! We have had one in the compound
outside the door on the pavers, which was cut up into pieces so fast and thrown away that I never saw it, but probably was a Black Mamba – and deadly. Two on site, one with a bright yellow head (anyone know which that one is?!). But I feel that it is fair to say that they are scared of us generally and not that easy to find. Hallelujah!
Animals. Ugandans seem to take great joy in killing most living things: sorry, I am no racist, but my experience to date. We regularly see puppies and cats being burnt, kicked around like footballs, drowned, thrown in front of cars. There aren’t many really wild things left except a sort of squirrel and mongooses (or is it mongeese?).
Microsoft spellcheck suggest the former! Of course in one or two strictly guarded places like Murchison Falls National Park there are wild animals and Sandy and I were privileged to be able to go there for a day or so. Crocodiles and hippos abound, along with some elephants and giraffes and loads of antelope and water buck. The baboons look comical but are in fact quite dangerous in groups. I liked a black turtle that was lying around in the midst of the savanna there, although I was assured by the ranger that it was a turtle and not a tortoise! My favourite is the crocodile. I don’t mean that I like them socially; I tend to leave a good distance between them and myself, but by golly they are huge and terrifying. They lie with their heads held aloft and their mouths open in a sort of crazy grin, draped across each other and pretending that they really can’t be bothered with food today, thank you. Then in a split second they are gone - shot off into the water like a bullet from a gun. A killer machine par excellence.
The most beautiful birds that are regularly seen here are the firefinches and sunbirds. Their feathers of the latter are iridescent and catch the sun; in addition they have patches of gloriously mixed colours from an artist’s palette and a long, thin and rapier-like curved beak that gives them the appearance of Dumas’ medieval musketeers. In fact many birds here, including common starlings and crows have amazingly iridescent plumage.
Finally, in this brief roundup, are the egrets that glide up from the Lake and perch in the trees in the early morning. Having picked ticks off the local animal population and waded in the waters, they seem to indulge in snooping outside bedroom windows from the taller trees. I think they are really rather dirty old men in pure white clothing!
Insects next. Ants are everywhere. Little, big, long, bulbous, but all aggressive, nasty and hard working: “Go to the ant,
thou sluggard, and consider her ways”, says Solomon, and if you do you will be amazed at their activity (and their bite, but read on …). Between many of the pavers in our yard are 2” high pyramidal mounds of sand. Every single grain of these has been individually lifted out by an ant to crate an underground metropolis. I kick them down each day only to find them reappear the next day. What phenomenal energy and activity! On our walks we come across solid lines of aggressive soldier ants. Don’t let them for a minute got onto you! They are lethal! But even the very tiny, tiny little ants have a deadly bite. One of the team found a large number had crawled up his trousers and drastic measures failed to deal with them. I can see you cross your legs!Not just ants. At night the walls become lined and black with them of all shapes and sizes. Because we are near the Lake there are masses of lakeflies – midges and gnat-like things - that are so thick in some places that you can’t help but breathe them into your lungs and need to breathe through a cloth filter. Mossies of course. In fact there aren’t many
here but believe me they (the female ones only) are causing more grief in Africa than HIV/AIDS. Malaria seems to be a general feature of most Ugandans’ lives. Then there are huge cockroaches that crunch underfoot at night as you peer into the fridge looking for a binge …. Then caddis flies or something that looks a cross between them and mayflies. Large translucent wings and a curved body with a long abdomen ending in a twin set of spikes.On our trees and walls are various weird-looking pupas of I don’t know
but probably moths. They look like something from ‘Aliens’ – masses of cream threads woven into a tight shell with a strange protuberance at one end. “What is that?” you wonder. Which reminds me of the butterflies, which are spectacular. Ther are few boring looking ones here. This is Africa! Even the cabbage-whitey looking thing is huge with swallow tails.Snakes. Need to mention those or people will think I am avoiding the truth. I was told that I was unlikely to see any, and in fact that is proving to be true. Everyone else is seeing them!! We have had one in the compound
outside the door on the pavers, which was cut up into pieces so fast and thrown away that I never saw it, but probably was a Black Mamba – and deadly. Two on site, one with a bright yellow head (anyone know which that one is?!). But I feel that it is fair to say that they are scared of us generally and not that easy to find. Hallelujah!Animals. Ugandans seem to take great joy in killing most living things: sorry, I am no racist, but my experience to date. We regularly see puppies and cats being burnt, kicked around like footballs, drowned, thrown in front of cars. There aren’t many really wild things left except a sort of squirrel and mongooses (or is it mongeese?).
Microsoft spellcheck suggest the former! Of course in one or two strictly guarded places like Murchison Falls National Park there are wild animals and Sandy and I were privileged to be able to go there for a day or so. Crocodiles and hippos abound, along with some elephants and giraffes and loads of antelope and water buck. The baboons look comical but are in fact quite dangerous in groups. I liked a black turtle that was lying around in the midst of the savanna there, although I was assured by the ranger that it was a turtle and not a tortoise! My favourite is the crocodile. I don’t mean that I like them socially; I tend to leave a good distance between them and myself, but by golly they are huge and terrifying. They lie with their heads held aloft and their mouths open in a sort of crazy grin, draped across each other and pretending that they really can’t be bothered with food today, thank you. Then in a split second they are gone - shot off into the water like a bullet from a gun. A killer machine par excellence.
While talking about reptiles I have to croon over the lizards. Such charming and splendid fellows, all kitted out in the latest suit guaranteed to get the girls in a tizz. I seem to see them everywhere and spend considerable time feeling very jealous. They look you in the eye and give a lazy sort of blink, which seems to say, "Yeah? Wot you fink of this then, sah?!"
There’s much I have left out, but I will need more material later. Enjoy the pics!! Come to Uganda an discover it all for yourself!
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