Uganda Jaunt - part 2

[Sico]

So...

I find myself back in Uganda, but this time smack in the middle of Queen Elizabeth National park, about 500m from the shore of Lake Edward ( 0°24'50.28"S 29°46'40.93"E for you Google Earth nuts). I have only been here three days and so far it is fantastic. I am due to be stuck here until the end of August (minimum) but that may be extended.
So far i have seen some Trachylepis quinquetaeniatus, as ID'd by Mongoose in my last post...



I was also trying to get some pics of speckled mousebirds, when i noticed one get a bit of a fright as a Bush Snake tried to grab it off its perch. The snake was about 11m up a large acacia tree and although it contrasts well with the bark, i was unable to see it until it attempted to catch the bird. Quite a spot of luck! It was around 3ft long at my estimate and soon disappeared into the foliage higher up. I am surprised it tried to take something as large as a mousebird; it would have been interesting to photograph for sure if it had managed.




I also found a couple of frogs in one of the pits on site, one of which is clearly Xenopus sp, the other i assume to be some kind of grass frog.




And just to keep the variety I've thrown in these pics of a dragonflies, cos i like 'em




I should hopefully be getting a lot of pics worth showing, as I bought myself a new camera when i was home, a Canon SX20is, with an equivalent 5mm-100mm lens. The thing has fantastic zoom, and takes really clear pics as well as a lot of other cool functions which i haven't really had time to play with yet, but i plan on testing the socks off it up here. Hope this post is interesting to you.
cheers

[spiderman]

Nice pics, those dragonflies are amazing I love it very interesting snake! Good stuff!

[MISA]

Wonderful photos Sicko,
I would guess the second frog to be of the Rana genus, river frog?
I have seen the likes in rivers /streams around Natal, as far as I know they are able to jump a fair distance when on land, water being their ideal habitat though.

[Sico]

Thanks Misa

The frog is not one of the Rana sp, but rather more like Ptychadena sp, an easy mistake to make when you can't see the actual frog in front of you. They look very similar, but have very different habits, and the Rana's tend to be a LOT bigger than the Ptychadena's which are only about a centimetre in length.

Here is another picture of one of the females. These things are everywhere in the early morning, when you walk through the grass they go hopping in all directions. Very good food for larger amphibs, birds and snakes I should think.


This is a male of the lizard, Trachylepis , I showed in the last post, with his bright yellow colouring it is obvious he is trying to find a mate.


I saw this little monitor crossing a pond, not a very good shot, but it was extremely shy. Since the pond is pretty much behind my other office on the drill site (we are doing actual drilling this time not surveying) I am sure I will see it again.


The lakeflies on a spotlight outside my cabin last night, absolute pests and being about the size of fruit flies they get in everywhere.


A beautiful emerald scarab beetle that popped into my room today

[BushSnake]

Stunning as always. I love the shots of all the other non-herps too, as I don't often get to see those things from Uganda! I would never have thought a Philothamnus (Bush snake or green snake) would take on a bird. Their venom isn't strong enough to quickly subdue a bird...or is it?

[Sico]

I agree with you Bushsnake, the herps are always great but there is so much more to see if you look for it. Some of the insect life here - like the dragonflies and beetles :P - is just fantastic. I've seen a lot of bushbuck and East african Kob (similar to our impalas), some elephant about 600m from the camp, a buffalo walking down the main road in the fishing village today, and heard but not seen the lions.

[BushSnake]

Any Shoebill storks? If I remember correctly you were based near Lake Albert, and the Shoebills are apparently more on Lake Victoria. If you find one... post a pic even if you cant get close!

[Sico]

LOL! I was on Lake Albert last time, and i actually did see one in 2006 when i was first up here, but i had a crappy little camera then. I now have a Canon SX20is with a 100mm equivalent lens (you may notice the difference in pic quality to the last one - other than a couple that i took with the same camera i now have). There are shoebills around here and i am on the lookout for them. I'll get you a pic right as rain.
cheers

[Bushviper]

Bush snake. Philothamnus dont have venom.

Sico you are getting paid to holiday? What a pleasure. Keep posting pics even if they are not reptile related.

[Sico]

Yeah BV, sometimes it sure feels that way. When i do actually do what i am paid to be around for, then i work hard so it makes up for it

We had a new moon last night...


And a Stunning sunrise at 06h40 this morning...

[Sico]

I finally managed, after much bushwacking, (and standing in the same spot for three quarters of an hour for it to come out of the leaves) to get a pic of the African Pygmy Kingfisher. You see a fair amount of them around, but only zooming between thickets or out of the ponds that are frequent in number around the camp.


I also found these Agamas (not sure of the species), one juvenile...


and one adult male



Very nice looking lizards. I think that the African Agamids would make a stunning collection in a reptile park, if it was possible to get them all, as when they are in breeding colours, they are some of the most stunningly attractive reptiles.

[BushSnake]

Cool. Those male Tree agamas are awesome! Apparently they are the same species as our SA one (someone else identified the ones I photographed), so they are Acanthocercus atricollis. But admittedly they look A LOT different to the ones we find in SA.

That kingfisher is great too... and not easy to get close to! Are you sure its a Pygmy kingfisher, and not a Malechite kingfisher? The Pygmy kingfishers I've seen were more purple than blue.

[Sico]

Dammit!

You're right Bushsnake, it is a Malachite and not a Pygmy. I saw a Pygmy two days ago in the same place and thought it was the same one, not bothering to double check once i got the pics. The hunt is on again!

[moloch]

Very interesting, Sico. I love the colours of that green scarab. How large wat it?

Those Agamas were nice as well.

Regards,
David

[spiderman]

Awesome Sico it's great again!!!