Birds and Squirrels - Semliki National

August 4, 2026

Semliki National Park (but sometimes spelled Semuliki?)

I have been intrigued, ever since I heard Madame Reiss coo about her time in the Congo. She and her husband lived there with their young children to film footage for French documentaries. They would have been in the 1970s. I allowed Madame Reiss to freely reminisce, my French wasn’t sufficient to ask questions. It was evident that the Congo deeply impacted her and her husband. She yearned to visit, though by this time she was blind and frail of body. We both knew that a return trip to Africa was only but a dream.

I thought of her again recently, some 20 years after our meeting. We had stayed in her flat on our first visit to Nice in the early 2000s. Madame Reiss was a marvelous hostess. She made sure we knew our way around her neighborhood and shared a glass of sherry with us when we returned from a day of bicycle riding. Now I was living alone in Uganda as an American volunteer, somewhat overwhelmed by loneliness and the lack of natural space. I often wonder what Madame Reiss do in my place.

I contacted a travel company in Kampala to arrange a tour of Ugandan national parks. Since Semuliki National Park is the westernmost park, I added it to the itinerary. Semuliki is located in the Congo Basin. The Rwenzori mountains isolate Semuliki from the rest of Uganda, so the environment and its citizens have more in common with the DRC than with the rest of Uganda. Madame Reiss would approve of this choice.

Morning drive through the Rwenzori Mountains

The road from Fort Portal goes through the Rwenzori Mountains to Semliki National Park.

Brown-breasted Kingfisher, Semuliki NP

Scarlet-chested Sunbird in Semuliki NP

Grey Headed Kingfisher, Semuliki NP

Semliki National Park is known for its diverse birdlife, flying squirrels, and hot springs.

Great Blue Turaco

Black-casqued Hornbill

What I learned in Semuliki National Park

Be prepared for all weather. It was very hot and sticky under the thick canopy of the rainforest. Later that afternoon the weather turned wet and chilly.
Mornings are best, birds will be singing and the soft light will enhance your photography.

A word about Semliki

Semliki Vally is in the Congo Basin in a very remote area of Western Uganda

Sometimes Semliki is spelled Semuliki
The Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is on Lake Albert. It includes vast savannah and riverine ecosystems. It is a very different environment than Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park is a difficult 90 minute drive from Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve
Semliki National Park is a twitcher’s paradise, bring an expert birding guide!

Don’t do an injustice to this interesting area of Uganda by rushing through it. Too often Ugandan travel guides organize a visit to Semliki Valley as a day drive from Fort Portal. That won’t be enough time.

A drive into the Karamoja Region

July 30, 2026

road trip through the Karamoja Region, Uganda 2025

FEAR

Fear is part of life
We grow comfortable with it.
On any given day I fear that

I may be hit as I ride my bicycle (2009)
Rabid raccoons will come into my garden,(they are destructive)
My husband will leave me

When I lived in Uganda, my fears expanded to include more immediate situations such as
A man may try to break into my house to attempt sexual assault (2025)
A young man is brutally murdered outside my bedroom window (2025)
I will fall into a cistern of sewage (2025)
All of these events happened to me. Accidents occur, and I can’t stop the urges of those that surround me. Fortunately, I have a healthy amount of fear and prepare myself for the scenarios that I can imagine. Most importantly, I have learned that when I am thrown off-course, the best coping mechanism is to control the landing.

“Not to have felt pain is not to have been human.”

— The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel SE5

The Karamojong

My Ugandan counterparts warned against visiting Northeastern Uganda. I was told, that the Karamojong men steal cattle and they are armed. After experiencing significant health and safety incidents in three different regions of Uganda, fearing cattle rustlers wasn’t pertinent.
Instead, I was intrigued by the idea of visiting a region that is missed by most tourists, Uganda’s most rugged and least-populated sectors. I hired Kanzira, a guide, to drive me through Northeastern Uganda to Kidepo Valley National Park both for safety concerns and for efficiency’s sake. I only had a week’s holiday from work.
It’s a multi-day drive through the Karamoja Region to reach Kidepo NP. Karamoja pre-dates modern political boundaries. It encompasses the southeastern section of South Sudan, a bit of Southern Ethiopia, a large swath of Northwestern Kenya, and the Northeast corner of Uganda. Karamoja is a semi-arid, sparsely populated land that has supported pastoralists for 100s of years. Because of their remoteness and their unique cultural and political structures, the Karamojong people are generally misunderstood and disrespected by other ethnic groups. In actuality, the Karamojong pathways have sustained their regional resources up until the 21st century. Now, climate change, the discovery of minerals, and pressures from neighboring farmers that want their land rights will test Karamojong’s resolve to remain independent.

unmarried women dance late afternoon when the men return with their livestock

unmarried women dance, a chance to bond and have fun

My brief time in Karamoja has stayed with me and I plan to return to this beautiful, misrepresented region soon.

travel notes

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Heading North

I was on top of the world as we drove out of Mbale City early Sunday morning heading straight to Moroto. Away from the red mud and constant rain in the mountainous coffee growing region, where I lived. My house was in the village of Mufufu located in Manafwa District close to the border of Bududa District. The misty mountains of Bududa and Manafwa receive constant rain. Coffee plantations and cabbage farms had replaced the indigenous rain forest decades ago leaving the steep slopes prone to landslides. In fact, the road to Bududa could become so impassable during heavy rains, it was closed to all vehicular traffic at times.

Kanzira, on of the best Birders in Uganda!

White-headed buffalo weaver

Purple Roller, dry savannah

Red and Yellow Barbet, dry savannah

Purple Roller with 'tude

Ring-necked pigeon

Black-headed lapwing

Yellow-necked spurfowl

Silverbird (a flycatcher)

White-bellied go-away bird

White Crested Helmet Shrike, common but pretty

Black-throated seedeater

All that cold unstoppable rain was behind me for a week. By early afternoon my guide, Kanzira, and I were driving through the Pian Upe Game Reserve. Here the landscapes changed to open plains with the mountainous Kenyan border to the east of us. Our final destination would be Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda’s northern most park. This is my first trip to Northern Uganda.

Village Tour

I was scheduled to spend the night in a Karamoja village outside of Moroto. Kara Tunga, a local travel agency, organized my stay. I was accompanied by a Karamojong woman in her late 20’s for the next 16 hours.

The livestock are well taken care of, I had not seen such beautiful chickens, cows, or goats anywhere else in Uganda.

Unmarried women dance and sing and interested suitors join in

There are many misconceptions, myths, and stories about the Karamojong people. As a visitor, it isn’t my place to judge or even try to interpret what is believable or not. I am simply curious about how people live together and how they care for the land that has always been home. The Karamoja region is absolutely stunning, and the Karamojong people, born of their environment, are custodians of their unique culture.

Women prepare millet beer, the drink that everyone enjoys

granary

Black Lives Matter in Karamoja

Karamoja men singing into the night.

Schedule:

Kanzira, an expert birding guide, spotted birds endemic to the region all afternoon
Late afternoon Karamojong village tour
Slept peacefully in my private mud hut
Kanzira picked me up early on Monday morning, continuing our trip to Kidepo Valley NP.

P was celebrating New Years with friends in Minnesota, a universe away from Northern Uganda. I couldn’t wait to tell him about my trip.

Break-ups

July 12, 2026

She waits for humor and frivolity

to return from their hiatus.

Happy Hour

July 12, 2026

“She twitches, recognizing my strength and charisma…”

Sunbird Hill, a rewilding and wildlife monitoring site

May 5, 2026

Link Bus Line - Regional Travel

All eyes were on me as I stood in the aisle en route to Fort Portal Jan 3, 2026. A much preferred position than sitting on an old bus seat that had been flattened by hundreds of passenger’s asses until it is little more than bits of ripped vinyl stretched over a metal frame.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at Fort Portal that afternoon. Located in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, Fort Portal is one of Uganda’s prettiest cities. After a bit of site seeing, I was introduced to a driver who could take me to Sunbird Hill Monitoring and Rewinding Site (Sunbird Hill), my next destination. We left Fort Portal and motored through lush agricultural landscapes, towards Kibale National Park.

Sunbird Hill

Sunbird Hill is primarily a research facility that abuts Kibale National Park, one of my favorite national parks in Uganda. I was eager to learn more about their story of land reclamation, rewilding, and community involvement.

Upon arrival I was escorted to my treehouse feeling quite grand as I sat on my private veranda watching the birds and monkeys in the trees around me.

Sunbird Hill offers an entirely different experience than a typical lodge. Here I was staying right smack dab in privately-held forest with three acres of trails winding through the trees and swamps around me. I was immersed by nature and the possibilities for discovery.

The unmistakable call of chimpanzees started later that evening. Rushing down the treehouse steps, I followed the path into the forest and soon found a chimpanzee casually eating leaves in a tree along the property line between Sunbird Hill and Kibale. I watched him as he carefully plucked the choicest leaves. He was thoroughly comfortable with my presence.

The next morning, before daybreak, I woke to chimpanzees calling. Different groups were vocalizing from the forest around me. Dressing quickly, I walked down to the camp’s open kitchen to boil water for my coffee. It was still too dark to find chimps in the forest but I spotted elephant tracks everywhere. Forest elephants had stomped through camp to eat the Bird of Paradise flowers that were planted adjacent to the reception area. I had slept so soundly that I didn’t hear a sound the entire night!

Elephant food

Yellow Crested Wookpecker

After breakfast two Sunbird researchers came to take me on a guided forest walk. With them I saw the forest in an entirely different light. We observed insects, butterflies, birds, and four different types of primate species. The researchers are knowledgeable about all aspects of the local ecosystem and are a lot of fun to hang out with.

cicada

In the cool evening hour, I sprawled out on the couch and listened to the forest from my veranda as I sipped small glasses of whiskey. Although there are different lodging options at Sunbird Hill, plan to stay in a treehouse. Mine had a king-sized bed, a double, and a single sized futon, easily accommodating 4-5 people.

As comfortable as my treehouse was the surrounding forest was far too intriguing for me to stay put. On one of my solo afternoon walks several researchers from Kibale, with an armed ranger, walked over the property line ignoring me as they made their way towards the Sunbird Hill reception area. Thinking to myself “they are tracking chimpanzees!” I quietly sat behind a tree to watch the path. Soon four mother chimpanzees emerged from the bushes and crossed back into the Kibale forest with their young babies. Not making a sound, I watched until this small group of chimps disappeared into the shadows. They moved together so quietly, keeping one step ahead of the Kibale researchers.

Guests at Sunbird tailor their own experience, perhaps you want to visit the local community to learn about their culture. Perhaps you want to go bird watching, or learn about parrot introduction, or help inventory butterflies. Me? I just needed to chase monkeys and sleep in the forest canopy for a few nights. I reignited my sense of wonder at Sunbird Hill.

Spectacled Weaver

Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher

Vieillot's Black Weaver

Speckled Tinkerbird

Logistics of Camp

Sunbird Hill is a true eco-friendly compound. Expect bucket showers, HOT water is provided! Rooms do not have electricity; there will be solar-charged lanterns in your room; and a charging station is in the reception area.

Catered meals cost extra. I ordered breakfasts and suppers from the kitchen, though guests can request to cook their own meals too. Another option is to hire a boda boda driver to motor you to a restaurant in town. Any of these meal options should be organized in advance due to Sunbird Hill’s remote location.

If you are traveling to Kibale National Park I encourage you to spend a bit of time at Sunbird Hill either to learn more about the area’s ecosystem or to reignite your own sense of wonder in this beautiful corner of Uganda.

Photographing Insects… it’s really fun with like-minded hosts!

Last night in Buweswa

November 9, 2025

I scream for help; no one comes. I quietly listen. The man seems to be alone. He doesn’t have tools and will be unable to break open the shutters or doors with his bare hands.

A Walking Bird's Nest

August 20, 2025

Madagascar 2023

Everyone around me seems carefree and so light on their feet. Men and women greet each other on the street with a wave and a “inona vaovao?” We motor on to a newer forest that the community is reestablishing after the clear cut of yesterday. The forest already hosts an array of beautiful botanicals and wildlife though the canopy is very different than an old growth forest it offers hope for the future.

Birds fly high above us. Once in a while a curious one will land on a branch ahead just to peer down at us for a minute.

Up at 4:14

Hiking at 5:15

This is my ideal start to a day while on holiday

A lone brown lemur is busily munching on her breakfast of leaves noticing me but not really concerned. Usually, brown lemurs form social groups but this one must be unusually hungry and stayed back to finish sakafo marina.

fuchsia orchid petals are scattered across our paths in the woods this morning speaking to last night’s elfin soiree, maybe a brides maid’s party? I know the forest fairies attended. Dressed in their iridescent robes made of the Golden Spider’s silk because one straggler flitted around my head for two minutes this morning, ever curious. The sun sparkled against her robe as she flew away into the surrounding canopy.

We heard the Indri call throughout our morning hike. The various families are located deep in the forest and cry out to each other in the mornings. Then, on our fifth hour, there was a series of songs sung just a riverine away. I steadily followed Luc’s steps to the tree beneath the indri, who were now silent.

Impossible to count how many there were. The indri jump from tree to tree silently and quickly. Some share a cozy branch; others are perched in their own tree. The largest lemur from the family of primates that the world lost save for a few protected forests. One little fellow was quite perplexed when his father suddenly moved on, peering down at me as if I would help answer the question of why. Time passed quickly from the forest floor. I am fairly certain we walked under them at least once this morning. They must have looked down on my frizz of a hair style wondering how a bird’s nest could move like that.

Shifting priorities

August 20, 2025

Priorities shift
Attitudes may even change grudgingly
But our fears are the hardest to lose.

Madagascar 2022

I must look lost

Several people have asked me, what do you do all day?

I wave my hand with a flick of my wrist and answer in some sort of bebop rhythmic manner. Why would you want to know what I do?

I survive like my neighbor, though she doesn’t understand a word that leaves my lips.

I thrive like the hibiscus shrubs in my yards.

I teach the market vendor on my street bits of English in exchange for a better price on my pineapple and lentils.

I encourage the bread baker to keep trying to speak English so he can interview for a job in North America.

I discuss conservation issues with David who is studying to be a National Park guide.

In short, I talk, and I learn. My sponsor is the English Center of Antsirabe (ECA), the oldest English language school in Antsirabe. Students pile into crowded classrooms for 2 hours at night three times a week to learn American English. Their schedules come to a halt when they enter the center located behind the Christian radio station just off the main road, Avenue des Thermes. I am training to be a TEFL teacher which includes leading conversational sessions with ECA students.

Long held insecurities are ever present; lack of self-confidence, distorted self-image, anxiety. Unable to outrun them, they just came along for the ride. But I continue with my own language studies so I will one day be able to describe to the shop owner how delightful their store front is. I am learning how to teach a foreign language to a captive audience.

White Woman finding her step

August 20, 2025

Working in Madagascar in 2022

It is acceptable to call a Latina woman “white” here.

I learned that white women can’t walk alone after 5:30 PM. I found myself shopping for a few eggs after 5 one afternoon, popping into little shop after little shop without success. As I trudged home with my empty bag an angry gaunt man kept a half a step behind me, muttering all the way from city center. He yelled in anger after I unexpectedly slipped into my gated garden. I assumed he wanted money. He called to me for 20 minutes through the gate. Perhaps he was telling me “Go home ugly white woman.” I watch the time before I leave home now.

I don’t know if my language skills are improving, but my courage is. One day, being tired of my own company, I took a walk towards the supermarche for a chocolate bar, a splendid luxury on my stipend. After the encounter with the angry man last week, I walked a new route and found an old, cobbled lane that runs behind the French cathedral. It’s lined with individually owned stands, each one specializing in different products. There is less hustle and bustle on this stretch, the shop people patiently wait for me as I stretch my Malagasy skills.

The stand at the end of the road features 4-5 baskets of different greens caught my eye. We were having a terrible time communicating with one another. Due to my hunger for her greens and the shopowner’s determination to make a sale we found a neighbor man to help with the transaction. Problem solved!

All of my stipend is spent on food. Baskets of fresh produce are sold everywhere, at the markets, along every lane, on the corners, and there are even sellers that walk up and down the streets selling their specialty from a basket balanced on their head. Yet I am down to my college weight, skinny and tanned.

Kazinga Channel Uganda

August 18, 2025

Our private boat ride on the Kazinga Channel began well after sunrise. Our expectations were high after reading reviews from other photographers describing the abundance of wildlife along the banks and in the channel. Photographers recommended hiring our private boat so we could take our time at sitings to compose photographs at our pace.

Expectations Adjusted

It was a very bright and sunny day to start with, well after the glow of early morning hours had burned away. We waited for our skipper to ready the vessel then off we went into the sun. Peter and I gamely kept our spirits optimistic during the boat ride but the little wildlife we saw sat stoically still, watching us closely as we floated past. We did not encounter the herds of wildlife that so many other photographers have posted from the very same boat ride.

Our private Kazinga Channel experience was simply a birding exhibition. Birds’ common to swamps across Africa such as herons, skimmers, and stilts. We were disappointed at the time but did realize no one can choreograph herds of zebra, antelope, or elephant.

Palm Nut Vulture

Wahlberg's Eagle

By definition, wildlife are wild creatures. They move and migrate throughout Queen Elizabeth National Park. We were lucky for the opportunity to boat on the Kazinga Channel together surrounded by birds and with the knowledge that this is a special place in Uganda. We never know what will happen in nature.

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater

Pied Kingfisher

Whattled Lapwing

Great (white-breasted) Cormorant

African Skimmers

Featured

August 17, 2025

Black-lored Babbler

August 17, 2025

African Green Pigeons

August 17, 2025

Finally got a shot of the African Green Pigeon species

August 17, 2025

Lugogo Swamp

August 9, 2025

African Green Pigeon

Hadaba Ibis

Speckled Mousebird

These were long shots for my 400 lens, but chasing birds is still loads of fun.

An early morning boat ride through the Lugogo Swamp is what I was sold. Instead we walked on a brand new tarred road that has efficiently dissected the Lugogo Swamp into two. All signs of shoebill storks have evaporated.

I did see new bird species on the walk but was greatly disappointed since I was expecting an in-tact swamp ecosystem, so very rare.

Black Crakes walking on water as they do

White Crested Turaco, a notable species that is known to frequent Lugogo Swamp

Purple Breasted Sunbirds

Spectacled Weavers

Heading back to Lira City, boda boda the best transport on our roads

Meeting at TAF Agribusiness Farm with UFAAS members

June 22, 2025

Meeting with the Sorioti branch of the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) at TAF Farms.

Mabamba Swamp Entebbe Kampala

June 16, 2025

Mabamba Swamp, a wetland of extreme importance and a designated RAMSAR site by the IUCN. Located close to the capital city, Mabamba Swamp is a testament to Ugandan’s commitment to conserve this biodiverse ecosystem.

My Friend, the bread baker

June 30, 2024

Wood Fired Ovens, hand-shaped loaves, locally milled flour …

Curious as to the inner workings of a wood fired bakery I rode my bike out to the country one morning to the bakery my friend manages. Touds bakes the daily bread, biscuits, quiches, pizzas, and other assorted treats at a school north of town. He arrives to bakery well before sunrise to start the wood fires and proof the loaves for the day. After a few wrong turns, I arrived mid-morning in time to document his work and the aromatic loaves as they emerged from the oven.

sweet treats made with eggs from the farm

cake for the students

wood fired oven

cooling rack

Touds is a phenomenal baker. Despite his hectic schedule, he is also a farmer and an electrician, he allowed me to shadow him in the bakery and ask questions all morning. Thank you friend!

Thank you for taking time to share your work story with me, it was a wonderful morning in the bakery.

These are images from the school bakery my friend works at. It is a non-profit enterprise that provides meals to their students.

A popular retail bakery

that I spent many cups of coffee at, in Anstirabe is Chez Jeannette. There you will find a tight selection of hand-formed loaves, including their chewy, crusty baguettes, and delicate pastries all baked in the classic French tradition.

Traditions hold true during Harvest Time

June 24, 2024

In rural Madagascar, as in many countries around the world where the cost of a family-owned car is simply unattainable, walking is a common form of transportation. People walk on and alongside the roads to get to their fields, school, the market, visit friends, or work.

One day, As I rode further and further from town, I noticed that there were more people walking than usual. It seemed as if entire villages were heading to a rice field. Yes, it was harvest time!

Rice Harvest

no time to talk

Rice is the major staple crop and contributor to food security in Madagascar

Transporting Bean Harvest

Rice Stalks arranged against Brick Wall

Harvest time is a special part of the year for all agricultural communities. In my northern Midwestern community, everyone worked from sunup to sundown during harvest. Farm kids were excused from classes for a few of those especially crucial days to work with their parents. It was critical that crops were harvested at the peak of ripeness and before storms settled in.

The same principals hold true in rural Madagascar. Families were working alongside each other, harvesting and processing the rice as quickly as possible. A sense of relief was present, relief that there was an abundant harvest and relief that families had the capability to bring their harvest in together. The principals of a successful harvest are true here as they are in Northern Indiana.

I never took pictures of farmers working in my U.S. American community. They would have had little patience for such frivolity when important work needed to be completed. My Malagasy hosts were patient with my requests to photograph them. A few farmers requested that I not take their photograph, but most were quite indulgent and let me shoot away. Thank you to all of the hard working farmers, just west of Antsirabe, who shared some of their time with me in April 2023.

a great travel advisor for exploring Madagascar is Wild Madagascar

For a clear summary of how global climate change is impacting agriculture in Madagascar check out Climate change risks and adaptation options for Madagascar (2021) published by Ecology & Society.