Cruise on Lake Mburo and Game Viewing
Mantana Camp was situated high up on a hillside off the main route from Park Headquarters. Our tented camp was raised on pilings off the ground with wonderful views of Lake Mburo. This Camp had a total of nine double, completely enclosed and screened tents with a veranda to enjoy views of Lake Mburo. ...View image...
After lunch, we drove down to the Lake for a small boat cruise. We hoped to spot Nile Crocodiles, hippos and lots of birds. Because of its close proximity to Kampala, there were quite a few people down by the shoreline, eating and drinking in a small refreshment area, on day trips. The area around also had many Civet Monkeys running around, trying to get into the parked vehicles...
and Wart Hogs, ignoring the people, and feeding on the grass. This was the first time I had ever seen a Wart Hog kneeling down. Pat explained that Wart Hogs bend at the knees to eat grass because of their short necks. Curiouser...and curiouser...
Our small, canopied boat was supposed to leave at either 3:00 or 4:00pm (can't remember) for the Lake cruise. We waited...and waited...and waited. Talked to other groups (people from America attending a photographic workshop in Kampala) while Joseph spent time on his cell phone trying to track down the boat operator. The boat materialized very late, unloaded a group and we headed out into Lake Mburo. Almost immediately, we spotted more Fish Eagles than Pat had ever seen in one spot...View image...and lots of other birds in the Papyrus reeds...Kingfishers..View image...Weaver Birds, etc....View image..
...local villagers filling up gallon jugs of water from the lake and carrying back on their bicycles...
and the first Nile Crocodiles we'd seen on this trip...huge....so big that you could spot them from quite a distance...with the granddaddy of them all, entering the water... (As soon as the boat came close enough for a fantastic photo, the crocs would slip into the water.)
...lots more hippos, including one showing aggression...
...one hippo spouting water (how I got this shot, I'll never know)...
...more birds, another Nile crocodile and the day was complete.
