Rwanda Travelogue

Days 5&6 - July 14-15, 2022

Up at 6 am for a quick coffee and tea and then out for a game drive at 6:30 am. We stayed on the Magashi concession - the part of Akagera reserved to the residents of Magashi camp, so it's very secluded. Some very nice bird photos, plus elephant, zebra, olive baboon, hippo, crocodile, waterbuck and topi. Back in camp after 9:30 am.

A rest, light lunch and then back out in the boat at around 3pm. Saw some elephants on the lakeshore very near our lodge, eland quite a bit in the distance, more crocs and birds (in particular African fish eagles) and a rare water bird - an African skimmer. Also a nightjar in the dark on our way back from sundowners on shore.

Another good dinner and another good sleep.

Up early on the 15th and started out on a drive before 6 am. We'd decided to head north to a swampy area of Akagera on the off-chance off seeing a shoebill, which is very rare. There was known to be one bird that occasionally showed itself - unfortunately not to us. However, we saw a couple of lions (which were reintroduced to Rwanda in 2015, having all been wiped out after the Genocide), wart hog, giraffe and bushbuck (a fairly rare sighting). Back around 10:00 am for a rest and lunch.

Headed for Lake Mihindi at around 3 pm in the afternoon. Lots more birds (including a glossy ibis, a first for me) and some enormous crocodiles around the lakeshore. We also saw a bird that had us confused - our guide thought it was a honeyguide, but it didn't look right to me in the book. When we got back, Luke, the ornithology specialist took a quick look at my photo and pronounced it to be a Wattled starling. But it had no wattles... "No - it's an immature one" he said. Mystery solved.

Day 7