Day 2 in QENP Hippos and elephants, TNTC!

Our wildlife experience began well before sunrise when we were awakened by the sounds of a large hippo grazing just outside our tent. We could hear it plucking up the grass and chewing it before taking another bite. It was within about 10 feet of the tent and we could make out it's masive frame in the moonlight but it was too dark to take a photo. This was our first night in a tent. We found it quite functional and the resident geckos did not seem to mind sharing their space.
We got up early and headed out at 7 AM for a morning game drive. It was peaceful driving through the park with the birds calling as the sun rose. Unfortunately,  most of the animals seemed to have slept in on this particular day. We returned to the area where we had seen the lioness. We found another vehicle parked there waiting. She was there but hiding in the grass. We waited for a few more minutes to see if she would show herself but she remained hidden. We cruised along slowly and came upon a large number of buffalo.  This group included a young calf that we got a shot of to add to our "wildlife babies of Uganda" album.

The sunrise reflected in the clouds and foothills of the Rwenzori mountains provided a scenic background for our tour. The Rwenzoris include Mt Stanley,  the third highest peak in Africa.  The mountain lies along the DRC border.  Blackie was proud to inform us that the biggest (highest) part is in Uganda! We continued towards Lake Bunyampaka  and saw the salt gardens and small craft market there.

As we headed back we were met by a young kob and its mother,  more baby photos. On the main road back to camp, we saw a large herd of elephants. This group also included a baby who was quite adorable flapping its ears like its mother.

At lunch we chatted briefly with an Australian family we had met the previous day. They had also gone for a morning game drive and we exchanged stories of our sightings. They had been fortunate to see the lioness that morning as well. We all enjoyed our lunch and prepared to set out to Mweya Lodge for an afternoon cruise on the channel. The lodge at Mweya is lovely, situated on a hilltop overlooking the channel on one side and an isthmus of land on the other where wildlife often congregate by the water.  We could see a large herd of elephants as well as buffalo enjoying a soak.

Our cruise was narrated by a knowledgeable local guide who pointed out the many birds who live along the water. The bright yellow weaver birds with their community of small basket like nests decorated an acacia in a festive style appropriate for the season. The black and white pied kingfisher demonstrated its fishing skill, hovering like a hummingbird above the water before diving in for its meal. The goliath heron, cormorants, pelican, spoonbill and marabou stork also made appearances along with the tiny malachite kingfisher. Our friend with the largest nest, the hammerkop aptly described by our guide as a "small coffe brown bird" meandered along the shore.

Weaver birds

Hammerkop

Pelicans

Uganda is truly a birder's paradise with so many species commonly seen together. They were TNTC - too numerous to count,  a medical abbreviation we shared with Blackie.  He took it as a challenge to achieve for each new species. We soon accomplished that goal regarding hippos (pronounced hee-po by most Ugandans) as there were several groups of ten or more along the edge of the channel. A few even dared to graze in the shade along the shore. Most of their day is spent in the water as their skin is prone to sunburn. We enjoyed our cruise but had no desire to enter the water as our guide pointed out the "small" crocodiles lurking just below the surface.

Three warthogs sprinted along the shore and into the bush to round out our wildlife viewing as we returned to the dock.
We rattled our way along on the dirt track stopping briefly at a crater lake called Nyamunuka, meaning "bad smell" due to its high sulfur content. Luckily, we visited during the rainy season when the scent is minimal.  Heading back to the main road, thinking we were finished with animal sightings. Uganda had its own version of "but wait there's more" in store us. A family of elephants was enjoying an early dinner, feeding on the shrubs along the road.

We pulled over at a safe distance to get a better look. As we watched, more elephants joined the group including several babies.  There were two that appeared to be twins. They were the same height and followed each other around scampering and pushing one another like overgrown puppies. They were small enough to be under a year old with light grey skin, smoother than their mother's. We continued to be amazed as even more elephants came sauntering over the hill. They were eating and drinking from a marsh, the baby elephant mimicking its mother curling its trunk up bring water to its mouth. The excess reflected the sun as it dribbled from his chin.

We must have watched them for close to an hour when suddenly a male began chasing one of the females with her baby.  We were not sure what they were up to until he separated her from the herd and tried to mount her. His effort was short lived however as the biggest bull we had seen came charging in to put a stop to his antics. There was trumpeting and dust blowing to round out the display before the younger male chose to exit. 

This extra large bull was the first of three to arrive on the scene.  They dwarfed the others who had been so impressive just moments before.  Each of them was easily 4 tons and they stood majestically surveying all of their domain.

 Even the WWF employees who had stopped next to us were impressed.  They said it was the largest herd of elephants they had ever seen!
The sun setting, we returned to the van with big smiles and Blackie cheerfully exclaiming the elephants were TNTC!