Mabamba Swamp Bird Photos – Entebbe, Uganda
On a recent trip to Entebbe to pick my mother up from the airport I stopped at the Mabamba Swamp to try for another shoebill sighting. Mabamba is located across the bay from the Entebbe airport, but to get there is at least an hour from Entebbe on some dusty roads. I had a GPS and figured I’d give it a shot. The GPS map has some point just before the swamp that said ‘Harington’s Shoebill Guiding Service.’ I figured that would be the best place to start. I neared the end of the road and the vast swamp became visible in the distance. As I bumped my way down the heavily potholed road there clearly was nothing resembling a tourist guiding service.
Just before the road ended a man came running out from a mud-hut waving his arms at me to stop. Normally it is not advisable to stop for such people, but since the road was about to end anyways, I figured I’d hear him out. He comes to the window and says, ‘Hello, my name is Harington!’ I started laughing and introduced myself. Later, I showed him the GPS with his name and location inside, his eyes went wide and a big smile crawled across his face.
We did not see any shoebill but there were many other great swamp species to see. Harington said the morning is the best time for the shoebill. I was pleased with the jacanas, kingfishers, and it is always a thrill to be in such a vat papyrus swamp.
