In search of the shoebill

I have wanted to see the shoebill since I first heard of its existence watching “Life of Birds” with my Grandpa as a young girl. It was his encouragement that first sparked my interest in birdwatching all those years ago and so I wish that he could have been with me on the waters of Lake Albert earlier today when, over twelve years on, I finally saw a live shoebill.

It was the bizarre appearance of the shoebill, accentuated by the massive misshapen bill that gives the bird its name, which first caught my attention as a child. The shoebill was even more strange and incredible-looking in the flesh than it had appeared on screen and I was in birdwatchers’ heaven for the hour or so that I spent with one of these unique and magnificent birds. While my left-over excitement from this morning’s shoebill encounter means that I could happily write reams about the experience now I shall save myself, as I think you can probably guess what my ‘animal of the week’ is going to be!

If all today included had been that long-sought-after shoebill sighting then it would have been a brilliant day in my eyes, but as it was the addition of several other events made it a truly exceptional one.

Our trip to Lake Albert in search of the shoebill was courtesy of the Semliki Safari Lodge managers Nadia and Keith, who very kindly offered to take us with them on the fishing trip to the lake that they had planned. I was brimming with excitement this morning as I waited for them to pick us up and almost jumped for joy when they arrived in an open-topped safari vehicle.

I clambered up to the back seat of the wonderfully intrepid-looking car laden with binoculars, camera and well-thumbed bird book and sat there surveying the stunning surroundings from my superb vantage point. With Keith having previously worked as a safari guide for six years, the journey to Lake Albert was as good a game drive as I could have hoped for, complete with sightings of warthog, Ugandan Kob, waterbuck, a giant forest hog, numerous beautiful birds and much more, and I loved every minute of it.

After a fantastic drive we arrived in Ntoroko, a small fishing village on the shores of Lake Albert where we were to boat from. The town was filled with colourful buildings, the shimmer of the sun on drying fish and the salty smell that accompanied this and the sound of excited greetings from the hoards of brilliantly-beaming children who seemed to appear from every nook and cranny to wave at us as we drove by.

Once ourselves and essential supplies (namely lunch and beer) had been loaded onto the boat we were off and slowly motored in the direction of the expanses of floating vegetation where the shoebills are known to be found. It didn’t take long for a bulky large-billed shaped to appear through my binoculars and soon I was happily lying across the front of the boat with my camera pointed at a real-life shoebill and with a huge grin plastered across my face.

After well over an hour spent with the shoebill in the scorching sun it was time to drag myself away from the fascinating bird and head back out to open water, and so I left that spot with a feeling of immense satisfaction, along with a camera filled with photos and the start of a sunburn.

We spent the afternoon gliding through the algae-clouded water enjoying cold beers and the glimpses of storks, pelicans, kingfishers and many other birds we were treated to as Nadia and Keith fished from the back of the boat.

Lake Albert is an impressive sight to behold, with the imposing slopes of the Rwenzori mountain foothills providing a backdrop along the shore and the view in the opposite direction being over a seemingly never-ending expanse of water. The glassy greys of lake and overcast sky merged so that the horizon was discernible only from the floating islands of water hyacinth that bobbed in the distance – an effect that gave the lake a somewhat eerie appearance.

Eventually, the time came to return to shore and then drive back to camp. Whilst I was reluctant to leave Lake Albert and its shoebills behind I was hopeful that the journey back would be as enjoyable as the outward one. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

As we bumped along the dirt road leaving a cloud of dust in our wake I eagerly scanned the surrounding savannah on the lookout for signs of animal life. All of a sudden I saw a large dark-grey mound poking up like an island amongst the tall grass and my excited shouts of “elephant” drew the car to a halt.

Keith then brought the car lurching off the road and into the sea of grass with great skill to allow us to enjoy a better view of the lone elephant, which upon closer inspection turned out to be one of the forest subspecies. Whilst much smaller than the savannah elephant that is typically seen on safari, the forest variety is nonetheless impressive and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to observe one at close range.

The elephant soon ambled off with ears flapping into the distance and so we returned to the track and proceeded with our journey. Upon reaching camp we were dropped off by Nadia and Keith who then drove off towards the lodge with the sound of our heartfelt thankyous floating after them.

Now back in my tent, I am writing this and reflecting on how wonderful today has been. Tonight I shall go to bed incredibly happy and will not be at all surprised if I meet the glassy stare of the shoebill in my dreams.

Written on Thursday 19th August