I finally found a few free hours to start editing my Sabah photos. One such above, a male Blue-headed Pitta hiding between a couple of riverside trees. This shot was taken from a boat on the Kinabatangan River near Sukau, North-east Sabah. Not the toughest pitta to find in Sabah- they are relatively numerous- but certainly one of the most beautiful, despite the fierce competition.

I am now packing my bags ahead of a tedious journey via Dubai (8 hour layover during the hours of darkness, ho hum,) to Entebbe, after which I’ll eventually make it to Kibale to look for the mythical Green-breasted Pitta. I may spend most of the time on my hands and knees in Africa, having injured my back at the weekend. I really cannot walk upright, and getting to the end of the street to post a letter earlier today proved to be a bridge too far. All good for a tough forest assignment then. Still, my crippled crouch will at least bring me closer to the pittas’ level, a positive boon perhaps.

Green-breasted is certainly a critical, make-or-break species for the year; if I miss it on this trip it’s basically curtains for the mission, since despite being resident year-round, the birds seem impossible to find outside of June/July. No pressure then. I have ten days at Kibale if needs be though, which allows for a lot of searching, so here’s hoping my luck holds.

No internet in SW Uganda, so my next post will probably be early August.