The Mabamba Swamp is a protected wetland on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, close to Entebbe in Uganda.

It’s a top spot for bird watching and its channels are bordered by Papyrus plants and water lilies.

It is also home to the amazing Shoebill.

A small disclaimer to start though. These photos are all taken with an Iphone. A great camera phone, but not really up to capturing birds at a distance, so you may need to squint to see some of these birds!

These are African Jacana birds.

The swamp is littered with beautiful purple and pink water lilies

Once you enter the swamp area the water channels become narrower and so we transferred into a smaller boat.

In the swampy water the small outboard motor had to be freed of debris a few times. In some places the motor was unusable and the skipper used a pole to literally push us through the thicker channels.

These are two white faced ducks striking a pose!

The swamp guides are locals, they are actively involved in protecting these wetlands.

Our guide Maria knew her birds and enjoyed pointing out the wildlife on show.

The star of the show here is the Shoebill. A prehistoric looking bird stood up to 5 feet tall and with a wingspan of 8 feet.

We approached quietly and kept our distance as we watched him.

The solitary Shoebill stands perfectly still, watching us and the water’s edge for signs of movement.

Their beaks look like a shoe and have a nail like hook on the end, used for gripping and ripping apart its prey.

After a few minutes we left the impressive Shoebill in peace and set off back through the swamp.

The water lily’s flowers were spectacular.

At the end of the tour we were dropped off at the waters edge to take the 10 minute drive back into Entebbe.

We have a couple of days to relax in our hotel before we head to the Seychelles, entering the fourth country on this trip, we are one month in.