ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT

Transcription

1 ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT THE GAMBIA 17 TH 24 TH NOVEMBER

2 FRIDAY 17 TH NOVEMBER Overcast in light winds, 28C, dry Our Thomas Cook airlines flight left Birmingham on schedule this morning, though our overall journey down to Banjul was delayed by about an hour for a refuelling stop in Gran Canaria. This put us down on the tarmac in The Gambia about 1445, and after a pretty seamless transition through the airport terminal we were soon on the coach seeing our first Afro-tropical delights such as Bluebellied Roller, Hooded Vulture, Pied Crow, Yellow-billed Kite, Red-eyed & Laughing Doves and Speckled Pigeon all species which would struggle to get another mention! We arrived at our hotel around 1600, and after a quick check in we reconvened for our first proper session of birding. The hotel grounds were alive with a variety of colourful inhabitants, and we were soon enjoying our first views of White-crowned Robin-chat, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Grey Woodpecker, Redbilled Hornbill, Northern Black Flycatcher, Brown & Blackcap Babblers, Black-necked Weaver, Western Grey Plantain-eater, and Broad-billed Roller. Western Grey Pantain-eater These were all species which would become familiar over the coming days, but special mention should go to the Plantain-eaters which showed amazingly well, coming to drink from the small bird bath in the garden. Flowering shrubs attracted both Beautiful and Splendid Sunbirds, while a Woodland Kingfisher added a further splash of colour hunting from a shady perch beneath a Ginger plum tree, Overhead, we picked up African Palm Swift and an adult Palm Nut Vulture which breezed over, while more wow factor on the ground was provided by close views of a Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling. The Yellow-crowned Gonoleks here are particularly showy this species is an elusive inhabitant of coastal forest thickets which has become used to people around the hotel gardens. Two showed particularly well as we headed round towards the north end of the gardens and explored the rough area along the perimeter wall. A Hammerkop was perched on top of the solar panel scaffold, and a busy spot yielded three Yellow-billed Shrikes, more Brown Babblers, an adult Shikra and three Green Wood-hoopoes. The garden was really coming up trumps this evening, and Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 2

3 we finished on a further high with an immature Shikra attracting the attention of three stunning Bearded Barbets which were keeping a close eye on it! Just as dusk began to fall, several Blacknecked Weavers arrived to drink, the Broad-billed Rollers began noisily hawking over the treetops and a Greater Honeyguide appeared initially foxing us with its yellow belly and white eye ring, we soon realised it was a juvenile bird, quite different in plumage to the adult. It had been a breathless and exciting start to the trip what would the morning bring! Woodland Kingfisher SATURDAY 18 TH NOVEMBER Hazy sunhine, 28C We rose at dawn to enjoy our first morning birding session around the grounds of our hotel, itself a paradise for the visiting birder with several species associated with the coastal forests being easily seen. We started with a Yellow-crowned Gonolek as our first bird of the day, and we went on to see several more of these gaudy residents during our walk. Down at the beach, a quick watch yielded Sandwich and Royal Terns, Grey-headed Gull, Broad-billed Roller and out over the see, many Yellow-billed Kites feeding on large flying grasshoppers or locusts. Some of the kites were feeding up to two miles offshore quite a sight! Back in the gardens, we saw two Bearded Barbets again, and Red-billed Hornbill, Yellow-billed Shrike and Shikra again. Two Violet Turaco flying over was a bit of a bonus, even though they were going somewhat against the light. The Pied Crows began to go nuts around the big trees in the middle of the grounds, and we soon realised why an African Harrier-Hawk had appeared! We found a spot where we could see the bird well, and got some nice photos. It was a subadult bird, sporting brown tail bars and brown feathering admixed in the neck and mantle feathering. Its parent soon arrived, a smarter bird with boldly barred tail and bright red Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 3

4 cere. The crows did their best to see them off, but they kept returning to the same branch much to the delight of those in the group with cameras! Red-billed Firefinch was another highlight, as we watched a large troop of Green Vervet Monkeys moving through the garden. It was now time for breakfast though, as everyone was ready for a coffee by this point! Yellow-billed Shrike and Hammerkop After breakfast we met with our guide Ebrima and made the fifteen minute walk along to the Bijillo Forest Park. Along the way we added Grey-headed Sparrow and a superb male Village Indigobird, while overhead a small party of Little Swifts were noted. The entrance to the park was very birdy, and we kicked off well with fantastic scope views of three Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters which were sallying out from the top of a big acacia. Swallow-tailed Bee-aters Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 4

5 Nearby the grassy margins held two Singing Cisticola and a Grey-backed Camaroptera, while an adjacent pylon hosted a lovely Grey Kestrel sized up nicely next to a young Shikra. Spending some time watching the acacia trees carefully paid dividends as we found Western Subalpine Warbler, Western Bonelli s Warbler and Common Chiffchaff in one tree nice to see some of our familiar paleartic visitors! White-billed Buffalo-weaver was also seen, but a Levaillant s Cuckoo remained heard, but not seen. In the depths of the forest itself things were typically quieter, but with patience we managed to eke out a few of its skulking inhabitants. These included roving groups of Brown Babblers, both Red-billed and African Grey Hornbills, Green Wood-hoopoe and Lesser Honeyguide. A pair of Oriole Warblers gave some sketchy views, and a Red-bellied Flycatcher, advertised by its harsh call, danced in and out of a thicket in typical fashion. Other species noted included a brief flight view of Double-spurred Francolin, another Grey-backed Camaroptera and for two of the group a Senegal Coucal skulking in a wattle tree. Moses, our driver for the rest of the trip, came to collect us at the park gate to save us walking back in the now hot sun, and this got us back to the hotel just in time for vulture feeding! This unique experience allows unrivalled close up views of Hooded Vultures and Yellow-billed Kites which come down in droves for chicken scraps provided by the hotel staff. The kites in particular entertain visitors with their spectacular mid-air catches! A great morning was rounded off with an excellent lunch in the shade, down at the beach bar. Now time for a short siesta! White-crowned Robin-chat and Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling Our afternoon session started at the so called Casino Cycle track, where a typically excellent selection of birds associated with open grassland and marshy habitats were encountered. Blackheaded Heron, Squacco Heron, Hammerkop and Western Reef Heron were all fairly common among the overgrown rice paddies, while the palm trees along the track held African Mourning Dove, Senegal Coucal and White-billed Buffalo-weaver. Zitting Cisticola was also noted along the grassy margins, but the star bird was a fine Black Egret [or Umbrellabird ] stalking the shallows of a small pool. We didn t get to see it shading the water with its wings on this occasion though, as it soon took flight and headed towards the coast, showing its startlingly yellow feet! Diverting from the cycle track down to a small reedy pool, we enjoyed a new flurry of species as Spur-winged Plover, Wood and Green Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, White-faced Whistling Duck and Black-winged Stilt were all present. A family of Black Crake along the far side of the pool gave us some good scope views on and off for about twenty minutes, and often difficult species to catch up with. Commoner fayre were Woodland Kingfisher, Village Weaver and another superb Abysinnian Roller this one lacking the long tail projections. Back on the track and careful checking of a large acacia tree yielded superb views of Western Olivaceous Warbler, and both Beautiful and Splendid Sunbirds. Vinaceous Dove was new for the trip, while we also had distant Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 5

6 views of two perched Namaqua Dove. Some small pools produced excellent views of Intermediate Egret, showing the distinctive gape line separating it from Great White, while two Hadeda Ibis flew past calling, Bronze Mannikin and Fork-tailed Drongo were seen at the end of the cycle track, where a fine male African Golden Oriole gave good views in the canopy of a big tree. Malachite Kingfisher On now to Kotu Bridge, centre of operations for birding in coastal Gambia! The creek was on form this evening, and we enjoyed a superb selection of birds here. Familiar faces included Grey Plover, Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Whimbrel, Little Egret and Grey Heron. More interesting were Western Reef Egret, Pied Kingfisher, Wire-tailed and Red-chested Swallows, Wattled Plover and Senegal Thick-knee. Kingfishers really stole the show here, with two fabulous Giant Kingfisher perched on the wires just by the bridge albeit against the light. A Blue-breasted Kingfisher was on the other side of the bridge, dazzling us with close up feeding forays for the many small crabs along the shore, and two Malachite Kingfisher gave even better views, settled on the mud. A juvenile Purple Heron which dropped in was a very good bird to get here and maybe our first on a Gambia tour, while three Little-ringed Plovers were also an unusual sighting and gave brilliant comparisons with the many Common Ringed Plovers present. A final walk took us beyond the mangroves into another series of small rice paddies. Yellow-billed Shrike and Village Weaver were in the mangroves, where our first Little Bee-eater was also seen sallying from the topmost twigs. A family of Green Wood-hoopoe were contesting a suitable nesting hole with a noisy group of Long-tailed Glossy Starling, while we also noted a stunning male Splendid Sunbird, our first decent views of Senegal Parrot and a juvenile Eurasian Hobby a pretty scarce bird here. Abysinnian Roller, Western Subalpine Warbler, Western Bonelli s Warbler, Woodland Kingfisher, Striated Heron and a group of four Hammerkop rounded off the day nicely it had been a lot to take in! Back to Senegambia then in time to catch the end of Happy Hour and to chalk off the days sightings during the log. Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 6

7 Blue-breasted and Pied Kingfishers SUNDAY 19 TH NOVEMBER Hot and sunny, 34C We had an earlier breakfast today and headed out to Brufut Woods, about twenty minutes away from our hotel. This excellent site is gradually being encroached by logging for farming, and one wonders how many years it has left before the forest is too fragmented to be productive for birds. It was still very much in its heyday today though, and our first half hour was a crazy one as just one small area notched up many species, taking water and bathing in the dew collected on the large leaves of just one area of trees. In quick succession we had superb views of Snowy-crowned Robinchat, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Melodious Warbler, Variable Sunbird and Northern Crombec, topped off with a cracking Klaas s Cuckoo perched out in the open! In the surrounding trees, there were huge flocks of White-billed Buffalo-weaver and Piapiac, a few Senegal Parrots and both Bronze-tailed and Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starlings. Klaas s Cuckoo Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 7

8 We walked a bit into the shady trees, finding Lavendar Waxbill, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and a pair of African Grey Hornbills. Next was a Tawny-flanked Prinia, showing at close quarters in some low grasses. While watching this, a Fine-spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed on the tree next to us a typical example of how one species often leads to another! The same area had a roving party of Brown and Blackcap Babblers and with them were two juvenile Levaillant s Cuckoo, still begging for food from the babblers. They were pretty elusive, and we played cat and mouse with them for some while before everyone had acceptable views. A Bearded Barbet was noted in the process, and many good views of Red-billed Hornbill and Splendid Sunbird. An open area produced an African Paradise Flycatcher, and more excellent views of Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, but the best bird was undoubtedly the roosting White-faced Scops Owl which one of the rangers found for us brilliant! Grey Kestrel, Zitting Cisticola and some brief but just about acceptable views of Red-winged Warbler rounded off our session here. Long-tailed Nightjar It was now getting very hot in the intense sun, so we walked along the sandy track to the woodland bar where we would relax in the shade for a good while, watching the drinking troughs for visiting birds. It was slow to start with just the odd Black-billed Wood-dove and a few Red-billed Firefinches, but things picked up quickly and we had super views of Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Grey Woodpecker, Yellow White-eye and two Yellow-throated Leaflove. A short walk into the bush followed, to view two day-roosting Long-tailed Nightjars at point-blank range among the leaf litter an amazing sighting and quite brilliant find by the local rangers. Another very quick stop back at the drinking troughs produced another highlight ace views of a pair of Violet Turaco in the trees above. Our lunch stop on the coast was about fifteen minutes away in the bus, and another opportunity here to watch for birds coming to drink while we waited for the food to be served. The drinking pool was Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 8

9 busy with Common Bulbuls, Village Weavers and doves of several kinds including Blue-spotted Wood-dove. Greater Honeyguide, Bronze Manakin, Red-billed Firefinch, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, African Thrush, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Red-billed Quelea and even two male Blackcaps came to drink while we watched! Two stand out highlights though were a Western Bluebill a species formerly extremely hard to find away from the Abuko reserve and a stunning African Pygmy Kingfisher which visited briefly for a quick splash in the pool! Not bad! After an excellent lunch, we made the short drive along the coast to Tanji fishing village, to check the beach for gulls, terns and waders. The tide was in so there were more waders than gulls many Sanderling, Common Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit, the odd Whimbrel and Ruddy Turnstone. Greyheaded Gulls dominated otherwise, but careful searching yielded Sandwich, Common and Royal Terns too. Ebrima pointed out a small group of White Pelicans, but they were on Bijilo Island, about two miles out to sea! Along the seaweed covered shore we added White and Yellow Wagtails, while overhead Caspian Terns were frequently passing over on their way out to sea from the adjacent river mouth. Here we saw Pied Kingfisher, Western Reef Heron and an Osprey circling another behind us over the sea was much closer, and even dived for a fish. Above the distant mangroves, we could pick out a small group of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters hawking way up in the blue sky not the greatest of views, so hopefully not our last. A Giant Kingfisher was also seen, perched on the wires above the river mouth much more distant than yesterday, but in better light. A nice change of scenery from our morning in the woodland, and now it was time to head back to the hotel for some well-earned downtime before dinner. Western Bluebill MONDAY 20 TH NOVEMBER Sunny and hot, 34C Today we headed south to the area of open savannah and farmland around Tujerang. This open country is really where the overall species list for the tour hits make or break, as we look for many Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 9

10 difficult species which we are unlikely to have the chance to encounter again. Of course, you never see them all, but our aim was to do as much as we could here before the hot African sun sent us heading for shade. A Lizard Buzzard provided a nice roadside stop on the way down, perhaps surprisingly the first one we had seen. Once at Tujerang, we left Moses under the shade of some trees and set out into the farmland. A Double-spurred Francolin called from the top of a wall, and all around were Beautiful, Splendid and Variable Sunbirds, Singing and Whistling Cisticolas and Laughing and Vinaceous Doves. A Rufous-crowned Roller perched beautifully for us on the side of the track, where two diminutive Namaqua Doves were feeding in the dust. In the distance, we picked up a large black and white raptor, which landed conveniently right on the top of a tree it was a Long-crested Eagle. Over the next half hour, the bird gradually worked its way a bit closer and we had some nice views of it through the scope. Osprey was really common here, with birds constantly drifting over to the adjacent coast, and we also noted Grey Kestrel and a Bedouin s Snake Eagle. Little-Bee-eater and Striped Kingfisher It was the small birds we were here for really though, and with patience we managed to chip away at some quality sightings. Several palearctic migrants in the scattered acacia trees included Western Olivaceous and Willow Warblers, Blackcap, Common Redstart and Whinchat, while Yellow Wagtails were frequent overhead and we also picked up a couple of Tree Pipit flying over calling. A small party of Vitelline Masked Weavers sat up for us, and a pair of Striped Kingfishers gave some nice views as they sallied for insects inside a leafy tree. Two Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starlings perched up, and in the far distance, we had brief views of a Black-winged Kite being mobbed by a Pied Crow. One of the top birds at this site is the aptly named Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, and after initially giving us the slip we eventually had some really good views of two of them feeding on the track ahead of us. A single Northern Red Bishop was also added, and even better was a superb Veillot s Barbet which perched up in an acacia right in front of us. Picking our way back through the bush, we had more excellent views of Namaqua Dove, Variable Sunbird, Rufouscrowned and Abyssinian Rollers and a brief Diderick Cuckoo which some people managed some decent views of. Back the vehicle, the shade was now very welcome it was hot! Before lunch, we opted to check the saline lagoons at Sanyang for waterbirds. Several Hammerkop, Senegal Thick-knee and Intermediate Egret were in the marshy pools by the track, while the main lagoon was thronged with Grey-headed Gulls, Caspian and Royal Terns. Several Ospreys included Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 10

11 two sitting on stumps in the water at close range, and a selection of waders included Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Spur-winged Plover, Grey Plover and Whimbrel. We couldn t pick anything more interesting out of the gulls, but we did add Sacred Ibis to the trip list! A Yellowfronted Tinkerbird showed particularly well in the thorny bushes here, and several Little Bee-eater were feeding over the mangroves opposite. It was now lunchtime, a delicious affair down at the beach bar restaurant, with several Osprey, Caspian Tern and Pink-backed Pelican passing by as we ate. The route back to Senegambia included two impromptu stops one for a Giant Kingfisher perched on a wire, and the second for Moses to fix the starter motor and get us going again after stopping for a check point! A bit of downtime followed during the heat of the afternoon, before we reconvened again for an evening excursion out to Cape Point. Variable Sunbird Camillo Corner would be our first stop this evening, and it didn t take long to add our first new species an African Jacana flying around a small pool by the road. The reeds here were full of Village Weavers, and among them two Red-billed Quelea were picked out. Along the reed edge, several Little Bee-eaters were sallying out, looking absolutely gorgeous in the evening sunshine. On the other side of the road, Great White, Little and Western Reef Egrets could be seen, along with a roosting Pink-backed Pelican, Gull-billed Tern and a large flock of Senegal Thick-knee which flew in. Further out, two adult Slender-billed Gulls were roosting with a group of Caspian Terns, and a Purple Heron flew in high and dropped into the mangroves. A nice surprise here came in the form of a female Little Bittern, which flushed from the reeds and did a nice long flight to the far end. On the opposite side of the saline lagoon, we drove along the Cape Point Road and stopped to scan the gathered gulls and terns. On the wires, a stunning Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was perched, while another sallied overhead calling the light could not have been better awesome birds! Other species noted on this side included Yellow Wagtail, Common Greenshank, Blue-bellied and Abyssinian Rollers, Squacco Heron and our first African Darter of the trip. The rather dusty and noisy Bund Road was our final stop of the day, and under a beautiful sunset we scanned the assembled throngs of Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 11

12 gulls, terns and waders. Black-winged Silts were plentiful here, while the remaining mud patches out in the bay hosted Sanderling, Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit on the rising tide. Further out, two Arctic Skua were patrolling, and overhead we notched a flock of eight African Spoonbills, and seven Black Egrets. Western Reef Egret was really common here, as were Pied Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper. Two or three Gull-billed Terns were patrolling the creek and at least fifty salmon pink Slender-billed Gulls were also seen. Striated Heron, Little-ringed Plover and Pink-backed Pelicans rounded off a very productive end to the day. Unfortunately though, the traffic heading back to Senegambia was pretty awful and it took us a good while to get back to the hotel, so it was a quick turnaround time tonight! TUESDAY 21 ST NOVEMBER Hot and sunny, 35C Today was our visit to Kartong Bird Observatory, in south Gambia on the border with Senegal. We departed at 6am, taking a packed breakfast, in order to arrive there at dawn and make the most of the magical first hour of daylight at the Kartong wetland. We met our good friend Colin Cross who lives here with his wife Binta, and runs the observatory, and soon we were enjoying breakfast and coffee in the viewing gallery of his new two storey building which overlooks the wetland. The birding, as ever, was awesome! As the sun gradually began to creep up and bathe the reed edge in a warm glow, so the birds began to get busy! There were African Jacana, Black Crake, Purple Gallinule, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron and White-faced Whistling Ducks everywhere, and it was difficult to know where to look. Squacco Heron Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 12

13 Colin advised us to check carefully along the reed edge for a juvenile Allen s Gallinule that had been seen recently, and it didn t take us long to find it a first for our tours here! In the rice paddies and reeds, Yellow-crowned Bishops were seen, and many Sedge Warblers began to appear at the reed edge as the sun warmed things up amazing to see our palearctic migrants having almost completed their migration to their wintering grounds. Malachite and Pied Kingfishers could be seen at every turn, and a party of African Spoonbills flew over. We knew that two House Buntings a Gambian rarity had been seen by Colin in recent days, and he soon picked one of them up at the edge of his compound. He had suspected there might be three birds something which we were soon able to confirm as all three perched together on a wall two females and a smart male with darker grey head showing bolder stripes. A little later though, we were able to confirm that there were in fact FIVE House Buntings now present at the site as we saw three females and two males together! Amazing! Presumably this influx was taking place more widely in the region, but perhaps going under recorded. Colin surmised that these were probably the most southerly ever recorded in Africa. Yellow-crowned Gonolek After breakfast birding, we went on foot for a walk in bush for a couple of hours, out towards the beach. This took us through the dune scrub and around the many freshwater pools, created by the flooding of the old sand mines here by rainwater which then gradually evaporates during the dry season. The birding here is just brilliant we saw huge flocks of White-faced Whistling Duck, a couple of Northern Shoeveler, Northern Pintail [a late record], several Common Snipe and Yellow Wagtails, Little Grebe, Common Coot [major rarity!], several Wood Sandpipers, three Black-tailed Godwits, African Spoonbill again and a cracking Long-crested Eagle flying by. The many Gingerbread Plum Trees overhanging the water hosted small nesting colonies of Black-headed Weavers [formerly Yellow-backed] and Colin flushed a Plain-backed Pipit which flew off calling. We saw a single migrant Tree Pipit too, and had great views of Wire-tailed Swallow hawking over one of the ponds. When we turned our attention to the bushes, we saw Western Subalpine Warbler, Namaqua Dove, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Red-billed Quelea, Levaillant s Cuckoo and a superb Grey-headed Kingfisher which nicely completed our full set. All the time we were seeing Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 13

14 Malachite and Pied Kingfishers too, and Spur-winged Plover and Senegal Thick-knee were around the margins of the pools. As we reached the beach, we walked east towards the river mouth and began checking the shore for waders. The only mainland nesting White-fronted Plovers in The Gambia breed here and we were keen to try and connect with them. Colin warned us of the pitfalls of over-wintering Kentish Plovers, and sure enough we soon found a small flock which was clearly all this species. In fact one was colour ringed, and we managed to capture the combination almost certainly from the French ringing project in Brittany amazing! Further on, amongst the many Whimbrel, Grey Plover and Common Ringed Plover, we found our target the beautiful White-fronted Plover. This turned out to be the second best bird we saw on the beach, however, as we then picked up a cracking Northern Carmine Bee-eater overhead in a small group of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. Quite a surprise and another Oriole Birding first in The Gambia! It was now very hot, so we returned to the track where Moses was waiting to collect us and drive us back to Colin s house. Here we had a cool down in the shade of the viewing terrace and did a bit more scanning of the wetland, before driving ten minutes down the road to Salla where we would be having lunch. Colin found us a Western Banded Snakeeagle overhead, and we also saw Western Subalpine and Western Olivaceous Warblers in the trees around the restaurant. White-fronted Plover After lunch we took a boat trip on the river, always a highlight and enjoyable way to spend the hottest part of the day. First we headed downstream, to view a large exposed muddy island where many terns were roosting. They were mainly Royal and Caspian Terns, with a good few Sandwich Terns mixed in, and we spent some time helping Colin spot and record colour ring combinations of any marked Sandwich Terns we could find. Some beautiful Slender-billed Gulls were also seen, along with our first Eurasian Oystercatcher of the trip. Heading upstream for about two miles, we probably drifted into Senegal as we chugged along that side of the river! It was quite slow for birds, but we did get superb views of a Purple Heron trying to wrestle a large fish, and enjoyed plenty of photographic opportunities with Pied Kingfishers, Long-tailed and White-breasted Cormorants, Ospreys and African Darter. Pink-backed Pelicans were frequent overhead, and we also picked up a Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 14

15 party of Yellow-billed Storks which were our first of the trip. Scanning the skies carefully had paid dividends all day, and this time we were rewarded with a couple of Mosque Swallows a hirundine so big that they look like falcons at a distance! This was followed up with excellent views of one of our main target birds here the Brown Sunbird, which is restricted entirely to mangroves. A very enjoyable afternoon, and with Ebrima doing a good job at bailing out as we went along, and Mo the driver managing to keep the engine going, we didn t either sink or drift out to sea! Now it was time to say goodbye to Colin and make the hour long trip back to Senegambia it had been a very long day! WEDNESDAY 22 ND NOVEMBER Cloudy start, sunny later, 30C It was pleasantly cool to start off with today, with a bit of cloud cover for the first time this trip. We made the half hour journey through the chaos, hustle and bustle of the local town and out to Lamin, where we would spend an hour or so birding around the ridefields. For the first time, we failed to record a new species for the trip here, but we had excellent close views of everything we did see in excellent light, with some superb photographic opportunities to boot. Finally we got to see a Bluebellied Roller perched through the scope, and other birds easily seen among the mango trees and palms included Yellow-billed Shrike, White-billed Buffalo-weaver, Grey Kestrel, Senegal Coucal, Vinaceous Dove and Western Grey Plantain-eater. It was the network of small rice paddies that provided the real interest, and we recorded nine species of heron here! Squacco, Purple and Striated Herons, Little, Great White, Black, Intermediate and Western Reef Herons were all close up and in brilliant light. There were many Hammerkops about too, and the odd Spur-winged Plover, Green Sandpiper and Common Greenshank too. Pied Kingfishers showed particularly well and were a real treat to see up close again. A Giant Kingfisher flew through but didn t linger, and a Woodland Kingfisher perched beautifully in the open. Striated Heron Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 15

16 Rejoining the vehicle, we made the five minute drive along to Abuko Forest, the longest standing nature reserve in The Gambia. It was hard work here among the dark, dense forest but we managed four new species and a good selection of other birds too. The hide produced our first views of Crocodile, plus a stunning view of a Broad-billed Roller swooping in to drink, the blue in its wings absolutely dazzling each time it swirled round. Black-headed and Squacco Herons were also here, and African Jacana was also noted. Heading off on the forest trails, we found Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Common Wattle-eye, Black-necked Weaver, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, Little Greenbul, Grey Woodpecker and Western Olivaceous Warbler. Further on out in the more open area, Copper Sunbird was added, a stunning Klaas s Cuckoo came close to us and several Fanti Saw-wing were whizzing through. A couple of times we heard Grey-headed Bristelbill calling, but unfortunately couldn t sight one. Heading back, a mixed feeding flock gave us more, improved views of many of the same species again, while a Palmnut Vulture perched up for our first scope views on this species so far. One of our group who had decided to remain at the hide, saw a Green Turaco while we had been away! After a long hot day yesterday we planned to take things easier this afternoon, and after a delightful lunch at Lamin Lodge overlooking the mangrove forest, we returned to the hotel for some downtime. We wanted to make the most of that busy final hour of daylight in the hotel garden again, and so we met up again at 1730 for an hours walk. Initially the grounds were pretty quiet, but then we managed to dig out a bird we had been trying to call for the last five days the Pearl-spotted Owlet. Upon production of the call, one flew in immediately and then proceeded to move around the garden calling from different spots, mobbed by large numbers of small birds. We had some superb views of the bird through the scope, as it was mobbed by Common Bulbul, White-crowned Robin-chat, Yellowcrowned Gonolek, Beautiful Sunbird, Northern Black Flycatcher, Grey Woodpecker, Oriole Warbler, African Grey and Red-billed Hornbills, African Thrush and Broad-billed Roller! A superb way to end the day! We also picked up Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling, Brown Babbler, Piapiac, Shikra and Senegal Parrot before the light faded on another excellent day. THURSDAY 23 RD NOVEMBER Hazy sunshine, 32C Wire-tailed Swallow Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 16

17 A full days birding from dawn til dusk today yielded around 100 species and gave us some real quality to boot, as we headed east along the south bank of the Gambia river through Brikama and on to Pirang. It took just less than an hour to reach our first stop, at the shrimp farm behind Pirang forest essentially a series of pans bisected by raised embankments which afforded excellent views of a great selection of waterbirds. Wire-tailed Swallows showed superbly by the parking spot, where we left our driver Moses surrounded by a crowd of children from the local village who had chased us for about half a mile in the hope of getting a sweet or empty plastic water bottle! Among the hirundines were several West African Swallows, the recently split race of Red-rumped. These were really smart birds, being whiter below, lacking streaking, and with solidly rufous unstreaked rumps. Their calls were distinctly different to European Red-rumps too. As we walked out past the first pan, we added Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet and Little Stint, but we had to walk about 300m to view the best pan which was thronged with birds. About forty Eurasian Spoonbills were feeding here, with a single African Spoonbill mixed in. We managed to read two of the three colour ringed birds in the flock and await their origin with interest. Also on the pan were some nice Slender-billed Gulls, four Little Terns, two Curlew Sandpipers and another twenty or so Little Stints with a single Dunlin. In the distance, an immature African Fish Eagle circled, and a Northern Wheatear perched up on a concrete building beside us. A decent flurry of new birds, but we didn t want to hang around too long as it was just starting to get hot out in the open. Two Namaqua Doves, and superb views of Blue-bellied and Abyssinian Rollers back at the van were nice to round off with. Next we made the short journey into the adjacent Pirang Forest, where we met with local guide Iddy for a three hour walk around inside the dark, tangled understorey of the woods. Iddy was keen to start us off with some nice obvious birds though, and we were soon eye-balling a spectacular adult Verraux s Eagle Owl high up in the branches, being mobbed vociferously by a pair of Pied Crows. Out on the open edge of the forest, we soon heard the raucous calls of our next target the localised Brown-necked Parrot. Over the next half hour we had superb views of the birds feeding in the canopy of a fruiting tree, in the company of a beautiful African Green Pigeon. Back inside the forest, an African Pied Hornbill was seen and an adult African Harrier-hawk showed well, but small birds were hard to come by in the understorey just a Grey-backed Camaroptera to show for our efforts so far. Brown-necked Parrot Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 17

18 We decided to head down to the spot to try for the White-spotted Flufftail, where we had to wait patiently, still and quiet overlooking a dense, dark tangle. The bird called back, but wouldn t come closer, and we didn t see it this time. A Green Mamba and Forest Cobra were some compensation for the reptile enthusiasts! A Palm-nut Vulture flew over as we crossed the open area again on our way back into the forest, and another African Pied Hornbill posed for scope views this time, silhouetted high on a palm. Back on the main track, Iddy showed us a roosting White-faced Scops Owl better views than we had at Brufut on Sunday. As we made our way back along the track, we began to pick up the fringes of a large mixed feeding flock of Black-necked Weavers and other forest birds. An African Paradise Flycatcher sallied into view, and over the next half hour careful searching through the roving birds produced many good sightings. Ebrima located a Buff-spotted Woodpecker high in a tangle of vines, and eventually most people managed to see it, but it was not easy! A Green Hylia could be heard calling and eventually popped into full view for everyone, and a Spotted Honeyguide another first for our tour showed very briefly. Collared Sunbird was another nice bird to pick up here, and we also saw Yellow-breasted Apalis and Common Wattle-eye. It was now almost 1330, so it was time to rejoin Moses and make the short journey to our lunch place. Namaqua Dove We had eaten at some great places for lunch during the week so far, but todays was perhaps the most interesting. A small place owned by a Belgian guy who lives there for four months of the year, and provides a useful place for visiting birdwatchers to eat and rest when they come to Pirang. He was an interesting chap, and showed us many photos of how the place had changed since he moved there, and what birds he had seen! An amazing 600 year old capoc tree in his garden was the centrepiece, and we saw Violet Turaco among its twisted, ancient branches. A cracking adult Levaillant s Cuckoo also popped up during lunch, and two Mottled Spinetails flew over. After lunch, we decided that we would try a different area of forest, at Farasuto. The track down to the forest passes through open bush and farmland, and we soon had an impromptu stop for a Senegal Eremomela which Ebrima spotted flicking about in a trackside tree. It turned out that the same tree held our first Purple Glossy Starling and a Bearded Barbet, while a male Montagu s Harrier, newly arrived from Europe, drifted by. We decided to walk the rest of the track from here to the forest, since it was now Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 18

19 starting to cool off and bird activity was picking up. We found Cardinal Woodpecker, Blackrumped Waxbill, Diderick Cuckoo, Northern Crombec, Senegal Eremomela, several Western Bonelli s Warblers and Abyssinian Roller. Once inside the forest, we flushed three Stone Partridges from the track, but they wouldn t return despite responding loudly to our efforts to call them back. At the drinking troughs, we had great views of Snow-crowned Robin-chat, Blackrumped Waxbill, Blue-spotted Wood-dove, Little Greenbul and African Pygmy Kingfisher, but the real star here was a Green-headed Sunbird which afforded stunning views normally a difficult species to catch up with. We took a quick walk down to the pools at the back of the forest, where many Senegal Thick-knees were seen, and a nice Pied-winged Swallow. The highlight though was a 3.5m Crocodile hauled out on the far bank sunbathing what a beast! Now it was time to head back, and there was time for one more new bird a Grasshopper Buzzard along the track as we left. An absolutely excellent days birding which put our trip total very respectably up to 230! Crocodile FRIDAY 24 TH NOVEMBER Hazy sunshine, 32C We didn t have much time on our final morning, so we had arranged to meet Moses and Ebrima for a short birding trip to Kotu before breakfast. We had been told that Greater Painted Snipe had been seen behind Palma Rima Hotel near the cycle track, so we started there. Three Black-crowned Night Herons, Black Egret and Double-spurred Francolin were seen, but there was no sign of the snipe. Heading to the bridge, it was distinctly quieter than on the first day but there were still excellent photographic opportunities for Pied and Giant Kingfishers, and an Oriole Warbler showed well in the mangroves. Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Senegal Thick-knee, Western Reef Heron, Hammerkop, Senegal Coucal, Wire-tailed Swallow and Great White Egret were among the other species noted before we returned to the hotel for breakfast and to say goodbye to Moses and Ebrima for the last time. Unfortunately the flight back to the UK was two hours delayed, so we were very late getting back to Birmingham this evening. It didn t detract from what had been a very successful trip though, with some real highlights amid one of our best ever trip totals. Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 19

20 Giant Kingfisher SYSTEMATIC LIST 1. Little Grebe 2. Great White Pelican 3. Pink-backed Pelican 4. Hammerkop 5. Great Cormorant 6. Long-tailed Cormorant 7. African Darter 8. Little Bittern 9. Black-crowned Night-heron 10. Cattle Egret 11. Squacco Heron 12. Striated Heron 13. Black Egret 14. Intermediate Egret 15. Western Reef Heron 16. Little Egret 17. Great White Egret 18. Black-headed Heron 19. Grey Heron 20. Purple Heron 21. Yellow-billed Stork 22. African Spoonbill 23. Eurasian Spoonbill 24. Greater Flamingo Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 20

21 25. White-faced Whistling Duck 26. Northern Shoveler 27. Northern Pintail 28. Sacred Ibis 29. Hadeda Ibis 30. Osprey 31. African Fish Eagle 32. African Harrier-Hawk 33. Palm-nut Vulture 34. Hooded Vulture 35. Pied Crow 36. Beadouin s Snake-eagle 37. Western Banded Snake-eagle 38. Grasshopper Buzzard 39. Long-crested Eagle 40. Yellow-billed Kite 41. Black-winged Kite 42. Eurasian Marsh Harrier 43. Montagu s Harrier 44. Shikra 45. Lizard Buzzard 46. Lanner 47. Eurasian Hobby 48. Grey Kestrel 49. Double-spurred Francolin 50. Stone Partridge 51. Eurasian Coot 52. Common Moorhen 53. Black Crake 54. African Purple Gallinule 55. Allen s Gallinule 56. African Jacana 57. Pied Avocet 58. Senegal Thick-Knee 59. Spur-winged Plover 60. Wattled Plover 61. Grey Plover 62. Little-ringed Plover 63. Common Ringed Plover 64. Kentish Plover 65. White-fronted Plover 66. Eurasian Whimbrel 67. Bar-tailed Godwit 68. Black-tailed Godwit 69. Common Greenshank 70. Common Sandpiper 71. Green Sandpiper 72. Wood Sandpiper 73. Curlew Sandpiper 74. Common Redshank 75. Common Snipe 76. Eurasian Oystercatcher 77. Black-winged Stilt 78. Ruddy Turnstone 79. Little Stint Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 21

22 80. Dunlin 81. Sanderling 82. Arctic Skua 83. Grey-headed Gull 84. Slender-billed Gull 85. Lesser Black-backed Gull 86. Caspian Tern 87. Royal Tern 88. Sandwich Tern 89. Gull-billed Tern 90. Common Tern 91. Little Tern 92. Laughing Dove 93. Blue-spotted Wood-dove 94. Black-billed Wood-dove 95. Speckled Pigeon 96. African Green Pigeon 97. Red-eyed Dove 98. African Mourning Dove 99. Vinaceous Dove 100. Namaqua Dove 101. Piapiac 102. Senegal Coucal 103. Klaas s Cuckoo 104. Levaillant s Cuckoo 105. Diderick Cuckoo 106. Verraux s Eagle Owl 107. White-faced Scop s Owl 108. Pearl-spotted Owlet 109. Long-tailed Nightjar 110. Little Swift 111. Mottled Spinetail 112. African Palm Swift 113. Green Wood-Hoopoe 114. Giant Kingfisher 115. Woodland Kingfisher 116. Blue-breasted Kingfisher 117. Striped Kingfisher 118. Grey-headed Kingfisher 119. Pied Kingfisher 120. African Pygmy Kingfisher 121. Malachite Kingfisher 122. Broad-billed Roller 123. Blue-bellied Roller 124. Rufous-crowned Roller 125. Abyssinian Roller 126. Swallow-tailed Bee-eater 127. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 128. Little Bee-eater 129. Northern Carmine Bee-eater 130. Rose-ringed Parakeet 131. Senegal Parrot 132. Brown-necked Parrot 133. Violet Turaco 134. Western Grey Plantain-eater Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 22

23 135. Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird 136. Bearded Barbet 137. Veillot s Barbet 138. African Pied Hornbill 139. African Grey Hornbill 140. Red-billed Hornbill 141. Grey Woodpecker 142. Cardinal Woodpecker 143. Fine-spotted Woodpecker 144. Buff-spotted Woodpecker 145. Greater Honeyguide 146. Lesser Honeyguide 147. Spotted Honeyguide 148. Crested Lark 149. Plain-backed Pipit 150. Fanti Saw-wing Swallow 151. Wire-tailed Swallow 152. Mosque Swallow 153. Red-chested Swallow 154. Pied-winged Swallow 155. West African Swallow 156. African Golden Oriole 157. Fork-tailed Drongo 158. Yellow Wagtail 159. White Wagtail 160. Common Bulbul 161. Yellow-throated Leaflove 162. Little Greenbul 163. Oriole Warbler 164. Northern Wheatear 165. Blackcap Babbler 166. Brown Babbler 167. Whinchat 168. White-crowned Robin-chat 169. Snowy-crowned Robin-chat 170. Common Redstart 171. African Thrush 172. Western Olivaceous Warbler 173. Melodious Warbler 174. Western Subalpine Warbler 175. Blackcap 176. Sedge Warbler 177. Willow Warbler 178. Common Chiffchaff 179. Western Bonelli s Warbler 180. Singing Cisticola 181. Whistling Cisticola 182. Zitting Cisticola 183. Red-winged Warbler 184. Tawny-flanked Prinia 185. Senegal Eremomela 186. Northern Crombec 187. Grey-backed Camaroptera 188. Yellow-breasted Apalis 189. Green Hylia Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 23

24 190. Common Wattle-eye 191. Yellow White-eye 192. Northern Black Flycatcher 193. African Paradise Flycatcher 194. Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher 195. Collared Sunbird 196. Variable Sunbird 197. Brown Sunbird 198. Green-headed Sunbird 199. Splendid Sunbird 200. Beautiful Sunbird 201. Copper Sunbird 202. Black-crowned Tchagra 203. Northern Puffback 204. Yellow-crowned Gonolek 205. Yellow-billed Shrike 206. Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling 207. Purple Glossy Starling 208. Long-tailed Glossy Starling 209. Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling 210. Yellow-fronted Canary 211. House Sparrow 212. Grey-headed Sparrow 213. White-billed Buffalo-weaver 214. Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver 215. Northern Red Bishop 216. Yellow-crowned Bishop 217. House Bunting 218. Village Weaver 219. Little Weaver 220. Black-necked Weaver 221. Vitelline Masked Weaver 222. Black-headed [Yellow-backed] Weaver 223. Western Bluebill 224. Lavendar Waxbill 225. Orange-cheeked Waxbill 226. Black-rumped Waxbill 227. Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu 228. Red-billed Firefinch 229. Bronze Mannikin 230. Village Indigobird 231. Cut-throat Finch 232. Red-billed Quelea All images copyright Oriole Birding Oriole Birding 2017 The Gambia 24