SENEGAL. 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal. Birding The Sahel

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1 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal SENEGAL Birding The Sahel Main Tour Duration: 14 days Saloum Delta Extension: 4 days Scissor-tailed (or African Swallow-tailed) Kites (Nik Borrow) In the peaceful, democratic nation of Senegal, situated at the very western edge of the African continent and surely the antidote to the stereotypical view of African states as both authoritarian and dysfunctional, you can enjoy Sahel birding, seeing numerous specialities that are restricted to this arid zone immediately south of the Sahara, while travelling through a safe, friendly country where French baguettes feature on the breakfast menu. Only a few hours flying time to the south of Europe there is a very different world a tropical yet generally arid African world at the southern edge of the great desert. To the north lie the vast and empty wastes of the Sahara, the formidable barrier which all Europe s summer migrants have to cross before coming to the safe haven of West Africa, where a rich landscape awaits those birds that survive the desert crossing, while to the south lie the rainforests and other humid tropical habits that characterize the armpit of Africa. In between is the Sahel, a vast arid zone of semi-desert country that extends right across the continent between about 10 and 18 degrees North latitude. The northern part of this huge dry zone, that receives only a comparatively short rainy season between about June and September, is known as the Sudan Savanna and is characterized by dry grasslands and rather open acacia woodland. Further south this very dry habitat gives way to a mix of moister, richer forest and savanna, known as the Guinea Savanna. Even if you are well travelled south of the Sahara, this very accessible corner of the continent offers a very enjoyable birding tour that includes many exciting Sahelian specialities that cannot be seen in, for example, in Ghana or Cameroon. Indeed, the Birdquest Senegal itinerary is unrivalled in the number of Sahelian specialities that it produces. Senegal offers easy, enjoyable birding, good photographic opportunities and an easy-going atmosphere. At this season the local avifauna is further enriched by the presence of numerous winter visitors from Europe and North Africa. Throughout francophone Senegal the former French colonial influence is strongly to be felt, with the locals carrying home baguettes from the bakery, excellent French food and French architecture evident in the dusty towns. Northernmost Senegal, where we will be spending part of our time, lies close to the Sahara than the and the arid landscapes of the Sahel contrast greatly with the much more verdant scenery of the far southeast and the Saloum Delta. While Dakar is a cosmopolitan city with many inhabitants who would be quite at home in Paris, it lies in stark contrast, however, to the simple village life that typifies much of the country. Age-old tasks such as fetching and carrying water, washing and cooking continue in traditional fashion in mud hut villages that look almost unchanged for centuries, while ancient Peugeots are pressed into service as bushtaxis for a day out at the local market. We start our journey at Dakar, strategically positioned on Cap Vert, the westernmost projection of the African continent and once a stronghold of the transatlantic slave trade. From Dakar we head for northernmost Senegal around Richard Toll and Podor on the border with Mauretania, picking up our first Sahel specialities like Long-tailed and Chestnutbellied Starlings along the way. Once we are deep in the Sahel, we will explore the arid landscapes in search of a suite of mega-specialities, including African Collared Dove, Golden Nightjar, Little Grey Woodpecker, Kordofan Lark, Black Scrub Robin, the attractive little Cricket Warbler, the tiny Sennar Penduline Tit, Pygmy Sunbird and White-rumped Seedeater. The second part of our time in the north will be devoted to the Senegal River region around the historic town of St Louis. Here we shall explore the dry country inland for another Sahel speciality, Savile s Bustard and the extensive Djoudj National Park which is home to the endangered Arabian Bustard (which occurs in both the Sahel and southern Arabia) and the little-known River Prinia (a Sahel endemic). West African endemics and nearendemics include Doublespurred Francolin, Western Plantain-eater, Vieillot s Barbet, Senegal Eremomela and Senegal Batis. As well as seeing these specialities, we shall also enjoy some great wetland birding, for the wetlands of this region hold a remarkable variety of

2 2 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal waterbirds, both Afrotropical species and wintering Palearctic migrants. Indeed the Djoudj is one of the most important wetland reserves in the entire African continent. From the far north we head south to the Kaolack region, to the southeast of Dakar. Our major targets here are yet more Sahelian endemics and near-endemics; the dainty Scissor-tailed Kite, the strange Quail-Plover (the sole member of its family) and Sahel Paradise Whydah. During the last part of the main tour we will experience a complete contrast as we explore the much better watered habitats of the Niokolo Koba National Park region in far southeastern Senegal. Large areas of Guinea Savanna woodland are interspersed by extensive areas of grassland and the rivers that bisect the area are often bordered by strips of gallery forest. A few rocky hills add to the ecological diversity. The mega-speciality here is Mali (or Kulikoro) Firefinch, which is restricted to southeast Senegal and Mali, while other very important specialities include Beaudouin s Snake Eagle, Fox Kestrel, Stone Partridge, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Adamawa Turtle Dove, Violet Turaco, the awesome Red-throated Bee-eater, Bearded Barbet, Sun Lark, White-crowned Northern White-faced Owl (Nik Borrow) Robin-Chat, Yellow Penduline Tit, Neumann s, Lesser Blueeared and Bronze-tailed Starlings, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-faced Firefinch, Lavender Waxbill and Brownrumped Bunting. West African endemics Senegal Parrot, Bluebellied Roller, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Pied-winged Swallow, West African Swallow, Blackcap Babbler, Oriole Warbler (or Moho) and Yellow-crowned Gonolek. One of the most popular specialities with birding visitors is the beautiful Egyptian Plover, the sole member of its family, which is positively easy to find here and very approachable. We also have good chances for African Finfoot, Grasshopper Buzzard and Northern Carmine Bee-eater. During the optional extension there will be a splendid opportunity to explore the Saloum Delta to the south of Kaolack. Two stand-out species that we will be concentrating on here are the much sought-after Whitecrested Tiger Heron and the lovely White-backed Night Heron. Join us for some of the most enjoyable, speciality-rich birding in West Africa! Birdquest has operated tours to Senegal since Itinerary Day 1 The tour begins this evening in Dakar, one of Africa s most cosmopolitan cities, where we will spend the night. Day 2 From Dakar we will drive northwards to St Louis for an overnight stay. As we travel northwards the huge baobab trees and wellwooded acacia savanna of the Dakar region gradually give way to sparse thorn scrub as we enter the Sahel, the great band of droughtprone, semi-arid country along the southern edge of the inexorably-advancing Sahara. Town birds include Yellowbilled Kite, Hooded Vulture, Little Swift and Pied Crow, We will keep a lookout during the journey for anything of interest, such as our first Abyssinian and Rufous-crowned Rollers and Blue-naped Mousebirds, and we can expect to see Mosque Swallows and many Long-tailed and Chestnutbellied Starlings (our first Sahelian specialities) around the small villages of thatched huts. If we come across the carcass of a domestic animal by the highway we could well encounter a hissing group of vultures, although numbers have declined in recent years owing to the use of the veterinary drug Diclofenac. These are usually African Whitebacked, Rüppell s Griffon and Hooded Vultures, but quite possibly dominated by the looming figures of two or three huge Lappet-faced Vultures or sometimes some wintering Eurasian Griffon Vultures. We will pass by the town of St Louis, the old French colonial capital of both Senegal and Mauritania, and site of the first bridge over the Senegal River, but now only a pale shadow of its former self in spite of some recent renovation and revitalization. As we leave behind the lush irrigated sugar cane plantations that dominate the Senegal River valley, we will enter an extensive dry, sandy landscape that is meagrely clad with a sparse, goat- and cattle-chewed grassland and acacia scrub. We should arrive in time for some initial exploration this afternoon. Day 3 As we explore the countryside around Richard Toll and further east towards the even more remote town of Podor will be very conscious of the unseen presence of the Sahara, for the border of the desert lies not far to the north. Early in the morning the open acacia savannas and sparsely vegetated grasslands are still and pleasant, but as the sun rises higher into the sky a hot wind can start to blow from the desert until the air is hazy with dust, only quietening down again towards midafternoon. Here we shall be concentrating on looking for some very special birds that are restricted to this semidesert fringe of tropical Africa. This is the haunt of one of the most attractive Sahelian birds, the smart little Cricket (or Scaly-fronted) Warbler and we have an excellent chance of finding this charming species in this harsh landscape. We shall also be on the lookout for five other major Sahelian specialities, in particular the uncommon, restricted-range Little Grey Woodpecker and the tiny Sennar Penduline Tit. Both can be found feeding quietly in the small acacias that dot the area. We can also expect to find restless flocks of Sudan Golden Sparrows. Furthermore, both Golden Nightjar and Kordofan Lark can be found here, although neither is easy. Smart Black Scrub Robins with their long tails often cocked up right over their heads are distinctive and showy birds of this habitat, as are three

3 3 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal other Sahelian near-endemics; African Collared Dove, Pygmy Sunbird and Whiterumped Seedeater. Other species of particular interest include Small Buttonquail, Black-crowned Sparrow- Lark, African Scrub Robin (split from Rufous-tailed) and Fulvous Babbler. More widespread species that we are likely to encounter include Lanner and Rednecked Falcons, Common Kestrel, Common Quail, Black-headed Lapwing, Cream-coloured Courser, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, the pretty little Namaqua Dove, Black-billed Wood- Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Singing Bush Lark, Crested Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Common Bulbul, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Southern Grey Shrike, Greater Blue-eared Starling, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Cut-throat Finch and Black-rumped Waxbill. There are even chances for Pallid Harrier and both Greyish and Verreaux s Eagle-Owls. Palearctic migrants can be conspicuous and are likely to include Black Kite, Eurasian Wryneck, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny and Tree Pipits, Arabian Bustard (Nik Borrow) Common Redstart, Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, Western Olivaceous, Western Bonelli s, Western Orphean and Subalpine Warblers, Common and Iberian Chiffchaffs, and Woodchat Shrike. Day 4 After spending the morning in the Richard Toll/ Podor region we will travel back to the St Louis area for a three nights stay at the Ranch de Bango. Days 5-6 The St Louis region offers a range of interesting habitats for birds, consisting of extensive wetlands (including the estuary of the Senegal River, lagoons and marshlands), agricultural habitats, Acacia woodland, scrubland and grassland. For the visiting birder, while the wetlands are of international importance, it is the arid Sahelian woodlands, bush country and grasslands that provide the greatest interest, for it is these habitats that hold the Sahelian and other West African specialities. First amongst these is the localized Savile s Bustard, a Sahelian endemic. West African endemics and nearendemics include Doublespurred Francolin (a species that is also found in Morocco), Western Plantain-eater, Vieillot s Barbet, Senegal Eremomela and Senegal Batis. More widespread species we are likely to find in the region to the east of the river include Senegal and sometimes Spotted Thick-knees, Temminck s Courser, European Turtle Dove, Vinaceous and Laughing Doves, Senegal Coucal, African Palm Swift, Blue-cheeked and Little Beeeaters, Black Scimitarbill, Green Wood Hoopoe, African Grey and Northern Redbilled Hornbills, African Grey Woodpecker, Desert Cisticola, Northern Crombec, Greybacked Camaroptera, Brubru, Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Beautiful and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Little, Vitelline Masked and perhaps Heuglin s Masked Weavers, Red-billed Firefinch and Pin-tailed Whydah. Short-toed Snake Eagle is sometimes present. A number of wetlands, known as Les Marigots, dot this arid landscape. While most of the species are shared with the Djoudj, Black Egret, African Pygmy-goose, Allen s Gallinule (rather erratic), African Swamphen and Black Crake all tend to be more easily seen here. There is even a chance for a wintering Great Snipe. The most important habitat in the St Louis region is surely the Djoudj National Park, which is situated right on the border with Mauritania. The lower reaches of the mighty Senegal River are subject to seasonal flooding, which augments the few perennial marshlands in the area. Although waterbirds dominate the area, there are other species of even greater interest in the dry bush country and riverine thickets nearby. The huge, declining and endangered Arabian Bustard, although very shy, is still comparatively easy to see in the park, whilst the river channels are the haunt of the little-known and comparatively recentlydescribed River Prinia (a Sahelian endemic). At this season the floodwaters will be receding and large numbers of winter visitors from the Western Palearctic will have joined the many tropical African waterbirds. In some years the lagoons and watercourses of the Djoudj National Park are literally black with wildfowl, so that when the vast flocks take to the air the sight is indescribable, although in other years numbers are much more modest. The most abundant species are White-faced Whistling Duck, Northern Pintail and Garganey, but Egyptian Goose, Fulvous Whistling Duck, and Northern Shoveler can also be numerous. Further interest is provided by small numbers of Spur-winged Geese and Knob-billed Ducks. On the shallow, saline lagoons numerous Greater Flamingos gather to feed and wandering Lesser Flamingos sometimes join them. However, the greatest spectacle of the Djoudj is provided by the hundreds of Great White Pelicans that regularly concentrate into large flocks to feed on the abundant fish. As the birds at the front of the flotilla dip their great pouched bills into the water dozens of others are jostling up from behind whilst still more plunge down from the skies to join the excited gathering. In the heat of the day squadrons soar high above the flat landscape, or even form up in packed masses on the roads next to the lagoons, creating a novel kind of traffic obstacle! At this time of year the birds will be busy breeding and we will make a visit by boat to the breeding colony where the sights, sounds and smells make for a totally unforgettable experience! Great numbers of cormorants, herons, egrets, waders, gulls, terns and other waterbirds add to the avian riches of

4 4 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal one of the most important wetlands in Africa. Pride of place amongst these surely goes to the magnificent Black Crowned Crane, which is almost a Sahelian endemic. Others include Whitebreasted Cormorant (split from Great), Reed (or Long-tailed) Cormorant, African Darter, Little Bittern, Grey, Blackheaded, Purple and Squacco Herons, Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Great, Intermediate, Little, Western Reef and Western Cattle Egrets, Glossy and Sacred Ibises, Eurasian and African Spoonbills, Black, White and Yellow-billed Storks, Osprey African Fish Eagle, Little Crake (uncommon), Common Moorhen, African Jacana, Greater Painted-snipe, Collared Pratincole, Little Ringed, Common Ringed, Kentish and Kittlitz s Plovers, Spotted Redshank, Common, Green, Wood, Marsh and Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Blacktailed Godwit, Grey-headed, Slender-billed and Blackheaded Gulls, and Gull-billed, Caspian, White-winged, Whiskered and possibly Black Terns. Other birds we may well encounter include Montagu s and Western Marsh Harriers, Speckled Pigeon, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Barn Egyptian Plovers (Tony Disley) Swallow, Sand Martin (or Bank Swallow), Western Yellow and White Wagtails, Anteater Chat, African Stonechat, Sedge, European Reed and Greater Swamp Warblers, Zitting and Winding Cisticolas, Blackheaded (or Yellow-backed) Weaver, Red-billed Quelea, African Silverbill and perhaps Whinchat, Zebra Waxbill or Black-faced Quailfinch. We should also be able to find some roosting Long-tailed Nightjars, marvelling at the disproportionately elongated tails of the males. Mammals are generally not conspicuous, but Common Warthogs are frequently encountered in the park and we should see Golden Jackals trotting across the sandy flats. Dorcas Gazelle also occurs but is scarce. Day 7 Today we will head south to the town of Kaolack for a two nights stay. We will pass well to the east of Dakar and will stop along the way. There is a good chance of finding vultures feeding on a dead goat or other domestic animal and the gatherings often include the huge Lappet-faced Vulture as well as Rüppell s, White-backed and Hooded Vultures. As we travel further south we will come across some impressive areas of baobab woodland and stops along the way are likely to turn up some new birds as we enter greener, better-watered habitats. As we near Kaolack we shall be looking out for the delicate and delightful Scissor-tailed (or African Swallow-tailed) Kite hawking for insects over the dry bushland as well as the many Lesser Kestrels that roost in the area. We will also have a first chance to look for Quail-Plover. Day 8 Today we will explore an area of arid grassland and bush country to the east of Kaolack where we have reliably found the enigmatic Quail-Plover, which these days is treated as a monotypic family. Getting a sighting, which will involve flushing a bird from the grass and low scrub, may take some persistence but seeing this mega-speciality is never easy which is why we have devoted plenty of time o the task. Other interesting species in the area include Savile s Bustard, Piapiac, Sahel Paradise Whydah (a Sahelian endemic) and its host the Green-winged Pytilia. Day 9 We have a fairly long drive ahead of us today as we travel to the region containing the huge Niokolo Koba National Park in the far southeast of Senegal, where we will stay for five nights (divided between two different accommodations). Once we have passed the regional centre of Tambacounda we will make a few birding stops, which are sure to turn up plenty of additions to the list. Days We are now in one of the richest regions of Senegal for birdlife and we are going to encounter numerous new species, but we will be concentrating on the Sahelian endemics and more widespread West African specialities. Pride of place amongst these goes to the pretty little Mali (or Kulikoro) Firefinch. This species, which is found only in southeastern Senegal and parts of Mali, favours the remote and rarely visited rocky hills at the fringe of the Fouta Djallon highlands. Two other major specialities of the area are Adamawa Turtle Dove, which is restricted to the Sahel, and Fox Kestrel, which is predominantly Sahelian in distribution. The rocky hills are also home to Neumann s Starling, a restricted-range species that extends eastwards only as far as westernmost Sudan. Other Sahelian endemics Beaudouin s Snake Eagle, Stone Partridge, Four-banded Sandgrouse, the stunning Violet Turaco, the stunning Red-throated Bee-eater, Bearded Barbet, Sun Lark, the lovely White-crowned Robin- Chat, Yellow Penduline Tit, Lesser Blue-eared and Bronzetailed Starlings, Chestnutcrowned Sparrow-Weaver, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah (which is uncommon here, like its host the Red-winged Pytilia, itself a Sahelian near-endemic), Black-faced Firefinch, Lavender Waxbill and Brown-rumped Bunting. We have even seen the uncommon and nomadic Redrumped Bush Lark here on one occasion. West African endemics Senegal Parrot, the attractive Blue-bellied Roller, Finespotted Woodpecker, Piedwinged Swallow (uncommon), West African Swallow (split from Red-rumped), Blackcap Babbler, the impressive Oriole Warbler (or Moho), the handsome Yellow-crowned Gonolek and the lovely Splendid Sunbird (which is uncommon in this area). Much sought-after is the beautiful Egyptian Plover, a bird which is still quite common along the larger rivers in this region. We can even expect to get within a few metres of this wonderful bird, which forms a monotypic family, as they seem quite

5 5 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Senegal unconcerned by humans in this part of Africa! The rivers also hold African Finfoot, which we have a fair chance of encountering during our stay. Other birds of particular interest include Grasshopper Buzzard and the gorgeous Northern Carmine Bee-eater. Amongst the many more widespread species we may well encounter are Striated Heron, Hamerkop, Woollynecked Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Hadada Ibis, Palmnut Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Shikra, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, Bateleur, Tawny, Wahlberg s, Long-crested and perhaps Martial Eagles, African Hawk- Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Helmeted Guineafowl, White-crowned and African Wattled Lapwings, Bronze-winged (or Violettipped) Courser (uncommon and hard to find), Red-eyed Dove, Klaas s Cuckoo, African Scops Owl, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Giant Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, the huge Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Northern White-faced Owl (uncommon), Pearl-spotted Owlet, Greater Honeyguide, African Pied Wagtail, Brown Babbler, White-fronted Black Chat (uncommon), European White-backed Night Heron (Nik Borrow) Pied, Swamp and Northern Black Flycatchers, Brownthroated Wattle-eye, African Blue Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Singing and Croaking Cisticolas, Redchested Swallow (split from Barn), Wire-tailed Swallow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Whitecrested Helmet Shrike, Yellow-billed Shrike, Northern Puffback, Sulphur-breasted and Grey-headed Bushshrikes, White-shouldered Black Tit (uncommon), Yellow White-eye, African Golden Oriole, Purple Starling, Bush Petronia, Village Weaver, Redheaded Weaver (uncommon), Northern Red Bishop, Orangecheeked Waxbill, Redcheeked Cordon-bleu, Village Indigobird and Yellow-fronted Canary. Niokolo Koba holds a considerable variety of mammals, but many are retiring or otherwise hard to find. The most commonly encountered species include the restricted-range Guinea Baboon, Green and Patas Monkeys, Striped Ground Squirrel, Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Bushbuck, Red-flanked Duiker, Common Kob and Waterbuck. Nile Crocodiles can regularly be seen along the rivers. Day 14 After some early morning birding we will set out on the long drive back to Dakar airport, where the tour ends early this evening. Saloum Delta Extension Itinerary Day 14 At Kaolack those taking the extension will say goodbye to those leaving the tour before heading into the nearby Saloum Delta for a three nights stay at a comfortable lodge. Days Two special birds in particular are drawing us deep into the Saloum Delta, where we will explore the mangrove-lined waterways and coastal mudflats by boat on two separate occasions. The first, White-crested Tiger Heron, is a hard bird to see almost anywhere in its range, but here we have a good chance of an encounter. Almost as difficult is the shy but beautiful White-backed Night Heron, but again we have a good chance of finding one during our visit. These two specialities alone are a good reason to visit the Saloum, but the area is rich in birdlife generally, not just coastal species but landbirds as well. There is another chance for African Finfoot here, and other waterbirds that may be new for the list include Pink-backed Pelican, Goliath Heron, Eurasian Oystercatcher, White-fronted Plover, Grey (or Black-bellied) Plover, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Bartailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone and Royal and Sandwich Terns. Other new species we could encounter in this fine area include African Harrier-Hawk, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Bruce s and African Green Pigeons, Mottled Spinetail, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, European and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, African Thrush, Mangrove (or Brown) Sunbird, Variable Sunbird and both Greyish and Verreaux s Eagle-Owls. Day 17 After a last morning in the Saloum Delta and some lunch it will be time to return to Dakar airport, where the extension ends early this evening. Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels and guesthouses are mostly of good standard, occasionally more simple but still comfortable. Road transport is by small coach and roads are generally good (but some minor roads are pot-holed and bumpy). Walking: The walking effort is easy throughout. Climate: Generally hot and dry. It is sometimes humid in the Saloum Delta. Rain is unlikely at this season. Bird Photography: Opportunities are good. Long-crested Eagle (Mike Hodgson)