Bargain Birding in The Gambia 2 nd to 9 th February 2018

www.bargainbirdingclub.com Bargain Birding in The Gambia 2 nd to 9 th February 2018 Bird Watchers: Richard Hanman & Tim Rea Local Guides: Ebou Barry and Bakary Jarju Value for money bird watching holidays for birders on a budget

Tim Rea Bullfinch & Robin (AP) Bakary Jarju Pheasant (RH) Rich Hanman Ebou Barry Vipers Bugloss (AP)

Introduction: This week had originally been planned as a Bargain Bird Club trip to Spain and Portugal, but two guests dropped out last minute due to ill-health, leaving Tim Rea and myself with a week s pass from work / home and the opportunity to re-think where we wanted to go. Tim wanted somewhere hot that he hadn t been too before, I had always wanted an excuse to go back to The Gambia, so fate played its course and The Gambia it was. We booked a 7-day package deal with Thomas Cook staying B&B at the Senegambia Hotel, and I put together a schedule over the internet with Ebou Barry, a local guide I d hired back in November 2014. Our West African adventure was on! Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, about half the size of Wales. It was once part of the British Commonwealth, gaining independence in 1965. English is the official language and is widely spoken. It has a population of 2 million with an average life expectancy of 60 for women and 58 for men. Women give birth to an average of 4 children, which means the average age of the population is 21 years (compared to 40 in the UK). The Gambia s main economies are farming, fishing and tourism, albeit one third of the population live below the International Poverty Line, existing on less than US$1.25 per day. Like The Nile is to Egypt, much of Gambian life and wildlife is dependent on its river. Three times the length of the River Thames, the River Gambia stretches 1130km (702 miles) from its source on the Fouta Djallon plateau in Guinea to its estuary at Banjul. It is saline up to 150km (93 miles) inland, and tidal up to 460km (286 miles) from the coast. The Gambia has a tropical climate with a rainy season (June to November), and a dry season (December to May). Most birders visit in November to see birds in their breeding plumage, or February / March when the 8 high grasses have died down and the birds are easier to see. The temperature remains a constant c.30 o C all year round. On this trip we only saw one mosquito - and that was in the hotel lobby! We planned to bird every day from dawn to dusk. To maximise our time in the field we opted for a 1 night stay up river at Tendaba, deciding that a 2-day road trip to Georgetown would mean we d be spending far too much time in the car. To see over 200 bird species in the UK in a year is going some. With a bit of planning and a good guide it s possible to see 200 species in a week in The Gambia. On this trip we managed 219 species.

Friday 2 February 2018: Hotel gardens, Kotu Creek and Sewage Farm. The alarm went off at 2am and by 2.30am I was on the road to Gatwick. Tim had an even earlier start travelling down from Huntingdon, but at least the roads were clear. We met up at the Purple Parking site near the airport, boarded the shuttle bus and checked in at Gatwick around 4.30am for our 6.45am 6 hour flight to Banjul. Our flight path took us over France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and finally The Gambia. Most of the African leg of the journey was over desert making us realise just what an amazing feat it is for birds that migrate south for the winter. Passport control and baggage reclaim was really smooth at Banjul and as we waited for Ebou to pick us up we started birding. Pied Crow, Speckled Pigeon and Black Kite were the first 3 birds on the list. Ebou arrived 1 hour late at 1.45pm and we then drove straight to our hotel to check in and unpack. This didn t take long so we had about a hour to wander around the hotel gardens before Ebou picked us up again at 4pm. In 60 minutes we saw Laughing Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Red-billed Hornbill, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling, Yellow-billed Kite, Yellow-billed Shrike, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, White-crowned Robin Chat, Broad-billed Roller, Common Bulbul, Brown Babbler, Blackcap Babbler, Hooded Vulture, Western Grey Plantain Eater, Shikra and Sandwich Tern. As well as great birds, a small group of Red Colobus monkeys noisily chased each other across the roof around the hotel BBQ area. There was no doubt we were in Africa! Black Kite Speckled Pigeon Vinaceous Dove Laughing Dove

Hooded Vulture Hooded Vulture Broad-billed Roller Red-billed Hornbill Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling Blackcap Babbler Yellow-billed Shrike White-crowned Robin Chat Long-tailed Glossy Starling

At 4pm we met Ebou and drove to Kotu Creek. From the bridge we saw Senegal Thicknee, Spur-winged Plover, African Wattled Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Black Heron, Grey Heron, Western Reef Heron, Great White Egret, Intermediate Egret, Long-tailed Cormorant, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Redshank, Whimbrel, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Wire-tailed Swallow and Rufous-chested Swallow. Senegal Thicknee Grey Heron Great White Egret Malachite Kingfisher Western Reef Heron Pied Kingfisher

We then embarked on a 2 hour circular walk that took us from the bridge, through rice fields to the sewage farm, past the lily pad pools, through the gardens of Badala Park Hotel and Palm Beach Hotel, through some mangroves and back to Kotu Creek. Within a few minutes we picked up a large flock of Cattle Egret living up to their namesake following a herd of grazing cattle in pursuit of an easy meal. Fork-tailed Drongo, Little Bee-eater, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Senegal Coucal and Zitting Cisticola all kept our day list ticking over as we walked through the dry rice fields. Cattle Egret Laughing Dove Senegal Coucal Vinaceous Dove Wire-tailed Swallow

At the sewage farm we were blown away by the number and variety of birds Sacred Ibis, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black-headed Heron, Squacco Heron, African Jacana, Pink-backed Pelican, Black-winged Stilt, Yellow Wagtail, Blue-headed Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey-headed Gull and Little Grebe. White-faced Whistling Duck Squacco Heron Long-tailed Cormorant Little Grebe Little Bee-eater Common Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper

Sacred Ibis & Cattle Egret Pink-backed Pelican White-faced whistling Duck

From the sewage farm we walked through a small residential area and added a distant African Spoonbill (which flew off as we approached) and Pearl-spotted Owlet which remained partially hidden in the tree top foliage. We followed the trail through the grounds of Badala Park Hotel and Palm Beach Hotel adding Green Wood-hoopoe, Abyssinian Roller and Blue-bellied Roller to our trip list. Pearl-spotted Owlet Black-headed Heron Green Wood Hoopoe Ebou then that took us off-piste as we squeezed through a gap in a fence, followed the outside of the perimeter wall of the Palm Beach Hotel and emerged in a mangrove area. Our target bird was Painted Snipe and Ebou led the way across a chain of mud filled tyres that had been placed as stepping stones through the creek to a dilapidated, elevated wooden hide. From the bird-poo encrusted platform we peered out and sure enough, behind the throng of roosting Spur-winged Plover, was a group of Painted Snipe (1 female and 4 males) all huddled up together. This was a lifer for me and Tim, a beautiful bird, seldom seen. A Black Heron dropped in just to add to the moment. Painted Snipe Black Heron We retraced our steps back across the stepping-tyres to the main path. On the estuary we observed Pink-backed Pelican, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron and Whimbrel. We continued on foot to Kotu Lily Pools to view a large group of roosting Cattle Egret. We also had fleeting glimpses of Village Weaver, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch and Bronze Mannikin to add to our trip list.

Back on the bridge at Kotu Creek we enjoyed amazing views of Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Hammerkop, Western Reef Heron and Long-tailed Cormorant. I changed the battery quickly in my camera and then locked on the Bluebreasted Kingfisher but when I pressed the shutter nothing happened. I tried again then heard bounce, bounce plop. I looked down to see my battery case flap wasn t shut properly and the battery escaped and sank to the bottom of Kotu Creek! Game over for today! Luckily the light was fading fast and tummies were rumbling so we all called it a day and headed to the strip outside the Senegambia hotel for dinner. What a great first day. For me it was good to be back in The Gambia. For Tim he had that I can t believe i ve seen what i ve seen today look that every birders gets the first time they visit The Gambia. Our trip list got off to a great start with 71 species in just 4 hours! Cattle Egret Pied Kingfisher Sunset at Kotu Creek

Saturday 3 February 2018: Mandina Ba, Farasuto, Bonto Forest and Cape Point. After a good nights sleep and breakfast at 7am we were picked up by Ebou at 7.30am. Prior to arriving in The Gambia we had agreed a daily itinerary but this morning Ebou suggested a change, saying trust me, I know where the birds are. Putting our faith in Ebou we went with the flow. First stop was Mandina Ba, an agricultural area about an hours drive inland from the coast. First new bird of the day was Piapiac feeding in the allotment style fields. We went for a walk down Mandina Ba track and picked up Western Grey Plantain Eater, Grey Hornbill, Grey Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Northern Crombec, Blackbillled Wood Dove, Bronze Mannikin, Beautiful Sunbird and Red-billed Firefinch. In a distant tree Ebou got us both on to a male European Golden Oriole, while Doublespurred Francolin and Oriole Warbler called from the bush but remained hidden. Bronze Mannikin Beautiful Sunbird Red-billed Firefinch Western Grey Plantain-eater Grey Hornbill

We continued down the track until it opened up into a grazing pasture. Here we added Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Abyssinian Roller, Wahlberg s Eagle, African Thrush, Lavender Waxbill and Grey-headed Sparrow. We retraced our steps back to the car and came across 3 male African Golden Orioles calling and drinking dew from the red flowers on a Silk Cotton tree what an amazing sight! Abyssinian Roller Golden-tailed Woodpecker African Golden Oriole African Thrush Wahlberg s Eagle

African Golden Oriole

At 10am we headed to Farasuto. As we walked through watermelon fields we picked up Northern Wheatear, Northern Red Bishop, Dark Chanting Goshawk, African Palm Swift and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. We arrived at a small wardens watch post where drinking pools and a bench provided easy birding for House Sparrow, Greyheaded Sparrow, Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Red-billed Firefinch, Black-rumped Waxbill and Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike. Dark Chanting Goshawk Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu Bar-breasted Firefinch (TR) Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike We walked deeper into the forest and caught a glimpse of a male African Paradise Flycatcher with its long tail. The track took us to a large open pool and as we approached we flushed a colony of Black-crowned Night Heron and Senegal Thicknee roosted on the far bank. Ebou pointed to a West African Nile Crocodile skulking in the shallows, just as a Nile Monitor Lizard rushed past giving me a fright. African Palm Swift, House Martin and Mottled Spinetail soared overhead. We returned to the woods and followed the warden to see a pair of roosting Greyish Eagle Owl. Greyish Eagle Owl

At 11.30am we headed to Farasuto Forest to observe the small birds that come to another drinking pool provided by the wardens. Here we saw Greater Honeyguide, Spotted Honeyguide, Little Greenbul, Common Bulbul, Snowy-crowned Robin Chat, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Pygmy Kingfisher, Purple Glossy Starling, Laughing Dove, Mourning Dove, Namaqua Dove, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, African Thrush, Green-headed Sunbird, Village Weaver, Little Weaver, Yellow-fronted Canary, Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu and a surprising Common Redstart. A Striped Ground Squirrel also stopped for a drink before scampering off through the canopy disturbing a roosting African Harrier Hawk which took to the air and landed in a distant tree. While I went chasing the hawk Tim was lucky enough to see a Western Olivaceous Warbler. Just as we headed back to the car, a Violet Turaco flew overhead. We double-backed to see if it would come down to the drinking pools but alas it ran along the branches and disappeared in the tree tops. Greater Honeyguide (juv.) Common Bulbul Greater Honeyguide Common Redstart Pygmy Kingfisher Yellow-crowned Gonolek Spotted Honeyguide Snowy-crowned Robin Chat

Brown Babbler Yellow-fronted Canary Yellow-fronted Canary & Little Green Bulbul Northern Red Bishop (non-breeding)

Purple Glossy Starling Black-rumped Waxbill Striped Ground Squirrel

Ebou took a call from one of the wardens to say that he d located a nightjar. Indeed the warden lead us straight to a very small Long-tailed Nightjar which sat motionless as we quietly took a few photos. Long-tailed Nightjar At 1pm we moved on towards Bonto Forest, stopping en-route to observe a Grey Kestrel perched on top of a tree. On passing the River Gambia shoreline the tide was in which meant all the birds had been flushed off the mud. Grey Kestrel At Bonto Forest Ebou called over the warden and he took us to a roosting Verreaux s Eagle Owl. We had repeat views of African Paradise Flycatcher and our first sighting of Palm-nut Vulture. At 3pm Ebou took us to his family home in Koloro where his sister had prepared fish curry and rice, followed by fresh grapefruits picked from the tree. At 4pm we were back on the road and Ebou decided to take us to Cape Point Road and the Tambi Wetland near Banjul. I queried his decision based on it being a bit of a wasted trip back in 2014, the last time I visited this area, but Ebou persuaded us that he knew what he was doing. Reluctantly we agreed and sat back for the 1 hour drive through the hustle, bustle and dust of Banjul. On arrival we spotted a distant Striped Kingfisher perched on a wire. Abyssinian Roller and Pied Kingfisher were more obliging. In the mangroves there were lots of Grey-headed Gull, interspersed with a few Caspian Tern, Curlew, Grey Plover, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Western Reef Heron, Greenshank and Senegal Thicknee. Verreaux s Eagle Owl

We continued past Banjul Prison and down a dusty side track, know to birders as The Bund Road, which was very busy with heavy goods lorries driving to / from the shipping container storage area. Birding from this track we observed Yellow-billed Stork, Great White Pelican, Pinkbacked Pelican, African Spoonbill and Eurasian Spoonbill in the shallow pools amongst the mangroves. Out at sea scavenging for scraps from the fishing boats were large mixed groups of Grey-headed Gull, Little Egret, Grey Heron and Great White Egret. It wasn t pleasant birding here as we were constantly on the look out for HGV lorries and we started to doubt some of Ebou s decision making. Yellow-billed Stork At 6pm we made a quick stop at Kotu Creek where we had excellent views of Village Weaver, Wire-tailed Swallow, Hammerkop, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Western Reef Heron, Whimbrel and Senegal Thicknee. After 2 days our trip total now sat at 129 species and was cause for celebration with a couple of beers over dinner. Village Weaver

Grey Heron Hammerkop Senegal Thicknee Whimbrel Pink-backed Pelican

Sunday 4 February 2018: Marakissa, Birkama, Sotokoi and Tendaba Camp. A hearty breakfast at 7am and then Ebou picked us up at 7.30am and we set off upriver for an overnight stay at Tendaba Camp. First stop at 8.45am was the Marakissa River Camp. On the sandy approach track we had our first sightings of Bearded Barbet. Long-tailed Glossy Starlings were calling noisily from the tree tops and a Blue-bellied Roller perched on a wire. A walk along the river bank gave us good views of Pied Kingfisher, Senegal Thicknee, Spur-winged Plover, Great White Egret, Western Grey Plantain-eater, Black Kite and Yellow-billed Kite. We also added new birds in the form of African Green Pigeon, Purple Heron and White-faced Scops Owl. From a roadside bridge overlooking a small reed bed and lily pool we had excellent views of Wood Sandpiper, African Jacana, Black Heron and Squacco Heron. Suddenly Tim picked up a flash of yellow and we locked bins on a male African Golden Oriole. Just as we were leaving a Striated Heron showed briefly. Long-tailed Glossy Starling Great White Egret Blue-bellied Roller Western Reef Heron Spur-winged Plover

Wood Sandpiper African Jacana

Purple Heron Western Reef Heron

Senegal Thicknee Squacco Heron

At 10am we left Marakissa and drove through the bustling market town of Birkama. Locals were out doing their weekly shop and it was great to see the ingenuity and variety of methods deployed to take their goods home. Some had donkeys and carts, some had bicycles with over-laden paniers, others made do with a wheelbarrow or simply carried it on their head. Amongst the throng yellow taxis and minibuses, in various degrees of road-worthiness, fought their way through the pedestrian traffic whilst also having to keep an eye out for cows, pigs, goats, sheep and chickens that wandered randomly in the middle of the road. Every roadside shack plied for trade auto-spares, timber yards, bed-makers, ironmongers, tailors, hairdressers, beauty salons, printers and internet-coffee shops. Emerging form the colour, sights and smells of Birkama market we continued on past Faraba to Sotokoi. A brief bush walk here gave us good views of Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Fork-tailed Drongo and Bearded Barbet. Ebou dismissed these as common birds and was keen to push on as he wanted us to look for raptors. A little frustrated that we couldn t spend more time here we got back in the car. Fine-spotted Woodpecker Fork-tailed Drongo Bearded Barbet We continued in land along the South Bank Road and the countryside became more arable with women and children tending to crops of onions and cabbages. At Sanyangha a Lizard Buzzard perched on a wire. Our destination was Tendaba and en-route we made stops to photograph Dark-Chanting Goshawk, Woodchat Shrike, European Bee-eater, Rufous-crowned Roller and Senegal Eremomela. Dark Chanting Goshawk Senegal Eremomela

Rufous-crowned Roller Lizard Buzzard

By 12 noon we d reached Kampati and the temperature was hotting up to 35 o C. In quick succession we had Brown Snake Eagle, Tawny Eagle and Beaudouin s Snake Eagle. A group of Hooded Vultures were feeding on a dog carcase in a field and Red-chested Swallows perched on a wire. Brown Snake Eagle Tawny Eagle Beaudouin s Snake Eagle Observing from Kalaga River bridge near Jataba, we saw an Osprey perched on a dead tree and a majestic Bateleur Eagle soured overhead. At the Tendaba turn off Ebou picked up a lone White-backed Vulture soaring high amongst some Hooded Vultures. On the ground sparrow-like Bush Petronia were feeding on spilt seed. Bateleur Eagle

We arrived at Tendaba Camp just before 2pm. Our rooms weren t quite ready so we had to force down a cold beer, cheese sandwich and chips in the terrace bar overlooking the River Gambia sometimes it s tough being a birder! Tendaba Camp After lunch we checked into our African Round Huts which were very basic but did have a double bed, flushing loo, shower, mosquito net and electric fan. Just missing a plasma TV! We set off on a bush walk around the back of Tendaba village. It didn t take us long to pick up Senegal Parrot, Village Indigobird, Black-headed Plover and Bronze-winged Courser. Rose-ringed Parakeets called noisily as they flew overhead, and Namaqua Dove, Laughing Dove, Red-billed Hornbill and African Grey Hornbill seemed to be everywhere. We then took a short drive to Kiang West National Park and walked through the recently harvested peanut fields. After a lot of searching we eventually found Temminck s Courser and Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark but we dipped on our other target bird, the elusive and enormous Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. As the light faded we made our way back to the car and in doing so we saw Fork-tailed Drongo, and flushed a Common Buttonquail and a Hoopoe. A flock of Bruce s Green Pigeon flew overhead, silhouetted against the sky, and a Kestrel-like Grasshopper Buzzard shot across a distant field scattering two Double-spurred Francolin in the panic. At 7.30pm we arrived back at Tendaba Camp. After a quick shower and change we returned to the terrace bar for a hearty meal of rice, couscous, salad and bush pig! Our trip list after 3 days was now sitting at 159 birds.

Black-headed Plover Laughing Dove Black-billed Wood Dove Namaqua Dove

Temminck s Courser Bronze-winged Courser

Monday 5 February 2018: Tendaba, Kiang West, Pirang Pools and Farasuto Forest. After a surprisingly good nights sleep on a comfortable double mattress in an African hut, the day started with coffee and pancake balls for breakfast at 6.30am before sunrise. 30 minutes later we made our way to the jetty to board a pirogue boat for a guided tour of the mangroves. Little Swift were flying around the jetty, Caspian Tern flew up and down the main river channel, andyellow-billed Kite patrolled the shoreline for scraps. Pirogue boat on the River Gambia Mangrove forest As we crossed from the south bank to the north bank a distant African Fish Eagle was spotted perched in a tree. Overhead we had fly-pasts of Pink-backed Pelican, Western Reef Heron, Great Cormorant and Pied Kingfisher. The light wasn t ideal for photographs, grey and overcast, but it was still early. We left the main river channel and entered a small creek, slowed down the boat speed and started scanning the mangrove roots and tree tops. One by one the birds started to appear. No new birds at first but it is always nice to see Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Grey Woodpecker, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great White Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Striated Heron (aka: Green-backed Heron), Grey Heron, Hamerkop, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Spur-winged Plover and Common Sandpiper. Grey Heron Great White Egret Hammerkop Then we started adding new birds to our trip list in the form of African Darter (aka: Snakebird ), Mouse-brown Sunbird, Red-billed Quelea, Senegal Batis, Brubru, Goliath Heron, White-backed Night Heron, Martial Eagle, Red-necked Falcon, Montagu s Harrier, Common Chiffchaff and Gull-billed Tern. Most views were fleeting as with so many people on the boat the birds were quite skittish and quickly flew off.

African Darter African Darter Goliath Heron Western Reef Heron

Martial Eagle African Fish Eagle Red-billed Quelea Senegal Batis By 10.30am we were back at Tendaba. Despite our objections Ebou was keen to take us back to Kiang West National Park for a second go for Abssynian Ground Hornbill. It was beginning to feel like Ebou s trip rather than our trip, but being British we took a deep breath and went with the flow. We had no joy again with Abyssinian Ground Hornbill but we did see the aptly named Cut-throat Finch and Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, as well as some European birds more familiar to us in Red-rumped Swallow, Hoopoe, Northern Wheatear, European Bee-eater, Common Kestrel and Woodchat Shrike. Around midday we returned to the car and headed back towards the coast. On the way we stopped to admire distant Lanner Falcon, Tawny Eagle, Shikra, Dark-chanting Goshawk, African Harrier Hawk, Hooded Vulture and Black-headed Heron. Non-avian species seen from the highway included Green Vervet Monkey and Patas Monkey.

Cut-throat Finch Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark Common Kestrel European Bee-eater Northern Wheatear As we approached the coastal area we insisted on a visit to Pirang Shrimp Pools, despite Ebou claiming they would be dry and therefore nothing to see. Abyssinian Roller Thankfully they weren t dry. We were greeted by an Abyssinian Roller perched on a sign and Bluecheeked Bee-eater flew overhead. We added Sanderling as a new tick for our trip list and had views of Pied Kingfisher, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Spur-winged Plover, Red-rumped Swallow, Piapiac, Pied Crow, Northern Red Bishop, Red-billed Firefinch and Redcheeked Cordon-Bleu. We could have easily spent more time here wandering around the shrimp pools but Ebou was keen to take us back to Farasuto Forest to show us some more owls. Pirang Shrimp Pools

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Northern Red Bishop Namaqua Dove Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu Red-billed Firefinch Red-billed Firefinch

On arrival at Farasuto, Ebou handed us over to the forest warden and we were then taken to see a superb African Wood Owl roosting at the top of a tree. Then the warden showed us three roosting White-faced Scops Owls - easy birding both for us and for our guide! African Wood Owl White-faced Scops Owl As we approached the end of the day we decided on a quick 10 minute stop at Kotu Creek and were rewarded with excellent views of Pied Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Western Reef Heron and Great White Egret from the Bridge. I had to nip to the bushes for a quick leak and when I returned Tim pointed out that I d missed a Giant Kingfisher! Tim saw it so it went on the list, as did Variable Sunbird giving us 182 birds after 4 days. Pied Kingfisher Variable Sunbird When we returned to the car Ebou divulged that he had mental health problems and needed his medication and his alcohol. He had a bit of a rant about the government and the system but we didn t think too much about it. On the way back to our hotel however, Ebou called into a pharmacy for his prescription and declared that once he d taken his pills and his alcohol he would be ok. Rather concerned we advised him to lay off the beer, take his pills and get a goods night sleep. We were now having some real concerns about Ebou s health and discussed at length over dinner what we should do for the rest of the trip. Wedecided to see how tomorrow went, giving Ebou one last chance.

African Wood Owl

White-faced Scops Owl

Pied Kingfisher

Blue-bellied Kingfisher Great White Egret Pink-backed Pelican

Tuesday 6 February 2018: Abuko, Lamin, Bakuto Hotel, Fajara Golf Course & Kotu. All hope of Ebou regaining control of his mental stability were quickly dashed as he spent the whole 30 minute car journey to Abuko f ing and blinding. We did our best to reassure him, reminding him that we d hired him for his guiding skills, not to listen to his life story. We followed the track through the dry gallery forest to the elevated hide at the Darwin Field Centre, picking out male and female Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher on the way. We also saw Western Bushbuck Antelope, Red Colobus and Green Vervet Monkey. Collared Sunbird Violet Turaco Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher Green Vervet Money Red Colobus Monkey Western Bushbuck Once at the Darwin Field Centre Ebou took a turn for the worse and started cursing anyone that came within ear shot. He then decided he needed to go and get more alcohol and left us to walk around Abuko Forest ourselves. Fortunately the track was well-marked and there were plenty of other guided walks going on so we weren t going to get lost, just very concerned that Ebou was now drinking and driving on the job whilst on medication! We carried on birding, picking up sightings of Violet Turaco, Palm-nut Vulture, Lizard Buzzard, Grey Woodpecker and Purple Heron. Two large crocodiles lazed in the shallows with just their eyes, snout and back showing above the water. Eurasian Spoonbill and the Fanti Saw-wing flew overhead. Western Grey Plantain-eater and Hooded Vulture perched in the trees and a bird later identified as Collared Sunbird, fed on honeysuckle flowers. West African Nile Crocodile

At the animal orphanage, caged Spotted Hyena, Western Baboon, Red Colobus Monkey, Hooded Vulture and Griffon Vulture all looked very sad at their confinement. Hooded Vulture Griffon Vulture Red Colobus Monkey At 12noon Ebou tracked us down and we walked together back to the car. He had 3 empty beer bottles in his hand and declared he was ok now and had calmed down. Reluctantly we let him drive us the short distance to Lamin Lodge but on arrival Ebou s attitude became flippant declaring that there s nothing to see here and we re wasting time when we could be seeing good birds. Undaunted and annoyed, we got out of the car and immediately focussed our attention on a superb juvenile Dark Chanting Goshawk. We walked around the perimeter of the run down Lamin Lodge. Bronze Mannikin, Redbilled Firefinch and Red-cheeked Cordon-Blue were feeding in mixed flocks on the ground. Village Weavers were inspecting nest sites in the trees, and on the creek itself, Common Sandpiper, Western Reef Heron and Great White Egret were feeding in the shallows. Ebou eventually got out of the car and joined us on a short walk around the cassava and tomato fields where we picked up our first Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Black-winged Bishop, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Pin-tailed Whydah. Other birds of note included Black Heron, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Variable Sunbird, Beautiful Sunbird, Splendid Sunbird, Brown Babbler, Yellow-billed Shrike, Blue-bellied Roller and Little Bee-eater. Star bird though was a Shikra that perched nicely in a tree affording us excellent views. Common Sandpiper Lamin Creek Orange-cheeked Waxbill Black-winged Bishop Splendid Sunbird Pin-tailed Whydah

Dark Chanting Goshawk Shikra Yellow-billed Kite Village Weaver

At 3pm we asked Ebou to drop us off at the Bakuto Hotel near Kotu Creek. Ebou had to meet some other clients at 4pm back at the Senegambia Hotel so we spent a pleasant hour observing the Creek from the raised platform watching the White-clawed Crabs feeding in the mud below. All the usual birds were present including Senegal Thicknee, Spur-winged Plover, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Long-tailed Cormorant, Red-billed Hornbill, Yellow-billed Kite, Grey-headed Gull and Caspian Tern. In the hotel gardens we saw Common Bulbul, Mouse-brown Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, White-crowned Robin Chat and African Spurred Tortoise. Green Vervet Monkey African Spurred Tortoise White-clawed Crab We also took the opportunity to consider our options given Ebou s poor health. We decided to hire another guide from the Gambian Bird Guide Association hut at Koto Creek for the last two days of our trip. Speaking to other guides, it transpires that Ebou was evicted from the association a couple of years ago following numerous complaints from customers. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. When I booked Ebou for a 9-day bird watching trip in November 2014 he was excellent a great birder, polite, always on time and I felt totally at ease with him. Three years on however, he is a different man suffering from anxiety and depression and drinking far too much. We finished the day with Ebou with a guided walk that started at Kotu Creek, where a Giant Kingfisher perched on a wire, around Fajara Gold Course and back to the bridge. We had sightings of Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Osprey, Wattled Lapwing, Senegal Thicknee, Senegal Parrot and Grey Woodpecker. Star bird though was a Black Heron demonstrating its characteristic umbrella-like pose with its wings, casting shade over the water as it searched for fish in the shallows. At 6.30pm Ebou dropped us back at our hotel and we broke the news to him that we d made alternative arrangements for the last 2 days of our trip. He didn t take it well, became abusive and refused to refund any monies owing. We wish you well Ebou and hope that your health quickly improves. 10 new ticks added today giving us 192 birds after 5 days. Long-tailed Cormorant Whimbrel Black Heron

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Little Bee-eater

Wednesday 7 February 2018: Kartong, Tanji Beach and Tanji Bird Reserve Breakfast at 7am and then picked up at 7.30am. The only difference on the last 2 days of our trip was that our guide was now Bakary Jarju. Bakary got off to a great start by providing a 6-seater minibus and driver (Yousef) just for the two of us. We set off down the coast road passing Tanji fishing village, which we d return to later today. We were heading for Kartong and en-route we stopped to watch an Osprey flying overhead. We reached Kartong (a disused sand quarry) about 8.30am where we picked up another local guide called Dembo who works at the Bird Observatory. On the approach track to the observatory we had good views of Senegal Coucal, Abyssinian Roller, Speckled Pigeon and Cattle Egret. From the observatory roof we scanned the reedbeds and picked up new birds in Marsh Harrier, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Black Crake, Snipe, Marsh Sandpiper, Teal and White Wagtail. Other birds of note included Wire-tailed Swallow, Squacco Heron, Little Grebe and Yellow Wagtail. We then embarked on a 2 hour bush walk and had amazing views of African Harrier Hawk and Osprey in the air at the same time. We also had good views of Spur-winged Goose, Common Whitethroat, Palm-nut Vulture, African Palm Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Rufous-chested Swallow, Painted Snipe, White-faced Whistling Duck, Grey Heron, Little Egret and African Spoonbill. Singing Cisticola remained hidden in the grasses, providing us with a heard only tick. Abyssinian Roller Kartong reedbeds Marsh Harrier Purple Swamphen In recently harvested rice fields we observed Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, Plainbacked Pipit, Red-necked Falcon, Northern Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Rufous-crowned Roller, Abyssinian Roller, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Hoopoe. An army of Fiddler Crabs patrolled the exposed mud flats waving one claw in the air to attract a mate before the tide came rushing back in. On the beach at Kartong we saw Beaudouin s Snake Eagle, Whimbrel, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, and White-fronted Plover.

Beaudouin s Snake Eagle Black Crake Palm-nut Vulture Spur-winged Goose African Spoonbill Rufous-chested Swallow Common Whitethroat White-fronted Plover Plain-backed Pipit

Osprey African Harrier Hawk

At the far end of the beach was a small rugged bar, decorated with turtle shells, fish vertebrae and drift wood hanging from the sun-bleached rafters. The view across the bay to Senegal was just stunning, and the cold bottles of coke went down a real treat. Kartong Beach Bar At 12 noon we drove back up the coast, stopping briefly in Birkama for a sandwich, before parking near the bridge at Tanji. We took a short walk by the bridge along the beach heading away from the fishing boats. Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Lesser-crested Tern, Sandwich Tern and Little Tern all competed for our attention. Grey-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and Slender-billed Gull challenged our gull ID skills but despite trying really hard we couldn t turn one into a Kelp Gull. Smaller birds such as Turnstone and Sanderling ran around the legs of Western Reef Heron, Grey Heron and Little Egret. Out at sea, half a dozen European Storm Petrel skirted the waves. Tanji Beach

Grey-headed Gull Lesser Crested Tern Caspian Tern At 2pm we moved on to the adjacent Tanji Bird Reserve and walked around the dry scrub in 30 O C heat. Not surprisingly, birds were scarce. Our 214 th tick came in the form of Northern Black Flycatcher. Other birds included Osprey, Hooded Vulture, Woodchat Shrike, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Beautiful Sunbird. At 3.30pm we called it a day as the heat was wearing us out. Being back at the hotel early gave us the opportunity to enjoy the swimming poolfor the first time and generally relax for a couple of hours before dinner.

Caspian Tern Royal Tern (TR) Greenshank Sanderling European Storm Petrel

Thursday 8 February 2018: Marakissa River Camp, Tujereng Woods & Brufut Woods Usual pick up time at 7.30am after breakfast, this time Bakary had a 4x4 Pajero and a different driver, both more suited to off-road birding! We drove an hour to Marakissa River Camp and then embarked on a 3 hour canoe trip along the River Allahein. Allahein River The birds were remarkably unconcerned by our presence. Pied Kingfishers hovered above our heads and plunge dived right by the canoe. Western Reef Heron, Spur-winged Plover and Senegal Thicknee allowed us to glide past almost within touching distance. We only added two new ticks in Yellow-throated Leaflove and Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling but the magic came from the shear variety of birds seen from the canoe: Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black Heron, Squacco Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Whimbrel, Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Blue-bellied Roller, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Green Wood Hoopoe, Western Plantain-eater, Red-billed Hornbill, Grey Hornbill, Caspian Tern, Bluecheeked Bee-eater, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Red-billed Firefinch, Village Weaver, Northern Red Bishop, Vinaceous Dove, Laughing Dove, Black-billed Wood Dove, Rednecked Falcon, African Harrier Hawk, Black Kite and Hooded Vulture. Striated Heron Yellow-throated Leaflove Whitethroat Red-necked Falcon Long-tailed Cormorant Senegal Thicknee

Giant Kingfisher Pied Kingfisher Striped Kingfisher

Black Heron Purple Heron Greenshank Whimbrel Wattled Lapwing Spur-winged Plover Black-headed Plover

At the half way point we beached the canoe and went for a stroll over some mudflats in search of Black-crowned Crane. Whilst we came across their footprints in the mud we dipped on the actual birds. Wehad better luck with great views of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater We arrived back at Marakissa River Camp just before 12 noon. We sipped down a bottle of cold coke and watched as Gambian Sun Squirrel, African Thrush, Village Weaver, Yellowthroated Leaflove and Greater Honeyguide all drank from the water jugs in the garden. It wasn t long before we were back on the road again, this time heading for Tujereng Woods, arriving just after 2pm. A bush walk pulled in Cardinal Woodpecker, Striped Kingfisher, Woodchat Shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Northern Wheatear, African Palm Swift, Black-headed Plover, Grey-headed Sparrow and Yellow Wagtail. The Silk Cotton trees, with their knobbly trunks were alive with Common Bulbul and Village Weaver eating the seeds inside the red flowers. Tim also spotted a Common Whitethroat tagging along with the bulbuls and some strange looking mushrooms growing amongst the dry grasses. Common Bulbul Gambian Sun Squirrel Cardinal Woodpecker

At 3.30pm we headed for Brufut Woods and stopped on the way to observe a magnificent Black-shouldered Kite, another new bird for our trip list. Black-shouldered Kite In Brufut we had good views of Senegal Parrot, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow and Lanner Falcon the latter way too fast for me to photograph. A local warden put us on to a roosting African Scops Owl, which remained partially hidden and fast asleep, but we dipped on another Pearl-spotted Owlet despite Bakary s best efforts to invite the bird to respond to his calls. At 5pm we called it a day and returned to our hotel. We thanked Bakary who had been excellent these past 2 days and thoroughly enhanced our birding holiday taking our trip list to 219 birds after 7 days. African Scops Owl Fork-tailed Drongo Senegal Parrot

Friday 9 February 2018: Senegambia Hotel Gardens Our flight home wasn t until 3pm this afternoon but Thomas Cook insisted our airport transfer pick up time was 10.30am. This only gave us a few hours to pack and have one last look around the gardens of the Senegambia. No new birds to add to our list but a great last minute opportunity to photograph some of the birds and monkeys of The Gambia. Long-tailed Glossy Starling Purple Glossy Starling White-crowned Robin Chat Yellow-crowned Gonolek Red-billed Hornbill

Hooded Vulture Hooded Vulture Green Vervet Monkey Red Colobus Monkey Green Vervet Monkey Green Vervet Monkey

Woodchat Shrike Yellow-billed Kite Little Bee-eater

African Grey Hornbill Western Grey Plantain-eater

GAMBIA TRIP LIST (2 nd to 9 th February 2018) European Storm Petrel Ringed Plover African Green Pigeon Great White Pelican White-fronted Plover Bruce s Green Pigeon Pink-backed Pelican Wattled Lapwing Senegal Parrot Long-tailed Cormorant Black-winged Stilt Rose-ringed Parakeet Great Cormorant Greenshank Long-tailed Nightjar African Darter Redshank Violet Turaco Goliath Heron Curlew Western Grey Plantain-eater Purple Heron Whimbrel Senegal Coucal Black Heron Common Sandpiper Hoopoe Grey Heron Green Sandpiper Green Wood-hoopoe Black-headed Heron Wood Sandpiper Red-billed Hornbill Black-crowned Night Heron Marsh Sandpiper African Grey Hornbill White-backed Night Heron Common Snipe Bearded Barbet Squacco Heron Painted Snipe Yellow-billed Shrike Striated Heron Black-tailed Godwit Woodchat Shrike Western Reef Heron Sanderling Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike Great White Egret Turnstone Senegal Batis Intermediate Egret Bronze-winged Courser Brubru Little Egret Temminck s Courser Yellow-crowned Gonolek Cattle Egret Grey-headed Gull Cardinal Woodpecker Hammerkop Lesser Black-backed Gull Fine-spotted Woodpecker Yellow-billed Stork Yellow-legged Gull Golden-tailed Woodpecker Sacred Ibis Slender-billed Gull Grey Woodpecker African Spoonbill Royal Tern Abyssinian Roller Eurasian Spoonbill Caspian Tern Broad-billed Roller Spur-winged Goose Lesser Crested Tern Rufous-crowned Roller White-faced Whistling Duck Sandwich Tern Blue-bellied Roller Common Teal Little Tern Little Bee-eater African Jacana Gull-billed Tern Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Common Moorhen Namaqua Dove Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Purple Swamphen Blue-spotted Wood Dove European Bee-eater Black Crake Black-billed Wood Dove Fork-tailed Drongo Little Grebe Red-eyed Dove Northern Black Flycatcher Senegal Thicknee African Mourning Dove African Paradise Flycatcher Spur-winged Plover Vinaceous Dove Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher Black-headed Plover Laughing Dove Double-spurred Francolin Grey Plover Speckled Pigeon Common Buttonquail

GAMBIA TRIP LIST (2 nd to 9 th February 2018) Red-rumped Swallow Eurasian Golden Oriole Tawny-flanked Prinia Rufous-chested Swallow African Golden Oriole White Wagtail Red-chested Swallow Purple Glossy Starling Yellow Wagtail Wire-tailed Swallow Long-tailed Glossy Starling Blue-headed Wagtail Common House Martin Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling Pearl-spotted Owlet Mottled Spinetail Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling African Wood Owl African Palm Swift White-billed Buffalo Weaver Greyish Eagle Owl Little Swift Village Weaver Verreaux s Eagle Owl Fanti Saw-wing Little Weaver African Scops Owl African Pygmy Kingfisher Red-billed Quelea White-faced Scops Owl Malachite Kingfisher Northern Red Bishop Osprey Striped Kingfisher Black-winged Bishop African Fish Eagle Blue-breasted Kingfisher Yellow-fronted Canary Martial Eagle Pied Kingfisher Bronze Mannikin Beaudouin s Snake Eagle Giant Kingfisher Red-billed Firefinch Brown Snake Eagle Splendid Sunbird Bar-breasted Firefinch Tawny Eagle Beautiful Sunbird Cut-throat Finch Bateleur Eagle Variable Sunbird Red-cheekd Cordon-Blue Wahlberg s Eagle Green-headed Sunbird Lavender Waxbill Hooded Vulture Collared Sunbird Black-rumped Waxbill White-backed Vulture Mouse-brown Sunbird Orange-cheeked Waxbill Palm-nut Vulture Pied Crow House Sparrow Griffon Vulture (orphanage) Piapiac Grey-headed Sparrow Black-shouldered Kite Yellow-billed Oxpecker Bush Petronia Black Kite Greater Honeyguide Village Indigobird Yellow-billed Kite Spotted Honeyguide Pin-tailed Whydah Marsh Harrier Brown Babbler Plain-backed Pipit Montagu s Harrier Blackcap Babbler Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark African Harrier Hawk Common Bulbul Western Olivaceous Warbler Dark Chanting Goshawk Little Greenbul Senegal Eremomela Grasshopper Buzzard Yellow-throated Leaflove Common Chiffchaff Lizard Buzzard Snowy-crowned Robin Chat Common Whitethroat Common Kestrel White-crowned Robin Chat Oriole Warbler (H) Grey Kestrel Common Redstart Northern Crombec Lanner Falcon African Thrush Zitting Cisticola Red-necked Falcon Northern Wheatear Singing Cisticola (H) Shikra

www.bargainbirdingclub.com Blue-cheeked Bee-eater This trip report remains the property of Bargain Birding Club and cannot be published or reproduced without prior permission. All photographs were taken on this trip and can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bargain_birding_club/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/156918155@n03/sets/72157693792122544/ Value for money bird watching holidays for birders on a budget