Gambia 4-11 February 2016 Kit Britten - Home | …badius, Shikra, Circusaeruginosus,...
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Gambia 4-11 February 2016 Kit Britten
Transcript of Gambia 4-11 February 2016 Kit Britten - Home | …badius, Shikra, Circusaeruginosus,...
Gambia 4-11 February 2016 Kit Britten
Background: A hastily arranged solo week to use up some annual leave. Package holiday booked with Thomas Cook staying at the excellent Bakotu Beach and flying from Gatwick. I was travelling frequently at this time and, in short, Gambia was the only birding destination that matched these dates exactly. A further birding excursion had been pre-planned in Jamaica the following week. Logistics: Bakotu Beach is an excellent choice, overlooking the creek and being within easy reach of the Gambia Bird Guide Association headquarters at Kotu Bridge. Additionally as this seems to be the preferred hotel for visiting UK birders it is easy to swap experiences and sighting details and the staff are well used to catering for packed breakfasts etc. Guiding Upon setting foot outside the hotel you will be assailed by offers of assistance, guiding etc. Wearing binoculars ensures that the Gambia bird guides will offer assistance. The “bumsters” and indeed all locals however are undeniably friendly. When upcountry small gifts of pens, paper, toys etc are welcomed by the children who will follow you around the fields, as is the norm in rural Africa Upon arrival Sonko a registered birding guide approached me. I explained that I had corresponded by email with a guide who would meet me shortly to confirm arrangements. He then proceeded to inform me that this individual was unwell and not able to guide me. I believed that this may be a tactic and was therefore reticent to accept his services. However the hotel then independently informed me that my guide was unwell and not welcome in the hotel due to him not keeping promises with guests. I therefore arranged an initial half-day guiding session with Sonko to the Abuko reserve. Engaging Sonko was a positive step. Sonko proved himself a very capable birder during the initial half day trip and I therefore arranged a 3 day trip with him on the back of this. Sonko was professional, punctual and credible delivering on all his promises. He also is an excellent birder with a good knowledge of the sites and their specialties. Sonko can be reached at [email protected] Sites: Kotu Sewage Farm & Golf course: Both an easy walk from the hotel with plentiful birds of the Kotu creek area in
Kotu Bike Track Good views of 10 Painted Snipe in the fields off the track with attendant Black Heron , Hamerkop Abuko Forest Reserve A half day visit here yielded some excellent species not seen again during the week with Western Bluebill & Red chested Goshawk the highlights (3 different sightings). Also Fanti Sawwing, Palm nut vulture , both Turaco's , Greater Honeyguide, Oriole Warbler & Grey headed Bristlebill. Insect repellent is required at this site. Pirang Woods All the woods have attendant guides who preserve the wood from clearance and know the birds well , the tip is well earned for their services. They provide a valuable service and no more so than at Pirang woods where 30 minutes of intense calling resulted in clear views of White-spotted Flufftail, Grey headed Bristlebill Also here were day roosting African Wood Owl and Verreaux's Eagle Owl Kuloro A quick stop here during the heat of the day still produced White-backed Night heron, Oriole Warbler and at the feeding station a Green-headed Sunbird, a scarce sunbird and the only one seen. Tendaba Camp An initially planned 1-night stop here was converted to 2 in order to reduce the time spent travelling in what was a compressed itinerary. This therefore compromised the opportunity to see Gambian Plover and Red throated Bee-eater but Tendaba and the roadside birding en route provided plentiful variety. One stop provided the following 14 raptors in 1 hour - Palm nut vulture, Hooded Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Yellow-billed Kite, Bateleur, Long crested eagle, African harrier-hawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Dark chanting Goshawk, African Hawk Eagle, Wahlberg's Eagle, Martial Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon 2 mangrove safaris were undertaken with a large crocodile on the first although both trips recorded very similar bird lists with White-backed Night Heron seen on both and an impressive cormorant colony. Ground Hornbills were seen in the area and 2 separate sightings of Temminck's Courser.
Birds: In total 208 species were seen during the trip with 4.5 days spent birding. Latin name IOC name Notes Ptilopachus petrosus Stone Partridge Seen on 2 occasions Pternistis ahantensis Ahanta Francolin Seen / glimpsed at Pirang Pternistis bicalcaratus Double-‐spurred Francolin golf course + Dendrocygna viduata White-‐faced Whistling Duck
Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe Ciconia episcopus Woolly-‐necked Stork Tendaba Camp mangrove safari
Threskiornis aethiopicus African Sacred Ibis Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill Gorsachius leuconotus White-‐backed Night Heron seen at roost both days at Tendaba
Nycticorax nycticorax Black-‐crowned Night Heron Butorides striata Striated Heron Ardeola ralloides Squacco Heron Bubulcus ibis Western Cattle Egret Ardea cinerea Grey Heron Ardea melanocephala Black-‐headed Heron Ardea goliath Goliath Heron Ardea purpurea Purple Heron Ardea alba Western Great Egret Egretta intermedia Intermediate Egret Egretta ardesiaca Black Heron Egretta gularis Western Reef Heron Scopus umbretta Hamerkop Pelecanus rufescens Pink-‐backed Pelican Microcarbo africanus Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus White-‐breasted Cormorant Anhinga rufa African Darter Pandion haliaetus Western Osprey Elanus caeruleus Black-‐winged Kite Polyboroides typus African Harrier-‐Hawk Gypohierax angolensis Palm-‐nut Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus Hooded Vulture Gyps africanus White-‐backed Vulture Gyps rueppellii Rüppell's Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis White-‐headed Vulture Most raptors seen up country – 2
Circaetus beaudouini Beaudouin's Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens Western Banded Snake Eagle Pirang
Terathopius ecaudatus Bateleur 2 seen en route to Tendaba Polemaetus bellicosus Martial Eagle 2 seen en route to Tendaba
Lophaetus occipitalis Long-‐crested Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi Wahlberg's Eagle Aquila spilogaster African Hawk-‐Eagle Kaupifalco monogrammicus Lizard Buzzard Melierax metabates Dark Chanting Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii Red-‐chested Goshawk A scarce bird seen well at Abuko
Accipiter badius Shikra Circus aeruginosus Western Marsh Harrier Circus pygargus Montagu's Harrier Milvus aegyptius Yellow-‐billed Kite Butastur rufipennis Grasshopper Buzzard Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus Grey Kestrel Falco chicquera Red-‐necked Falcon Falco cherrug Saker Falcon Sarothrura pulchra White-‐spotted Flufftail Amaurornis flavirostra Black Crake Burhinus senegalensis Senegal Thick-‐knee Himantopus himantopus Black-‐winged Stilt Vanellus spinosus Spur-‐winged Lapwing Vanellus tectus Black-‐headed Lapwing Vanellus senegallus African Wattled Lapwing Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover Rostratula benghalensis Greater Painted Snipe Actophilornis africanus African Jacana Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel Tringa totanus Common Redshank Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Cursorius temminckii Temminck's Courser Chroicocephalus
cirrocephalus Grey-‐hooded Gull
Hydroprogne caspia Caspian Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Sandwich Tern Columba livia Common Pigeon Columba guinea Speckled Pigeon Streptopelia decipiens Mourning Collared Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Red-‐eyed Dove Streptopelia vinacea Vinaceous Dove Stigmatopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove Turtur abyssinicus Black-‐billed Wood Dove Turtur afer Blue-‐spotted Wood Dove Oena capensis Namaqua Dove
Treron waalia Bruce's Green Pigeon Treron calvus African Green Pigeon Poicephalus fuscicollis Brown-‐necked Parrot Poicephalus senegalus Senegal Parrot Psittacula krameri Rose-‐ringed Parakeet Tauraco persa Guinea Turaco Musophaga violacea Violet Turaco Crinifer piscator Western Plantain-‐eater Centropus senegalensis Senegal Coucal Chrysococcyx klaas Klaas's Cuckoo Ptilopsis leucotis Northern White-‐faced Owl Bubo lacteus Verreaux's Eagle-‐Owl Strix woodfordii African Wood Owl Caprimulgus climacurus Long-‐tailed Nightjar Telacanthura ussheri Mottled Spinetail Cypsiurus parvus African Palm Swift Apus pallidus Pallid Swift Apus affinis Little Swift Coracias naevius Purple Roller Coracias abyssinicus Abyssinian Roller Coracias cyanogaster Blue-‐bellied Roller Eurystomus glaucurus Broad-‐billed Roller Halcyon chelicuti Striped Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica Blue-‐breasted Kingfisher Ispidina picta African Pygmy Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus Malachite Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima Giant Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher Merops hirundineus Swallow-‐tailed Bee-‐eater Merops pusillus Little Bee-‐eater Merops albicollis White-‐throated Bee-‐eater Tendaba Mangroves
Merops apiaster European Bee-‐eater Phoeniculus purpureus Green Wood Hoopoe Bucorvus abyssinicus Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Tockus kempi Western Red-‐billed Hornbill Tockus fasciatus African Pied Hornbill Tockus nasutus African Grey Hornbill Pogoniulus chrysoconus Yellow-‐fronted Tinkerbird Lybius vieilloti Vieillot's Barbet Lybius dubius Bearded Barbet Indicator indicator Greater Honeyguide Campethera punctuligera Fine-‐spotted Woodpecker Campethera nivosa Buff-‐spotted Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae African Grey Woodpecker Batis senegalensis Senegal Batis Platysteira cyanea Brown-‐throated Wattle-‐eye
Prionops plumatus White-‐crested Helmetshrike Malaconotus blanchoti Grey-‐headed Bushshrike Laniarius barbarus Yellow-‐crowned Gonolek Corvinella corvina Yellow-‐billed Shrike Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike Oriolus auratus African Golden Oriole Dicrurus adsimilis Fork-‐tailed Drongo Terpsiphone rufiventer Red-‐bellied Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis African Paradise Flycatcher Ptilostomus afer Piapiac Corvus albus Pied Crow Parus guineensis White-‐shouldered Black Tit Eremopterix leucotis Chestnut-‐backed Sparrow-‐Lark Pycnonotus barbatus Common Bulbul Andropadus virens Little Greenbul Bleda canicapillus Grey-‐headed Bristlebill Psalidoprocne obscura Fanti Saw-‐wing Hirundo lucida Red-‐chested Swallow Hirundo smithii Wire-‐tailed Swallow Delichon urbicum Common House Martin Cecropis daurica Red-‐rumped Swallow Sylvietta brachyura Northern Crombec Phylloscopus trochilus Willow Warbler Phylloscopus collybita Common Chiffchaff Iduna opaca Western Olivaceous Warbler Cisticola cantans Singing Cisticola Prinia subflava Tawny-‐flanked Prinia Apalis flavida Yellow-‐breasted Apalis Hypergerus atriceps Oriole Warbler Camaroptera brevicaudata Grey-‐backed Camaroptera Eremomela icteropygialis Yellow-‐bellied Eremomela Eremomela pusilla Senegal Eremomela Turdoides reinwardtii Blackcap Babbler Turdoides plebejus Brown Babbler Zosterops senegalensis African Yellow White-‐eye Lamprotornis chloropterus Lesser Blue-‐eared Starling Lamprotornis chalcurus Bronze-‐tailed Starling Lamprotornis purpureus Purple Starling Lamprotornis caudatus Long-‐tailed Glossy Starling Buphagus africanus Yellow-‐billed Oxpecker Turdus pelios African Thrush Melaenornis edolioides Northern Black Flycatcher Cossypha niveicapilla Snowy-‐crowned Robin-‐Chat Cossypha albicapilla White-‐crowned Robin-‐Chat Phoenicurus phoenicurus Common Redstart Anthreptes gabonicus Mangrove Sunbird Tendaba mangroves only
Anthreptes longuemarei Western Violet-‐backed Sunbird Hedydipna collaris Collared Sunbird Hedydipna platura Pygmy Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis Green-‐headed Sunbird One sighting only scarce
Chalcomitra senegalensis Scarlet-‐chested Sunbird Cinnyris pulchellus Beautiful Sunbird Cinnyris coccinigastrus Splendid Sunbird Cinnyris venustus Variable Sunbird Cinnyris cupreus Copper Sunbird One sighting only
Plocepasser superciliosus Chestnut-‐crowned Sparrow-‐Weaver
Passer domesticus House Sparrow Passer griseus Northern Grey-‐headed Sparrow Gymnoris dentata Bush Petronia Bubalornis albirostris White-‐billed Buffalo Weaver Ploceus luteolus Little Weaver Ploceus nigricollis Black-‐necked Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Village Weaver Quelea quelea Red-‐billed Quelea Euplectes hordeaceus Black-‐winged Red Bishop Euplectes franciscanus Northern Red Bishop Spermophaga haematina Western Bluebill Abuko only -‐ stunning
Lagonosticta senegala Red-‐billed Firefinch Uraeginthus angolensis Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus bengalus Red-‐cheeked Cordon-‐bleu Estrilda caerulescens Lavender Waxbill Estrilda melpoda Orange-‐cheeked Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes Black-‐rumped Waxbill Lonchura cucullata Bronze Mannikin Vidua chalybeata Village Indigobird Motacilla flava Western Yellow Wagtail Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit Crithagra mozambica Yellow-‐fronted Canary
