11:50am to 12:50pm. Weather: bright, hazy sunshine, mild; little or no breeze.
A Spring has sprung patch visit, in contrast to my last wintry visit. Many species in good voice particularly the resident robins of which I estimate there to be at least a dozen territories around the cemetery. Otherwise fairly quiet without the buzz of winter thrushes & tit feeding parties.
Entrance:
Magpie, Woodpigeon.
Robin - many singing & prominent during the walk.
Dunnock - also in good voice; I saw 3 fighting & more later.
Chaffinch - a bright male & a few others around.
Wren, Carrion Crow.
South-side:
Green Woodpecker - heard yaffling, seen later flying off in the east-central area.
Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit.
Jay - a couple heard.
UCL Sports Grounds:
Song Thrush - one heard singing in the distance, & I later saw what looked like one fly up into shrubs near the playing fields.
East-side:
Long-Tailed Tit - 3 or 4 in a mobile party.
Greenfinch - 5 with a few great tits buzzing a bush but I couldn't see why.
Starling - 2 up from the ground.
Redwing - 1 into a tree as I made my way to the exit; late in the year but looking in fine fettle prior to flying home, it may have been that this was the song thrush I saw earlier.
17 species.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Senegambia Hotel Gardens, The Gambia, 25/02/2010
6:20pm to 7pm. Weather: sunny, warm, to dusk.
A final evening walk around the hotel's grounds as the holiday sadly came to an end. Fortunately I encountered some of the exotic species I had seen on the first guided walk & even had some better views of them than first time around.
Brown Babbler, Bronze Manakin, Red-Eyed Dove, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling, Speckled Pigeon, Village Weaver.
African Paradise Flycatcher - two in the 'usual' thicket near the volleyball court & near my room in Oriole block, I spent some time watching them, though one soon moved off, trying unsuccessfully to get some good photos in the gloom.
Oriole Warbler - another I'd hoped to see again & another that was present in the thicket. It stayed for a few minutes before moving off, & although still short it was a longer view than the first time.
Red-Billed Hornbill, Yellow-Crowned Gonolek, White-Capped Robinchat - also around the thicket.
Gray Woodpecker - just outside the thicket on the edge of the main green, an individual was perched on a low tree & was not disturbed by my presence affording some nice close-ups.
Grey-Backed Camaroptera - one foraged on the ground just outside the thicket, also allowing some good close-ups;
Northern Crombec - in the old construction area adjacent to Kairaba, its orange underparts & tiny tail were seen properly this time rather than a fleeting view of one flying as at Lamin Lodge.
Western Plantaineater, African Thrush - also in the old construction area.
Broad-Billed Roller - two perched high up in a dead-looking trees near the thicket where they stayed until dusk afforded decent views of what was my first roller species.
Little Swift, African Palm Swift - both overhead as dusk settled.
Pied Crow - noisily roosting.
20 species.
A final evening walk around the hotel's grounds as the holiday sadly came to an end. Fortunately I encountered some of the exotic species I had seen on the first guided walk & even had some better views of them than first time around.
Brown Babbler, Bronze Manakin, Red-Eyed Dove, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling, Speckled Pigeon, Village Weaver.
African Paradise Flycatcher - two in the 'usual' thicket near the volleyball court & near my room in Oriole block, I spent some time watching them, though one soon moved off, trying unsuccessfully to get some good photos in the gloom.
Oriole Warbler - another I'd hoped to see again & another that was present in the thicket. It stayed for a few minutes before moving off, & although still short it was a longer view than the first time.
Red-Billed Hornbill, Yellow-Crowned Gonolek, White-Capped Robinchat - also around the thicket.
Gray Woodpecker - just outside the thicket on the edge of the main green, an individual was perched on a low tree & was not disturbed by my presence affording some nice close-ups.
Grey-Backed Camaroptera - one foraged on the ground just outside the thicket, also allowing some good close-ups;
Northern Crombec - in the old construction area adjacent to Kairaba, its orange underparts & tiny tail were seen properly this time rather than a fleeting view of one flying as at Lamin Lodge.
Western Plantaineater, African Thrush - also in the old construction area.
Broad-Billed Roller - two perched high up in a dead-looking trees near the thicket where they stayed until dusk afforded decent views of what was my first roller species.
Little Swift, African Palm Swift - both overhead as dusk settled.
Pied Crow - noisily roosting.
20 species.
Brufut Forest, The Gambia, 25/02/2010
8:10am to 11:10am. Weather: bright, sunny & hot.
A morning trip guided by Tamba with Kim, Tamba was soon joined by a couple of local guides who lead us through an amazing forest & then through a small village & its subsistence agricultural area. There is a small fee to visit the forest proceeds from which directly benefits the larger Brufut village & school which incentivises the locals to protect the forest. Even though it was early at 10am as we walked through the fields the sun beat down, so this may have been the hottest excursion, fortunately because of the early schedule an afternoon by the pool digesting what I'd seen was the perfect thing to look forward to!
Main forest road:
Splendid Sunbird - active in the large bushes & small trees next to the path, with wonderful metallic colours but lacking the long tail of beautiful sunbird;
Red-Billed Hornbill, Hooded Vulture, Red-Billed Firefinch, Common Bulbul.
Pin-Tailed Whydah - several feeding on the sandy ground next to the path, in non-breeding plumage but with a distinctive red bill;
African Green Pigeon - attractive lime green pigeon spotted at the very top of a pathside tree;
Senegal Parrot - also at the top of a tree, squawking before flying off;
Red-Bellied Paradise Flycatcher - in a large dense bush, but its spectacular plumage was still visible in the shade, a speciality of this forest.
Stone Partridge - only heard from low down amongst the undergrowth;
Western Plantain-eater, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling.
Blue-Spotted Wood Dove - one feeding next to the path before flying into a tree as we approached - small;
Vinaceous Dove - in a tree top enthusiastically cooing - paler than red-eyed dove;
Yellow-Fronted Tinkerbird - only Tamba saw this before it flitted into the undergrowth;
Lizard Buzzard - a brief flurry of wings as it flew away, IDed by one of the other guides, a pity it didn't show again;
White-Faced Scops Owl - both Tamba & another guide suddenly halted next to a tree & asked Kim & I if we could see anything there, which we could not. They then amused themselves by pointing out the obvious owl which was not hiding but which was relying on its great camouflaged. Once we spotted it we had excellent views from about 20m & it was not disturbed in the slightest before we moved off.
Orange-Cheeked Waxbill - a small flock on bramble-type bushes next to the path;
African Oriole - as stunning as its european counterpart but not quite as elusive as it foraged amongst the flowering leaves of a large tree, its gold shone bright in the strengthening sunlight.
Forest:
Pied Hornbill - a couple flew overhead to the top of the a tree where one proceeded to call & apparently display to other with a twig in its beak;
Verreux's Eagle Owl - in the tree next to the hornbills was another wonderful speciality of the forest: two huge eagle owls hidden amongst the canopy foliage, although they were hidden one was close enough for some nice views & our guides took us off the main path into the forest to the base of the tree so we could see better. We could see the pink eyelids & huge talons & large size even though we could not see the beak as this was obscured by leaves.
Long-Tailed Nightjar - venturing deeper into the forest our guides lead us directly to a couple of roosting nightjars & which were an amazing site in the dappled sunshine. I took some great close-up photos not approaching too close (apparently a metre is the limit the birds will tolerate) before leaving them in peace.
Scrub / Farmland:
Woodchat Shrike - leaving the forest into a more mixed scrub area almost immediately this beauty was spotted at the top of a decent-sized bush. Athough distant it was another distinctive shrike which I was delighted to see.
Black-Shouldered Kite - a pair in the foliage of a sizeable bush/small tree, unlike at Lamin they were not harrassed by crows.
Double-Spurred Francolin - flew away into the undergrowth from a series of termite mounds;
Whistling Cisticola - perched on a fence's wire next to the path. Brown & nondescript Tamba was still able to ID easily;
Black-Crowned Tchagra - all three guides were pleased to see this one foraging under a tree beyond the fence, it soon flew off but no before I got a decent record shot;
Grey-Headed Sparrow - a little further along from the first cisticola & next to another, a larger-looking sparrow with a light grey head;
Fine-Spotted Woodpecker - first spotted at the end of the path as it turned left to the village it crossed the path to another tree where it stayed affording us good views;
Greater Honeyguide - in the same tree that the woodpecker alighted in, it flew away quickly & I only got a brief view of it as Tamba excitedly pointed it out;
Shikra - my best view of this hawk - two circled around each other before they called to each other & rapidly moved off low along the tree line obviously on a hunt, very impressive!
Little Bee-eater, African Palm Swift, Fork-Tailed Drongo - all around the small village's farmland areas;
Red-Cheeked Cordon-bleu - a few also amongst the village's scrub, wonderfully coloured & great to see. Apparently these used to be common around the Senegambia's grounds before much of its low scrub was cleared.
Village Weaver, Blackcap Babbler, Brown Babbler.
Singing Cisticola - another 'brown job' flitting amonst the low vegetation;
Yellow Wagtail - one in a small, slightly barren-field, it shyly moved away from us;
Yellow-Crowned Bishop - at the feeding station where we had drinks at the end of the walk;
Common Kestrel - flew along the roadside as we left in the taxi.
42 species, 20 new species (I saw 19).
A morning trip guided by Tamba with Kim, Tamba was soon joined by a couple of local guides who lead us through an amazing forest & then through a small village & its subsistence agricultural area. There is a small fee to visit the forest proceeds from which directly benefits the larger Brufut village & school which incentivises the locals to protect the forest. Even though it was early at 10am as we walked through the fields the sun beat down, so this may have been the hottest excursion, fortunately because of the early schedule an afternoon by the pool digesting what I'd seen was the perfect thing to look forward to!
Main forest road:
Splendid Sunbird - active in the large bushes & small trees next to the path, with wonderful metallic colours but lacking the long tail of beautiful sunbird;
Red-Billed Hornbill, Hooded Vulture, Red-Billed Firefinch, Common Bulbul.
Pin-Tailed Whydah - several feeding on the sandy ground next to the path, in non-breeding plumage but with a distinctive red bill;
African Green Pigeon - attractive lime green pigeon spotted at the very top of a pathside tree;
Senegal Parrot - also at the top of a tree, squawking before flying off;
Red-Bellied Paradise Flycatcher - in a large dense bush, but its spectacular plumage was still visible in the shade, a speciality of this forest.
Stone Partridge - only heard from low down amongst the undergrowth;
Western Plantain-eater, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling.
Blue-Spotted Wood Dove - one feeding next to the path before flying into a tree as we approached - small;
Vinaceous Dove - in a tree top enthusiastically cooing - paler than red-eyed dove;
Yellow-Fronted Tinkerbird - only Tamba saw this before it flitted into the undergrowth;
Lizard Buzzard - a brief flurry of wings as it flew away, IDed by one of the other guides, a pity it didn't show again;
White-Faced Scops Owl - both Tamba & another guide suddenly halted next to a tree & asked Kim & I if we could see anything there, which we could not. They then amused themselves by pointing out the obvious owl which was not hiding but which was relying on its great camouflaged. Once we spotted it we had excellent views from about 20m & it was not disturbed in the slightest before we moved off.
Orange-Cheeked Waxbill - a small flock on bramble-type bushes next to the path;
African Oriole - as stunning as its european counterpart but not quite as elusive as it foraged amongst the flowering leaves of a large tree, its gold shone bright in the strengthening sunlight.
Forest:
Pied Hornbill - a couple flew overhead to the top of the a tree where one proceeded to call & apparently display to other with a twig in its beak;
Verreux's Eagle Owl - in the tree next to the hornbills was another wonderful speciality of the forest: two huge eagle owls hidden amongst the canopy foliage, although they were hidden one was close enough for some nice views & our guides took us off the main path into the forest to the base of the tree so we could see better. We could see the pink eyelids & huge talons & large size even though we could not see the beak as this was obscured by leaves.
Long-Tailed Nightjar - venturing deeper into the forest our guides lead us directly to a couple of roosting nightjars & which were an amazing site in the dappled sunshine. I took some great close-up photos not approaching too close (apparently a metre is the limit the birds will tolerate) before leaving them in peace.
Scrub / Farmland:
Woodchat Shrike - leaving the forest into a more mixed scrub area almost immediately this beauty was spotted at the top of a decent-sized bush. Athough distant it was another distinctive shrike which I was delighted to see.
Black-Shouldered Kite - a pair in the foliage of a sizeable bush/small tree, unlike at Lamin they were not harrassed by crows.
Double-Spurred Francolin - flew away into the undergrowth from a series of termite mounds;
Whistling Cisticola - perched on a fence's wire next to the path. Brown & nondescript Tamba was still able to ID easily;
Black-Crowned Tchagra - all three guides were pleased to see this one foraging under a tree beyond the fence, it soon flew off but no before I got a decent record shot;
Grey-Headed Sparrow - a little further along from the first cisticola & next to another, a larger-looking sparrow with a light grey head;
Fine-Spotted Woodpecker - first spotted at the end of the path as it turned left to the village it crossed the path to another tree where it stayed affording us good views;
Greater Honeyguide - in the same tree that the woodpecker alighted in, it flew away quickly & I only got a brief view of it as Tamba excitedly pointed it out;
Shikra - my best view of this hawk - two circled around each other before they called to each other & rapidly moved off low along the tree line obviously on a hunt, very impressive!
Little Bee-eater, African Palm Swift, Fork-Tailed Drongo - all around the small village's farmland areas;
Red-Cheeked Cordon-bleu - a few also amongst the village's scrub, wonderfully coloured & great to see. Apparently these used to be common around the Senegambia's grounds before much of its low scrub was cleared.
Village Weaver, Blackcap Babbler, Brown Babbler.
Singing Cisticola - another 'brown job' flitting amonst the low vegetation;
Yellow Wagtail - one in a small, slightly barren-field, it shyly moved away from us;
Yellow-Crowned Bishop - at the feeding station where we had drinks at the end of the walk;
Common Kestrel - flew along the roadside as we left in the taxi.
42 species, 20 new species (I saw 19).
Kotu Creek, The Gambia, 23/02/2010
4pm to 6pm. Weather: Bright, warm & sunny.
An evening walk guided by Tamba, with Kim who didn't make Lamin Lodge but was itching to get off the hotel complex. We were dropped off by the taxi (after it had had a blowout!) on the road to Serekunda which we walked along for a while before eventually cutting inland across mixed scrub & agriculture which we crossed to get to the creek. Then we walked the concrete 'casino cycle track' back to the road before being picked up again.
Roadside fields:
Abyssinian Roller - overhead wires;
Striated Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret - in the boggy fields.
Black Egret - over;
Great White Egret - another in the boggy fields;,
Little Bee-eater, Blue-Bellied Roller - both on trees & scrub in the fields;
White-Faced Whistling Duck - a group of approx. 20 on one of the more sizeable ponds in the fields next to the roads.
Spur-Winged Plover - next to pigs feeding in the fields;
Hammerkop - also feeding in boggy fields;
Sacred Ibis - one over briefly, unfortunately not seen later;
Fields / Scrub / Sewage Ponds:
Beautiful Sunbird.
Shikrah - again distant on the wing;
Black-Winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper - all on the side of the sewage treatment ponds or smaller satellite ponds. I enjoyed seeing these winter 'visitors' from Europe, particularly the wood sands which are not all that easy to see in the UK;
Senegal Parrot - heard from a tree but did not take wing;
Rose-Necked Parakeet - typical flocks through;
Gray Woodpecker - in the boughs of a tree;
Fork-Tailed Drongo - also on the outer branches of a decent-sized palm tree, its tail obviously making it easy to name the species.
Little Sparrowhawk - Tamba called this species as a small raptor rapidly took off from scrub in the mid-distance. Later when I checked Western Little Sparrowhawk in the book it states 'very rarely seen forest dweller' yet is considered conspecific with African Little Sparrowhawk, although that doesn't appear to occur in The Gambia. The western variety has been reported from previous trip reports I've read on the internet so I will defer to Tamba's knowledge & those reports;
Yellow-Billed Shrike - much closer, than the one at Lamin & allowed great views (& photos);
Whimbrel, Western Reef Heron - feeding on a small pond with great egret;
Cycle Track:
Long-Tailed Cormorant - from the creek's bridge;
Pied Hornbill - overhead, obvious hornbill, larger than red-billed & grey;
Variable Sunbird, Red-Billed Firefinch, White-Billed Buffalo Weaver - in the thick pathside bushes;
African Jacana - on a distant pond in the fields, several were seen on a much closer lake at the end of the walk;
Bearded Barbet - on the top of one of the pathside bushes, very distinctive, odd-looking bird with bright colours. It oblivious to us, never looked down at us but soon few off, but not before I had snapped some good photos of it.
Wattled Plover, Senegal Coucal, Piapiac - foraging in the pathside fields;
Pied Crow, Black Kite, Hooded Vulture - the usuals!
40 species, 7 new species.
An evening walk guided by Tamba, with Kim who didn't make Lamin Lodge but was itching to get off the hotel complex. We were dropped off by the taxi (after it had had a blowout!) on the road to Serekunda which we walked along for a while before eventually cutting inland across mixed scrub & agriculture which we crossed to get to the creek. Then we walked the concrete 'casino cycle track' back to the road before being picked up again.
Roadside fields:
Abyssinian Roller - overhead wires;
Striated Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret - in the boggy fields.
Black Egret - over;
Great White Egret - another in the boggy fields;,
Little Bee-eater, Blue-Bellied Roller - both on trees & scrub in the fields;
White-Faced Whistling Duck - a group of approx. 20 on one of the more sizeable ponds in the fields next to the roads.
Spur-Winged Plover - next to pigs feeding in the fields;
Hammerkop - also feeding in boggy fields;
Sacred Ibis - one over briefly, unfortunately not seen later;
Fields / Scrub / Sewage Ponds:
Beautiful Sunbird.
Shikrah - again distant on the wing;
Black-Winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper - all on the side of the sewage treatment ponds or smaller satellite ponds. I enjoyed seeing these winter 'visitors' from Europe, particularly the wood sands which are not all that easy to see in the UK;
Senegal Parrot - heard from a tree but did not take wing;
Rose-Necked Parakeet - typical flocks through;
Gray Woodpecker - in the boughs of a tree;
Fork-Tailed Drongo - also on the outer branches of a decent-sized palm tree, its tail obviously making it easy to name the species.
Little Sparrowhawk - Tamba called this species as a small raptor rapidly took off from scrub in the mid-distance. Later when I checked Western Little Sparrowhawk in the book it states 'very rarely seen forest dweller' yet is considered conspecific with African Little Sparrowhawk, although that doesn't appear to occur in The Gambia. The western variety has been reported from previous trip reports I've read on the internet so I will defer to Tamba's knowledge & those reports;
Yellow-Billed Shrike - much closer, than the one at Lamin & allowed great views (& photos);
Whimbrel, Western Reef Heron - feeding on a small pond with great egret;
Cycle Track:
Long-Tailed Cormorant - from the creek's bridge;
Pied Hornbill - overhead, obvious hornbill, larger than red-billed & grey;
Variable Sunbird, Red-Billed Firefinch, White-Billed Buffalo Weaver - in the thick pathside bushes;
African Jacana - on a distant pond in the fields, several were seen on a much closer lake at the end of the walk;
Bearded Barbet - on the top of one of the pathside bushes, very distinctive, odd-looking bird with bright colours. It oblivious to us, never looked down at us but soon few off, but not before I had snapped some good photos of it.
Wattled Plover, Senegal Coucal, Piapiac - foraging in the pathside fields;
Pied Crow, Black Kite, Hooded Vulture - the usuals!
40 species, 7 new species.
Lamin Lodge, The Gambia, 22/02/2010
7:15am to 11:15am. Weather: Bright, hot & sunny.
This was a dawn chorus trip out amongst the magroves which I had signed up for with Tamba on the hotel bird walk a couple of days earlier. It was an amazing experience edging out onto the water in a pirogue as the sun began to rise. Once out amongst the mangroves the species came thick & fast & there were so many that I almost struggled to keep up. Taking notes was impossible because I would have missed too much, fortunately my camera helped me keep a record. The trip also included a nice breakfast afterwards & Tamba also lead us on a short walk along a path in rice fields before we jumped in the van & returned to the hotel where I was able to enjoy the beach for the rest of the day - what a life!
Hoooded Vulture.
Double-Spurred Francolin - typically for a gamebird the van put these up in the dawn gloom & away they went noisily - we saw a few more later also flying off;
Purple Heron - atop the mangroves waiting for the sun, it had moved down to the muddy waterside by the time we returned;
Striated Heron - small & low down in the mangroves;
Black Egret - over;
Squacco Heron - over;
Intermediate Egret - over;
Grey-Headed Gull - one dipping along the creek;
Buff-Headed Woodpecker - heard from inside the mangroves, Tamba said that this was rare at Lamin now, but unfortunately it didn't show;
Caspian Tern - a few overhead, with distinctive, massive bill;
Sandwich Tern - several over & on the sandbar;
Royal Tern - one or two over with the sandwich terns;
African Mourning Dove - calling from the mangroves;
Hammerkop - one over;
Osprey - one over & a species I was hoping to see in its wintering grounds;
Pied Kingfisher - seemed very common amongst the mangroves - a sizeable & impressive looking bird;
Grey Heron - one on the sandbar, the first of several familiar species;
Greenshank - flew off away from the pirogue;
Common Sandpiper - a couple on the mangrove mud, allowing quite close views;
Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater - a few hunting insects over the tops of the mangroves as the sun warmed the insects;
Pink-Backed Pelican - two near the sandbar, they flew off as we approached;
Redshank - a couple in shallower water;
Whimbrel - common, again foraging in the shallow water;
Ringed Plover - half dozen on the sandbar;
Malachite Kingfisher - a spectacular little kingfisher, a speciality of the mangroves & not unlike the UK version, another was seen on the way back;
Green-Backed Eremola - two flew across the water between the mangroves a couple of times, Tamba called them fro their flight;
Red-Chested Swallow - over, Tamba identified & in doing so confirmed for me which species I had seen along the beach at the hotel the day before;
African Palm Swift.
Savannah & Scrub:
Senegalese Thicknee - we disembarked the pirogue & ventured out onto a large sandbank between mangroves one side & agriculture/scrub the other side, which Tamba called a savannah. Immediately two or three thick-knees were seen on the sand but they soon melted into the mangroves;
Black-Headed Plover - a group of three on the sand, stood & watched us approach before flying off, apparently they are not often seen at Lamin any more;
Blue-Bellied Roller - perched prominently on a palm tree allowing close views of another wonderfully coloured species;
Grey Hornbill, Yellow-Crowned Bishop, Zitting Cisticola - all in various trees in the scrub area.
Yellow-Fronted Canary - only Tamba saw it before it few off, again in scrub;
Leaf-love - only Tamba saw it & it didn't show itself from the leaves despite looking for it;
Northern Crombee - flew quickly across our path, distinctive lack of a tail;
White-Billed Buffalo Weaver - small flocks feeding amongst the agricultural fields;
Pearl-Spotted Owlet - Tamba & the captain of the boat lead us to a large tree, calling all the time & soon picked out this speciality. There were two in the tree, small but beautiful they were not overly concerned with out presence though one did move off to another tree which, when we found it, allowed for some great, quite close views.
Shikrah - distantly flying with a hawk's business-like attitude;
Wattled Plover - lone bird stood in a field, an unmistakeable "lady with earrings";
Common Bulbul, Brown Babbler, Village Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling - common 'garden' birds;
Rose-Ringed Parakeet - a couple of small flocks noisily overhead, reminiscent of the ring-necks in London!
Variable Sunbird - another species favouring the scrub area, not as stunning as the beautiful variety but lovely nonetheless;
Yellow-Billed Shrike - usual shrike habit of perching on a prominent branch immediately signified the family & its long tail was distinctive although it was quite distant;
Black-Shouldered Kite - two seen amongst the canopy of a tall tree, initially one was seen being mobbed by a couple of pied crows who eventually reluctantly left them alone as the kites refrained fro flying - light grey with dark mask & shoulders.
Pied Crow.
Western Plantain-eater - a couple flying between trees, almost reminded me of an Archaeopteryx!
Spur-Winged Plover - in the field, a "man in dinner jacket";
Mangrove Return:
Long-Tailed Cormorant - on a sandbank, oblivious to our close progress;
Western Reef Heron - in the mangrove roots;
Gull-Billed Tern - one over, lacking tail fork of the sandwich tern;
Yellow-Crowned Gonolek - in the depths of the mangroves, though its colours were still bright.
Little Egret.
Village/Rice Fields:
Little Bee-eater - several amongst the low plants of the fields;
Pied-Winged Swallow - one over amongst further red-chested swallows;
Singing Cisticola - a couple in low vegetation close to the path;
Bar-Breasted Firefinch - only Tamba saw it before it moved away into the foliage;
Fine-Spotted Woodpecker - spotted by Tamba high in a tree which nevertheless allowed close views.
Roadside Wires:
Grey Kestrel - the distinct colours were again obvious from its perch;
Abyssinian Roller - another distinctive roller species, this one the easiest with long tail streamers.
65 species, 41 new species (I saw/heard 38)!
This was a dawn chorus trip out amongst the magroves which I had signed up for with Tamba on the hotel bird walk a couple of days earlier. It was an amazing experience edging out onto the water in a pirogue as the sun began to rise. Once out amongst the mangroves the species came thick & fast & there were so many that I almost struggled to keep up. Taking notes was impossible because I would have missed too much, fortunately my camera helped me keep a record. The trip also included a nice breakfast afterwards & Tamba also lead us on a short walk along a path in rice fields before we jumped in the van & returned to the hotel where I was able to enjoy the beach for the rest of the day - what a life!
Hoooded Vulture.
Double-Spurred Francolin - typically for a gamebird the van put these up in the dawn gloom & away they went noisily - we saw a few more later also flying off;
Purple Heron - atop the mangroves waiting for the sun, it had moved down to the muddy waterside by the time we returned;
Striated Heron - small & low down in the mangroves;
Black Egret - over;
Squacco Heron - over;
Intermediate Egret - over;
Grey-Headed Gull - one dipping along the creek;
Buff-Headed Woodpecker - heard from inside the mangroves, Tamba said that this was rare at Lamin now, but unfortunately it didn't show;
Caspian Tern - a few overhead, with distinctive, massive bill;
Sandwich Tern - several over & on the sandbar;
Royal Tern - one or two over with the sandwich terns;
African Mourning Dove - calling from the mangroves;
Hammerkop - one over;
Osprey - one over & a species I was hoping to see in its wintering grounds;
Pied Kingfisher - seemed very common amongst the mangroves - a sizeable & impressive looking bird;
Grey Heron - one on the sandbar, the first of several familiar species;
Greenshank - flew off away from the pirogue;
Common Sandpiper - a couple on the mangrove mud, allowing quite close views;
Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater - a few hunting insects over the tops of the mangroves as the sun warmed the insects;
Pink-Backed Pelican - two near the sandbar, they flew off as we approached;
Redshank - a couple in shallower water;
Whimbrel - common, again foraging in the shallow water;
Ringed Plover - half dozen on the sandbar;
Malachite Kingfisher - a spectacular little kingfisher, a speciality of the mangroves & not unlike the UK version, another was seen on the way back;
Green-Backed Eremola - two flew across the water between the mangroves a couple of times, Tamba called them fro their flight;
Red-Chested Swallow - over, Tamba identified & in doing so confirmed for me which species I had seen along the beach at the hotel the day before;
African Palm Swift.
Savannah & Scrub:
Senegalese Thicknee - we disembarked the pirogue & ventured out onto a large sandbank between mangroves one side & agriculture/scrub the other side, which Tamba called a savannah. Immediately two or three thick-knees were seen on the sand but they soon melted into the mangroves;
Black-Headed Plover - a group of three on the sand, stood & watched us approach before flying off, apparently they are not often seen at Lamin any more;
Blue-Bellied Roller - perched prominently on a palm tree allowing close views of another wonderfully coloured species;
Grey Hornbill, Yellow-Crowned Bishop, Zitting Cisticola - all in various trees in the scrub area.
Yellow-Fronted Canary - only Tamba saw it before it few off, again in scrub;
Leaf-love - only Tamba saw it & it didn't show itself from the leaves despite looking for it;
Northern Crombee - flew quickly across our path, distinctive lack of a tail;
White-Billed Buffalo Weaver - small flocks feeding amongst the agricultural fields;
Pearl-Spotted Owlet - Tamba & the captain of the boat lead us to a large tree, calling all the time & soon picked out this speciality. There were two in the tree, small but beautiful they were not overly concerned with out presence though one did move off to another tree which, when we found it, allowed for some great, quite close views.
Shikrah - distantly flying with a hawk's business-like attitude;
Wattled Plover - lone bird stood in a field, an unmistakeable "lady with earrings";
Common Bulbul, Brown Babbler, Village Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling - common 'garden' birds;
Rose-Ringed Parakeet - a couple of small flocks noisily overhead, reminiscent of the ring-necks in London!
Variable Sunbird - another species favouring the scrub area, not as stunning as the beautiful variety but lovely nonetheless;
Yellow-Billed Shrike - usual shrike habit of perching on a prominent branch immediately signified the family & its long tail was distinctive although it was quite distant;
Black-Shouldered Kite - two seen amongst the canopy of a tall tree, initially one was seen being mobbed by a couple of pied crows who eventually reluctantly left them alone as the kites refrained fro flying - light grey with dark mask & shoulders.
Pied Crow.
Western Plantain-eater - a couple flying between trees, almost reminded me of an Archaeopteryx!
Spur-Winged Plover - in the field, a "man in dinner jacket";
Mangrove Return:
Long-Tailed Cormorant - on a sandbank, oblivious to our close progress;
Western Reef Heron - in the mangrove roots;
Gull-Billed Tern - one over, lacking tail fork of the sandwich tern;
Yellow-Crowned Gonolek - in the depths of the mangroves, though its colours were still bright.
Little Egret.
Village/Rice Fields:
Little Bee-eater - several amongst the low plants of the fields;
Pied-Winged Swallow - one over amongst further red-chested swallows;
Singing Cisticola - a couple in low vegetation close to the path;
Bar-Breasted Firefinch - only Tamba saw it before it moved away into the foliage;
Fine-Spotted Woodpecker - spotted by Tamba high in a tree which nevertheless allowed close views.
Roadside Wires:
Grey Kestrel - the distinct colours were again obvious from its perch;
Abyssinian Roller - another distinctive roller species, this one the easiest with long tail streamers.
65 species, 41 new species (I saw/heard 38)!
Senegambia Hotel Gardens, The Gambia, 20/02/2010
5pm to 6:20pm. Weather: Hot & sunny.
First full day on holiday & I joined the hotel's guided garden bird walk for a wander round the hotel grounds which are well known for the number of species they hold (though apparently not as many as they used to hold). Later in the week I saw four birders with telescopes come through the grounds although they were not staying at the hotel. The group was guided by Tamba Suso who told us about other guided trips available & afterwards I signed up for Lamin Lodge. Tamba ended up becoming our trusted guide for the whole holiday & not just for birding, he took us out to Senegambia Market as well. However the birding was excellent in the hotel gardens & allowed me to start to feel more comfortable with my own identifications. The walk started at the birdwatching hut that sits in the middle of the hotel's grounds & which always seemed to have a few people in it.
Brown Babbler - pair on the way to the birding hut, after these first two I saw many afterwards, their bright orange eye was very distinctive;
African Grey Hornbill - Tamba immediately showed his expertise by pointing to a female high up in a palm tree.
Piapiac - a couple foraging on a lawn, 1 juvenile;
Red-Billed Hornbill.
Senegal Coucal - foraging amongst the longer grass, according to Tamba for snakes, a striking bird & not at all shy. Another was seen later foraging in a smaller quadrangle area between room blocks.
Red-Necked Falcon - Tamba heard it calling first & then it flew rapidly over the hotel's grounds, pursued by crows;
Pied Crow.
Yellow-Crowned Gonolek - stunningly-coloured bird, unmistakeable & the first of many I saw around the hotel, apparently the normally shy species has benefitted from the all hotels' gardens along the coastal strip & it was a definite favourite of mine during the holiday.
Bronze Manakin - a chattering flock amongst the top of a tree, & after I knew what they were I noticed they were very common in the grounds;
White-Crowned Robinchat - another wonderfully colourful bird & seen frequently around the rounds;
Red-Eyed Dove.
African Thrush - feeding on the lawns with robinchats & doves;
Green Wood Hoopoe - three flew in to the top of a palm tree where despite the foliage's shadows I could pick out some of their rich green colour, red bill & long, spotted tail - another cracker;
African Paradise Flycatcher - I spotted this one elusively flitting in the shadows of a thicket of trees & scrub close to my room & Tamba called it immediately. It was as active as it was elegant & was soon lost in the dense thicket;
Hooded Vulture, Black Kite, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling.
Black-Necked Weaver - foraging on apparently waste-ground from construction efforts adjacent to next door's hotel, the Kairaba, more boldly-marked than the village weaver even in non-breeding plumage;
Oriole Warbler - another treat, Tamba quickly spotted this unusual bird as it rapidly foraged amongst the higher branches, unfortunately it soon moved out of view.
Blackcap Babbler - boldly foraging on the ground with more thrushes;
Beautiful Sunbird - just before returning to the bird hut I saw one at the top of a palm bathed in evening sunlight allowing a straightforward identification from metallic colours & long tail-streamers;
Red-Billed Firefinch - on the way back to the room only a few feet from the path & not at all shy.
22 species, 15 new species.
First full day on holiday & I joined the hotel's guided garden bird walk for a wander round the hotel grounds which are well known for the number of species they hold (though apparently not as many as they used to hold). Later in the week I saw four birders with telescopes come through the grounds although they were not staying at the hotel. The group was guided by Tamba Suso who told us about other guided trips available & afterwards I signed up for Lamin Lodge. Tamba ended up becoming our trusted guide for the whole holiday & not just for birding, he took us out to Senegambia Market as well. However the birding was excellent in the hotel gardens & allowed me to start to feel more comfortable with my own identifications. The walk started at the birdwatching hut that sits in the middle of the hotel's grounds & which always seemed to have a few people in it.
Brown Babbler - pair on the way to the birding hut, after these first two I saw many afterwards, their bright orange eye was very distinctive;
African Grey Hornbill - Tamba immediately showed his expertise by pointing to a female high up in a palm tree.
Piapiac - a couple foraging on a lawn, 1 juvenile;
Red-Billed Hornbill.
Senegal Coucal - foraging amongst the longer grass, according to Tamba for snakes, a striking bird & not at all shy. Another was seen later foraging in a smaller quadrangle area between room blocks.
Red-Necked Falcon - Tamba heard it calling first & then it flew rapidly over the hotel's grounds, pursued by crows;
Pied Crow.
Yellow-Crowned Gonolek - stunningly-coloured bird, unmistakeable & the first of many I saw around the hotel, apparently the normally shy species has benefitted from the all hotels' gardens along the coastal strip & it was a definite favourite of mine during the holiday.
Bronze Manakin - a chattering flock amongst the top of a tree, & after I knew what they were I noticed they were very common in the grounds;
White-Crowned Robinchat - another wonderfully colourful bird & seen frequently around the rounds;
Red-Eyed Dove.
African Thrush - feeding on the lawns with robinchats & doves;
Green Wood Hoopoe - three flew in to the top of a palm tree where despite the foliage's shadows I could pick out some of their rich green colour, red bill & long, spotted tail - another cracker;
African Paradise Flycatcher - I spotted this one elusively flitting in the shadows of a thicket of trees & scrub close to my room & Tamba called it immediately. It was as active as it was elegant & was soon lost in the dense thicket;
Hooded Vulture, Black Kite, Long-Tailed Glossy Starling.
Black-Necked Weaver - foraging on apparently waste-ground from construction efforts adjacent to next door's hotel, the Kairaba, more boldly-marked than the village weaver even in non-breeding plumage;
Oriole Warbler - another treat, Tamba quickly spotted this unusual bird as it rapidly foraged amongst the higher branches, unfortunately it soon moved out of view.
Blackcap Babbler - boldly foraging on the ground with more thrushes;
Beautiful Sunbird - just before returning to the bird hut I saw one at the top of a palm bathed in evening sunlight allowing a straightforward identification from metallic colours & long tail-streamers;
Red-Billed Firefinch - on the way back to the room only a few feet from the path & not at all shy.
22 species, 15 new species.
The Gambia, West Africa, 19-26/02/2010
I was lucky enough to spend a wonderful week in The Gambia amongst its colourful & exotic birdlife. It was a fantastic experience which provided me with an almost overwhelming number of spectacular new bird species. It took some time to process, but I took lots of photos (see right-hand side navigation) which helped me process them all eventually. Kim & I also had a fantastic guide, called Tamba Suso who ensured that we missed very little & I am very grateful to him for his expert knowledge & great personality which really helped us enjoy our holiday, so I can heartily recommend him if anyone is visiting the country.
I'm going to detail more casual observations, mainly around the Senegambia hotel, in one post here but more specific outings will be detailed in separate posts.
19/02/2010 - Banjul Airport to Senegambia Hotel
From the coach transfer I did my best to pick up a few species, mainly identified from 'the book' when I reached the hotel room.
Pied Crow - distinctive & ubiquitous;
Hooded Vulture - large raptor soaring over the runway, the ubiquitous 'sanitary inspector';
Speckled Pigeon - a quite large pigeon & also distinctive;
Laughing Dove - small dove feeding along the roadside with the speckled pigeons, they were also plentiful at the hotel where I identified it from close-up views;
Grey Kestrel - perched on wires next to the road, unmistakeable light grey colour & vivid yellow feet & bill.
19/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Village Weaver - all over the hotel grounds, large & gregarious;
Red-Eyed Dove - another regular, particularly around the swimming pool where they came very close;
Cattle Egret - around the grounds, stealing guests' food or on the lawns looking for their more natural foodstuffs;
Broad-Billed Roller - I saw a roller from the swimming pool, on the first evening but wasn't sure which species, however it reappeared most evenings in favourite trees & at the end of the trip there were a pair, which allowed me to quickly pin it down as broad-billed;
Red-Billed Hornbill - a couple of these quirky birds had their territory right outside our room on a large tree & we would see them everyday, in fact most mornings they would bang on the patio windows apparently attacking their reflections!
Grey Woodpecker - seen from the room's balcony, a pair perched atop a dead tree;
Black Kite - another ubiquity around the hotel, gracefully looking for food scraps before the vultures could get there;
Long-Tailed Glossy Starling - several around the gardens near the room, very distinctive & with a loud call, the first I saw were flying overhead.
African Palm Swift - also overhead, grey & with long tail-forks but usually silent unlike the eurasian variety.
20/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Common Bulbul - one of a few species keeping a beady eye out for scraps us tourists left at breakfast, there were usually a few perched in the trees nearby;
Village Weaver - in greater numbers than the bulbuls;
Red-Billed Firefinch - unmistakeable, the odd individual would frequent the breakfast area - more of a ground-feeder than the other species;
Cattle Egret - perched like pigeons around the dinners - very bold & hungry!
Vulture Feeding:
Hooded Vulture - 30 - 40 waiting for the daily feed & watering, almost oblivious to the people around them;
Pied Crow, Cattle Egret - a few amongst the vultures;
Black Kite - 30 - 40, all airborne plucking the chunks of fatty meat from the air as they were tossed up.
Room & Pool:
Long-Tailed Glossy Starling, Laughing Dove, Red-Eyed Dove.
Green Vervet Monkey, Red Colobus Monkey - lounging round the pool people started to point in my direction, not because of my glowing white skin but because the monkey troop had arrived & one was sitting on the top of my sun-shelter. Despite the prominent signs asking people not to it wasn't long before the monkeys were munching their way through peanuts & bananas offered by the poolside tourists & as a consequence they were very photogenic. The lone red colobus though was obviously not as friendly & was actually a bit mean-looking.
21/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Beach:
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - a couple flew up from the south, chirping as they went, another distinctive species flying acrobatically;
Red-Chested Swallow - I had noticed a few hirundines flying up the coast during the previous couple of days but after a trip out to Lamin I was able to retrospectively identify the species as red-chested, apparently more frequent here. I was struck though that if any of the birds were European barn swallows then I was observing their northward migration & that I might see them next in the UK in Spring.
Broad-Billed Roller - on its regular perching spots.
Garden Walk (5:30pm to 7:30pm):
A repeat of Tamba's guided hotel garden walk, I took Kim this time & saw more or less the same species:
African Palm Swift, White-Capped Robinchat, Senegal Coucal, Red-Billed Firefinch, Bronze Manakin.
Grey-Backed Camaroptera - elusive amongst pondside trees, I saw one later in the holiday much closer up which allowed me to identify this one retrospectively.
African Thrush, Black-Necked Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Yellow-Capped Gonolek.
Piapiac - again striding on the lawn.
Brown Babbler, Common Bulbul, Village Weaver.
23/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Beautiful Sunbird, Red-Billed Hornbill - amongst the foliage outside room;
Harrier Hawk - we took a slightly different path to breakfast, past the vulture feeding green & were rewarded with this spectacular raptor standing just off the path probably looking for scraps. It soon flew off into the trees but was fantastic to see so unexpectedly.
Cattle Egret, Common Bulbul, Village Weaver, Red-Billed Firefinch - usual breakfast regulars!
Lavender Waxbill - an attractive new species for breakfast, it shyly flitted down from the trees once or twice. Reminiscent of the firefinches but the opposite in colour.
Black Kite, Hooded Vulture, Pied Crow - ubiquitous.
Beach:
Broad-Billed Roller - by this time there were two, flying over the beach pool & hotel gardens;
Green Wood Hoopoe - a couple flew up into the large palm tree next to the beach pool & then off again. A striking bird I was able to see them amongst the thick foliage before they flew off.
Red-Chested Swallow, Grey-Headed Gull - along the coastline.
24/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Bearded Barbet - having seen this species for the first time the day before at Kotu Creek, amazingly we saw one perched on the side of the main hotel building as we walked to breakfast with an unmistakeable profile. Later a fellow birder on holiday told us he hadn't seen one at all despite going up-river, not that he was fussed as he'd seen over 200 other species!
Beach:
African Silverbill - a couple flitted along the tops of the beach huts as I lounged in the sun. The best way to pick up a life-tick!
Grey-Headed Gull - up & down out at sea.
Room Balcony (6pm to 7pm):
Broad-Billed Roller, African Palm Swift.
Little Swift - a couple amongst the palm swifts, less elegant, more like common swift but with a stubby tail. They didn't stick around for as long as the palms swifts though & I only saw them once or twice.
Mosque Swallow - I spotted two of these, higher up than the others & a much larger hirundine, almost falcon like with an unhurried flight action.
26/10/2010 - Banjul Airport
Fork-Tailed Drongo - on the approach roads;
House Sparrow - a familiar bird from home around the terminal building.
23 new species.
I'm going to detail more casual observations, mainly around the Senegambia hotel, in one post here but more specific outings will be detailed in separate posts.
19/02/2010 - Banjul Airport to Senegambia Hotel
From the coach transfer I did my best to pick up a few species, mainly identified from 'the book' when I reached the hotel room.
Pied Crow - distinctive & ubiquitous;
Hooded Vulture - large raptor soaring over the runway, the ubiquitous 'sanitary inspector';
Speckled Pigeon - a quite large pigeon & also distinctive;
Laughing Dove - small dove feeding along the roadside with the speckled pigeons, they were also plentiful at the hotel where I identified it from close-up views;
Grey Kestrel - perched on wires next to the road, unmistakeable light grey colour & vivid yellow feet & bill.
19/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Village Weaver - all over the hotel grounds, large & gregarious;
Red-Eyed Dove - another regular, particularly around the swimming pool where they came very close;
Cattle Egret - around the grounds, stealing guests' food or on the lawns looking for their more natural foodstuffs;
Broad-Billed Roller - I saw a roller from the swimming pool, on the first evening but wasn't sure which species, however it reappeared most evenings in favourite trees & at the end of the trip there were a pair, which allowed me to quickly pin it down as broad-billed;
Red-Billed Hornbill - a couple of these quirky birds had their territory right outside our room on a large tree & we would see them everyday, in fact most mornings they would bang on the patio windows apparently attacking their reflections!
Grey Woodpecker - seen from the room's balcony, a pair perched atop a dead tree;
Black Kite - another ubiquity around the hotel, gracefully looking for food scraps before the vultures could get there;
Long-Tailed Glossy Starling - several around the gardens near the room, very distinctive & with a loud call, the first I saw were flying overhead.
African Palm Swift - also overhead, grey & with long tail-forks but usually silent unlike the eurasian variety.
20/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Common Bulbul - one of a few species keeping a beady eye out for scraps us tourists left at breakfast, there were usually a few perched in the trees nearby;
Village Weaver - in greater numbers than the bulbuls;
Red-Billed Firefinch - unmistakeable, the odd individual would frequent the breakfast area - more of a ground-feeder than the other species;
Cattle Egret - perched like pigeons around the dinners - very bold & hungry!
Vulture Feeding:
Hooded Vulture - 30 - 40 waiting for the daily feed & watering, almost oblivious to the people around them;
Pied Crow, Cattle Egret - a few amongst the vultures;
Black Kite - 30 - 40, all airborne plucking the chunks of fatty meat from the air as they were tossed up.
Room & Pool:
Long-Tailed Glossy Starling, Laughing Dove, Red-Eyed Dove.
Green Vervet Monkey, Red Colobus Monkey - lounging round the pool people started to point in my direction, not because of my glowing white skin but because the monkey troop had arrived & one was sitting on the top of my sun-shelter. Despite the prominent signs asking people not to it wasn't long before the monkeys were munching their way through peanuts & bananas offered by the poolside tourists & as a consequence they were very photogenic. The lone red colobus though was obviously not as friendly & was actually a bit mean-looking.
21/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Beach:
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - a couple flew up from the south, chirping as they went, another distinctive species flying acrobatically;
Red-Chested Swallow - I had noticed a few hirundines flying up the coast during the previous couple of days but after a trip out to Lamin I was able to retrospectively identify the species as red-chested, apparently more frequent here. I was struck though that if any of the birds were European barn swallows then I was observing their northward migration & that I might see them next in the UK in Spring.
Broad-Billed Roller - on its regular perching spots.
Garden Walk (5:30pm to 7:30pm):
A repeat of Tamba's guided hotel garden walk, I took Kim this time & saw more or less the same species:
African Palm Swift, White-Capped Robinchat, Senegal Coucal, Red-Billed Firefinch, Bronze Manakin.
Grey-Backed Camaroptera - elusive amongst pondside trees, I saw one later in the holiday much closer up which allowed me to identify this one retrospectively.
African Thrush, Black-Necked Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Yellow-Capped Gonolek.
Piapiac - again striding on the lawn.
Brown Babbler, Common Bulbul, Village Weaver.
23/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Beautiful Sunbird, Red-Billed Hornbill - amongst the foliage outside room;
Harrier Hawk - we took a slightly different path to breakfast, past the vulture feeding green & were rewarded with this spectacular raptor standing just off the path probably looking for scraps. It soon flew off into the trees but was fantastic to see so unexpectedly.
Cattle Egret, Common Bulbul, Village Weaver, Red-Billed Firefinch - usual breakfast regulars!
Lavender Waxbill - an attractive new species for breakfast, it shyly flitted down from the trees once or twice. Reminiscent of the firefinches but the opposite in colour.
Black Kite, Hooded Vulture, Pied Crow - ubiquitous.
Beach:
Broad-Billed Roller - by this time there were two, flying over the beach pool & hotel gardens;
Green Wood Hoopoe - a couple flew up into the large palm tree next to the beach pool & then off again. A striking bird I was able to see them amongst the thick foliage before they flew off.
Red-Chested Swallow, Grey-Headed Gull - along the coastline.
24/02/2010 - Senegambia Hotel
Breakfast:
Bearded Barbet - having seen this species for the first time the day before at Kotu Creek, amazingly we saw one perched on the side of the main hotel building as we walked to breakfast with an unmistakeable profile. Later a fellow birder on holiday told us he hadn't seen one at all despite going up-river, not that he was fussed as he'd seen over 200 other species!
Beach:
African Silverbill - a couple flitted along the tops of the beach huts as I lounged in the sun. The best way to pick up a life-tick!
Grey-Headed Gull - up & down out at sea.
Room Balcony (6pm to 7pm):
Broad-Billed Roller, African Palm Swift.
Little Swift - a couple amongst the palm swifts, less elegant, more like common swift but with a stubby tail. They didn't stick around for as long as the palms swifts though & I only saw them once or twice.
Mosque Swallow - I spotted two of these, higher up than the others & a much larger hirundine, almost falcon like with an unhurried flight action.
26/10/2010 - Banjul Airport
Fork-Tailed Drongo - on the approach roads;
House Sparrow - a familiar bird from home around the terminal building.
23 new species.
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