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Gambia Trip report 14-28th November 2016 (1 Viewer)

d.flack

David Flack
Gambia 14th-28th November 2016 Birding Report by David Flack with Guide Ebou Barry of Bird Tours Gambia

I met my guide Ebou Barry on our arrival at our hotel, the Bakotu at Koto Beach. Ebou provided us with an itinerary that covered our fourteen day holiday and the next day we began visiting the sites on the Itinerary. I am someone who has combined his growing interest in birds with my other hobby of photography. I am much more interested in studying the birds through their behaviour and the images I obtain rather than ticking off lists. That said we saw a huge number of birds and I took some 12,000 photographs on the trip, Ebou proved to be a great and knowledgeable guide. He was able to see and identify birds at incredible distances and guide us to them. He was able to spot birds from the moving vehicle and stopped to allow me to take some very good photos.

Ebou had to be patient with me at times when I initially failed to see the birds hidden up in the tree canopies, this usually occurred with owls and Ebou proved very skilful at pointing me and my lens in the right direction to capture the images!

There was still a lot of water on the land and a few species evaded us but Ebou was able to find all the ‘special’ birds taking us to them when other birders and their guides were still searching. We managed to see and photograph most of the birds on the list below and in particular the elusive African Finfoot which although not very rare is incredibly difficult to see as it lurks at the water’s edge beneath the overhanging mangroves. We managed to capture this image on our boat trip in the Gambia River at Georgetown

see the attached report in word format with images


Other Target birds were the White-backed Night Heron, Egyptian Plover, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, brown-necked Parrot, Exclamatory Whydah Martial Eagle, Batleur, Western Bluebill and the rare Beadouin’s snake eagle. We managed to see all of these and photographed all but the western bluebill. I have attached a few images below-

See attachment - word document with images


The whole trip was fantastic but in addition to the river trips two moments stand out for me, the nesting colony of red throated bee-eaters at the sand quarry –

See attached complete report with images


And the wonderful canoe trip on the river at Marakissa where I was able to ‘silently get up very close to some spectacular birds –

images in attached document file

Two months on from the trip I am still working through my photographs of this remarkable trip and plan to return perhaps later in the spring to discover more of the wonderful birds of Gambia and will certainly use the services of Ebou Barry again! There is one bird I missed and hope to photograph on my return, the male African Paradise Flycatcher with its long tail but there are so many different species of birds in the Gambia that I am sure I will not be disappointed!

A word of warning to those going for the first time. There are many ‘chancers’ with a pair of binoculars and little knowledge who will offer to guide you, they hang around the birding hotspots touting for business. Stick to registered guides from organisations like birdtoursgambia.com who have the knowledge to make your trip memorable. I will be using Ebou Barry again for his great expertise and the warm friendship that blossomed on this trip. I can fully recommend his services, he can be contacted at Bird Tours Gambia -

www.birdtoursgambia.com
email eboubarry AT yahoo.co.uk


A summary of the places visited and the birds seen

15th November Abuko national park, from 07.30am/12.00 mid-day

Violet Turaco Photographed
Green Turaco Photographed
Giant Kingfisher seen
Ahanta Francolin seen
African Goshawk Photographed
Western Bluebill seen
Snowy Crowned Robin chat seen
African Jacana Photographed
Black Headed heron Photographed
Squacco Heron Photographed
Black Crowned Night Heron Photographed
Palm Nut Vulture Photographed
African paradise flycatcher Photographed (Female)
Red bellied Paradise flycatcher Photographed (male and female)
Common wattle eye seen
Hammerkop Photographed
Buff spotted wood pecker seen

15 November From 16.30/19.00 Kotu Creek, Rice field and lilly ponds.

Giant kingfisher seen (photographed at Marakissa later)
Blue breasted kingfisher Photographed
Malachite Kingfisher Photographed
Woodland kingfisher Photographed
Wattled plover Photographed
Spur winged plover Photographed
Grey plover Photographed
Ringed plover seen
Red shank Photographed
Green shank Photographed
Whimbrel Photographed
Senegal Thicknee Photographed
Wire tailed swallow Photographed
Red chested swallow Photographed
Long tailed comorant Photographed
Hammerkop Photographed
Little bee-eater Photographed
Village weaver Photographed
Laughing dove Photographed
African mourning Dove Photographed
Red Eyed Dove Photographed
Vivacious Dove Photographed
House sparrow seen
Grey headed sparrow Photographed
Red billed fire finch Photographed (male & Female)
Bronze manikin Photographed
Village indigo Photographed
Western grey plantain eater Photographed
Red billed horn bill Photographed
Grey hornbill Photographed
Hadada ibis Photographed
Osprey Photographed
Black Crake Photographed
Black Egret (umbrella bird) Photographed
Wood sandpiper seen
White Faced whistling duck Photographed
Whimbrel Photographed

Little Grebe Photographed
Oriole Warbler not seen
Yellow billed kite Photographed
Black kite Photographed
Cattle Egret Photographed
Brown Babbler Photographed

16th November from 07.30am /12.00 Brufut Woods

Verreaux's Eagle owl Photographed
Northern white faced scoops owl Photographed
Long Tailed Nightjar Photographed
Swallow tailed Bee Eater Photographed
Grey woodpecker Photographed
Fine spotted wood pecker not seen
White billed buffalo weaver not seen
Northern Red Bishop Photographed
Yellow fronted Tinkerbird Photographed
Pearl spotted owlet Photographed
Black necked weaver seen
Red cheeked cordon blue Photographed
Fork tailed Drongo Photographed
African Green pigeon Photographed
African pygmy kingfisher Photographed
Oranged cheeked waxbill Photographed
Greater honey guide seen
Klass's cuckoo not seen
Blue spotted wood Dove Photographed
Black billed wood Dove Photographed
Copper sunbird Photographed Photographed
Variable sunbird Photographed
Beautiful sunbird Photographed
Long tailed glossy starling Photographed
Purple glossy starling Photographed

16th November Afternoon Tanji Fishing Village

Caspian tern Photographed
Lesser crested tern seen
Yellow legged gull seen
Royal tern not seen
Lesser black backed gull seen
Osprey Photographed
Turnstone Photographed
Bar tailed Godwit Photographed
Sanderling Photographed
Pink backed pelican Photographed
Sandwich tern seen
Kelp gull seen
Little ringed plover Photographed
Red-billed Firefinch Photographed

17th November from 07.30am /18.00 whole day birding at Mandinaba, Farasutu forest, Bonto forest

Wahlberg’s Eagle Not seen
Long Crested Eagle Photographed
Lizard Buzzard Photographed
Shikra Photographed
Grey Headed Kingfisher Photographed
White Backed night heron Photographed
African Wood OWL not seen
White faced scoops owl Photographed
Greyish Eagle OWL Photographed
African spoon bill Photographed
Yellow billed stork Photographed
Greater flamingo Photographed
Lesser flamingo not seen
White crowned robin chat seen
Snowy crowned robin chat not seen
Black necked weaver Photographed
Spotted honey guide not seen
Lesser honey guide seen
Greater honey guide seen
Black rumped waxbill Photographed
Yellow white eye not seen
African pied hornbill not seen
Yellow bill not seen
Verreaux's eagle owl Photographed
Black winged bishop Photographed
Green Crombec seen
Northern Crombec seen
Buff spotted wood pecker not seen
Sulphur breasted bush shrike not seen
African thrush Photographed
Pied kingfisher Photographed
Dark chanting Goshawk Photographed
Dunlin Photographed
Sanderling Photographed
Curlew Photographed
Curlew sandpiper not seen
Pink backed pelican Photographed
Little stint Photographed
Red knot seen
African Darter Photographed
Western Reef Heron Photographed
Grey Heron Photographed
Caspian tern Photographed
Gull billed tern not seen
Black Tern not seen
Red rumped swallow Photographed
White spotted fufftail not seen
Marsh harrier seen
Crested Lark not seen
Quail Finch not seen
Yellow crowned Bishop not seen
Slender billed gull seen
Grey headed gull Photographed
Green Turaco Photographed
African pygmy kingfisher Photographed
Green headed sunbird Photographed
Green hylia not seen
Red Shoulderd cuckoo shrike not seen
Bronze tailed glossy starling seen
Splendid glossy starling Photographed
African harrier hawk Photographed
Leviellant's cuckoo not seen
Double spurr francolin not seen
Blue bellied roller Photographed
Abyssinian roller Photographed
Black-rumped Waxbill Photographed

18th November Koto Bridge and the sewage ponds and golf course to nature trail and cycle track

Pied Kingfisher Photographed
Malachite Kingfisher Photographed
Red-rumped swallow Photographed
Wire-tailed Swallow Photographed
Black-winged Stilt Photographed
Black-headed Lapwing Photographed
Spur-winged Lapwing Photographed
Little egret Photographed
Purple Glossy Starling Photographed
Long-tailed Glossy starling Photographed
Senegal Coucal Photographed
Laughing dove Photographed
Yellow-billed Kite Photographed
Squacco Heron Photographed
Blue-bellied Roller Photographed
Bronze Manikin Photographed
Beautiful Sunbird Photographed
Abyssinian Roller Photographed
Western reef heron Photographed
Whimbrel Photographed
Long-tailed Cormorant Photographed
Little grebe Photographed

19th November from 07.00am to Tendaba camp birding on the way

Brown necked parrot Photographed
Pearl spotted owlet Photographed
Senegal parrot Photographed
Mottle spine tail swift seen
Dark chanting goshawk Photographed
Beaduoin's snake Eagle Photographed
Batealaur Photographed
Grasshopper Buzzard seen
Brown snake Eagle Photographed
Lizard Buzzard seen
Tawny Eagle Photographed
Lanner Falcon Photographed
Red Necked Falcon seen
Grey Kestrel Photographed
Rufous crowned Roller Photographed
Namaqua Dove Photographed
Long-tailed Glossy Starling Photographed
Long-crested Eagle Photographed
White–throated Bee-eater Photographed

20th November after breakfast boat trip into the river Gambia At 11.30am after the river trip drive to Georgetown through the north bank road staying at the baobolong river camp

Pink backed pelican Photographed
African Darter Photographed
Great White breasted Cormorant Photographed
Long-tailed Cormorant Photographed
Goliath Heron not seen
Blue Flycatcher not seen
Brown sunbird seen
Blue breasted kingfisher Photographed
Malachite kingfisher Photographed
Great white egret Photographed
Intermediate egret Photographed
Little egret Photographed
White throated Bee Eater Photographed
Blue Cheeked Bee Eater Photographed
European Bee Eater Photographed
Wooly Necked stork Photographed
Montagues harrier not seen
Yellow billed stork Photographed
White backed night heron Photographed
Brown Snake Eagle Photographed
Western Banded Snake Eagle Not seen
African Hawk Eagle seen
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill not seen
Exclamatory Paradise Whydah Photographed
Chest nut crowned sparrow weaver seen
Bruce's Green pigeon Photographed
White bellied bustard not seen
Savile's Bustard not seen
Red Throated Bee Eater Photographed
Martial Eagle Photographed
Little Green Bee Eater Photographed
Northern Ant Eater Chat Photographed
Egyptian Plover Photographed



21rd November visited the Bansang sand quarry and the site for the Egyptian Plover.

Grey Falcon Photographed
Lanner Falcon Photographed
Little Weaver Photographed
Abyssinian roller Photographed
Red-Throated Bee-eaters Photographed
Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting Photographed
Chestnut backed sparrow lark Photographed
Fork-tailed Drongo Photographed
Bush Petronia Photographed
Egyptian Plover Photographed


After lunch At The Camp From 15.30/19.00 We went with a boat Into the Fresh water RIVER, Birds seen

African Finfoot Photographed
African Fish Eagle Not seen
Swamp Flycatcher seen
Shining Blue Kingfisher Not seen
Woodland kingfisher Photographed
Malachite kingfisher Photographed
Grey headed kingfisher Photographed
Blue Breasted Kingfisher Photographed
European turtle Dove not seen
African pygmy Goose Photographed
Black Crake Photographed
Squaco Heron Photographed
Yellow crowned gonolek Photographed
Yellow throated leaflove Not seen
Oriole Warbler Not seen
Black Crowned Night Heron Photographed
Green backed night Heron Photographed
Whitethroat Photographed
Palm-nut Vulture Photographed


22rd November – Wassu stone circle

Pied Wagtail Photographed
Verreaux's Eagle owl Photographed
Northern Carmine Bee-eater Photographed
Common Rock Thrush Photographed
White-faced Vulture Photographed
Verreaux's eagle owl Photographed
Maribou Stork Photographed
Northern Anteater Chat Photographed

23rd November revisit Abuko and the Crocodile pond Banjul

Male Red-bellied African Paradise Flycatcher Photographed
Female Red-bellied African paradise Flycatcher Photographed
Female African Paradise flycatcher Photographed
Beautiful Sunbird Photographed
Black-cap babbler Photographed
Western Plantain eater Photographed

24th November Marakissa

Giant Kingfisher Photographed
White-breasted Cuckoo-Shrike seen
Greater Honeyguide seen
Spotted Honeyguide not seen
African Jacana Photographed
Black Crake Photographed
Painted snipe not seen
Long-crested eagle Photographed
Red-necked falcon Photographed
Osprey Photographed
Senegal Thicknee Photographed
Wood sandpiper Photographed
Pink-backed pelican Photographed
Malachite Kingfisher Photographed
Yellow-billed Bush Shrike Photographed
African Darter Photographed
Scoops Owl Photographed

25th November Tujereng Woods
Osprey Photographed
White shouldered black tit seen
Senegal Batis Photographed
Brown Backed Wood pecker Photographed
Yellow penduline tit Photographed
Black Scimitar-bill not seen
Variable sunbird Photographed
Black crowned tchargra Photographed
Pied winged swallow seen
Yellow-crowned Gonolek Photographed
Willow Warbler Photographed
Bearded barbet Photographed
White-fronted Black Chat Photographed
Little Bee-eaters Photographed
 

Attachments

  • Gambia trip report 14-28 November 3rd draft.docx
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Last edited:
Thanks for taking the time to post your trip report David. We've just returned from 5 days with Ebou and he mentioned your name several times when I told him I'd read your report.

Looks like you had a very successful trip with many fantastic photos to show for it.

I hope you don't mind me pointing out your 'Vivacious' Dove should be Vinaceous Dove. Auto-correct can throw up some humorous words at times!
 
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