Ashanti Ghana Tour 18th Jan - 2 Feb 2015 (1 Viewer)

Ghana is a place that I have been looking at going since 2011 when I plumped for the cheaper option of going to Gambia. For one reason or another, cost, work, marriage, all the usual inconveniences, it has had to wait.

The booking process did not get off to the best start, the whole trip actually seemed pretty ill fated and I almost ended up cancelling at one point.

This is because, although I booked my flights (TAP) well in advance, the scaremongering surrounding the Ebola situation means very few people are travelling to West Africa and my flights were changed twice.

I used Ashanti tours for the holiday and they were very helpful in dealing with the changes which resulted in me staying an extra night and getting in an extra day's birding.

Unfortunately due to lack of participants on a tour that usually fills up, my tour consisted of just me. I not only had to pay the single supplement for the tour, but also extra for the private tour.

Add to this that Royal mail lost my passport at my first attempt getting a Visa, I was more than a little apprehensive about what else might go wrong during the trip.

Fortunately, there were no more mishaps, either in the run in or during the trip and I arrived in Accra late on the evening of 18th January to be met by my guide William and our driver Prince. Both worked tirelessly throughout the trip to ensure that we saw as many species as possible from dawn to beyond dusk most days.

Accomodation the first night was at the Alexis hotel in Tema. In truth I spent so little time in the accommodation other than eating and sleeping that quality was of little consequence. That said, all accommodation was clean, staff friendly and food basic but substantial.
The Rainforest lodge was the nicest hotel I stayed in, I would be there for four nights while exploring Kakum National park, and a further night on the return journey from Ankasa.
Most surprising was the quality of the food while camping in Ankasa. I thought the effort made by the chef, Francis was exceptional, even more so considering the limited facilities available there.


The itinerary was to spend the first day full in Shai hills, followed by Sukomona lagoons but William had my list of previously seen species and advised that as we would be coming back to the lagoon at the end of the trip and there were no lifers here, we should have more time in Shai hills and subsequently Winneba where there was a lily pond and some burnt grassland where we would try for coursers.

After this we would drive to Kakum and make an attempt for Fraser's eagle owl, then retire to the Rainforest lodge.

We set off for Shai hills at first light. It is only a short drive from the Alexis hotel to the reserve. Cattle egrets were the opening species flying at the side of the road, then the birding began in earnest as we left the vehicle and commenced our walk through the park.

Shai hills is savannah habitat and birds such as Senegal coucal, Yellow billed kite, Grey kestrel, Vinaceous dove, Senegal parrot, African thrush and African grey hornbill were familiar from my previous trips to Gambia and/or Kenya. The first lifer took the form of Short winged (siffling) cisticola. One showing nicely in a thorny bush while at least one other was flitting in the grass behind. It wasn't long before the first Common bulbul put in an appearance. Even better, it was in a mixed flock with a pair of Black scimitarbills, Vieillot's barbets, Senegal eremomela's and a White shouldered black tit.

In typical savannah fashion, species were coming thick and fast. Croaking cisticola, Northern black flycatcher and White throated bee-eater next, the later by far the most regular species of bee-eater throughout the trip.

As we continued walking slowly along the track, some rustling at the edge caught my attention. Expecting a reptile or mammal I peered into the scrub only to see a Brown crowned tchagra, only a couple of metres away and totally unconcerned at our proximity. Blackcap babblers called deeper within but never showed but a Spotted flycatcher did. As we approached the rocky hillside to the right of the track, to the left, flowering bushes attracted Green headed and Splendid sunbirds. A Pied flycatcher flew in next, always strange to see familiar birds like this in such unfamiliar habitat and in such exotic company.

We spent a little time here trying for the White crowned cliff chat, the main target bird for the area. As we searched, Rock martin, Barn swallow and Scarlet chested sunbird all put in appearances. Around this time we were also joined by the local guide, I found that in each park one was required to accompany us, although they seemed to know much less about birds or simply lacked the confidence of William.

We decided to try moving on to the next hill as we were having no luck finding our target species when suddenly there was one on the opposite side of the track to that expected except.. no, it was a Snowy crowned robin chat instead. As the trees once again began to give way to grassland we found Northern puffback and Northern crombec. Unbeknown to me, our minibus had set off to join us so I was spared the heat of the day as we drove toward the next hill stopping for Whinchat, European bee-eater and Red necked buzzard along the way.

As we stopped to explore the next hill, two Flappet larks ran over the track. Then almost straight away, William said he heard the cliff chat calling. A short scramble later and we were scoping a beautiful male bird low in a bush on the hillside. Rock loving cisticola called briefly but unfortunately did not respond to William's tape.

Around the area we added Zitting cisticola, Yellow fronted tinkerbird, African pied hornbill and a Grey headed kingfisher (not usual to the area according to William) to the growing list. Lifers were still thin on the ground here. Only 14 of 74 species seen on the first day fell into this category.

Both of the next two species were lifers though with a small flock of Rosy bee-eaters flying over and then a Striped kingfisher perched up spotted by our driver Prince.

We next set out on foot to a local cave, historically a defensive area for the local indigenous tribes but now a place for Tomb bats. I have not mentioned mammals up to now, focussing primarily on birds and relying totally on the guides to identify most species but we did see Olive baboon, Buffon kob (An antelope) and Callithrix monkeys during our time in Shai hills.

Heading up to the cave, singles of Western grey plantain eater and Blue spotted wood dove seen in flight then two Ahanta francolin's on the path. I should probably have felt more pleased with how well they showed judging by William's reaction to them but I had crippling views of this species in Gambia so I'm obviously spoiled as far as this species is concerned.

We went through the cave and up a ladder, then a bit of reckless climbing to the top of the rock for spectacular views over the landscape. Another Green sunbird was nearby and we added Violet turaco to the list with a pair pausing briefly in the tree tops.

A more cautious approach on the way back down, then to the vehicle without adding any further species but with the main target achieved we headed back the way we had come continuing to stop and bird along the way.

Rufous crowned roller, Yellow rumped tinkerbird, Tree pipit, Tawny flanked prinia and Black crowned tchagra all posing to be added to the list but star bird on the way back for me was a fantastic male Greater honeyguide.

We headed back to the Alexis hotel for late lunch. African palm swift, Black shouldered kite, Feral pigeon and Laughing dove all seen along the way. Grey headed sparrow and Common kestrel were around the hotel grounds then we were on our way again to Kakum national park via Winneba.

I dozed a little along the way, the long flights with a stop over in Lisbon along with the heat of the day and too much food at lunch had all taken their toll so I didn't add anything new until we reached the lily pond near Winneba.

Here there were decent numbers of White faced whistling duck, African jacana and two Knob-billed ducks. Apparently only the 3rd time William had seen this species, not common here but otherwise the pond was quiet.

Heading up to the plains, African wattled lapwing in watery ditches at the roadside, then out onto the plains themselves. Lesser black winged lapwing was the first bird found here, as many as ten as we worked our way over the terrain and the only lifer too but a supporting cast of a stunning male Black bellied bustard was welcome along with Plain backed pipit and in a small copse, Yellow crowned gonolek.

Back to the trees along the edge of the road where we added Green turaco, Village weaver and Bronze mannikin before setting out to reach the Rainforest lodge on the edge of Kakum National Park.

Just a handful of birds to add to the list along the way around Anomabo which included Pied crow, Lanner falcon hunting over the buildings, Hooded vulture, Pied kingfisher and African pied wagtail.

We made our first attempt for Fraser's eagle owl on the edge of Kakum National park that evening, trying likely spots. Perhaps you are familiar with the way this works. Basically you walk along the track shining torches at prominent branches while tripping over roots and listening to the guide tell you all the places where he has previously seen the owl.
Ultimately, you go back to the hotel without seeing the owl.

Hopefully tomorrow!

Good to see you made it

Good start Rob.
I expect at most places we'll have see some things you missed and vice versa.
Like you we saw over 350 birds (372 so far and trying to recognise a few from more from photos; probably just unusual angles of things we saw and identified already).

20th Jan

The second day of birding was to be from the canopy walk in Kakum National park. This was about 20 minutes from the hotel, I should point out that the Rainforest hotel is a misnomer since a) Kakum is not actually a rainforest and b) the hotel is not in the forest but next to a small urban area. The morning was misty here, and using the scope first thing was pretty useless as the water kept condensing in the lens.

Not that there was much to see. Pretty much through the trip, most bird activity was between about 7.30am and 11am with another brief flurry in the evening around 4 to 5 pm.

Prince had to take the minibus for a service so a second driver joined us for the day. William sorted out the entrance fee and off we went up an incline to the canopy walk. I had visions of some kind of wooden platform running between the trees but it was actually 5 or 6 platforms attached to some of the taller trees all interconnected by rope bridges.

It was actually very daunting as I'm not the best with heights and it was a relief to reach each platform although the one where we spent most of our time was sloping and quite creaky.

As the light improved and the mist began to disperse, the birds began to resolve themselves too. A Velvet mantled drongo perched on the rope walkway started the day. I found a Melancholy woodpecker high and distant through the scope while William pointed out a pair of Ussher's flycatchers. Common swifts soared overhead intermittently and African green pigeon became a common sight.

With our driver also present, we had the canopy walk to ourselves most of the morning and with three pairs of eyes we had nice panoramic coverage of the canopy. As more birds showed, we were able to direct each other onto new birds by describing them in relation to where the last had shown and found that we racked up a great tally here and unlike yesterday's savannah birding, most of the day's species were new to me.

Red headed Malimbe, Splendid glossy starling, Rufous crowned eremomela, a Black cuckoo in flight was the red throated form of the species. It even perched briefly although unfortunately kept it's back to us.

On to the next platform, not too far, that one was ok. Immediately a Honey buzzard flew through. A group of Yellow mantled weavers, Grey headed negrofinch, Western bearded greenbul, Yellow throated tinkerbird, African harrier hawk. The birding was exceptionally easy here and didn't prepare me in the slightest for the hard work that to come on later days of forest birding. They were coming so fast, in singles and small groups of mixed birds that the order I'm putting them in is very approximate.

Little green woodpecker, Forest chestnut winged starling and Superb sunbird were added before we decided to move on to the wonky platform. Much further to walk this time and the hand supports on the rope bridge seemed perilously low although I'm sure they weren't.

From this platform a great view of a broken dead trunk on which a pair of Fire bellied woodpecker's foraged. Again we were inundated with species. I tried to get my head around the various sunbird species around. A pair of Green sunbirds were nesting a little higher up our platform tree while below a family group of Collard sunbirds passed through. There were several Little green sunbirds too. I managed to scope a Speckled tinkerbird but it couldn't hold my attention for long as a pair of Preuss' golden backed weavers came through. I was reliant on William to let me know how rare or common the species were as it was all new to me but the weaver is apparently an excellent species here. As was Forest penduline tit shortly after but in between were our very own Wood warbler keeping company with Buff throated sunbird and Black winged oriole.

Still we hadn't finished, Klass' cuckoo in the tree above us, Yellowbill below. White breasted negrofinch was the only one of the trip then a Cassin's honeybird. A party of Naked faced barbets lingered for a while and as things finally slowed down we moved on to the next platform.

Immediately on reaching the haven of this more sturdy platform we disturbed a Levaillant's cuckoo while a pair of Chestnut wattle-eyes chased each other through the canopy. I connected with a greenbul which turned out to be Yellow whiskered greenbul, one of the few I've seen before but while I was watching it, a Sharpe's apalis turned up in the same tree. On cue, Black capped apalis appeared on the other side of the platform along with a noisy group of Chestnut capped flycatchers.

Activity was definitely dwindling but it was around 11 am and several other tourists had started walking the canopy. We finished our time here by adding Honeyguide greenbul and a female Emerald cuckoo then headed back to terra firma.

Daunting as the thought of returning to do the walk again in the evening was, this mornings experience was one of the best birding experiences I've ever had and I couldn't wait to try again. A Yellow wagtail was in the road on the drive back, a distant Woodland kingfisher on a wire and there were a pair of mating Bar breasted firefinches in the hotel grounds. I had a wander around the grounds but added nothing new for the trip. There were Bronze munias, Common bulbuls, a Green headed sunbird plus the ubiquitous Yellow billed kites around.

We returned to the reserve around 3pm and William took me down to a small stream in an attempt to see greenbuls coming in to drink but the area was very quiet. We returned to the canopy, main targets being Brown cheeked and Black casqued hornbills and then at dusk, Brown nightjar and Fraser's eagle owl.

In the meantime, although nowhere near as active as in the morning we watched the evening activity. A Palm nut vulture soared over while a brief flight view of Blue throated roller was disappointing. A Hairy breasted barbet sat at the top of a bare tree for a long time and the out of nowhere as the ligh began to fade, a Bat hawk shot through before twisting and diving into the forest. Black casqued hornbills called but failed to respond to tape staying extremely distant, then Fraser's eagle owl called. Again, no interest in our tape, I think it was just too far away.

The evening did end on a high though. Brown nightjar began to call below us and William swept his torch across the foliage and manged to find a perched bird. Quickly I got the binoculars onto it, fantatic but then it flew. Almost instantly it was back, then again. It was so loyal to it's branch that I was able to get the scope on it and William was also able to get his best ever views of this species.

We left well after dark, I thought that it might be less scary doing the rope walk if I couldn't see the ground but I was wrong!

dandsblair said:

Good start Rob.
I expect at most places we'll have see some things you missed and vice versa.
Like you we saw over 350 birds (372 so far and trying to recognise a few from more from photos; probably just unusual angles of things we saw and identified already).

Click to expand...

372 is amazing, did you go up to Mole?

21 Jan

For the next few days, we drove to various points at the edge of the forest there was often a mixture of pure woodland birds with those more typical of open terrain. Today we would work towards a town called Praso on the river Pra to look for White throated blue swallow and Rock pratincole.

Early morning along the edge of the forest was productive again but I found that where I was finding as many species as William up to this point, the birding became significantly more challenging as we sought out skulking birds in dense cover and I could only identify a handful of common birds by sound.

William's knowledge of the calls was first rate and his ability to spot birds in dense forest was impressive however I always ensured I could visually ID the birds myself as he did have a tendency to assume that the bird he had just heard calling was the bird that he then spotted and just occasionally this turned out not to be the case.

No danger of that in the early mist as the birds were all perched out in the open and obvious. New for the trip were Red eyed dove, Yellow white-eye and Simple leaflove. There were numerous weavers including Vieillot's black weaver and Black necked weaver all seen from the road.

Just to the left of the road was some swampy ground where William was hoping for Red cheeked wattle-eye and White spotted flufftail. Squatting uncomfortably in the undergrowth we waited and in no time, both species were calling. William imitated the flufftail while playing the call of the Wattle-eye. In the meantime, I had found a Green hylia then William called that the wattle-eye had come. It didn't stay though and I missed it but a Blue billed malimbe showed really well. All the while the White spotted flufftail was getting closer and closer until suddenly out it came across the water and to our side by the road edge. Oblivious to our presence it passed within a couple of metres of us before disappearing back into the vegetation. One of my favourite birds of the trip.

The wattle-eye was still calling but obstinately refused to show again so we went back to the road to scan about again. A pair of Rufous chested swallows were swooping around over the road and William heard Yellow browed cameroptera which showed briefly. A raptor zipped over and William called African goshawk (Split to Red chested Goshawk here). I didn't get enough on it to be satisfied but William played the call and the bird came right back and sat watching us for some time while we watched it.
We then followed the call of Puvel's illadopsis round the back of a nearby small tree where I was distracted by the arrival of the first of many Olive sunbirds for the trip before struggling to get a decent view of the illadopsis.

So far so good but we still needed the wattle-eye so back into the swamp we went but not before scoping Red rumped tinkerbird in the tree formerly occupied by the Goshawk.

William saw the wattle-eye twice more but I failed miserably. A party of Grey headed bristlebills were also incredibly hard to see for more than a split second at a time and although these made the list views were poor.
A Slender billed greenbul was much more obliging before we decided to move on.

We headed for another walk along the forest edge where William hoped for Black bee-eater. We had a couple of vehicle stops on the way first for African cuckoo hawk, then Dideric cuckoo. A couple of Chestnut breasted negrofinches were also in the area.

A little further on we stopped for what turned out to be only African green pigeons but it was a fortuitous stop because William heard an Olive green cameroptera and with a bit of psshing we coaxed it to the edge of the road. Not very inspiring but the trickiest cameroptera available here.

We decided to walk along the road a little way then wait for the minibus to catch up as there seemed to be a fair bit of activity here. Amongst previously seen species we added Little greenbul, Red bellied paradise flycatcher and a pair of Buff spotted woodpeckers.

Yes went to Mole

Trystan said:

372 is amazing, did you go up to Mole?

Click to expand...

Yes we went to Mole and Offinso Forest. However based on advice of Victor and the fact it had rained heavily we dropped Attewa and spent extra time at Offinso and Bobiri, so very interested on how you got on there.

Trystan said:

21 Jan

We then followed the call of Puvel's illadopsis round the back of a nearby small tree where I was distracted by the arrival of the first of many Olive sunbirds for the trip before struggling to get a decent view of the illadopsis.

Click to expand...

I swear Puvel's Illadopsis was the devils own bird, we watched it for 10 minutes in a clump of tree and despite seeing it about 10 times I wouldn't say I got a good view. Sarah said she could have stayed a week and still not seen it well.

dandsblair said:

I swear Puvel's Illadopsis was the devils own bird, we watched it for 10 minutes in a clump of tree and despite seeing it about 10 times I wouldn't say I got a good view. Sarah said she could have stayed a week and still not seen it well.

Click to expand...

Eventually got all 5 Illadopsis and the only one I saw really well was Rufous winged.

21 Jan continued...

It was mid morning when we arrived at the next stopping point on the edge of Kakum NP. We parked up in a small village and set off on foot down a track where the plantations began to give way to the forest once more, several flowing trees were good for sunbirds. Both male and the distinctively marked female Johanna's sunbird; nice views of Blue throated brown sunbird, catching the iridescence in the right light; by contrast, Fraser's sunbird was rather dull but I was getting alot more confident at calling the sunbird species now.

Further along, the noisy Swamp palm bulbul showed briefly while Fraser's forest flycatcher posed for scope views. Next another sunbird, this time Olive bellied. I never could distinguish this bird from Tiny sunbird on sight but got William to play the calls later confirming the ID. A Preuss' cliff swallow flew high overhead and then after watching a pair of displaying African cuckoo hawks, I was delighted to have a Cassin's hawk eagle fly right overhead!

A little further on and still no Black bee-eater. I shouldn't have worried as, after a brief break in the shade we retraced our steps only to find one perched up albeit a little distant. While I was scoping this bird Copper tailed glossy starling flew in nearby.

We didn't add anything further until we arrived back at the village where a pair of Lesser striped swallows were perched on a wire. After taking these in, we were on our way to Praso. We stopped briefly for a small flock of Black and white mannikins but otherwise the remainder of the journey was uneventful.

We parked up by the river and passed through some wooden structures where the locals were processing palm nuts which did not smell very wholesome. By the river I immediately picked up Little swift then one of the target birds, White throated blue swallow. An amusing Striated heron passed by perched on a floating log. We spent some time scanning all the rocks in the river and although there were Common sandpiper and Senegal thick-knee, there were no Rock pratincoles. We went up to the road bridge to try the other side of the river where there was a small chance of White headed lapwing. I didn'f feel optimistic and was gutted that the pratincoles were not here but still hoped they may show up.

No luck with the pratincoles but amazingly, there was a single White headed lapwing as a consolation. There were about 5 Mottled spinetails over the village as we departed. In order to try for the pratincole again we adjusted the itinerary slightly to return here on our way back from Ankasa later in the trip.

Common fiscal on the wires was new for the trip on the return journey as was Common wattle-eye back in the hotel grounds. The evening was spent at Abrafo forest, another part of Kakum NP.

The 4-5pm flurry of activity included several Fanti saw-wing and a pair of Black-bellied seed crackers in flight along the road approaching the woodland along with Orange cheeked waxbill. Also of note were six Palm nut vultures circling together here then fantastic views of perched Rosy bee-eaters, Black bee-eaters and Blue throated rollers.

Tiny sunbird and Forest wood-hoopoe were the only birds we managed to add in the woods as a spell of bad luck set in. A Rufous sided broadbill calling remained unseen then as we approached the clearing which was to be our view point for large hornbills, the calls of Brown cheeked hornbill approaching sent us racing forward. William reached the spot first and managed to get tail end views of the birds but I missed them completely. Add to this a complete lack of owls after dark and I was feeling pretty disappointed with the day overall.

22nd Jan

Last full day in Kakum NP we went back to Abrafo in the morning, firstly checking the grasses adjacent to the forest for weavers and cisticolas.

A promising start here with Whistling cisticola and non-breeding individuals of both Yellow mantled widowbird and Black winged red bishop. A calling Red cheeked wattle-eye sent us plunging into the forest down some hunter's trail. The bird continued to give me the runaround as it had yesterday and I despaired of ever seeing it. During the search I did connect with Icterine greenbul as 3 or 4 birds flitted through.

White crested hornbill was now calling, difficult to see as we were deep in the vegetation and it was up in the canopy but after a bit of maneuvering and neck twisting I got decent views. Another effort for Red cheeked wattle-eye seemed to be heading the way of the others when suddenly there is was. It even stayed put for at least 10 seconds for me to basque it the relief of catching up with it.

Ironically as we made our way back to the track, another one popped up in plain view with absolutely no effort on our part whatsoever. My luck really did seem to have turned again as Black casqued hornbills were calling not far away. Peering through a gap in the trees I did get identifiable views of one as it dived out of the tree.

This was the only large hornbill I connected with on the whole trip and that somewhat briefly. Brown cheeked and Yellow casqued both made the heard only list. In the meantime the early morning bird activity was in full swing and as we made our way toward the main access point to Abrafo, I got to enjoy flight views of another hornbill, this time Piping hornbill as well as quality views of Violet backed starling, Dusky blue flycatcher, Red vented malimbe and Western black headed oriole. The latter was the only definite view of this species for the trip. We did see a number of black headed type orioles but having now seen both available species we didn't scrutinise every one although those that we did check all turned out to be Black winged oriole.

Into the forest now and all was quiet. Many of the species in the forest move around in mixed flocks and we were hoping to chance upon some of these flocks partcularly for the shy skluking and confusingly named greenbuls as we had not seen many of the available species at this point.

We came across two such flocks, each with a number of the increasingly familiar forest birds, the first of which contained Red tailed greenbul, a species which doesn't have a red tail in Ghana. Mediochre views of this species among various sunbirds, Green hylia and Red headed malimbe.

The next such flock as much the same, could have been the same flock which had worked round in a loop, however following not far behind a pair of Red tailed bristelbills which sat preening at a little distance where perhaps they thought they were unobserved.

We headed on into the clearing where I had missed the hornbills the previous evening and scanned around. A few 'old friends' as William liked to call the species I had seen before but also a lovely male Blue cuckooshrike put in a performance here to end a good morning's birding which had done alot to console me for the previous day's dips.

Back to the hotel for lunch where a second private group of three from Ashanti had arrived. They had also suffered cancellations due to Ebola as the party was originally 6. The situation is definitely affecting Ashanti and tourism in West Africa in general which is a real pity because the odds of contracting the disease in Sierra Leonne are next to none for a tourist and there is no Ebola in Ghana at all. Anyway, I was about three days ahead of them as they were doing the canopy walk today, we ran into each other occasionally at the other parks where we compared notes and the guides could pass on information.

In the evening, we headed for another section of forest near the canopy walk area but on the opposite side of the road. Ten Maxwell's black weavers were perched in the treetops when a deluge of rain forced us to retreat to the minibus hoping it would be short lived. It lasted around 40 minutes and then we tried again.

Bird activity was low. No mixed flocks but a party of Crested malimbes were the last Malimbe species available for the trip. Brown cheeked hornbill frustratingly heard again but although we moved to the edge of the forest to look, it never came close. We located a bare tree deep in the forest and decided this was the place to try for Fraser's eagle owl later. In the meantime we tried and failed to see a calling Olive long tailed cuckoo then checked out a small stream for any birds coming to drink.

Yellow billed turaco was calling back towards our designated tree so we headed there to find a Finsch's flycatcher thrush already occupying it. Chocolate backed kingfisher was calling distantly and William imitated it speculatively. I was surprised at the immediate response and I was suddenly watching the only Chocolate backed kingfisher I would see on the trip in diminishing light.

Not yet finished, the Yellow billed turacos were still calling raucously not to far away and a quick blast of the call brought no less than five birds to the tree where I watched them strutting up and down the branches until they decided they had made their point and headed back deeper into the forest.

We waited twenty minutes or so for the light do go then made another attempt for the Fraser's eagle owl. I had little hope of a response so imagine my surprise when William suddenly whispered that an owl had come.
Sure enough another star bird for the trip, Fraser's eagle owl sat ten metres above us. It sat for five minutes or so before silently sweeping away into the forest marking the end of the birding for the day.

I should probably add that seeing the owl here is not for everyone, we were probably a mile into the forest in the pitch black and William said that not everyone who goes on the tour is up for that kind of thing but Fraser's eagle owl can be seen in other places with a bit of luck. Indeed we were to see two more on the edge of this same forest in a few day's time on our way back from Ankasa.

23 Jan

Today we were bound for Ankasa. A true rainforest on the border with the Ivory coast. Not to waste the prime morning birding, we were once again on the edge of Kakum National park where a nice mix of habitats came together. Main target was Blue headed coucal in this area along with Red faced cisticola which we had expected and missed so far in other suitable habitats.

Walking along the track produced many of the usual suspects. A Sooty boubou was also calling from deep cover. A path left of the road lead into some scrub and grasses where our first target Red faced cisticola quickly gave itself up singing from an exposed postion. I was pleased to catch up with this as I only managed to hear it in Gambia.

Lots of activity in this area, mannikins, weavers, sunbirds, the Sooty boubou was still calling and as we rounded a clump of trees I managed to see it all too briefly as it dived for cover, flying low into the vegetation. We didn't have time to follow it up for better views as Western bluebill appeared in the same bush as another Red faced cisticola and while I was scoping this, William had identified the call of Little grey greenbul. Sure enough, after a quick blast on the tape, this small greenbul came up into the open and also stayed long enough to be scoped.

Again following Williams lead on calls we returned to the road in pursuit of Blue billed (African) firefinch. As we reached the road, a Tambourine dove shot by. We caught up with several of these further along but in the meantime, the Blue billed firefinches were on view in exposed branches by the road edge.

A little further along after adding Green crombec to the ever growing list we stopped in an open swampy area where Blue headed coucal could often be found. We were lucky as it wasn't long before one flew into the bushes at the back of the water and although it was quite restless it showed often enough for decent views. Closer to the road was a lovely male Copper sunbird which lingered the whole time I was watching the coucal.

Last new bird onto the list in this area was African pygmy kingfisher.

Ankasa was reached via several stops. Firstly in Cape coast where the Ashanti offices are based. I had to call in briefly to pay the extra money I owed for the days extension. I guess the office staff don't get to meet the customers very often and a friendlier bunch of people you couldn't expect to meet.

Lunch overlooking the sea by the fortress in Cape coast didn't turn up anything at all but a lagoon not far out of the town held Little egret, Great white egret, Long tailed cormorant, Wood sandpiper and disturbingly large amounts of litter.

A reservoir along the way at the Brimso water treatment plant was our next stop where there was a possibility of African fish eagle, however there was not a great deal happening in the heat of the day except in the shade at one side of the water where several there were several African jacanas, a Squacco heron and impressively an African finfoot. Two Pied kingfishers flew in and perched on the dam.

On returning to the minibus in the heat of the day, we added a non breeding Pin tailed wydah and a single Magpie manikin.

The road main road to the Ivory coast was undergoing extensive upgrades leading to a strange mix of fast new road and detours through potholed and untarmacked sections. It was along this road that we stopped at a section of pools and mangroves to target Reichenbach's sunbird and Hartlaub's duck amongst others.

We pulled in by the roadside and within moments had Reichenbach's sunbird moving through bushes at the water's edge. We moved down the bank for better views and found a pair of Little bee-eaters low to the ground here. Once sated on sunbird views I turned my scope onto the water where a number of waders and herons were in evidence. Grey heron, Western reef egret, Greenshank, Ringed plover, Whimbrel plus a flyover Purple heron.

More importantly, at the rear of the water we counted up to eight Hartlaub's ducks amongst numerous White faced whistling ducks. Add to this a female Orange weaver then at the next pool African pygmy goose and the first Broad billed roller of the trip and this was a fantastic little stop but we were not finished yet.

On the opposite side of the road a gully lead down into the mangroves and in December William had seen White browed forest flycatcher here. This is apparently a very difficult species to see in Ghana but William played the tape and got an immediate response. Not only excellent views of one White browed forest flycatcher but there was definitely another bird calling somewhere further into the mangrove.

We also picked up Brown sunbird here before heading back to the vehicle. A brief stop shortly to try for male Orange weaver in a village where a tree in the middle of a petrol station had nests full of Village weaver and Vieillot's black weaver was unsuccessful today but we did succeed on the return journey 3 days later!

It was late when we arrived at Ankasa where we would leave the minibus parked and use a Jeep to cope with the track through the forest. After dinner we made an attempt for owls but drew a complete blank.

Enjoying this report, Rob.

Wow, a whole host of birds I've never even heard of. Great stuff :t:

foresttwitcher said:

Enjoying this report, Rob.

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Larry Sweetland said:

Wow, a whole host of birds I've never even heard of. Great stuff :t:

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Thank you both. Maybe an idea to set you on the way to 6000 Larry??

24th Jan

So the first full day proper in Ankasa. Any worries about camping in the middle of nowhere had proved unfounded. Large comfortable tent, good meals, toilets and shower block, albeit with only cold water. Since the minibus was abandoned for the stay, Prince had the opportunity to join us for while we went about the reserve. We had a new driver for the stay in charge of the jeep and a local guide from the nearby village meaning that although I was the only one on the trip, five of us set off in the morning.

In the first light we stopped at a few points in along the track where small paths lead into the forest, some man made, some elephant made. We occasionally saw signs of recent elephant activity which makes me realise I have been neglecting to record the few mammals seen along the way so far.

I will stick a mammal list at the end of the report for anyone interested.

Back to the birds then and I must say that perhaps due to the expected diminishing returns but I think also because of the lack of rain, the quantity of species in Ankasa was not as great as the earlier in the trip. Nonetheless the quality of the species was not in doubt with all but one of the new species for the trip being lifers over the next three days. First on this exclusive list was Rufous sided broadbill. Missed in Kakum but seen wonderfully here displaying from its perch with a peculiar short circular flight back to the same spot while making a frog-like croaking noise.

A bit of time spent trying to see Red chested owlet which somehow escaped from me despite being surrounded by a cloud of smaller forest birds. Nothing new then until we reached a clearing where the main powerline between Ghana and the Ivory coast runs. Here, several Square tailed saw-wings were in the air. Broad billed rollers and the ever present White throated bee-eaters were on the wires.

We left the jeep here and continued on foot, stopping at several pools along the way. With Finfoot and Hartlaub's duck already seen, we hoped for kingfishers during the day and rails in the evening but apart from a Striated heron and a rather tame Dusky blue flycatcher, the first pool was quiet.

A little patience however and a group of Red billed helmetshrikes passed noisily through the canopy. The second pool was similarly quiet with a Woodland kingfisher and from the rear a Hartlaub's duck flew out.

We did rather better while walking between here and the third pool crossing paths with two mixed species flocks. The first held both Shining drongo and Ansorge's greenbul, both species seen well. Rather trickier in the next flock, Blue headed crested flycatcher and with some effort, Grey longbill which just never kept still.

The third pool marked the end of our walk and was disappointingly empty. Our return walk was also uneventful. Lunch was to be at an abandoned camp near where we had left the jeep but there was still some time so we lingered at the first pool which proved to be a good decision as a pair of African grey parrots flew over then out of nowhere a Great blue turaco came over the track and stopped briefly, realised it was being watched and headed back in the same direction.

Congo serpent eagle called somewhere and although it did not respond when William played the call back, it did have the effect of bringing in several hornbills. The obligatory Pied hornbill but also Piping hornbill and a single Black dwarf hornbill!

After this little flurry we agreed to come back to the pond in the evening to try for rails and kingfishers again. I didn't expect to add any more species before lunch but my luck was in as another mixed flock passed across the track and Brown eared woodpecker made the list.

Just before the abandoned camp, the forest opened out and William suggested this was the place to watch for Cassin's and Sabine's spinetail. As usual he was right on the money as both species were quickly seen but the flock quickly dispersed as a huge raptor came over. Crowned eagle! a sub-adult bird making a strange display flight circling and occasionally shaking it's wing tips.

After lunch we took a path down from the camp to a rather dreamy scene of a glade with huge bamboo plants shading a small brook. An old bridge had collapsed leaving a gap in the middle and there were several benches giving the impression of a time when this area was more frequented. William scrambled across some Bamboo sticks which had been spanned over the stream but I preferred to remove my shoes and wade across enjoying the coolness of the water.

Our local guide was still having lunch so I don't think we were meant to wander too far but William didn't seem too bothered so we scrambled but the other side of the valley and back into the forest. As always, finding birds in such dense cover was hard but we managed Blue headed wood dove and Western nicator before William managed to call in a stunning male Forest robin. Frustratingly, Yellow casqued hornbills called right overhead but the forest was too dense to have any chance of seeing them.

We returned to the camp a little later, our local guide had come to meet us and escort us back. Next we set up by the first pool but it was a let down although a second Forest robin called near by and showed well with no tape luring at all.

As the light faded we heard Yellow casqued hornbill again but although we followed the call along the main track we never found them. Consolation came in the form of no less than three Olive long tailed cuckoos together and although the light was very poor by now, the views were ok.

No joy with owls again in the evening. An Akun eagle owl called very distantly and at one point there were at least three Wood owls calling around us but they all failed to respond and there were no paths into the forest in the area. There was still another night to go in Ankasa but as the party following us would have the jeep, owl hunting would be restricted to around the camp the next day.

A few birds we missed

Trystan said:

2
African grey parrots flew over then out of nowhere a Great blue turaco Brown eared woodpecker made the list.
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A few good birds we didn't see on this trip although fortunately only the Woodpecker would have been a lifer for us.

It sounds like the trees that blocked the road must have come down in the storm between our visits.

dandsblair said:

A few good birds we didn't see on this trip although fortunately only the Woodpecker would have been a lifer for us.

It sounds like the trees that blocked the road must have come down in the storm between our visits.

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No issue with fallen trees at all. There was a heavy deluge on 25th and we didn't venture down the track again after this as we no longer had access to the jeep but I don't know if this rain was sufficient to bring down any trees.

25th Jan

My last full day in Ankasa, with my posse in tow again we took the jeep back down the track into the forest and devoted most of the morning to the area around the first pool and a couple of streams in the forest still trying for White breasted and Shining blue kingfisher. We also missed Blue breasted kingfisher but this wasn't a lifer so not a priority. Along the way, good views of a Blue headed wood dove were welcome. In fact, this bird was quite stubborn at not yielding the track even though our jeep drove to within a few metres.

From the pool where the Striated heron and Dusky blue flycatcher were both back in place, William heard Blackcap illadopsis calling so we headed into the forest to try and find it and although it gave us the slip at the first attempt, it or a second bird began calling not far away and I managed to glean some obstructed views of it though the low branches.

Apart from this the morning was a bit of a failure with failed attempt for White tailed alethe and no new species added until we set off back for lunch when a slight detour via another forest stream resulting in a pair of Dusky crested flycatchers being found.

We arrived at camp a little early for lunch so we headed to the forest edge near the camp where the road crosses over the river Ankasa. From the bridge we sought and quickly found Cassin's flycatcher, very reminiscent of a dipper in it's choice of habitat and behaviour although it obviously flycatches rather than dips. I enjoyed this bird coming onto the rocks right below me on the bridge and after a little time, Shining blue kingfisher zipped through before landing not quite in plain view in one of the overhanging trees.

There is another bridge with a roof nearer the camp and we tried this area next but only added another Cassin's flycatcher and another or the same Shining blue kingfisher before we went to eat.

I headed back down to the bridge while I waited for William to start our early evening walk when the deluge I mention in my previous post hit. I retreated to a nearby shelter in the hope that it would pass over quickly but it lasted around two hours. In this time, the shelter had sprung several leaks typically where the seats were so I perched precariously on the edge of a dry bit of seat and watched the rain come down. A waterproof coated William came to find me and make sure I hadn't drowned and we waited until the rain finally relented.

No chance of going back into the forest for a while as all the paths were flooded. We returned to the main bridge to catch the last of the evening light. Lots of bird activity here after the rain. Surprisingly, the only Grey backed cameroptera of the trip was added here while we also watched a beautiful male Emerald cuckoo and an Olive sunbird drying out showed its axillary tufts magnificently.

It was amazing to see how swollen the river had become with all the Cassin's flycatcher perches now submerged there was no sign of it here now. Once the light had gone we devoted some time around the camp to trying for Wood owl and headed right out of the reserve looking in areas where William had previously seen Akun eagle owl but to no avail.

26th Jan

Today we would begin our journey back from the west side of the country. We would return for another night at the Rainforest hotel giving an opportunity to try for a few missed species around Kakum again. Firstly though, another attempt to get some of the missed species around Ankasa.

The morning was spent on the forest trails not far from the camp site. After yesterday the area was much wetter and the group following me had seen Dwarf bittern at near the first pool. Our priority was to pick up some of the elusive Illadopsis and greenbul species plus White breasted kingfisher (still) and looking very unlikely now, Yellow casqued hornbill.

Once again, into the forest the best chance of picking up species was to cross paths with the mixed flocks. Icterine and Red tailed greenbuls seemed to be the easiest to find but we picked up the call of Green tailed bristlebill and it was while trying to get views of this species (fleeting glimpses of which I felt unable to accept onto the list) that we ended up with both Pale breasted and Rufous winged illadopsis. The former was skulking around at ground level and quickly lost in the undergrowth however the Rufous winged illadopsis was sat singing just obscured behind a large trunk. With some deft movement we found that the bird could be seen in the open in a gap between two trees really well.

The last bird for Ankasa was the Yellow bearded greenbul. Again in a mixed flock were several with the aforementioned Icterines but also another Brown eared woodpecker.

More time by the forest streams failed to produce the desired kingfisher and eventually it was time to move on. We were to stop in some grassland habitat near Akyinim in search of Marsh tchagra. Along the way we stopped for three Ethiopian swallows on the wires and then a pair of House sparrows, a recent colonist in Ghana which were a lifer for William around 6 months previous.

We arrived in the grasslands in the full heat of the day and within five minutes of walking from the minibus I was watching a male Marsh tchagra in a bush by the roadside. William suggested we walk to some pools down the road, nipping away from the road occasionally to scan the grasses.

A large flock of Bronze mannikins also held Bar breasted firefinch and several Red headed quelea in non-breeding plumage although one bird had a hint of red feathering in its brow. A Singing cisticola was, well, singing and I scoped it briefly then came the surprise bird. It zig-zaged into view before dropping to the ground with a clumsy thud, then ran for cover never to be seen again, Small buttonquail!

After this highlight I wasn't too disappointed with the apparent lack of birds at the pools although a Great spotted cuckoo made the list here.

From discussions between William and the guide leading the other group following us, I understood that they has seen Akun eagle owl in the area we told them that we had seen Fraser's eagle owl so this was the plan for the evening once we reached Kakum again.

The result for us of playing the Akun eagle owl call on the edge of the forest was to provoke an aggressive territorial display from a pair of Fraser's eagle owls which was rather spectacular to watch.

27th Jan

Well today was not about quantity but quality. A pre-dawn start to head back to Praso and make a second attempt for Rock pratincole, then trying to pick up some loose ends in and around Kakum before heading to the Yellow headed picathartes site in the afternoon.

We arrived at the river around 7 am and saw many of the same birds as previously including the White throated blue swallow but this time also four Rock pratincoles were present on the rocks mid river. What a relief and a beautiful species to watch.

We also stopped off at a breeding site for Preuss' cliff swallow, although the nests were no longer in use there were hundreds of birds in the air.

The aim was to arrive at the Picathartes site near Bonkro in the late afternoon. The birds had been coming back to the area around 4.30 pm typically but earlier in the event of rain. This gave us plenty of time to stop at various forest sections along the way, all part of the Kakum forest. Our first stop not far from the main entrance to the canopy walk produced Pale flycatcher for the trip.

We had another productive walk in an arm of the forest about half way to Bonkro where the only White headed wood hoopoe of the trip showed well high up but close to the track. A little further along and not for the first time, William attempted the whistle of a Long tailed hawk. He had often tried this around the forest edge in various places without luck but now an answer and out of the trees he came before landing in open view. Not long enough to scope unfortunately but very satisfactory nonetheless.

We arrived in Bonkro where Ashanti are working with the community to educate them about the importance of the Picathartes and conservation in general. Again we were joined by a local guide to lead the way to the viewing area along with his young protégé. I was in quite a hurry to reach the spot, this was the iconic bird of the trip and one I didn't want to miss in any circumstances.

We were at the nest site (one of several in the area) about 3.40pm. I was assured that the birds come in around 4.30pm so we sat on a slightly lopsided bench which had been placed for just this purpose. It was frustrating that during this wait we heard both Bioko batis and Afep pigeon but there was nothing to be done about it.

Four thirty arrived and I wondered how long the birds would keep me waiting. The answer to this question was three minutes! the first of two Yellow headed picathartes came in from the left and passed right in front of us. It seemed a little unsure about our presence and retreated a little way away just out of sight. A few minutes later a second bird came and this one was obviously very used to the arrangement as it sat in the low vines only 5 or so metres from us preening. This bird was truly the highlight of the trip, it really gives the impression of being quite unearthly or prehistoric with it's bald smooth yellow head and huge black eye.

After the bird move to join it's mate we retreated back into the forest where we planned to stay until dark for one more attempt at Akun eagle owl. In the meantime although the batis had escaped, Afep pigeon was still calling so we headed in the right general direction and figured out which tree it was in. A bit of effort required as the bird moved a couple of times but I eventually got good views of the underside of the bird at least.

As the light faded, Red fronted parrots came over stopping briefly in the canopy. A Rufous sided broadbill was also calling and much easier to find than the bird in Ankasa. We picked our spot where the local guide had seen the Akun eagle owl come to before and waited for the right time. Forest francolin called and we tried to locate it but it soon stopped so we returned to the chosen tree with its exposed branches and played the tape. Immediate response! Akun eagle owl in exactly the anticipated spot, what a great end to the day.

Except it wasn't quite over. It was a fair walk back to the village and the minibus. Up to this point William had been dealing with tipping the local guides, I'm not sure what the correct protocol was but I intended to tip William and Prince at the end of the trip and leave the rest to them which they seemed quite happy with. In this case however since the guide and his young assistant were just local village people and had shown such enthusiasm I made a point of tipping them for their efforts.

Anyway, between the village and the main road along the track a nightjar was sat in the road. We were able to get out and scope my first Plain nightjar and now the day really had ended.

That said, there were still a few hours between us and the hotel. Due to the lateness of our arrival we stopped for takeaway Pizza just before we reached there around 11pm.