Ghana 12/08 (1 Viewer)

Earlier in 2008, I was debating where might be a partner-friendly trip which would involve some good birding, some restricted-range species, good beaches and even (gasp) a civilised hotel with a pool .
Initial thoughts included Mauritius/Reunion, the Seychelles and Guadeloupe/Martinique, but then my eye was caught by the possibility of Ghana.
Ghana is at the eastern end of the Upper Guinea forest block, with its associated list of endemics as well as a long list of forest goodies. Couple this with some interesting mammals, a safe and stable infrastructure and some beautiful unspoiled coastline and you have a potential winner. I'm new to African forest birding so there were plenty of wanted species.
Although the north of the country has some exciting birding (Pel's Fishing-Owl, Egyptian Plover) I wanted to concentrate on forest birds. I contacted Ashanti African tours who I cannot recommend enough and between us, we put together an itinerary which would incorporate 10 days birding followed by a week on the coast for relaxation (although birding cold turkey proved difficult for me to resist breaking!)
Ashanti organised all ground arrangements for me - you can find them at http://www.ashantiafricantours.com/ Mark was incredibly helpful and listened carefully to what I wanted to get out of the trip. The trip went incredibly smoothly and accommodation etc was exactly as we wanted. My partner is interested in birds, but not obsessive but still had a great time.
We flew London-Casablanca-Accra with Royal Air Maroc for about £480 each return. The flights were ok although 3 of the 4 legs were delayed and the airline lost any mention of my vegetarian requests. However, other routes are mostly longer - ours took around 3 hours to Casablanca then just over another 4 to Accra. You do, however, land at 3 in the morning...

Forest birding in Africa is notoriously difficult. I spent weeks before leaving trying to learn as many calls and songs as possible, concentrating on potential new birds and those more skulking species. There are good field guides covering the region - I took Borrow/Demey 'Birds of Western Africa' and Sinclair/Ryan 'Birds of Africa South of the Sahara'. An iPod was used where necessary for tape-luring.
Ghana is relatively poorly-known ornithologically and so both guides do contain some indiscrepancies with respect to ranges. No doubt with increased interest, far more will be learnt about distributions in the area.
I struggled to find much of use on the internet other than Kakum National Park, scene of the famous canopy walkway.

We left London on 4/12 on a 17.40 flight (delayed 30 mins). This would have caused serious anxiety if the Casablanca time hadn't been rescheduled by an hour a week earlier - originally we only had 55 mins on the ground before the second flight!
Both flights went smoothly apart from the losing of our (confirmed) food requests. We had been told we were going to stop at Cotonou in Benin before arriving in Accra. There was therefore widespread confusion when we landed at Accra 2 hours earlier than scheduled, with no stop-off. This is the first time I have ever had to confirm with the crew if we needed to get off the plane or not - slightly embarrassing to say the least. Our luggage did made it safely, despite the short change-over time in Morocco, and we were soon through customs into the Ghanaian night.
Mark and his team met us outside the airport, and we were soon on our way west.
The first thing that struck us both was the number of political posters everywhere. We soon realised that we had landed in the middle of the national elections and talk of party progress on both sides was to dominate our time in Ghana. I don't think I have ever seen a more relaxed and inclusive approach to an election - even when we got stuck in the middle of rallies, everyone was happy to see us. In Britain, our elections are not characterised by quite so much dancing (rolling of arms = 'we are changing' = opposition; egyptian-like jabbing of closed hands = 'we are moving forward' = current govt).
Once we had found our way out of the maze of streets in Accra, we drove to the Winneba Plains, an area of mixed grassland and scattered trees for first light. Here we got our first birding...

Winneba Plains

Many of the birds here were old friends from the Gambia or Kenya - Double-spurred Francolin (very common), a nice male Black-bellied Bustard, Green and Violet Turacos, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Yellow-crowned Gonolek and so on. 3 Simple Leafloves were the first new birds for me - surprisingly smart bulbuls with their contrasting dark heads and pale eye-lids. These were quickly followed by a nice Red-winged Warbler behaving like a prinia. The stars here, though, were a pair of Veillot's Barbets which were singing to tape in a low open tree, pumping their tails and heads. Very nice with their red faces contrasting with the lemony bodies!
I was initially alarmed by how unfamiliar all the calls were - was I inadequately prepared? Of course, the songs I had learnt were mostly forest species: once I realised why I didn't recognise many species I calmed down! Mark's guide, Robert, was great at patiently answering all my questions as I asked him to identify distant songs.
As we had been travelling overnight, we decided to move on to Hans Cottage Botel in the Kakum region, so we could have something to eat, get changed and get ourselves prepared for the trip proper.

5/12 Kakum

Hans Botel was exactly as I expected - an eccentric setup featuring comfortable rooms and a central dining area set over a pool full of Nile Crocodiles. We ate lunch - a tuna and onion sandwich, soon to become standard fare - and wrote the morning's notes.
In the afternoon, we set out for Kakum NP, about 30 minutes away by car. Renowned for its canopy walkway, this is quite a tourist attraction for locals and foreigners alike.
Unfortunately, today was a special national holiday. Polling was to start tomorrow, and this has to be done in your home village or town. Today was to allow people to get back and vote. As a result, Kakum was packed with people celebrating this extra day off. The small carpark was full of coaches, and reminded me of a busy spring day at Titchwell! Queues of people were filing into the entrance where a steep trail leads towards the walkway itself. Others were lounging around, drinking fresh coconut or singing and laughing with each other. Not a great sign for shy forest birds or mammals.
The sensible thing seemed to be to walk a trail, away from the crowds. As expected, it was slow-going: frustrating given the proximity of the walkway and how keen I was for new birds! However, persistence always pays off! One of the first new birds was a party of Black Spinetails seen through a break in the trees. Finschs Flycatcher-Thrush and Yellow-whiskered Greenbul were also welcome, although even by 4pm the poor light was starting to make detail difficult. It took some time for the greenbul to show its whiskers sufficiently! Eventually, we conceded defeat with the gloom and headed for the walkway where the crowds had now left.
Mark had organised for the walkway to remain open for us until after dark. This is definitely to be recommended especially for one special bird...
While waiting for darkness to fall, we were taunted by the distant calls of both Brown-cheeked and Black-casqued Hornbills. Grey and Red-fronted Parrots hurtled over towards far-off roost sites. Yellow-billed Turacos tarted about in the enormous emergent trees and allowed scoping for better looks at the facial pattern which tells them from their close cousin the Green Turaco. One of the beauties about this walkway is that the platforms are easily big enough for a tripod, meaning you can scope distant snags for choice birds. This gave good views of Red-headed Malimbe (a real stunner), Chestnut-winged Starling and the gorgeous Yellow-spotted Barbet.
Although there is heavy persecution of mammals in much of Ghana for the bushmeat trade, Kakum is relatively well-protected. We had great looks at a large troop of Mona Monkeys, very smartly attired and foraging immediately below us, and the restricted-range Geoffrey's Pied Colobus - a single animal sat on a treetop grooming as the sun fell. As it got darker, and the insects started, the eerie cries of Western Tree Hyraxes reverberated through the trees. These bizarre mammals live high up in the forest canopy and are very vocal in the hours of darkness.
Eventually, as the stars above us were drawing our attention more than the sounds of the forest, we hear the 'kyop' call we had waited for. A slightly frantic scramble to the next platform and some silent scanning of the branches below us and there it was - a fantastic male Brown Nightjar. This bird is one of the real gems of Kakum and is difficult everywhere else in its restricted and localised west African range. As it sang, the clean white throat pulsed against the deep chocolate of the rest of its plumage. Nightjars are always special, and watching this bird from a swinging nylon walkway 40 metres above the ground was a absolute highlight of the trip.
Flushed with success, we made our way back, watching carefully for snakes on the trail. A brief owling attempt was fruitless but I was quite satisfied with our first day in the forest.

African Pied Hornbill

6/12 Antwikwaa

Up and out early (5.15, so not too bad...) and off to Antwikwaa, an area on the NW side of Kakum.
This site is relatively open, with scattered large trees amongst secondary forest, some small-scale cultivation and pockets of forest. As a result, the birdlife is varied and generally visibility is easy. This was one of the most enjoyable mornings of the trip with lots of good stuff and birds always in sight. The weather was pretty overcast which meant activity continued right through the morning.
More new swifts were feeding over the forest with both Cassin's and Sabine's Spinetails present. Scanning produced Blue-throated Roller and a very distant pair of Forest Wood-Hoopoes. A very poor and dark photo of the latter helped during an ID crisis later in the trip - this species and White-headed Wood-Hoopoe can be tricky to tell apart, despite what you might think from the names.
One big target for me was the spectacular White-crested Hornbill and a beautiful male showed well on a horizontal perch. Closer were Hairy-breasted and Yellow-billed Barbets, Purple-throated Cuckoo-Shrike, Black-throated Coucal and Melancholy Woodpecker. More effort was required to tease out Kemp's and Grey Longbill and Olive-green Camaroptera - all skulking dull warblers with distinctive songs. The camaroptera in particular has a brilliant song that seems to go on for ever, but doesn't always oblige with good views. Yellow-browed Camaroptera, by contrast, flaunted in the open and proved one of those birds that far outshines the fieldguide. Another little stunner was Johanna's Sunbird, feeding in a clump of bananas by the road. It's hard to be so complimentary about Greenbuls, but Little, Cameroon Sombre and Red-tailed were still welcome. In the same 'garden' was Tit-Hylia, small enough to do a Goldcrest proud, and a stunning male Buff-throated Sunbird, one of the best of a great group of birds.The only Narrow-tailed Starling of the trip hurtled overhead en route to somewhere, distracting me from a party of Rufous-crowned Eremomelas, small immaculate warblers much easier to admire here, in a low roadside sapling, than high in the canopy as is more usual.
As a final treat, we headed off-piste to a small clearing in an area of cultivation where a pair of Black Bee-eaters shone as they sallied for dragonflies from a dead tree.
Reluctantly, we dragged ourselves away from this splendid site and headed back to Hans for a tuna and onion pick-up. On the way we stopped briefly at a large sluggish river where we added a single Rock Pratincole, 2 irridescent White-throated Blue Swallows and a pair of White-headed Lapwings.
After lunch, I walked briefly around the pools at Hans Botel. Blissfully thinking of the various stars of the morning's birding, I nearly had a heart attack when a Marsh Cane-Rat exploded from under my feet in the long grass. The fact I had also been looking for snakes earlier didn't help much. These huge rodents (called grasscutters locally) are a major component of the bushmeat trade and are often seen for sale along the roads.

Black Bee-eaters

A few shots..

6/12 Kakum again

After lunch we decided to head back to Kakum for some good old fashioned trail birding to look for some of the skulkers. Although the light, again, faded fast deep beneath the canopy we did see some cracking birds. Highlights included a stunning male Blue-headed Wood-Dove perched up nicely, a cracking male Rufous-sided Broadbill spinning from its perch flaring its white powderpuff back-patch and an adult Forest Robin. Rather fleeting views of Western Bearded Greenbul and White-throated Greenbul failed to impress, although we would see both species much better later in the trip.
The mammal highlight was a troop of Olive Colobusincluding some cute babies, which passed overhead.
Returning to the hotel, we heard what sounded like Plain Nightjar calling from just up the drive from the accommodation area. We collected our torches and walked a short distance to find 3 gorgeous Long-tailed Nightjars sat on the paving - 2 males and a female. They allowed close inspection, occasionally sallying up from the ground for moths and other insects. All in all another great day.

6/12 Kakum

We decided to spend this morning on the canopy walkway again, to try for some of the more difficult species. On the way up from the entrance, we hit a hotspot where we saw Chestnut Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher and Fraser's Sunbird.
The walkway was deserted apart from us, and we spent 4 hours or so up there with constant activity around us. One of the first birds was a nice subadult Palm-nut Vulture but this was eclipsed when an adult Congo Serpent-eagle flapped past in a long curving arc. This was one of my top targets for the Kakum area and a real plus. Adding to the raptor fest were both Cassin's Hawk-Eagle and Ayre's Hawk-Eagle, both soaring high overhead and scoped from the platforms.
Being so high up was a real advantage when looking for birds such as Yellowbill which was watched from above in the thick tangles it favours. This bird would have been invisible from ground level. Naked-faced and Bristle-fronted Barbets both also favoured the highest snags but gave eye-level views from the walkway. Other treats included Blue Cuckoo-shrike, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, the endemic Sharpe's Apalis, the tiny Lemon-bellied Crombec, Golden Greenbul, Slender-billed Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Spotted Greenbul (with its characteristic slow flicking of each wing over its back) and nesting Yellow-mantled Weavers. More of a surprise was a Willcock's Honeyguide which flew into the canopy of the tree we were in.
Eventually, we headed back to the entrance and then to Hans after a great morning's birding. I was amazed at how much activity there was even once the sun came up.

7/12 pm Kakum

We started this afternoon on the road outside Kakum where a soaring Red-necked Buzzard was the first new bird.
Moving to the trails, we gradually picked up a few specialities of the area. A stonking Red-tailed Bristlebill with a dagger of a beak was amongst the best, sitting quietly a few inches off the ground while we approached to within a few feet. Other new bulbuls were Little Grey and Icterine. Also in the undergrowth were some smart Blue-billed Malimbes and the dapper Crested Malimbe was picked up in a mixed flock along with Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher.
We decided to finish the day on the walkway again. Black-collared Lovebird was heard, then spotted shooting over at speed like bullets. Even better was a superb pair of Brown-cheeked Hornbills - another Upper Guinea forest endemic and easily missed. Although very distant, the 60x zoom on the scope gave good views although slightly worse pictures.
As the day closed, we headed back to the hotel.

1. Hairy-breasted Barbet
2. Lesser Striped Swallow
3. Red-fronted Parrot
4. Brown-cheeked Hornbill

8/12 am, Kakum

Another 5.15 start to the NP. We birded the trails for a few hours before returning for breakfast. The forest was quiet this morning, with only a few species being added to the tally - Ansorge's Greenbul, Red-billed Helmetshrike, Shining Drongo in a mixed flock and a Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch building a nest at the park headquarters.
During breakfast at Hans Botel, we watched a Cattle Egret raiding the nests of Village Weavers and being divebombed by the frantic owners.
After packing, we headed west towards Ankasa, our next stop. Here, a large forest reserve sits near the border with the Ivory Coast. The region holds some special birds, and is an easier site than Kakum for certain species. It also has a population of White-breasted Guineafowl, a tricky bird to see at the best of times, and may even still hold Chimpanzees which are otherwise extinct in Ghana.

8/12 pm, Anakasa

We dropped our stuff at the B and Q Hotel, a rather grand building from the outside with a large sweeping drive, tennis courts and pool. As so often proved the case in Ghana, the inside was rather less well maintained but this is still the best accommodation within easy reach of Anakasa.

At 3.30, we headed for the forest again. This reserve is wetter than Kakum and is much closer to true evergreen rainforest. A wide access track snakes through the forest, allowing servicing of the electricity pylons heading for the Ivory Coast. In places, the road has dammed forest streams, leading to pools of varying sizes right beside the road, full of lotus flowers and dragonflies.

Our initial exporation provided evidence of some real specials - both Green-tailed Bristlebill and Yellow-bearded Greenbul were heard from the road although neither responded to tape. 2 White-tailed Ant-thrushes on the road were more obliging and Piping Hornbills overhead were also new. An Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo gave great views, in contrast to the hide and seek we had played with this bird up until now.

As darkness started to fall, we settled at the forest ranger station, set in a large clearing by the road. Straw-coloured Fruit-Batsswept overhead and African Wood-Owls started their bubbling calls. We were after larger owls, but the Wood-Owls diverted us while we waited. Nkulengu Rail called loudly from nearby but this crepuscular bird calls from high in the trees as it goes to roost and is very rarely seen. Finally, there it was - a distant reply to our tape. Coming closer, it started to call from the edge of the clearing. Frustratingly, it had perched in an invisible spot and was resisting all attempts to spotlight it. Eventually though, it flew low overhead, crossing the wide open area of the camp - an Akun Eagle-Owl and another rarely-seen west African speciality. A small eagle-owl with distinctive black barring and splotching underneath and another unexpected success.

Back at the B and Q, we discovered that our efforts to pre-empt a long wait for dinner (by pre-ordering) had failed miserably. Snapper was no longer available as it was 'tasteless' and they did not want to insult us by serving it. Hmmm. As a result, dinner took ages meaning a late night.

9/12 Ankasa

Hit a not unexpected stumbling block this morning when our pre-ordered food was nowhere to be seen. Nor was any member of the kitchen staff. Mark ended up breaking into the kitchens and making lunch himself and we eventually set off for Ankasa, arriving 6.30 or so.

Despite this late start, we saw some great birds. We concentrated on walking the road. As said before, there are several pools of varying sizes along the road itself which are full of dead trees and emergent vegetation. At the largest, a surprise Dwarf Bittern flushed up to a perch and showed well. Even better were 2 Hartlaub's Ducks at the back, warily eyeing us up through the reeds. They also flew up to a dead tree, where they gave much better views, craning their necks and oggling us. A very vocal Blue-breasted Kingfisher was also on this pool and nearby we lured an excited male White-spotted Flufftail into the underside of a dense thicket next to the road. These tiny forest crakes can be tricky but he performed beautifully.

Other birds in the general area included 2 outrageous Great Blue Turacos, a nice Black Dwarf Hornbill carrying a giant tarantula , presumably to a nest, Buff-spotted Woodpecker and small numbers of Square-tailed Saw-wings. More restricted in range was a lovely Yellow-bearded Greenbul which showed very nicely and the morning was rounded off by Little Green Sunbird, Black-capped Apalis and Blackcap Illadopsis.

The sun was fully up by now, so we had a lengthy siesta at the forest station (thank god for iPods...) before walking some trails in the late afternoon. Both Green-tailed and Grey-headed Bristlebills obliged although both took some effort. Star of the afternoon, though, was a gorgeous Chocolate-backed Kingfisher sat on a vine in the subcanopy: a bird I had always wanted to see and I'm delighted to say it exceeded my expectations!

Back at the hotel, there was a minor show-down with the staff as to why they hadn't turned up this morning. The excuses were many and varied and proved fluid as the conversation progressed.

10/12 Ankasa

This morning was guineafowl day, more specifically White-breasted Guineafowl. We spent the whole morning creeping along the trails looking for this rare and highly local bird. Despite hours of effort, we didn't even see Crested Guineafowl, a muich commoner species thats also occurs here. We did find a single Crested Guineafowl feather

A second Chocolate-backed Kingfisher was as much appreciated as the first yesterday. A handful of Black Casqued Hornbills went over the main track giving fleeting views: these birds seem genuinely wary here and flushed easily. A White-tailed Alethe and a couple of Maxwell's Black Weavers added to the list and we also scored with Shining-Blue Kingfisher and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill.

In the afternoon, we tried along the road again and almost immediately found a single male Black-casqued Hornbill perched on the extreme tip of a distant snag along with a pair of Yellow-casqued Hornbills. True to form, as soon as they were scoped, they flew. The Yellow-casqueds were very distinctive, the female having a pale orange head.

Back to the good old B and Q for dinner, then bed.

11/12 Ankasa

We had allowed plenty of time at Ankasa to maximise our chances of the trickier species. Today proved why this had been a good decision.

The morning was spent along the road again. The pools held Dwarf Bittern again and we flushed a male African Finfoot from right by the road: it panicked and paddled frantically away with its luminous red feet, using its wings like a steamer-duck. Dusky-blue Flycatcher and a group of at least 3 Puvel's Illadopsis were also new, as was the rather smart Tiny Sunbird. Brown Illadopsis also showed nicely and we had further looks at Rufous-sided Broadbill a bird hard to get tired of.

While ambling back along the road towards the forest station, an enormous blackish owl flapped from a palm tree by the track, beating away through the trees and setting off all manner of alarm calls from birds such as Great Blue Turacos. Much bigger than Akun or Fraser's Eagle-Owl, the size coupled with the colour only leaves one option: Shelley's Eagle-Owl! Another rarely-seen mega, local and rarely-recorded. This species is probably regular at this site - Mark and Robert head the characteristic drawn-out screech on a previous recce.

During the lunchtime siesta, I decided to walk back down the road to the pools again to get some photos and see what was around. The first bird I flushed was a surprise Olive Ibis! A bit of a shock to put it mildly. The Finfoot was still around, and there were now 2 Dwarf Bitterns.

I decided to follow a narrow track around the back of the pools as some of the water was invisible from the road. Picking my way through the forest, something shot into the water from the bank - a turtle? As I approached, something started to thrash around next to the bank in a thick tangle of sticks and branches - presumably the animal I had just flushed. I got glimpses of scales suggesting a monitor. I grabbed the branches and flicked the tips out of the water. Imagine my surprise when this flick revealed a young Nile Crocodile tangled in the twigs. About 45cm long, it wriggled around to face me and showed its yellow gape aggressively. My plan was to 'land' it and get some pictures, but then it started to make the bleating contact call young crocs use when in distress. It worked - I threw it back in and beat a hasty retreat before the mother arrived!

On the way back to camp, I checked the areas of mud along the road for prints. The mammal fauna here is pretty healthy - there were lots of tracks from Forest Elephant, Bongo, Bushbuck, Western Tree Hyrax and African Civet amongst others.

11/12 pm, Ankasa

This afternoon was spent on the trails again. We covered a fair distance, again hoping for the elusive WB Guineafowl, and only just managed to regain the road before it was dark.

Latham's Forest Francolin was calling repeatedly nearby but refused to budge to tape. The forest was generally quiet, but a crisp White-bellied Kingfisher lifted spirits towards the end of the walk. It shot under a bamboo bridge I was crossing over a forest stream and perched on a root nearby, showing beautifully.

Back at the station, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird was singing in the clearing as we waited for darkness to fall. The Wood-Owls started up almost straight away, accompanied by distant Nkulengu Rails, but there was no sign of eagle-owls. On the way out of the forest, we tried to pay the gateman for the day's entrance fees but ended up instead in a lengthy discussion about receipt books. It soon became apparent that he was trying to get us to pay him a 'dash' and things got sorted eventually.

12/12 back to Hans Botel

Today was mostly a travel day and we headed back towards Cape Coast and Hans Botel. Lunch was spent watching the local Yellow-billed Kites chasing Pied Kingfishers like skuas after terns. Their success rate seemed 100% although the fish they obtained seemed so small as to make the twisting and turning pursuits a waste of effort.

Checking out the (currently unused) weaver colonies around the main lake finally revealed a single female Orange Weaver - their colony is the one by the entrance gate and was otherwise abandoned.

The afternoon was scheduled for Bremu Road, an area of mixed cultivation, mangrove and scrub. Some new birds were picked up here - Bar-breasted Firefinch (absent at Hans but often seen around the restaurant area), some nice Slender-billed Weavers and Green-headed Sunbird. The main show here, however, is the pre-roost squadron of Preuss' Cliff Swallows. The stars appeared shortly before dusk, small groups and gangs adding to the gradually swelling flock wheeling above us. Eventually, there were at least 250 birds flying like a winter flock of starlings in the UK. Several twittering false starts ensued, with the birds sweeping down to the small culvert under the road before aborting and bombing back skywards, before they finally swept under the road in one feathery mass. Even then you could clearly head them under the bridge!

Our final target of the day was at the entrance to Kakum NP. At the main forest station, one was calling distantly but refusing to come closer, so we moved to the entrance itself. Within a few minutes, we were enjoying point blank views of Fraser's Eagle-Owl: a magnificent rufous individual glaring at us from an open perch. Three species of forest Bubo - not bad!

An excellent report Jonathon, so far...looking forward to the next installment!

Some fantastic birds! A veteran of many trips to Cameroon including a base in the forest for long periods I'm pretty gobsmacked with your list so far, very few of the West African regulars I know have seen a Shelley's Eagle Owl!

Bring on the Rockfowl

Mark :t: