tittletattler
Well-known member
4th March Day 15 Atewa Ridge
An early start from theHotel had myself and James back at the Atewa Farm scrub by a little after 6am. However, we were not looking at the farm scrub but were instead taking the small track to the right of the path up to the ridge; a three mile climb. Western Nicators were conspicuous due to their Nightingale like song. A Kemp’s Longbill showed at very close range as it failed to hide properly in a thick vine tangle. Some of the usual suspects were seen as we trekked upwards; Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Green Squirrel (several now seen, usually elusive), Slender-billed Greenbul, Tambourine Dove, a noisy group of Maxwell’s Black Weavers atop a few dead branches above us, a silhouetted Black Bee-eater that took five minutes to check as we had to move down slope to view it properly, two Lemon-bellied Crombec inspecting the vines for insects above us, Red-crested Malimbe and Velvet-mantled Drongo. We then left the secondary forest and entered the primary forest.
Almost immediately we saw Shining Drongo such was the pronounced demarcation between the two sets of habitat. One of several of today’s Yellowbill was seen here. A Black-capped Apalis was new for me and I watched it feed directly above us as it showed off its distinctive black breast band. A feeding flock was moving through to our right so we walked ten metres into the forest to better view it. We had great views of Black-capped Illadopsis, Honeyguide Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Blue-billed Malimbe, White-crested Hornbill, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Finch’s Flycatcher Thrush, Icterine Greenbul, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher and best of all, a Green-tailed Bristlebill that spotted us and flew within a few metres to inspect us.
We headed up and reached a section where it plateaued slightly and their were many bare trees. James stated that this was the best place to see Blue-moustached Bee-eater and sure enough he spied a bird just a few metres away at eye level. An incredible looking bird with it’s electric blue plumage in the sunshine and it’s scarlet red throat. We saw two more a little further up. The more open habitat allowed us to view several more species feeding including three Little-grey Flyacatchers, two Bioko Batis and an African Paradise Flycatcher.
We carried on upwards and saw several Tit-hylia, Yellow-billed Turaco, Long-tailed Hawk (often missed on other trips), Fraser’s Sunbird, Anssorge’s Greenbul, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, a winter male Pied Flycatcher, two male Red-chested Cuckoo, Finch’s Flycatcher Thrush, Naked-faced Barbet and our third of the trip, incredibly, Yellow-footed Honeyguide.
We could hear thunder in the distance and after having seen the damage caused by last night’s storm, we decided to hot foot it down to the car where Jojo was waiting for us. It also might not have been has hot as yesterday, but it was still very hot and bird activity had all but stopped.
On the way back to the hotel, James and Jojo checked out a farm track that lead to some remnant forest and made a phone call to one of the other Ashanti guides. This was another spot for seeing Fraser’s Eagle Owl and a plan was hatched for later.
I went online and downloaded our boarding passes for the next day.
We left the hotel at 5pm and we viewed the Straw-coloured Bats as they left their roosting trees with many forming a swarm before they departed. We then proceeded to the farm track and once parked up, we walked twenty metres across some scrub until we could view some of the large bare trees on the edge of the wood. James played the call. After a short while, I noted a dark shape fly low passed us. James decided to quickly relocate to a tree with many low bare branches by the track and he played the call again. A large broad-winged dark shape almost immediately flew low above our heads and landed in the tree. Torches on. What a bird! I gave James a hug as this was a bird I had really wanted to see.
An early start from theHotel had myself and James back at the Atewa Farm scrub by a little after 6am. However, we were not looking at the farm scrub but were instead taking the small track to the right of the path up to the ridge; a three mile climb. Western Nicators were conspicuous due to their Nightingale like song. A Kemp’s Longbill showed at very close range as it failed to hide properly in a thick vine tangle. Some of the usual suspects were seen as we trekked upwards; Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Green Squirrel (several now seen, usually elusive), Slender-billed Greenbul, Tambourine Dove, a noisy group of Maxwell’s Black Weavers atop a few dead branches above us, a silhouetted Black Bee-eater that took five minutes to check as we had to move down slope to view it properly, two Lemon-bellied Crombec inspecting the vines for insects above us, Red-crested Malimbe and Velvet-mantled Drongo. We then left the secondary forest and entered the primary forest.
Almost immediately we saw Shining Drongo such was the pronounced demarcation between the two sets of habitat. One of several of today’s Yellowbill was seen here. A Black-capped Apalis was new for me and I watched it feed directly above us as it showed off its distinctive black breast band. A feeding flock was moving through to our right so we walked ten metres into the forest to better view it. We had great views of Black-capped Illadopsis, Honeyguide Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Blue-billed Malimbe, White-crested Hornbill, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Finch’s Flycatcher Thrush, Icterine Greenbul, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher and best of all, a Green-tailed Bristlebill that spotted us and flew within a few metres to inspect us.
We headed up and reached a section where it plateaued slightly and their were many bare trees. James stated that this was the best place to see Blue-moustached Bee-eater and sure enough he spied a bird just a few metres away at eye level. An incredible looking bird with it’s electric blue plumage in the sunshine and it’s scarlet red throat. We saw two more a little further up. The more open habitat allowed us to view several more species feeding including three Little-grey Flyacatchers, two Bioko Batis and an African Paradise Flycatcher.
We carried on upwards and saw several Tit-hylia, Yellow-billed Turaco, Long-tailed Hawk (often missed on other trips), Fraser’s Sunbird, Anssorge’s Greenbul, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, a winter male Pied Flycatcher, two male Red-chested Cuckoo, Finch’s Flycatcher Thrush, Naked-faced Barbet and our third of the trip, incredibly, Yellow-footed Honeyguide.
We could hear thunder in the distance and after having seen the damage caused by last night’s storm, we decided to hot foot it down to the car where Jojo was waiting for us. It also might not have been has hot as yesterday, but it was still very hot and bird activity had all but stopped.
On the way back to the hotel, James and Jojo checked out a farm track that lead to some remnant forest and made a phone call to one of the other Ashanti guides. This was another spot for seeing Fraser’s Eagle Owl and a plan was hatched for later.
I went online and downloaded our boarding passes for the next day.
We left the hotel at 5pm and we viewed the Straw-coloured Bats as they left their roosting trees with many forming a swarm before they departed. We then proceeded to the farm track and once parked up, we walked twenty metres across some scrub until we could view some of the large bare trees on the edge of the wood. James played the call. After a short while, I noted a dark shape fly low passed us. James decided to quickly relocate to a tree with many low bare branches by the track and he played the call again. A large broad-winged dark shape almost immediately flew low above our heads and landed in the tree. Torches on. What a bird! I gave James a hug as this was a bird I had really wanted to see.