Gambia: a week in December

 

‘It’s been many years since the last Sunbird tour to the Gambia in December but judging by the success of this year’s tour it looks set to become a firm favourite! Amazing to think in 7 days we fitted in so much, and all the time ‘back home’ it was cold, wet and miserable. Each day brought a mouth-watering selection of birds some more colourful than their names suggested while others were easier to see than they were to pronounce!

 

Our hotel on the coast was rich in bird life, and even on our first evening we squeezed nearly 40 species into an hours birding including a stunning Pearl-spotted Owlet, responding almost immediately to our local guide’s whistle, Broad-billed Rollers hawking insects and our first selection of Glossy Starlings and Sunbirds. On the first day we dragged ourselves away from breakfast, shared with Village Weavers, raucous Plantain-eaters and confiding Speckled Pigeons. Nearby Abuko was so good we made two visits recording a different selection each time. Highlights included Giant and Blue-breasted Kingfishers, dwarfing nearby Pygmy Kingfishers; Black-headed, Black-crowned Night, Squacco and Striated Herons sharing a drinking pool with Jacanas, Wattled Plovers and a more familiar Common Sandpiper.

 

The forest was even more productive and with our local guide’s legendary eyesight and hearing we were soon enjoying Eremomelas, Camaropteras, Apalis, Turacos, Bristlebills and Greenbuls. In shady glades we saw both African and Red-bellied Paradise Flycatchers, Spotted and Lesser Honeyguides and the mournful sounding Common Wattle-eyes.

 

It seemed every time we glanced skywards there were raptors on view, Hooded Vultures were common but occasionally interspersed with Palm-nut Vultures, Wahlberg’s and Tawny Eagles, Lanner Falcons, Shikras and African Harrier-Hawks. As the week progressed our raptor list continued to grow, 29 species in total, including the newly split Beaudouin’s Short-toed Eagles, allowing for comparison with a couple of wintering Short-toed Eagles; Bateleurs, Western Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, Red-necked Falcons and Grey Kestrels, Dark Chanting Goshawks lining the roadside - it really was a raptor enthusiast’s heaven! Of course this didn’t include the owls, 4 species in total from the stately Verreaux’s Eagle Owl to a dinky White-faced Scops Owl (only visible from directly underneath and requiring a small amount of limbo-dancing to look in the scope, sure fire amusement for the locals!). We continued to bump into Pearl-spotted Owlets and having tracked down African Scops Owls at night we weren’t going to turn down the chance to see two in daylight.

 

The boat trip was a real treat, quiet mangrove creeks dotted with numerous herons including the hoped for Goliath, Great White and Intermediate Egrets side by side, diminutive Mouse-brown Sunbirds, may not be as colourful as the other six species we saw but exciting nonetheless, especially seeing their tiny nests hanging precariously above the water. Overhead were Blue-cheeked, European and White-throated Bee-eaters, a wintering Wryneck looked on from a dead branch, Ospreys drifted over, small groups of Avocet, Whimbrel and Common Sandpipers sensibly seeing out the northern winter and perhaps best of all amazing views of three White-backed Night Herons roosting just feet away. To round a pleasant mornings birding off we enjoyed Pink-backed Pelicans flying past at close range, distant African Fish Eagle on a nest and a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphin breaking the calm waters of the Gambia river.

 

The day of the boat trip was contending for the best of the tour, especially as it followed on from the previous days bumpy, dusty trip upriver (by minibus) and the smoothness of the boat seemed like a luxury! But there must have been a reason why we bounced and bumped our way inland? The reason, Egyptian Plover!


The day started well, our ever efficient and friendly driver had got up at some unearthly hour to make sure he was first in the queue for the ferry, we rolled up just before 7am, skipped past the queuing traffic and jumped straight into the waiting vehicle! The short ferry crossing provided a handful of Arctic Skuas and Royal Terns and Grey-headed Gulls, while flocks of Western Reef Herons flew over. Once on the north bank, and well aware that the road would soon deteriorate, we stopped for our picnic breakfast, enjoyed  a mug of coffee and set off in earnest. The biggest problem with our plan was the birds, there were too many of them! Each time we stopped we struggled to get back in the bus and roadside stops included Brown Snake Eagle, huge Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, dazzling Yellow White-eyes, Black-headed Plovers, a singing Hoopoe, small groups of Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks, gorgeous Temminck’s Coursers, African Darters, Spur-winged Geese among many others. By early afternoon we were at Kaur, and with the tension mounting our local guide casually proclaimed ‘oh there’s the bird we are looking for!’ After an initial panic we needn’t have worried, we were to see 7 more, including some in the middle of the road. Seeing these dapper relatives of the Coursers is so amazing, the books really don’t do them justice. The mixture of black, white, peach and pale blue is striking enough but when see against the warm coloured earth they take some beating! An hour spent around here was never going to be long enough, but birds came thick and fast with Kittlitz’s Plovers, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Wood, Curlew and Marsh Sandpipers all adding to the spectacle. In the distance there was a small flock of Collared Pratincoles, but none as showy as the one in the same scope view as 2 Egyptians and several Spur-winged Plovers! From here we headed back to the ferry crossing at Farafenni, and witnessed at first hand GMT (Gambian Maybe Time!), after an hour’s wait we all crammed onto the ferry, and were soon heading west along the south shore towards Tendaba. If that wasn’t enough for one day, we enjoyed dinner in the open air and then set off on a night drive. Two hours later we were back at camp, tired but dreaming of the Standard-winged Nightjar (complete with Standards) that sat motionless by the roadside for 20 minutes!

 

Add to all this excitement there were Senegal Parrots, Oriole Warblers, indescribably brilliant Yellow-crowned Gonoleks and both Snowy and White-crowned Robin Chats, Sulpur-breasted Bush Shrikes, Cardinal and Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Long-crested and African Hawk Eagles, 2 incredibly close Four-banded Sandgrouse, Malachite Kingfishers, 4 species of Roller, churring Long-tailed Nightjars, cocky Black Crakes, a brief Dwarf Bittern, a fly-over Black-bellied Bustard, Greater Painted Snipe, both Green Pigeons, Klaas’s, Levaillant’s and Diederik Cuckoos, Barbets, Cordon-blues, Firefinch……the list could go on, and on!

 

One final highlight worthy of mention was lunch on our last full day. Having enjoyed a fresh fish and chips lunch, and some refreshing beverages we were all set to enjoy a quiet hour after lunch sitting out the midday sun. Of course, birders being birders, they never really switch off and whilst searching for a possible female Northern Puffback there was suddenly a mass panic, people were running, shouting and pointing and above the commotion I could hear someone shouting ‘FRIGATEBIRD’! What happened next is all a bit of a blur, but bags were dumped, hats blown off as we all ran to view an area of open sky, and there it was an adult male Frigatebird species, closely followed by a couple of Black Kites (no-one cared if they were ‘Yellow-billed’!). It headed inland, circling briefly before carrying on its way. At the time of writing it looks to be the third Frigatebird record for the Gambia and with a breeding colony on the Cape Verde Islands, Magnificent would appear to be the most likely on range. This is, of course, an entirely unsatisfactory way to identify birds, and for the time being it will have to remain unidentified, especially as there are a couple of records of Ascension Island Frigatebird around the Gulf of West Africa (measurements and bill structure seem two of the best features for separating the two, but even these may need further work). Whatever it was it was exciting, and will be one of many memories we will take home from the Gambia, from the sandy beaches and warm seas to the friendly locals, bumpy roads and vast array of birdlife.’  James Lidster

Bird List

 

Little Grebe

1

5

 

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Pink-backed Pelican

5

50

 

Pelecanus rufescens

Frigatebird sp

1

1

 

Fregata sp

Hamerkop

5

20

 

Scopus umbretta

Great Cormorant

1

6

 

Phalacrocorax carbo (lucidus)

Long-tailed Cormorant

6

100

 

Phalacrocorax africanus

African Darter

6

6

 

Anhinga rufa

White-backed Night Heron

1

3

 

Gorsachius leuconotus

Black-crowned Night Heron

4

8

 

Nycticorax nycticorax

Cattle Egret

8

1000

 

Bubulcus ibis

Squacco Heron

6

10

 

Ardeola ralloides

Striated Heron

4

3

 

Butorides striatus

Dwarf Bittern

1

1

 

Ixobrychus sturmii

Black Egret

1

1

 

Egretta ardesiaca

Intermediate Egret

2

30

 

Egretta intermedia

Western Reef Heron

5

100

 

Egretta gularis

Little Egret

3

10

 

Egretta garzetta

Great White Egret

4

20

 

Egretta alba

Black-headed Heron

3

20

 

Ardea melanocephala

Grey Heron

6

20

 

Ardea cinerea

Goliath Heron

2

2

 

Ardea goliath

Purple Heron

1

10

 

Ardea purpurea

Woolly-necked Stork

1

5

 

Ciconia episcopus

Marabou Stork

1

20

 

Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Yellow-billed Stork

3

11

 

Mycteria ibis

African Spoonbill

2

3

 

Platalea alba

Black-crowned Crane

2

2

 

Balearica pavonina

Greater Flamingo

1

1

 

Phoenicopterus ruber

Knob-billed Duck

1

4

 

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Spur-winged Goose

3

3

 

Plectropterus gambensis

White-faced Whistling Duck

3

50

 

Dendrocygna viduata

Sacred Ibis

3

2

 

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Osprey

4

10

 

Pandion haliaetus

African Harrier-Hawk

8

4

 

Polyboroides typus

Palm-nut Vulture

5

6

 

Gypohierax angolensis

Hooded Vulture

8

100

 

Necrosyrtes monachus

Rüppell’s Vulture

1

2

 

Gyps rueppellii

White-backed Vulture

3

10

 

Gyps africanus

African Fish Eagle

1

2

 

Haliaeetus vocifer

Tawny Eagle

2

2

 

Aquila rapax

Wahlberg's Eagle

3

2

 

Aquila wahlbergi

African Hawk Eagle

1

5

 

Hieraaetus spilogaster

Long-crested Eagle

2

2

 

Lophaetus occipitalis

Bateleur

1

3

 

Terathopius ecaudatus

Brown Snake Eagle

2

1

 

Circaetus cinereus

Beaudouin's Short-toed Eagle

3

3

 

Circaetus beaudouini

Short-toed Eagle

1

2

 

Cicaetus gallicus

Black Kite

3

100

 

Milvus migrans

'Yellow-billed'' Kite

8

300

 

Milvus migrans parasitus

Grasshopper Buzzard

2

7

 

Butastur rufipennis

Black-shouldered Kite

5

2

 

Elanus caerulus

Montagu's Harrier

1

3

 

Circuc pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

5

5

 

Circus aeruginosus

Dark Chanting Goshawk

5

10

 

Melierax metabates

Shikra

6

4

 

Accipiter badius

Lizard Buzzard

3

5

 

Kaupifalco monogrammicus

Lanner Falcon

5

2

 

Falco biarmicus

African Hobby

2

1

 

Falco cuvierii

Red-necked Falcon

2

2

 

Falco chicquera

Grey Kestrel

5

4

 

Falco ardosiaceus

Common Kestrel

3

3

 

Falco tinnunculus

Double-spurred Francolin

5

6

 

Francolinus bicalcaratus

Four-banded Sandgrouse

2

2

 

Pterocles quadricinctus

Black Crake

1

3

 

Amaurornis flavirostris

Black-bellied Bustard

1

1

 

Eupodotis melanogaster

Greater Painted-Snipe

1

1

 

Rostratula benghalensis

African Jacana

5

3

 

Actophilornis africanus

Egyptian Plover

1

8

 

Pluvianus aegyptius

Temminck's Courser

1

2

 

Cursorius temminckii

Collared Pratincole

1

20

 

Glareola pratincola

Spotted Thick-Knee

1

2

 

Burhinus capensis

Senegal Thick-Knee

5

50

 

Burhinus senegalensis

Black-headed Plover

2

6

 

Vanellus tectus

Spur-winged Plover

4

50

 

Vanellua spinosus

Wattled Plover

8

30

 

Vanellus senegallus

Grey Plover

2

6

 

Pluvialis squatarola

Little Ringed Plover

2

2

 

Charadrius dubius

Ringed Plover

2

10

 

Charadrius hiaticula

Kittlitz's Plover

1

44

 

Charadrius pecuarius

Whimbrel

5

16

 

Numenius phaeopus

Black-tailed Godwit

2

1

 

Limosa limosa

Bar-tailed Godwit

1

15

 

Limosa lapponica

Common Greenshank

5

10

 

Tringa nebularia

Marsh Sandpiper

2

1

 

Tringa stagnatilis

Green Sandpiper

4

4

 

Tringa ochropus

Wood Sandpiper

2

2

 

Tringa glareola

Redshank

4

2

 

Tringa totanus

Common Sandpiper

7

30

 

Actitis hypoleucos

Eurasian Oystercatcher

1

1

 

Haematopus ostralegus

Avocet

1

10

 

Recurvirostra avosetta

Black-winged Stilt

4

30

 

Himantopus himantopus

Ruff

2

1

 

Philomachus pugnax

Common Snipe

2

2

 

Gallinago gallinago

Ruddy Turnstone

1

15

 

Arenaria interpres

Little Stint

2

6

 

Calidris minuta

Sanderling

1

25

 

Calidris alba

Curlew Sandpiper

1

2

 

Calidris ferruginea

Arctic Skua

3

20

 

Stercorarius parasiticus

Black-headed Gull

1

3

 

Larus ridibundus

Grey-headed Gull

5

300

 

Larus cirrocephalus

Slender-billed Gull

2

6

 

Larus genei

Kelp Gull

1

10

 

Larus dominicanus

Lesser black-backed Gull

2

100

 

Larus fuscus

Caspian Tern

4

200

 

Sterna caspia

Royal Tern

3

100

 

Sterna maxima

Sandwich Tern

4

100

 

Sterna sandvicensis

Gull-billed Tern

4

6

 

Sterna nilotica

Common Tern

1

8

 

Sterna hirundo

Little Tern

1

1

 

Sterna albifrons

Whiskered Tern

1

3

 

Chlidonias hybridus

Laughing Dove

8

20

 

Streptopelia senegalensis

European Turtle Dove

2

1

 

Streptopelia turtur

Blue-spotted Wood Dove

2

6

 

Turtur afer

Black-billed Wood Dove

6

30

 

Turtur abyssinicus

Speckled Pigeon

8

40

 

Columba guinea

Bruce's Green Pigeon

1

3

 

Treron waalia

African Green Pigeon

1

5

 

Treron calva

Namaqua Dove

3

20

 

Oena capensis

Red-eyed Dove

8

30

 

Streptopelia semitorquata

African Mourning Dove

3

10

 

Streptopelia decipiens

Vinaceous Dove

8

30

 

Streptopelia vinacea

Piapiac

7

30

 

Ptilostomus afer

Senegal Coucal

6

6

 

Centropus senegalensis

Levaillant's Cuckoo

2

2

 

Clamator levaillantii

Klaas's Cuckoo

1

1

 

Chrysococcyx klaas

Diederik Cuckoo

1

1

 

Chrysococcyx caprius

Verreaux's Eagle Owl

1

2

 

Bubo lacterus

African Scops Owl

2

2

 

Otus senegalensis

White-faced Scops Owl

1

1

 

Otus leucotis

Pearl-Spotted Owlet

4

1

 

Glaucidium perlatum

Long-tailed Nightjar

3

1

 

Caprimulgus climacurus

Standard-winged Nightjar

2

1

 

Macrodipteryx longipennis

Pallid Swift

4

500

 

Apus pallidus

Little Swift

7

200

 

Apus affinis

Mottled Spinetail

1

1

 

Telacanthura ussheri

African Palm Swift

7

10

 

Cypsiurus parvus

Black Wood Hoopoe

3

2

 

Rhinopomastus aterrimus

Green Wood Hoopoe

6

10

 

Phoeniculus purpureus

Hoopoe

1

1

 

Upupa epops

Giant Kingfisher

5

3

 

Megaceryle maxima

Woodland Kingfisher

1

1

 

Halcyon senegalensis

Blue-breasted Kingfisher

6

10

 

Halcyon malimbica

Striped Kingfisher

3

2

 

Halcyon chelicuti

Grey-headed Kingfisher

2

1

 

Halcyon leucocephala

Pied Kingfisher

6

30

 

Ceryle rudis

African Pygmy Kingfisher

2

4

 

Ceyx picta

Malachite Kingfisher

3

2

 

Alcedo cristata

Broad-billed Roller

5

4

 

Eurystomus glaucurus

Blue-bellied Roller

5

10

 

Coracias cyanogaster

Rufous-crowned Roller

2

3

 

Coracias naevia

Abyssinian Roller

4

25

 

Coracias abyssiniica

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

3

4

 

Merops hirundineus

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

3

20

 

Merops persicus

European Bee-eater

2

40

 

Merops apiaster

Little Bee-eater

3

10

 

Merops pusillus

White-throated Bee-eater

1

25

 

Merops albicollis

Little Green Bee-eater

1

3

 

Merops orientalis

Rose-ringed Parakeet

6

10

 

Psittacula krameri

Senegal Parrot

6

10

 

Poicephalus senegalus

Violet Turaco

3

4

 

Musophaga violacea

Green Turaco

2

2

 

Tauraco persa

Western Grey Plantain-Eater

7

20

 

Crinifer piscator

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird

7

3

 

Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Bearded Barbet

5

5

 

Lybius dubius

Vieillot's Barbet

2

3

 

Lybius vieilloti

African Pied Hornbill

3

4

 

Tockus fasciatus

Red-billed Hornbill

8

20

 

Tockus erythrorhynchus

African Grey Hornbill

7

7

 

Tockus nasutus

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

1

4

 

Bucorvus abyssinicus

Grey Woodpecker

4

4

 

Mesopicos goertae

Cardinal Woodpecker

1

2

 

Dendropicos fuscescens

Fine-spotted Woodpecker

3

1

 

Campethera punctuligera

Buff-spotted Woodpecker

1

1

 

Campethera nivosa

Greater Honeyguide

1

2

 

Indicator indicator

Lesser Honeyguide

4

2

 

Indicator minor

Spotted Honeyguide

2

1

 

Indicator maculatus

Eurasian Wryneck

1

1

 

Jynx torquilla

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark

1

30

 

Eremopterix leucotis

Crested Lark

2

4

 

Galerida cristata

Plain-backed Pipit

1

2

 

Anthus leucophrys

Tree Pipit

1

1

 

Anthus trivialis

Fanti Saw-wing

1

5

 

Psalidoprocne obscura

Red-rumped Swallow

2

10

 

Hirundo daurica

Pied-winged Swallow

2

4

 

Hirundo leucosoma

Wire-tailed Swallow

2

12

 

Hirundo smithii

Mosque Swallow

2

4

 

Hirundo senegalensis

Red-chested Swallow

6

100

 

Hirundo lucida

House Martin

1

10

 

Delichon urbica

Sand Martin

1

4

 

Riparia riparia

African Golden Oriole

2

2

 

Oriolus auratus

Fork-tailed Drongo

4

2

 

Dicrurus adsimilis

Yellow Wagtail

5

50

 

Motacilla flava

White Wagtail

3

10

 

Motacilla alba

Common Bulbul

8

30

 

Pycnonotus barbatus

Yellow-throated Leaflove

2

2

 

Chlorocichla flavicollis

Little Greenbul

2

4

 

Andropadus virens

Grey-headed Bristlebill

2

2

 

Bleda canicapilla

Oriole Warbler

2

2

 

Hypergerus atriceps

Blackcap Babbler

6

20

 

Turdoides reinwardtii

Brown Babbler

4

20

 

Turdoides plebejus

Whinchat

1

2

 

Saxicola rubetra

Northern Anteater Chat

1

5

 

Myrmecocichla aethiops

Common Nightingale

2

1

 

Luscinia megarhynchos

White-crowned Robin-chat

5

5

 

Cossypha albicapilla

Snowy-crowned Robin-chat

3

2

 

Cossypha niveicapilla

African Thrush

6

8

 

Turdus pelios

Sedge Warbler

1

1

 

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Reed Warbler

2

1

 

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Western Olivaceous Warbler

2

3

 

Hippolais opaca

Melodious Warbler

6

12

 

Hippolais polyglotta

Western Subalpine Warbler

3

2

 

Sylvia cantillans

Chiffchaff

4

2

 

Phylloscopus collybita

Singing Cisticola

5

2

 

Cisticola cantans

Whistling Cisticola

2

2

 

Cisticola lateralis

Zitting Cisticola

4

1

 

Cisticola juncidis

Red-winged Warbler

2

2

 

Heliolais erythroptera

Tawny-flanked Prinia

3

3

 

Prinia subflava

Senegal Eremomela

1

2

 

Eremomela pusilla

Northern Crombec

3

2

 

Sylvietta brachyura

Grey-backed Camaroptera

6

4

 

Camaroptera brachyura

Yellow-breasted Apalis

2

2

 

Apalis flavida

Yellow White-eye

2

3

 

Zosterops senegalensis

White-shouldered Black tit

2

2

 

Parus leucomelas

African Blue Flycatcher

1

1

 

Elminia longicauda

Common Wattle-eye

3

8

 

Platysteira cyanea

Senegal Batis

1

3

 

Batis senegalensis

Northern Black Flycatcher

5

2

 

Melaenornis edolioides

African Paradise Flycatcher

1

2

 

Terpsiphone viridis

Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher

2

3

 

Terpsiphone rufiventer

Pygmy Sunbird

1

2

 

Anthreptes platurus

Collared Sunbird

1

3

 

Anthreptes collaris

Variable Sunbird

2

10

 

Nectarinia venusta

Mouse-brown Sunbird

1

12

 

Anthreptes gabonicus

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

1

1

 

Nectarinia senegalensis

Splendid Sunbird

4

2

 

Nectarinia coccinigaster

Beautiful Sunbird

5

6

 

Nectarinia pulchella

Western Violet-backed Sunbird

1

1

 

Anthreptes longuemarei

Black-crowned Tchagra

6

4

 

Tchagra senegala

Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike

1

3

 

Malaconotus sulfureopectus

Brubru

1

1

H

Nilaus afer

Northern Puffback

1

1

 

Dryoscopus gambensis

Yellow-crowned Gonolek

8

10

 

Laniarius barbarus

White-crested Helmet Shrike

3

6

 

Prionops plumatus

Woodchat Shrike

2

1

 

Lanius senator

Yellow-billed Shrike

8

20

 

Corvinella corvina

Pied Crow

8

40

 

Corvus albus

Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling

4

4

 

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling

4

2

 

Lamprotornis chloropterus

Purple Glossy Starling

8

20

 

Lamprotornis purpureus

Long-tailed Glossy Starling

5

10

 

Lamprotornis caudatus

Yellow-fronted Canary

4

6

 

Serinus mozambicus

White-billed Buffalo-weaver

7

50

 

Bubalornis albirostris

Northern Red Bishop

2

3

 

Euplectes franciscanus

Vitelline Masked Weaver

1

2

 

Ploceus velatus

Village Weaver

7

300

 

Ploceus cucullatus

Black-necked Weaver

4

6

 

Ploceus nigricollis

Yellow-backed (Black-headed) Weaver

1

10

 

Ploceus melanocephalus

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

1

1

 

Estrilda melpoda

Lavender Waxbill

3

4

 

Estrilda caerulescens

Black-rumped Waxbill

1

3

 

Estrilda troglodytes

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

7

13

 

Uraeginthus bengalus

Red-billed Firefinch

7

15

 

Lagonosticta senegala

Bronze Mannikin

7

15

 

Lonchura cucullata

Exclamatory Paradise Whydah

1

4

 

Vidua interjecta

Village Indigobird

2

2

 

Vidua chalybeata

Cut-throat Finch

2

6

 

Amadina fasciata

Quail-Finch

1

2

 

Ortygospiza artricollis

Red-billed Quelea

1

20

 

Quelea quelea

Western Bluebill

1

1

 

Spermophaga haematina