BIRDING ABROAD LTD

THE GAMBIA – SUB SAHARAN AFRICA

8 December to 18 December 2020

TOUR OVERVIEW: The Gambia has a fascinating history, sharing with other West African countries historical connections to the slave trade of the 18th and 19th centuries. It was from here that Kunta Kinte, the main character in Alex Haley’s well-known novel Roots, was taken to begin life and the great struggle for freedom in the New World across the Atlantic. The Gambia gained independence from Britain as recently as 1965, and English is still widely spoken, amongst several local languages in a country which embraces a wide mix of cultures. With the exception of its western coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Gambia is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal and offers a safe and easy introduction to sub-Saharan African birding, characterised by colourful and exotic bird families endemic to this vast continent. At the same time, it provides a winter home for many European migrants, from warblers to chats and from terns to raptors. It is a small country, only 190 miles long and some 30 miles wide, but nevertheless it provides visiting birders access to a great variety of fantastic habitats, such as mangroves, dry canopy forest, savannah, marshes, coastal lagoons and beaches. The magnificent and navigable River Gambia forms the strategic backbone to the country, a wide shimmering ribbon of water flowing from the heart of Africa to the Atlantic coast. We can expect to see a large variety of bird species, possibly around 280, during the tour.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, one of at least 7 species of bee-eater to be seen

TOUR DESCRIPTION: A 10-night tour, escaping the winter cold of the UK, to experience the birdlife and scenery of western Africa with warmth and sunshine throughout. We stay for six nights on the coast (three nights initially and then a further three nights at the end of the tour), where there is a well-developed European tourist infrastructure. Here we can access a number of well-known Gambian nature reserves and birding hot spots, most of these being within one hour or so drive of our hotel. Perhaps even more exciting will be a 4-night adventure “up-river” which encompasses the savannah, amazing wetlands and dry canopy forest of the remoter interior. Included are two river boat cruises which give access to some of the country’s scarcer and most sought-after birds. Here too we can witness the vibrancy, radiant colours and warm hospitality of local and still very traditional village life.

PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES: Light is much brighter than in the UK so you can expect good results. Many of the coastal reserves have shaded screens with drinking pools which attract a wide variety of birds, enabling some close encounters. The relaxed pace of the tour affords us plenty of opportunities to take lots of photographs. Even short roadside stops can create chances for a host of birds sitting out as if just waiting to be photographed. Make no mistake this is true Africa and the avian riches on offer are tremendous.

Bearded Barbet, the bristles give it its name

BIRD LIST: Highlights could include: Pink-backed Pelican, African Darter, African Finfoot, Dwarf Bittern, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, Hamerkop, Marabou Stork, Hadada Ibis, White- faced Whistling-duck, African Fish-eagle, Ruppell’s Vulture, Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle, Brown Snake-eagle, Bateleur, Long-crested Eagle, African Harrier-hawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Lizard Buzzard, Dark Chanting-goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, African Hawk-eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle, Red-necked Falcon, African Hobby, Lanner Falcon, Double-spurred Francolin, Stone Partridge, Black Crake, Black Crowned-crane, African Jacana, bustards (Saville’s, Black-bellied and White-bellied), Senegal Thick-knee, Egyptian Plover, Temminck’s Courser, Bronze-winged Courser, White-fronted Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Wattled Lapwing, Black-headed Lapwing, Greater Painted-snipe, Kelp Gull, Grey-headed Gull, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Blue-spotted and Black-billed Wood-dove, Namaqua Dove, African and Bruce’s Green-pigeons, Speckled Pigeon, Senegal and Brown-necked Parrots, Green and Violet Turacos, Western Grey Plantain-eater, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Senegal Coucal, African Wood-owl, Greyish Eagle-owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, African Scops-owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Northern White-faced Owl, Long-tailed Nightjar, Mottled Spinetail, kingfishers (African Pygmy, Malachite, Striped, Grey-headed, Blue-breasted, Woodland, Pied and Giant), bee- eaters (Little, Swallow-tailed, Red-throated, White-throated, African Green, Blue-cheeked, European and with luck Northern Carmine), rollers (Purple, Blue-bellied, Abyssinian, Broad- billed).

Lizard Buzzard sitting watchfully at the roadside

Green Woodhoopoe, Black Scimitarbill, hornbills (Red-billed, African Grey, West African Pied, Northern Ground), Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Vieillot’s Barbet, Bearded Barbet, woodpeckers (Cardinal, Fine-spotted, Golden-tailed, Grey, Brown-backed, Buff-spotted), Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Grey-headed Bristlebill, Yellow-throated Greenbul, Snowy-crowned and White- crowned Robin-chats, African Thrush, Northern Anteater-chat, White-fronted Black-chat, Senegal Eremomela, Northern Crombec, Bleating Camaroptera, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Oriole Warbler, Northern Black-flycatcher, Swamp Flycatcher, Grey Tit-flycatcher, African and Red-bellied Paradise-flycatchers, African Blue-flycatcher, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Senegal Batis, Brown and Blackcap Babbler, Pale-eyed Black Tit, Yellow Penduline-tit, African Yellow White-eye, sunbirds (Western Violet-backed, Mouse-brown, Green-headed, Collared, Pygmy, Scarlet-chested, Beautiful, Variable, Splendid, Copper), Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Northern Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brubru, White-crested Helmetshrike, African Golden Oriole, Piapiac, glossy starlings ( Purple, Bronze-tailed, Greater and Lesser Blue- eared, Long-tailed), Chestnut-bellied Starling, Yellow-bellied Oxpecker, Northern Grey- headed Sparrow, Sahel Bush-sparrow, weavers (White-billed Buffalo, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow, Little, Chestnut-and-black, Village), bishops ( Northern Red, Black-winged), Western Bluebill, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, waxbills (Lavender, Orange-cheeked, Black-rumped), Red-billed Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin, Cut-throat Finch, Village Indigobird, Pin-tailed Whydah, Exclamatory Paradise-whydah, Yellow-fronted Canary, Brown-rumped and Grey-throated Buntings. In addition, we should see several wintering European species, always an interesting aspect to any trip, including the following warblers (Western Bonelli’s, Melodious, Subalpine, Western Olivaceous, Willow, Common Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat), Northern Wheatear, Whinchat, Woodchat Shrike and Common Nightingale.

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, one of many small dazzling seed-eaters

MAMMALS & OTHER WILDLIFE: Until the last century, the region held many of the big mammals now confined to East and South Africa but their ranges have since retreated. Huge termite mounds are scattered across the landscape providing a reminder that this is Africa. We will look out for Western Red Colobus and Green Vervet Monkeys, whilst Bushbuck and Sitatunga (a marsh dwelling antelope) are elusive but possible. We have a chance of seeing Hippopotamus on our river boat cruise from Janjanbureh, though a basking West African Crocodile is more likely. Fruit bats fly over at dusk and we can expect to see the large West African Nile Monitor lizard lazing in the mangroves. For those with an interest in butterflies and wild flowers there is a bountiful array to keep us occupied.

ACCOMMODATION & FOOD: Full board accommodation is provided throughout. Whilst at the coast, we will stay in a good quality hotel accustomed to Western tourists, and this will be our base for six nights (three nights either side of our up-river excursion). The hotel has en- suite rooms, a restaurant, bar, pool, gardens and terraces which overlook the beach. The evening menu is varied, standard fare, aimed very much at the European tourist, though most nights we will choose to eat in local restaurants where the food is excellent. Breakfasts include both cooked and ‘continental’ styles. On our 4-night tour ‘up-river’, we will stay in tourist lodges. These are more basic, perhaps even spartan, but they do have en-suite facilities and are still clean and acceptable for a short stay. The food is a set menu, and with advance notice, staff can cater for vegetarian and vegan diets. Cold beer, wine and soft drinks are available throughout. Lunches will either be a packed lunch or light buffet.

Please note that ‘up-river’ the utilities infrastructure is sometimes unpredictable, and some patience and understanding might be needed. We must be prepared for some things that do not work all of the time.

A shady bird-filled terrace at an up-river lodge

WEATHER: The Gambia has a tropical climate. The rainy season lasts from June until early November when precipitation decreases and a dry season ensues. At the time of our visit we can expect sunny dry weather, with temperatures in the middle of the day reaching 27 to 30 degrees C.

HEALTH: Yellow Fever vaccinations are compulsory prior to entering The Gambia and you may be required to show proof of your vaccination record. We ask that you check with GP on the necessary health precautions and take any requisite action within good time for the trip.

PACE & DAILY ROUTINE: By making this a 10-night tour, we can take the itinerary at a steady pace. We will have breakfast at about 07.00 each day, followed by morning and afternoon birding sessions, usually interspersed with a pleasant extended lunch break in a cool and shady spot, perhaps with a drinking pool to watch over. If close enough we may head back to the hotel for a short break, where even a brief nap won’t be off the cards offsetting the heat of the middle of the day. We will be back at our lodgings by18.00 each day. Most journeys around the coastal region are quite short, lasting up to one hour only. On the ‘up-river’ phase of the trip, we aim to relax and rest in our spacious air-conditioned vehicle whilst we cover some of the miles during the middle and hottest part of the day. Each main leg of the inland journey; such as those from the coast to Morgan Kunda and from there to Janjanbureh, take about three and half hours without stops, but we will travel in much shorter intervals, incorporating many stops to explore various sites and habitats en-route. The North and South Bank Roads are both now fully tarmacked all the way to Janjanbureh, making road travel much more comfortable compared to trips prior to 2019.

The North and South Bank Roads are modern allowing easy access to the interior

PRICE: The price is £1800 to include full board accommodation (bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal), all transport in the Gambia, reserve entrance fees, the services of your Birding Abroad leaders and an English-speaking Gambian bird guide. Lunches will either be a packed lunch or light buffet. Bottled water will be supplied each day. Not included are your international flights, any extra drinks bought during the day or at the evening bar and any souvenirs or ad hoc purchases you wish to make. A single room supplement of £250 applies. To secure a place on this exciting tour, please complete a booking form and return this with a £300 deposit.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: Flights on the dates of the tour operate from Gatwick to Banjul with Titan Airlines. These are not included in the tour price and expect to pay about £600 for the return journey. They depart from the UK in the morning, arriving into Banjul mid-afternoon, so we will be at our hotel by the early evening. Return flights depart late afternoon, arriving back into the UK just before midnight. The Gambia is only slightly west of the UK’s own longitude, so there are no tiring time adjustments to make. Your Birding Abroad leaders intend to take the Titan Airways flights. If you decide to book your flights independently, you should be available to join the ground tour on the morning of the 9th December.

GROUP SIZE: The tour will proceed with five plus a Birding Abroad leader, up to a maximum of 10 plus two leaders.

African Grey Hornbill, an omnivore taking insects, fruit and even reptiles

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

Tuesday 8 December: We will rendezvous early evening at our hotel in Kololi on the coast. Should you choose to travel on the same flight as your Birding Abroad leaders then we will have met at Gatwick airport and had the convenience of staying together throughout. The road journey from Banjul airport to Kololi takes around 45 minutes and in the late afternoon it should be possible to see our first roadside birds such as Hooded Vulture, Western Grey Plantain- eater, colonies of noisy White-billed Buffalo-weaver, Pied Crow, Speckled Pigeon and dashing African Palm-swifts. Senegal Thick-knees show throughout the evening even around the flood lit hotel grounds. Night Kololi

Wednesday 9 December: Today we will have a relaxing introduction to our Gambian birding. The morning will be spent at Brufut Woods, being only a short drive from our hotel. Within a couple of hundred metres, we can expect to see Blue-winged and Black-billed Wood-doves, White-crowned Robin-chat, the magnificent Oriole Warbler and up to five species of sunbird. Sitting quietly at the drinking pools could produce an assortment of seed-eater species such as Lavender Waxbill, Little, Village and Chestnut-and-black Weavers, Western Bluebill and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. Our local guide will hopefully find us a cryptically plumaged Long- tailed Nightjar, sitting motionless amongst the leaf litter.

We will have a light buffet lunch at the adjacent Tangi reserve, and whilst sitting in the shade and waiting for the birds to come to us, our list of species will be ever expanding. With patience we should expect Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-billed Shrikes, the nuthatch-like Northern Crombec, both Red-billed and African Grey Hornbills, Yellow-throated Greenbul and the unobtrusive African Thrush to emerge from the dappled sunlight of the woods. By late afternoon we will go back to our hotel where those that wish can have a well-earned rest, a drink around the pool or maybe a stroll along the beach. Night Kololi

A Long-tailed Nightjar sits cryptically in the leaf litter hoping to avoid detection

Thursday 10 December: Today we make the short drive down the coast to Kartong. Here ringers have established a bird observatory and the surrounding area is great for Palearctic migrants and shore birds alike. With careful scanning of the Kentish Plovers on the beach, we should locate a few of the very similar White-fronted Plovers. Amongst the many Grey-headed Gulls we will check for Audouin’s and Slender-billed Gulls as well as the mighty Kelp Gull. The wetter meadows host wintering Red-throated Pipits and flava wagtails, whilst here in the thickets, Common Nightingales which breed in England wisely spend the winter. We have all morning to explore and will do so at a gentle pace.

We will make our way back north along the coast for lunch at Footsteps Lodge, a serene and welcoming location which as ever hosts lots of birds. Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Snowy- crowned Robin-chat and Yellow-crowned Gonolek are found here.

Yellow-crowned Gonolek

Our final stop of the day will be at Tujereng Woods; actually, open scrubland with some vestiges of taller trees and sadly somewhat symbolic of the habitat degradation that has taken place along the west coast in recent years. Nonetheless we still have a good chance of seeing Red-winged Prinias, Pale-eyed Black Tit, White-fronted Black-chat, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Brubru and Striped Kingfisher. Night hotel at Kololi.

Friday 11 December: We will arrange an early breakfast today as we must be away by 07:00 as we begin our ‘up river’ part of the tour. We will take the bustling car ferry across the mouth of the gleaming River Gambia from Banjul to Barra and from here drive eastwards on the North Bank Road, stopping roadside in a variety of habitats from open savannah to wetlands. This is a raptor hotspot and we could encounter Grasshopper Buzzard, Lanner Falcon and Bateleur which often appear right overhead. Abyssinian Rollers perch prominently at the roadside where patches of scrub should yield Northern Anteater-chat, Yellow-fronted Canary and White-rumped Seedeater whilst grazing cattle are likely to be attended by Yellow-billed Oxpeckers. Waterholes attract yet more thirsty passerines including Bush Petronia with Mottled Spinetails and Wire-tailed Swallows swooping through the skies hawking for insects. Larger lakes hold both Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans. At our lodge we will relax on the viewing platform and let birds come to us. Our guide will lead us on a walk around the local village, where surrounding woodland holds an excellent variety of birds. Night Morgan Kunda.

Saturday 12 December: After breakfast we will continue east on the North Bank Road through the busy and colourful town of Farrafeni, from where we journey all the way to Janjanbureh (formerly Georgetown). By allowing a full day for this drive, we can make several stops of an hour or more at some of the best birding sites in the whole of Gambia. Just east of Farafenni are areas of open steppe where Saville’s Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Temminck’s Courser and Northern Ground-hornbill are all found. The wetter areas have African Jacana, Black Crake, Squacco Heron, Hadada Ibis, Spur-winged Goose, groups of Collared Pratincoles and occasionally small parties of Black Crowned-cranes.

Moving on we will stop at the Ka-urr wetlands, a regular site for the enigmatic Egyptian Plover which enjoys almost mythical status amongst European bird watchers. Small numbers of these stunning waders spend the winter months on the seasonal pools along the North Bank Road, before returning further inland and into Senegal for the spring and summer.

Small numbers of Egyptian Plover spend the winter on Gambia’s interior wetlands

Areas of small trees and scrub hold African Golden Oriole, Black Scimitarbill, White-crested Helmetshrikes and Horsfield’s Bushlark. Our last stop of the day will be at an old quarry at Wassu, where we hope to see Northern Anteater-chat and a few Red-throated Bee-eaters. A short ferry crossing takes us into the heart of Janjanbureh, where we will check-in to our lodge for the night, listening carefully for calling African Scops-owls. Night Janjanbureh. Sunday 13 December: This morning we will take a boat cruise downstream of Janjanbureh. The river here is wide and calm and flanked by some stunning scenery. Black Crakes are quite common, whilst the small Swamp Flycatcher flits around the roots of mangroves and riparian vegetation which also provide perches for Blue-breasted Kingfishers. The wide-open river itself has groups of White-faced Whistling-ducks and a few Knob-billed Ducks whilst over the forest canopy along the shoreline we can watch for soaring White-backed Vultures, Ruppell’s Vulture and African Fish-eagles. By venturing into the side creeks, we hope to find the elusive African Finfoot, a shy grebe-like species which is much-sought after by visiting birders.

African Finfoot – an evolutionary relative of the Sungrebe of South America

We return by late morning, and after a coffee break venture a few miles to our furthest point east on the trip at Bansang. Here there is a large and spectacular colony of Red-throated Bee- eaters, some African Green Bee-eaters as well as Grey-throated Buntings, Pin-tailed and Exclamatory Paradise-whydahs and the lovely Cut-throat Finch. We will then head back west, along the South Bank Road, stopping for our packed lunch at the Jakhaly rice fields, where we hope to see gigantic Marabou Storks as well as making several ad hoc stops as and when our guide recommends. Any areas of open savannah scrub are good for Tawny Eagles and both Gabor and Dark Chanting-goshawks. This is also the best area for Martial Eagle, but this species is scarce and so we would need some good fortune to see one. By early evening we will reach Tendaba where we stay the night. Night Tendaba Camp.

Monday 14 December: This morning we take our second boat trip of the tour, this time from Tendaba jetty, which hosts several nesting pairs of Little Swift. Once in the mangroves and creeks on the north bank of the River Gambia, our boat will wind its way through the quiet backwaters. We have a second chance to locate the elusive African Finfoot, with other specialities including the stunning African Blue-flycatcher and Goliath Heron. Open areas between the ox-bow bends in the back creeks play host to Montagu’s Harriers, with White- cheeked Bee-eaters sitting prominently on exposed perches. Pink-backed Pelicans sometimes come close whilst African Darters dry their wings as we glide through the tranquil waters. The boat trip here is our only chance for the Mouse-brown Sunbird, perhaps the least colourful of this dazzling group, but highly specialised gleaning its existence amongst the mangroves.

After lunch we will check areas around Tendaba for Plain-backed Pipit, Brown-rumped Bunting, Yellow Penduline-tit and Bronze-winged Courser. We then continue westwards along the South Bank Road, pausing regularly in the Kampanti area which is more open and savannah-like and it is here that raptor diversity increases. Brown Snake-eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Grey Kestrel and African Hobby are all in the vicinity. Mosque Swallows swoop over the pools like mini falcons and the open woodland hosts both colourful Bearded and Vieillot’s Barbets. The afternoon will be more leisurely before we arrive at our final ‘up-river’ accommodation near Bintang, where we will enjoy the creature comforts of a very comfortable lodge. Pearl-spotted Owlets call around the lodge in the night and we should, with the help of our guide, find one sitting in a tree looking down on us. Night near Bintang.

Tuesday 15 December: Within a short walk is some quite lovely habitat and a wide selection of birds. An isolated clump of trees often plays host to a group of Brown-necked Parrots in the early morning. Lizard Buzzards sit patiently waiting for a meal and little Red-necked Falcons darts to and from the trees. Around the camp, wren-like Bleating Camaroptera flit about in the low vegetation, Northern Puffback sit in the thickets, Red-billed and African Grey Hornbills fly through the edges of the gallery forest, where a Woodland Kingfisher could well be sitting quietly. Stone Partridges frequent the shady undergrowth and Green-headed Sunbird sometimes nests in the lodge garden.

Around lunchtime we will continue back towards the coast, stopping at the famous Abuku nature reserve for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Here the pleasant shade will be welcome, and pathways provide a nice vantage point for looking into the canopy for both Green and Violet Turacos. The small pools attract Fanti Saw-wing, an all dark type of swallow and the delightful African Pygmy-kingfisher, with West African Crocodiles lounging in the shallows. Flower-bearing shrubs attract both Collared and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds.

Klaas’s Cuckoo its distinctive voice is often the first indication of its presence

For animal lovers’ troupes of both Red Colobus and Green Vervet Monkeys frequent the forest here and West African Nile Monitor lizard sit out in the sun. We may pick up the strange call of Klaas’s Cuckoo and with luck see (or at least hear) the shy Ahanta Francolin. By late afternoon we will be back at our comfortable beach side hotel in Kololi. Night hotel at Kololi

Wednesday 16 December: After our up-river exploits, we will probably allow ourselves a slightly later start today. The first port of call will be just along the ‘east coast’ at the Pirang shrimp farms which host waders including Kittlitz’s Plover, Marsh Sandpiper and groups of African Spoonbills. After a couple of hours there and with the day warming up, we will be ready for the leafy shade of the Farasuto Forest which is our next stop only a short drive away. Here we should see African Harrier-hawks, truly splendid birds, as well as Long-crested Eagle. African Green-pigeons sit openly in the fig trees, and we will watch out for woodpeckers which include Buff-spotted, Cardinal and Grey in this area. Local knowledge could lead us to roosting African Wood-owl and Greyish Eagle-owl as well as the secretive White-backed Night-heron. We will still be accumulating new species for the tour too, perhaps including Yellow-crowned or Red Bishops and Grey Tit-flycatcher. We may chance upon a group of Four-banded Sandgrouse or simply enjoy watching colourful Abyssinian Rollers or some familiar wintering migrants such as Woodchat Shrike, Melodious, Western Subalpine and Western Bonelli’s Warblers. A light buffet lunch will be taken on an island in one of the main creeks, surrounded by quite lovely habitat. During the afternoon we take a short trail in the Pirang Forest, where West African Pied Hornbills dash through the canopy and we will search for Verreaux’s Eagle- owl and Northern White-faced Owl. The drinking pool here often has Black-rumped Waxbills and close Red-bellied Paradise-flycatchers. We return to our hotel by 18:00. Night Kololi.

Delightful African Jacanas appear to walk on water amongst the lily pads

Thursday 17 December: Today we have scheduled a ‘free-day’ though there will still be many birds to be seen. Perhaps some will prefer to just relax around the hotel pool and gardens which have plenty of good birdlife. Others may like to re-visit one of the better sites encountered earlier in the tour, though it would be foolish if we didn’t make the effort to venture just a few miles up the road to Kotu Creek. This site is famous amongst birders, being close to the main tourist centres and hosting a microcosm of the many habitat types found elsewhere. Here we can consolidate on many species we may have seen already, maybe taking time to take a few nice photographs. Bee-eaters include Swallow-tailed, Little and Blue- cheeked and all can be watched making short, colourful aerial sorties. On the creek itself, Black Herons feed in a characteristic ‘open umbrella’ style, the unique Hamerkops search their prey and the large and small of the kingfisher world flash by, with Giant and Malachite both being present. At some stage virtually everything seems to appear at Kotu Creek Other birds here include Green-backed, Black-headed and Purple Herons, Sacred Ibis, Osprey, the largely vegetarian Palm-nut Vulture, waders such as Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Greater Painted-snipe, Caspian Tern, Speckled Pigeon, Mottled Spinetail, Green Wood-hoopoe, Red- chested Swallow, Yellow-breasted Apalis, many sunbirds and much more. Of interest to many UK based birders, wintering Western Olivaceous Warblers can be found here giving a chance to admire this subtle species. Those with an interest in dragonflies and butterflies will find plenty to discover here too.

As it is our last evening in The Gambia, we will no doubt enjoy a final evening meal accompanied by a few drinks together, hopefully toasting the end of a great birding trip.

Giant Kingfisher

Friday 18 December: We have until lunchtime when our transfer arrives to take us to Banjul International airport for the flight home to the UK. It’s likely we will take a stroll in the hotel grounds or along the beach or maybe just sit back in the hotel gardens and relax in the warmth of the West African sun before saying a fond farewell to our local guide and returning over the Sahara Desert and southern Europe to the somewhat more unpredictable weather at back home in the UK.

Thanks to friends Pekka Malmi and Ebrima Korita for use of their excellent photographs.

Copyright Birding Abroad Limited 2020