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Ghana Comprehensive – Exclusive Rockfowl & Upper Guinea Specials 11Th to 26Th November 2019 (16 Days) Trip Report

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Ghana Comprehensive – Exclusive Rockfowl & Upper Guinea Specials 11Th to 26Th November 2019 (16 Days) Trip Report Ghana Comprehensive – Exclusive Rockfowl & Upper Guinea Specials 11th to 26th November 2019 (16 days) Trip Report White-necked Rockfowl by Adam Riley Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: André Bernon Trip Report – RBL Ghana – Comprehensive: Rockfowl & Upper New Guinea Specials 2019 2 Tour Summary Ghana is considered to be home to some of the best birding in west Africa. Our tour to this fantastic destination did not disappoint in this regard. We started off in the capital Accra and had a great time exploring the Upper Guinea forests such as Kakum with its famed canopy walkway; before making our way up north to the famed Mole National Park and the arid areas around Bolgatanga. A definite highlight was our encounter with the White-necked Rockfowl; we waited patiently at a known colony and were rewarded with absolutely mind-blowing views as they arrived to roost! The people of Ghana were incredibly hospitable and friendly, a nice touch to an already great part of the world. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Top bird list (as chosen by participants): 1. White-necked Rockfowl 2. Egyptian Plover 3. Forbes’s Plover 4. Red-cheeked Wattle-eye Senegal Parrot White-spotted Flufftail 5. Rufous-sided Broadbill 6. Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Abyssinian Roller White-tailed Alethe ___________________________________________________________________________________ Tour in Detail We all met at our conveniently located lodge and got acclimatised as much as we ever could, in this humid part of the world. We were all excited to finally star our expedition into some of the best birding in west Africa. We first explored the Lake Volta region in Ho and had a great introduction to birding here. Prize of the day definitely went to sought-after Red-tailed Leaflove which has now become a tough bird to find in Ghana. Other great sightings were of many White-throated Bee-eater, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-winged Red Bishop, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Superb Sunbird, Broad-billed Roller, a perched African Hobby and both Lizard and Red- necked Buzzards. We pushed on back to Accra for lunch before making our way to Sakumono Lagoon which has deteriorated in recent years unfortunately. We still had a great time finding Spurwing and African Wattled Lapwings, Western Yellow Wagtail, Plain-backed Pipit, Common Ringed Plover, Common Greemshank, Wood and Common Sandpipers as well as Senegal Thick-knee and Black Heron. As we left Accra, we enjoyed a morning visit to the fantastic Shai Hills Resources Reserve. Here, our main target was White- crowned Cliff Chat and we were rewarded with great views of this special. Other attractions here were Splendid Sunbird, Northern Puffback, Short-winged and Croaking Cisticolas, Senegal Parrot, Double-spurred Francolin, Red-necked and European Honey Buzzards as well as Black-bellied Seedcracker. We then moved further along to the Cape Coast Bearded Barbet by David Hoddinott Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ghana Trip Report – RBL Ghana – Comprehensive: Rockfowl & Upper New Guinea Specials 2019 3 region and had a real eye-opening experience at the Cape Coast Castle which played a major role in the slave-trade industry that plagued west Africa. The Kakum Forest Reserve and surrounding areas, such as Abrafo Forest, Gyaware and Twifo Praso played host to our next birding adventure and we had a great time here. The birding in forest is always hard but we walked away with some great avian and mammalian gems such as Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Tiny and Buff-throated Sunbirds, White-spotted Flufftail, African Emerald Yellow-crowned Gonolek by Ignacio Yufera Cuckoo, Sharpe’s Apalis, Violet-backed Hyliota, Long-tailed Hawk, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Black Spinetail, Melancholy and Fire-bellied Woodpeckers, Tit-Hylia, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, White-bibbed Swallow, Preuss’s Cliff Swallow and Rosy and Black Bee-eaters! Mammalian highlights were definitely a confiding pair of Pel’s Flying Squirrels and a Potto to boot! We left the coast and made the long drive up north for a massive highlight of the trip and certainly the most memorable birding experience we had. We arrived at Bonkro just after lunch and made our hike into the forest. We reached a huge boulder deep within the forest and sat patiently, fighting ants and cramping muscles. Eventually, our patience was rewarded with the most amazing sighting of the most bizarre bird – White-necked Rockfowl or preferred name – Picathartes! These bizarre birds sussed us out, and hopped around very dinosaur like, before posing beautifully and showing off whilst preening! We couldn’t believe our luck and had to unfortunately leave as the sun began to disappear. Although, a Rufous-sided Broadbill in full display, on the way back down was a great addition too. We finally arrived in the Mole National Park and had a great three night stay here! The contrasting open savannah was a great welcome for some and many new birds and mammals were enjoyed. Special mention goes to a family group of Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Blue-bellied and Abyssinian Rollers, Lavender Waxbill, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Pygmy, Beautiful and Western Violet-backed Sunbirds, Bearded Barbet, Grasshopper Buzzard, Greater Painted Snipe, White-headed Vulture, Oriole Warbler, White-crowned Robin-Chat, Beadouin’s Snake-Eagle, Fine-spotted and African Grey Woodpeckers, Stone Partridge, Forbes’s Plover, Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike, Black Scimitarbill, Wilson’s Indigobird, Sahel Bush Sparrow, Rufous Cisticola, Western Square-tailed Drongo and Bruce’s Green Pigeon. Mammals were abound and we had numerous sightings of Green Monkey, Kob, Waterbuck, Common Warthog, Bushbuck and Patas Monkey! Grasshopper Buzzard by Markus Lilje Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ghana Trip Report – RBL Ghana – Comprehensive: Rockfowl & Upper New Guinea Specials 2019 4 We then made our way to the arid north-east of the country to the Bolgatanga region. En route we visited the White Volta River which gave us remarkable sightings of Egyptian Plover! The village of Daboya also entertained us in terms of north Ghanaian culture as we witnessed the traditional funeral of an esteemed warrior! In the Bolgatanga region, we visited Tono Dam as well as Tongo Hills. Here we had many new birds in the form of Foxy Kestrel, Common Snipe, Gosling’s Bunting, Rock-loving Cisticola, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Moustached Grass Warbler, Violet Turaco, Mourning Collared Dove, Brown Babbler and African Silverbill! We left the arid north and made our way to our last birding destination – Bobiri and Atewa Forests. Atewa Forest was accessed by a long hike up and we certainly were rewarded with many great sightings such as White-tailed Alethe, Forest Scrub Robin, Narina Trogon, Black-capped Apalis, Finsch’s Rufous Thrush, Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher, Blackcap Illadopsis, Fernando Po Batis, Red-billed Helmetshrike, Grey-throated Tit-flycatcher, Western Nicator, Ayres’s and Cassin’s Hawk- Eagles, Kemp’s and Grey Longbills, Red- vented Malimbe and Naked-faced Barbet. Our time in Ghana had unfortunately come to an end as we made our way back to the busy Accra for our connecting flights back home. Abyssinian Roller by Alasdair Hunter ___________________________________________________________________________________ Annotated List of species recorded Note: Number in brackets ( ) indicate number of days on the tour the species was recorded. List powered through the report generator of our partner iGoTerra. Birds (393 in total: 367 seen, 26 heard) Nomenclature and taxonomy follows Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2019. IOC World Bird List (v 9.1). Status codes: E = Endemic, NE = Near-endemic, I = Introduced IUCN codes: CR = Critically endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, EW = Extinct in the Wild, NT = Near Threatened, DD = Data Deficient Ducks, Geese & Swans Anatidae White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata (3) 1 heard Mole NP 20.11, 20 Nasia River 21.11 and 30 Nasia River 23.11. Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis gambensis (4) Up to 2 Mole NP 18-20.11 and 5 Tono Dam 22.11. Guineafowl Numididae Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris galeatus Observed 5 day(s) in total. Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Ghana Trip Report – RBL Ghana – Comprehensive: Rockfowl & Upper New Guinea Specials 2019 5 New World Quail Odontophoridae Stone Partridge Ptilopachus petrosus petrosus (5) 7 Mole NP 20.11. Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies Phasianidae Ahanta Francolin Pternistis ahantensis ahantensis (2) 1 heard Bonkro 17.11 and 1 heard Atewa 25.11. Double-spurred Francolin Pternistis bicalcaratus bicalcaratus (5) 1 Lake Volta 12.11, up to 2 Mole NP 18-20.11 and 6 Tono Dam 22.11. Storks Ciconiidae Woolly-necked Stork (VU) Ciconia episcopus microscelis (4) Observed Mole NP 18-21.11. Ibises, Spoonbills Threskiornithidae Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash brevirostris (4) Observed Mole NP 18-21.11. Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns Ardeidae Striated Heron Butorides striata atricapilla (3) Observed Mole NP 19-21.11. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Observed 6 day(s) in total. Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Observed 16 day(s) in total. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea cinerea Observed 7 day(s) in total. Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala (3) Daboya 21.11, Tono Dam 22.11 and Nasia River 23.11. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea purpurea (3) 4 Sakumono Lagoon 12.11, Nasia River 21.11 and Nasia River 23.11. Great Egret Ardea alba melanorhynchos (1) 2 Sakumono Lagoon 12.11. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia brachyrhyncha (1) 5 Sakumono Lagoon 12.11. Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca (1) 3 Sakumono Lagoon 12.11. Little Egret Egretta garzetta garzetta (4) 1 Sakumono Lagoon 12.11, 1 Cape Coast 13.11, Daboya 21.11 and Tono Dam 22.11. Hamerkop Scopidae Hamerkop Scopus umbretta (5) Kakum NP and surrounds 16.11. Cormorants and Shags Phalacrocoracidae Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus africanus Observed 4 day(s) in total.
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