Bird Party in The Gambia! 2 – 12 December 2020 www.ingloriousbustards.com Bird Party in The Gambia! 2 – 12 December 2020 This tiny, vibrant country has so much to offer it´s hard to know where to begin! The Gambia River brings the feel of the moist forest of Africa and for us it also brought an incredible richness of birdlife, mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, culture, hospitality and fabulous food! We explored the length of the country from the coast to the upriver lagoons and found sought-after star birds including Egyptian Plover, African Pygmy Goose, Adamawa Turtle Dove, African Finfoot and White-backed Night Heron. The Gambia is famed for its mind-blowing numbers of raptors and we were not disappointed, encountering 29 species, including the breath-taking Bateleur, African Hawk Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Dark Chanting and African Goshawk, Shikra, Lizard and Grasshopper Buzzard, Beaudouin´s, Long-crested, Western Banded and Brown Snake Eagle. An intimate view of a roosting Owl or Nightjar is always a memorable experience, and we were thrilled with our views of Verreaux´s Eagle Owl, Greyish Eagle Owl, African Wood Owl, White-faced and African Scops Owls, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Long-tailed and Standard-winged Nightjars, all peacefully resting close by. We loved our close encounters with other animals which included Hippopotamus, Nile Crocodile, Guinea Baboons, Red Colobus, Patas and Green Monkeys, Nile Monitor Lizards and an enormous Rock Python that looked like it had just eaten another birder! Outstanding in the memory though will always be the extraordinary colours and calls of the myriad species – Green and Violet Turacos, the outrageous Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Viellot´s and Bearded Barbet, Beautiful Sunbird, Yellow-crowned Gonalek, White-crowned Robin Chat, enormous Citrus Swallowtail butterflies, the stunning irridesence of the Glossy Starling species, the reds, blues, greens, turquoises and yellows of eight Kingfisher species, seven different species of Bee-eater and four species of Roller. We saw so much in just eleven days, but always at a relaxed pace with plenty of time to enjoy each new sighting. We were thrilled to see great progress in the restoration of the mangrove swamp at Kotu Creek by Gambia Bird Watchers Association – a conservation project we are proud to be funding. There were great times hanging out with friends, enjoying the outstanding local domada and yassa curries, and taking time to understand and appreciate local culture. We certainly left with fantastic memories and big grins from Africa´s Smiling Coast! Day 1 Monday 2 December We had organised a late breakfast for our guests Tony and Drew to allow them some rest after their travel day. But instead of a lie-in they elected to head out at dawn and make a cracking start to the trip, just wandering in the grounds of the wonderful Picca-Laa Eco-lodge! Later, as our lovely host Kaddy (with her adorable son Baba always in tow!) brought us a tasty, reviving breakfast of fresh bread, omelette and good strong coffee, we caught up with Senegal Parrot, Beautiful Sunbird, Western Grey Plantain-Eater, Palm Swifts and our first Pied Crows and Hooded Vultures. Groups of Senegal Thick-knees called noisily from the neighbouring creek, which forms part of Tanji Bird Reserve. We spent the rest of the day wandering the groves and watering holes of the community-owned nature reserve at Brufut Forest. We spent some time at the drinking hole getting acquainted with Vinaceous and Laughing Doves, Black-billed and Speckled Wood Doves. Many smaller birds came too, such as Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu, Lavender Waxbill and Red-billed Firefinch, Greater Honeyguide, Little, Black-necked and Village Weaver. Red-billed Hornbill foraged on the ground and later in the treetops. Expertly led by our community-based guide, we strolled around the forest picking up Variable Sunbirds and Bronze Mannikins and the eery sounds of Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. Our guide bade us to be silent, and showed us two roosting Long-tailed Nightjars, just metres away! They were completely undisturbed by our presence but still managed to look decidedly grumpy! As well as Beaudouin´s Snake Eagle, Swallow-tailed and Little Bee-eater, Broad- billed Roller and Northern Crombec, we were thrilled to encounter a Chattering Yellowbill - a good bird for the area. Amongst the many, many Grass White butterflies we also saw Citrus Swallowtail and Orange Acraea. In the late afternoon we returned to the drinking hole to try and encounter more birds coming to cool off and drink in the shady spot. We weren´t disappointed, and enjoyed great views of Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Buff- Grey-headed Kingfisher © Inglorious Bustards spotted Woodpecker, Northern Yellow White- eye, Pygmy Kingfisher, Snowy-crowned Robin Chat, Yellow-crowned Gonalek, Grey- headed Kingfisher, moulting Northern Red Bishop, and Yellow-fronted Leaflove having a blissful bath. As we made our way back to our lodge, we made a stop by a verdant pond next to a ford (which was doubling as a car wash!) on the back roads back to Tanji. As a steady traffic of taxis, cattle and buses crossed the ford we enjoyed views of African Harrier Hawk, two Lanner Falcons, Wattled Lapwings, Malachite Kingfisher, Squacco and Purple Heron, not to mention amazing views of Broad-billed Roller swooping to drink from the pool. Day 2 Tuesday 3 December Today we headed south almost to the Senegalese border, to explore the delights of Kartong Bird Observatory. En route we stopped successfully for Black-winged Bishop, getting superb views of Variable Sunbird in the process. Rufous-crowned Roller and African Grey Hornbill were on roadside show. The fertile freshwater lagoons of the bird observatory attract all sorts of wetland loveliness. In the bushes Malachite, Pied and Grey-headed Kingfisher could be seen all together, and European Turtle Doves roosted alongside African Mourning Doves. Overhead, Red-chested, Wire-tailed and Mosque Swallow swooped with Palm Swifts. On the water itself there were many White-faced Whistling Ducks, African Jakana, Squacco and Grey Heron, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwits. African Spoonbill and Sacred Ibis flew overhead. We were pleased with views of a Plain-backed Pipit. In the scrub was a festival of migrants, with Isabelline, Melodious and Subalpine Warbler and Common Chiffchaff in the same bush, alongside a Senegal Eremomela and Bar-breasted Firefinch. A small detour for the first Abyssinian Roller of the trip also resulted in a stunning Western Banded Snake Eagle and great views of Yellow-billed Oxpeckers. Dragonflies and butterflies abounded, and we enjoyed the antics of two rather amorous Monitior Lizards! Wandering down to the beach we relaxed with some freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice and watched a Whistling Cisticola. Out to sea was a constant stream of Sandwich and Royal Terns. Next, we headed for a rather special lunch, with the family of our friend and local guide Tijan. It was lovely to see everybody again after a year, and to meet newborn Yusuf! We settled into the affectionately-known RSPB Tah-tey office. While Mariama and eldest daughter Fatima prepared for us a delicious selection of local dishes domada and yassa, chips, salad and rice we enjoyed Village and Little Weavers, Red-cheeked Cordon Bleus, Grey-headed Sparrows and Brown Babbler coming to the feeders. Citrus Swallowtail Butterflies drifted through the garden, while overhead there was a constant swirl of Hooded Vultures, Yellow-billed and Black Kites, Pied Crows and Pink-backed Pelicans. In the afternoon we visited our friends of the Gambia Bird Watchers Association, at their base in Kotu Creek. They took us to visit the nascent stages of the mangrove restoration project which we are honoured to be funding. The first two hectares are in place and growing fast! Association President Karanta Camara tells us that by the time we return next year they´ll be fully-fledged bushes! The mudflats and mangroves were a productive birding stop, including Splendid Sunbird and Fork-Tailed Drongo. A magnificent Giant Kingfisher sat on telegraph wires like a feathered breeze-block, almost making them bend in the middle! On the way home we saw Green Wood-hoopoe and huge, scruffy colonies of Buffalo Weavers. Day 3 Wednesday 4 December Today was our travel day upriver, but was also to be a day of five Owls (making no apologies for the spoiler)! We started the day with a Pearl-spotted Owlet that showed well at Picca-Laa before we hit the road. At Farasutu, we explored the community-owned forest nature reserve, pleased to be contributing to its value as a natural resource. Green Monkeys eyed us from the track and we found Variable Sunbird, Klaas´s Cuckoo, Bearded Barbets and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. In 10-year old secondary coppice woodland, our park guide showed us Long-tailed and Standard Winged Nightjar, both roosting peacefully! We were also thrilled with views of two fierce-looking Greyish Eagle Owls. After a lovely fresh picnic in the shade, we took a wander into the woods. They were amazing! At one point we could see African Goshawk, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Grey-headed Bristlebill and a fantastic pink-lidded Verreaux´s Eagle Owl without even leaving the spot we were standing. We also heard Green Crombec and Bruce´s Green Pigeon. Later on, two African Wood Owls were roosting peacefully. Taking a seat by a shaded area with water bowls, we enjoyed Olive-backed Sunbird amongst many others. Soon, not one but three gorgeous Violet Turacos came in to drink and cool down Palm Nut Vulture © Inglorious Bustards from the midday sun – superb! Wandering out through the humid, intensely alive primary forest we came to a pool, where we were thrilled to find a very scarce White-backed Night Herons roosting in the trees.