BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Senegal and Gambia 2019 Tour Report Vinaceous Black-faced Firefi nch Text by tour leader Michael Mills Photos by Gus Mills SUMMARY ESSENTIAL DETAILS Our first trip to Senegal and Gambia was highly successful and netted a Dates 16 Jan: Full day in the Kedougou area seeing Mali good selection of localised and rarely-seen specials. For this private trip we Firefinch.. ran a flexible itinerary to target a small selection of tricky species. In Senegal 11-23 January 2019 17 Jan: Early departure from Kedougou. Lunch Savile's Bustard was the last African bustard for the entire party, and was at Wassadou Camp. Evening boat trip on Gambia Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding seen well both at the Marigots and in the Kaolack area. Other Senegalese Leaders River with Adamawa Turtle Dove and Egyptian Report Tour Africa Birding Plover.. highlights included Western Red-billed Hornbill, Sahel Paradise Whydah Michael Mills assisted by Solomon Jallow in full breeding plumage, Little Grey Woodpecker, Mali Firefinch, Egyptian 18 Jan: Morning at Wassadou Camp, before driving to Gambia. Afternoon around Bansang with Plover and African Finfoot. Large numbers of waterbirds at Djoudj and the Participants Exclamatory Paradise Whydah in full plumage. Marigots were memorable too. Julian Francis and Gus Mills 19 Jan: Early departure from Bansang, driving to Tendaba for lunch via north bank. Afternoon at Tendaba seeing Bronze-winged Courser. Itinerary 20 Jan: Early morning on the Bateling Track seeing 11 Jan: Dakar to St Louis. Afternoon at the Marigots, Yellow Penduline Tit, White-fronted Black Chat, hearing Savile's Bustard. Brown-rumped Bunting and Bronze-tailed Starling. 12 Jan: Morning at the Marigots seeing Savile's Then drive to Sita Joyeh/Baobab Island, stopping en Bustard. Afternoon in the N'diael, looking for route for Brown-necked Parrot. Afternoon around Kordofan Lark. Farasuto Forest with Spotted Honeyguide and White-backed Night Heron. 13 Jan: Morning in the Richard Toll area, seeing Little Grey Woodpecker and Cricket Warbler, and 21 Jan: Full day in the Sita Joyeh area, including at looking for Kordofan Lark. Afternoon in Djoudj. Pirang Forest, seeing Ahanta Francolin and Grey- headed Bristlebill.. 14 Jan: Early departure from Djoudj. Quick visit to Langue du Barberie before long drive to Kaolack, 22 Jan: Morning in the Faraba area, with superb with Savile's Bustard en route. views of Vinaceous Black-faced Firefinch. Afternoon drive to coastal Gambia, birding at Tanji. 15 Jan: Early morning at Swallow-tailed Kite roost near Kaolack. Then drive to Wassadou Camp 23 Jan: Morning at Abuko seeing Fanti Saw-wing for lunch, with Sahel Paradise Whydah en route. and Pied-winged Swallow. Afternoon drive to Kedougou. Yellow Penduline Tit In Gambia we started off in the Bansang area with full-plumage Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, before the Tendaba area rewarded us with Bronze-winged Courser, Yellow Penduline Tit, White-fronted Black Chat and Bronze-tailed Starling. Towards the coast we tracked down Spotted Honeyguide, Vinaceous Black-faced Firefinch, Ahanta Francolin, Brown- necked Parrot, White-backed Night Heron and Grey-headed Bristlebill in Pirang area, before finishing at the coast itself with Fanti Saw-wing and Pied-winged Swallow. Mali Firefinch 2 | Senegal and Gambia 2019 Senegal and Gambia 2019 | 3 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea - Common in north- Scissor-tailed Kite Chelictinia riocourii - Distant ANNOTATED SPECIES LIST west Senegal; a few in Gambia (cinerea) views of more than 1000 near Kaolack Anatidae Phoenicopteridae Purple Heron Ardea purpurea - Several at African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus - Quite Marigots and Djoudj (purpurea) a few in south-east Senegal and Gambia (pectoralis) White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus - Good viduata - Abundant at Djoudj; also one large flock numbers at Djoudj Great Egret Ardea alba - Several at Marigots and Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis - Seen at in Gambia, on the north bank Djoudj, and along the Gambia River in Senegal and Wassadou Camp and in Gambia Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor - Several Gambia (melanorhynchos) Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor - hundred at Djoudj Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus - Good Report Tour Africa Birding Two seen well at Marigots Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia - Two in numbers between Dakar and St Louis; abundant in Ciconiidae Gambia (brachyrhyncha) Gambia Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca - At least Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis - Several at 20 at Djoudj Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca - Seen at Marigots White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus - Quite a Djoudj (not seen by Julian) and a few in Gambia and Djoudj and one on the north bank in Gambia few widespread sightings in Senegal and Gambia African Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus - At least Black Stork Ciconia nigra - At least 50 at Djoudj 10 at Marigots Little Egret Egretta garzetta - Widespread Rüppell's Vulture Gyps rueppelli - Several seen Threskiornithidae sightings (garzetta) between Dakar and St Louis (rueppelli) Garganey Spatula querquedula - Abundant at Djoudj African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus - Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis - Common Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus - One in flight in Seen a few times at Marigots and Djoudj around St Louis and in Gambia (gularis) Gambia (fulvus) Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata - Many at Djoudj Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash - A few a Scopidae Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos - Seen in Wassadou Camp (brevirostris) flight between St Louis and Kaolack (tracheliotos) Northern Pintail Anas acuta - Numerous at Hamerkop Scopus umbretta - Seen along the Djoudj Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus - Quite a few at Gambia River in Senegal and Gambia (umbretta) Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus - Three Djoudj and Marigots, and also along the north seen well in the Richard-Toll area (gallicus) Numididae Pelecanidae bank in Senegal Beaudouin's Snake Eagle Circaetus beaudouini Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris - One Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus - Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia - At least - One seen by Michael and Gus on return to Dakar big flock seen at Wassadou Camp (galeatus) Good numbers in north-western Senegal 20 at Djoudj (subspecies uncertain) Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus - Quite Odontophoridae Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens - Good African Spoonbill Platalea alba - Seen at common in Gambia and also seen in south-east numbers in north-western Senegal; also two at Stone Partridge Ptilopachus petrosus - Michael Marigots Senegal Tendaba and one at Tanji beach and Julian saw a pair superbly between Kedougou Ardeidae Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus and Wassadou Camp (petrosus); heard in Gambia Phalacrocoracidae cinerascens - One en route to Kedougou seen by Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus - One seen in Phasianidae Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus - Michael flight in the Marigots (not by Julian; subspecies Numerous in north-western Senegal and in Ahanta Francolin Pternistis ahantensis - Heard uncertain) Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus - Seen in Gambia Gambia (africanus) and seen briefly at Farasuto Forest, then seen well and Senegal, with normal and white-backed birds White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Pirang Forest (but not by Gus) White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus seen sitting on the road in Senegal - One seen well at Farasuto Forest in Gambia - Good numbers at Djoudj; two off Tanji beach Double-spurred Francolin Pternistis bicalcaratus Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis - One in Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax - Seen widely in Senegal and Gambia, in small Anhingidae Gambia seen briefly - Heard in the Marigots, seen at Wassadou Camp numbers (bicalcaratus) and Sita Joyeh/Baobab Island (nycticorax) African Darter Anhinga rufa - Seen by Julian at Wahlberg's Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi - Seen in Common Quail Coturnix coturnix - One at Djoudj; also one in Gambia (rufa) south-east Senegal and Gambia Striated Heron Butorides striata - Seen along the Djoudj and another at Kaolack (subspecies Gambia River in Senegal and Gambia (atricapilla) Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus - One pale uncertain) Pandionidae phase bird between St Louis and Kaolack, and one Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides - Seen in good Podicipedidae Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus - Several seen in Gambia numbers at Marigots and Djoudj, and also in in coastal areas of Senegal and Gambia (haliaetus) Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - About 10 at Gambia Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus Djoudj (capensis) Accipitridae - Seen in south-east Senegal and Gambia Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis - Widespread (monogrammicus) in Senegal and Gambia Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus - Seen a few times, both in Senegal and Gambia (caeruleus) 4 | Senegal and Gambia 2019 Senegal and Gambia 2019 | 5 Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar - One seen Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Jacanidae Bronze-winged Courser Rhinoptilus chalcopterus briefly near Djoudj by Michael (niger) - Common in the Marigots; one in Gambia - Cracking views during the day at Tendaba African Jacana Actophilornis africanus - Scattered (meridionalis) Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates - A sightings in Senegal and Gambia Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola - A few couple in south-east Senegal, and rather common Gruidae near Richard-Toll (fuelleborni) Scolopacidae in Gambia (metabates)