The Gambia trip report December 2013.

The Gambia December 2013.

14th-25th December 2013.     Click any Image for a Larger view.

 

African Fish Eagle.

This blog was created for trips like this. Two years ago I was hoping to start birding abroad but some unexpected financial problems halted that.

The Gambia is a fantastic place, we stayed at The Palm Beach Hotel. Sandy beaches on one side, paddy fields on the other side and a river  creek outside the front door made it perfect for birding.

The first day out with our guide Karanta Kamara  took us to Abuko nature reserve. The first half hour gave us views of Black crowned night heron, Giant kingfisher, Palm nut vulture, African paradise Flycatcher and Monitor lizard. Shortly after leaving the first hide Karanta stopped along the path and started to mimic a Pearl spotted Owlet , within a minute the trees and bushes around us had filled with small birds looking for the Owlet. This was something Karanta did quite often throughout our trip with superb results.

Later in the day we headed back towards Kotu bridge, the golf course, sewage works and the paddy fields near the hotel. All these areas are within walking distance  of each other all holding good birds. We spotted many species such as Broad billed and Blue bellied rollers, Senegal thicknee, Lanner falcon, Yellow billed kite, Brown babbler, Osprey, Pied kingfisher, Greenshank, Squacco heron...they are only a fraction of what we saw.

 

Greenshank.

16th December2013                                                                                                                                                                                             The day started with a trip to Brufut woods for the elusive Long tailed Nightjar.The area is more than just woodlands, it has areas of scrub and farmland to search out as well. Karanta started well with Grey headed and fine spotted Woodpecker plus Yellow billed and Sulphur breasted bush shrike. Throughout the walk we ticked off  Beautiful, Splendid and variable sunbirds along with Scarlet breasted Sunbird for good measure. After a chat with another guide we made our way into some thickets  and quietly stalked along a narrow track. Within a minute we had our Nightjar no more than a couple of yards from us.  The camouflaged plumage of these birds is remarkable, they are really hard to detect and blend in with the ground cover so well. I love these birds they are weird and wonderful and this was a fantastic find.Brilliant stuff !

Long Tailed Nightjar.

  After a good long search around we headed out and into the  more open areas. Karanta used his Owlet call to great effect again around a single Acacia tree, we spent over 30 minutes focused on this tree picking up Melodious, Olivacous and Willow warbler. Diederik and  Klaas's cuckoo. Other birds noted, African harrier hawk, square tailed and fork tailed Drongo. Double spurred Frankolin, Lesser Honeyguide and a nesting pair of Cardinal Woodpeckers. Making our way back towards the hotel we parted company and I headed off alone. I made my way along the golf course and behind the Officers Mess building where I had been told there was a chance of Shining blue kingfisher and Purple Gallinule. The first bird I found was a Little grebe and then a Long tailed Cormorant. No luck with the Shining blue Kingfisher  though,but after 20 minutes or so I managed to catch sight of the Purple Gallinule and took half a dozen decent frames of it before it retreated into the background.
Around the hotel offers some good areas to birdwatch without much effort, regular birds noted in the area Hammerkop, Black egret, Whimbrel, Western reef Heron, Broad billed Roller and passing raptors.

Purple Gallinule.

17th December 2013.    The next day I spent time alone birding the local patches. Early in the day I bumped into Eddie and Clare who took me towards where they had spotted  Painted snipe. The view was distant and slightly poor though I did go back several times spotting them on a couple of occasions. A walk around the rice fields delivered Osprey, Yellow billed and Black kites, White faced whistling ducks, Sacred ibis, Black and  Great white Egrets, and the usual abundant species. A walk around the golf course produced Lanner Falcon, Senegal Coucal, Red Billed Hornbill and African Pied Hornbill and Yellow Crowned Gonolek or as it is known locally " German Flag" for obvious reasons.

 



Yellow crowned Gonolek.

Around the edges of the golf course are a number of small ponds and dykes. Whimbrel and Greenshank can be spotted here as well as  Blue Breasted Kingfisher and the diminutive Pygmy Kingfisher.

Fiddler Crabs are abundant on the banks of the dykes and Sunbirds and Warblers are numerous in the trees and bushes. 



Stopping at the Birdwatchers garden along the way I chatted with Matty, she is the cook there and a new friend I have made. Sitting for awhile with her I had good views of Red cheeked Cordon Bleu, Bearded Barbet and several Sunbirds.

The next stop was the sewage works ( not as bad as it sounds) spotting Squacco Heron, Black wing Stilts, Green sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Spur winged Plover. African Jacana and a 6ft long Monitor lizard. Along with several other bird species this is a great place to check out. Next site was back behind the old Officers Mess  but no Shining blue kingfisher again or Purple Gallinule, but I did spot Shikra and Lizard buzzard on my way back. On the edge of the golf course Senegal thicknee , Wattled plover, Redshank and amidst a crowd of doves a single Namaqua dove stood out. Crossing the golf course the sky was dotted with Hooded vultures and Yellow billed kites and a pair of Lanner falcons zipped past, only to be followed two minutes later by two Ospreys heading in the same direction. At Kotu bridge behind the bird guides office there is a small hide where I was lucky to spot both White crowned and Snowy Crowned Robin Chat along with African Golden Oriole and African Thrush a little later.



White Crowned Robin Chat.

Walking back towards the hotel a group of Brown Bablers  squabbled  among themselves while two Green wood Hoopoes  foraged on the floor nearby. A few yards away a Blue bellied roller sat perched and motionless...fantastic stuff !
 
18TH December 2013. We set off for Bunto Forest and the elusive Spotted Flufftail, a very hard bird to find and we knew the chances were very slim and that we would need

Snowy crowned Robin Chat.

more than a little luck with locating this bird.On our drive towards Bunto we had sightings of Shikra and Grasshopper Buzzard. Turning onto the dusty road that lead towards the Forest we had sightings of  a pair of African Harrier Hawks soaring and gliding around a single Acacia tree. At the visitors centre we had good views of Orange billed Waxbill, Plantain Eaters, and Black Rumped Waxbills.We set off in a small party with 3 guides and 5 birders towards the stake out area. The local guide of Bunto forest was leading the way and he lead us towards a dense overgrown patch that looked rather odd. We were told to huddle together and stay motionless whilst the guide played some calls he must of recorded onto his mobile phone. A decade passed and the group started to get restless  so the guides moved us 100 metres or so into another area and we all stood together again. The guide played more calls from his mobile phone and we heard a reply in the far distance but no more than that...it was very disheartening and a long time was wasted. But Hey HO thats how birding goes sometimes ! Knowing that we were  all disappointed at the failure or dip on this bird the guides moved us on quickly to build up our spirits by showing us two Verreaux's Eagle Owls and Yellow throated leaflove. Karanta and myself split from the main group and headed down a separate path where almost immediately we spotted a small raptor perched quite high in a tree  a good 70-80 yards in front of us. I rattled off half a dozen shots and reached for the 2 x converter but the bird disappeared...Bugger.

Western Little Sparrowhawk.

Looking at the back of the camera with excitement and checking the bird guide we agreed it was a Western Little Sparrowhawk, Karanta admitted that he had only ever seen one before in all his life and never in this forest. Wonderful stuff ! Back at the Jeep we had a brief glimpse of White crested helmet shrike and Double spurred Francolin. Along the road we stopped for Rufous crowned roller.

Gary Waddington with camera.
Armed and Diligent.

Arriving back at the hotel mid afternoon Gary Waddington had Arrived from Gods own county, Lancashire.Gary has travelled to many places worldwide, he is a extremely good birder and he knows his stuff very  well. Gary had been up since the wee small hours and was obviously jaded and quite tired after the flight. We did have a walk though around Kotu bridge, Fajara golf course, and the sewage ponds. Taking in Western reef Heron, Blue bellied Roller and most of the usual suspects ...the one bird that we were very lucky to see was a Dwarf Bittern that pleased us both. Other birds of note along the walk : African golden Oriole, Back headed Heron, Wood Sandpiper.

 

19TH December 2013.

Abuko nature reserve  with Gary. We set off in a local taxi without a guide and decided to walk the site ourselves. At the first hide we had good views of African Jacana, and a Giant kingfisher catching a small flat fish and flying away

 out of view. Also Black crowned night heron, Snowy crowned robin chat and Malachite kingfisher. Along the footpath we noted Pygmy Kingfisher and close by we had views of both male and female Paradise flycatcher. The male still holding its splendid  tail feathers. As we walked we spotted Bronze manakin, Grey Hornbill, and a Palm Nut Vulture overhead. Green Vervet monkey's could be seen throughout the walk and a few had become  cheeky around the site café.

Lunch at Lamin Lodge was a nice rest from the heat and we had the pleasure of Osprey with prey from our dining table. Refreshed we headed back and picked up several  regular species along the road. Lamin Lodge seemed a little touristy for me and a little bit of a let down, not somewhere I was taken by.

 

 

 



African Paradise Flycatcher.

We made our way back towards Kotu Bridge and  after a coffee at the hotel we set off again for the local sites. Almost immediately after leaving the hotel  we were confronted by a young bird guide who had started to become a pain in the rear end. He was only after a little business but he did pester me a little often. This time he asked if we had seen the owl and took us both towards a nearby tree where he pointed out a White faced Scops Owl roosting between the branches. I felt a little guilty that I had been quite short with him the previous day and now he had shown us something that we would not of seen. I did thank him and I think we tipped him with some Dalasi .Gary did take his offer of a day out with him somewhere after I had left for home.

White faced Scops Owl.

We walked towards Kotu bridge and the edge of the golf course before Taking time to observe , Black Winged Stilts,Common, Green and  Wood Sandpipers, Shikra and a variety of sunbirds. Along with Hammerkop, Hooded Vultures, Namaqua dove, Afriacn Jacana and many many more birds.

20th December 2013.





Brown Snake eagle.

A early start we set off towards Bunto Forest. We had a open backed Jeep and our guide Karanta to guide us, many birds were seen along the way including Abyssinian roller and Pallid swift before arriving at the visitors centre. At the feeders we had many Orange Billed Waxbills and Plantain Eaters.

Abyssinian roller.

Once in the forest we went in search of the Spotted Flufftail again.  Along the tracks we picked up Green Turoco, Little green Bul Bul and Grey Hornbill before arriving at the same spot we had visited a few days earlier looking for the Flufftail. Yet again we drew a big fat blank and walked another 100 meter or so towards the other spot the guides knew about. This time we were joined by two birders that I had met near the hotel Eddie and Clare. We all stood motionless in a tightly clumped group as the guides tried to lure the bird out into a fairly overgrown area with repetitive calls and recordings. A lifetime passed before we saw some movement directly in front of us, under some overhanging bushes....The Spotted Flufftail appeared from the left and walked around searching the floor. It moved from one side and around the only open space not far from us  for a minute or so before fading into some undergrowth and out of sight. A minute may seem a short time but in birding terms it is quite a long time for such a elusive creature....Wonderful stuff.

Wahlberg's eagle.

We moved on towards Tendaba, I found the road trip fantastic, we stopped often and viewed roadside sightings like Long crested eagle, and Lizzard buzzard. One place in particular stands out along the Trans Gambia Highway. Kampat rice fields and salt marshes or Raptor cottage as it is known. Within minutes of arriving we had good sightings. Gary picked up two large raptors overhead, one darker than the other. The paler one was a sub adult Martial eagle and the other slightly smaller and darker one was a Wahlbergs eagle in the air together...magic stuff.

 

We stayed for a couple of hours and picked up on Bateleur eagle, Bedowins snake eagle, Black shouldered kite, and my favourite of the day a male Exclamatory Paradise Whydah in full plumage...Cracking stuff.

Exclamatory Paradise Whydah.

All along the highway we had sightings of different birds from Raptors to Swifts, Storks to Rollers.Once at Tendaba we washed and then had a walk behind the camp in the evening with Karanta. It was a pleasant walk and we managed a few minutes watching a large number of Hirundines  chasing insects above us. These included Sand Matrins, Little Swifts and Pallid Swift. We also had good views of Bruces green Pigeon, Village indigo bird and Bush Petronia.

Grasshopper Buzzard.

Bruce's Green pigeon.

I liked Tendaba camp, it was warm and friendly and the bar and restaurant area felt casual and relaxed. The accommodation was fine, not luxurious but it was more than adequate. The menu was good and hearty and breakfast was a sort of buffet that was also good.  I would of liked to of stayed longer in the Tendaba area and view more of the nearby sites. The surrounding areas and sites must be worth investigating and I suspect that this area is worthy of spending a few days at in the future.

 

 

 

 

 21st December 2013.

The next morning we had a wander around the camp and a look across the river picking up our 3rd African fish eagle along with Osprey, Gull billed tern and a Pink backed pelican sat upon the water. The local Pied kingfishers gave Gary and myself great photographs from close range along the jetty. Great cormorants and Spur winged geese flew past us along with Great white egret.

Laughing doves, and Long tailed glossy starlings fed within yards of our breakfast table.

We set off towards Georgetown and picked up some good sightings along the way. Speckled pigeon, Rose ringed parakeet, European bee eater and a pair of Yellow fronted canaries on the roadside edge. We stopped a couple of times at different locations en route for Karanta to test his Owlet calls and we were rewarded with Pygmy sunbird, Green backed Eremomela, Grey backed Camaroptera. We also had more sightings of Batteleur eagle, African golden Oriole and Lanner falcon.

Male Pygmy Sunbird.

                                                     We arrived at Soma Ferry terminal around 12.30 pm and though we had a good wait it was a real eye opener to witness how this country operates. I am sure that our guide paid one of the harbour officials to get us to the front of the mile long queue and a heated argument opened between our guide and another official when we failed to get our Jeep onto the next ferry. Around 90 minutes after we had hit the back of the queue we had boarded a ferry and we set off across the river. The 90 minutes had not been wasted though I had watched a Great white egret catching fish close to the jetty and had seen another African fish eagle perched high in a tree on the far banking, I also witnessed two Yellow billed kites battling each other above my head whilst we waited





Yellow billed kites.

Crossing the river we approached Georgetown, stopping along the roadside on a few occasions we spotted, Bru Bru Shrike, Senegal Batis, Whitethroat, Redstart, and Scarlet chested Sunbird. We stopped at the side of the road close to a couple of large  fresh water ponds, on the left hand side of the road myself and Karanta scanned one pond and picked up Common Moorhen, Black Crake, and Black tailed Godwits. We crossed the road and along a small river bank... a single Egyptian plover stood out among the green foliage. We called Gary over and the bird flew a few yards behind us but gave us better light,we managed a good few shots before the bird slipped away. Karanta told me that this was his favourite bird.

Egyptian Plover.

Senegal thicknees and Spur winged plover shared the same area. A little further along the road we stopped for a single Red necked falcon that only gave us record shots . A little further along the road still a lone vulture caught my eye I noticed the huge wing panel and larger bill, I pointed it out and was told it was a Hooded vulture...I don't think Gary or Karanta paid me much attention at that time, but when I insisted it was too large they looked again and we stopped, this vulture was massive,so huge it dwarfed a Hooded vulture we had  a Lappet faced vulture. I would say it was a third larger than a Hooded vulture. Brilliant stuff !

We arrived at Georgetown camp and viewed our rooms, the rooms are basic though they are en-suit. The loo had to be flushed with a bucket, the sink was not working and the shower was used to fill the bucket...if you had a hour or two to spare. The window had mesh instead of glass and the curtain was only half the width of the window. I had the luxury of a footpath just outside my en-suite room. I could of spoken with strangers walking past from the comfort of the loo if I wanted.... Luxury at its best.

We sat down for a meal of what I was told was bush pig but it could of been anything, I think it was  previous birders hiking boot that had been diced up and served...but Hey Ho... I was never expecting nouvelle cuisine this far up river. At the table sat a Spanish couple who had been at Tendaba  the day before and after awhile they left the table... ten minutes later they rushed back to the table excited, they had walked around the camp with a lamp and picked up a Verreaux's  eagle owl sat out in a leafless tree in the darkness...panic set in as everyone rushed around to get shots as it sat there motionless, I clicked away but my shots were rubbish. I could hear cameras clicking and the bird stayed put whilst I tried to figure out what I was doing wrong. Thankfully the bird stayed long enough for me to adjust my settings and get some decent photographs....Awesome stuff !

Verreaux's Eagle owl.

22nd December 2013.

 

The breakfast was basic but filling and could of been a lot worse. We had a boat trip planned and whilst Gary and Karanta settled the bills I picked up Bruce's green pigeon, Grey kestrel, and Brown Babler from the parking area.

 Setting off across the river in a long dug out motorised canoe we soon entered the creeks and birds appeared from the left and right and overhead. African darter, Kingfishers, Sandpipers and Greenshank. As we moved through the swamps and mangroves we caught up with Marsh Harrier, Pearl spotted owlet, Hammerkop, Olivacous warbler, and Oriole warbler. We had only been in the creek 20 minutes. A little further along we had Osprey overhead and Western banded snake eagle. The birds came thick and fast. Suddenly Gary called out " Finfoot" he had spotted the bright orange legs of the bird on the banking and it had slipped into the water giving us a quick chance at a few shots. It swam up stream hiding in the foliage but also drifting back into open every couple of minutes. Superb views and not just a fleeting glance, one of the top birds we wanted. Further on through the creeks we had more good views of African fish eagle and then a small party of Red throated bee eaters. It was getting better than a wildlife documentary. Squacco herons on one side , raptors above, and a Juvenile Black crowned night heron to add to the mix. Throw in Senegal parrot, Motteled spinetail, Swamp flycatcher and hanging  Fruit bat made it a epic boat

trip and very memorable one.

 

African Finfoot.

One stop we made by the roadside was to observe a herd of cattle that had Yellow billed Oxpeckers feeding upon their backs. The cattle seemed uncomfortable with these birds picking away at them and we noticed a couple of times how the cattle shook themselves to rid themselves of these parasite feeding blighters. Close by we had also noted some Piapiac that are also known to associate around cattle but these were feeding from the ground. We approached the herd and noticed that half a dozen Carmine bee eaters were following the cattle as they marched through the grasses and disturbed insects as they made their way onwards. The Carmine bee eaters stayed close by to the cattle and swooped and turned as the insects lifted. This was magic stuff as we tried to capture some shots of these beautiful birds as they flew fast and agile around the cattle. They looked even more beautiful when the sunlight caught the colouration of the birds plumage. Yellow wagtails also graced the area.

 

Northern Carmine Bee Eater.

Heading back towards Tendaba we picked up both Greater and lesser blue eared glossy starlings along with Blue cheeked bee eater and Grasshopper buzzard.

 

23rd December 2013.

 

Tendaba camp and breakfast in the open with views of the river from our table made it a nice way to start the day. After plenty of food and coffee we headed across the river,  African fish eagle was the first bird of note though at a distance. Once again we headed into the creeks and the birds appeared either side of us, African darters that were so close we could not focus on them properly, Sacred ibis along the banks with Wooly necked storks and a massive but beautiful Yellow billed stork stood proud and alone.

Yellow billed Stork.

Trees line the creeks but there are open patches in between that allow alternative views. At one such place we managed to view both Marsh and Montagu's harrier and a single Osprey flew just above us. Further into the creeks we picked up Mouse brown sunbird, Caspian tern, and African spoonbill. Great white and pink backed pelicans littered the trees and  sat on the water as our boat spluttered along.Both Blue cheeked and Swallow tailed bee eaters perched on nearby branches. Greenshank and Common sandpiper searched the muddy banks for food. Blue breasted and Malachite kingfishers looked downwards from their perches. Great white and Intermediate egrets graced us with good views and Great cormorants flew past as we looked on. A little further on we spotted a raptor at distance perched high in a tree we tried to get closer but only managed quite distant shots of this Gabar goshawk, a dark phased bird that kept its back to us before departing far too quickly.



 

                                                 A Dark Phase Gabar Goshawk.

 

 

 

Moving down another creek the boat driver pulled us over to the banking a White backed night heron was sitting tight upon her nest and we took some shots without disturbing her, great sighting for us. A large monitor lizard was draped over a large branch just above our heads, sunning itself and not at all interested in us photographing it. After a couple of hours we started to move back towards the river and came across a Crocodile warming itself on the banking, it noticed us and wasn't comfortable, slipping into the murky creek water and away. At the end of the creek we had another raptor sat high to our left and the boatman let the canoe drift towards it , but it flew to our right hand side making it obvious that we had a Peregrine falcon in sight. Landing back at the jetty we had Little swifts high above us feeding in the heat of the day.

On the road again we headed back towards Kotu bridge. Making another detour Karanta stopped at a very large fig tree and whistled out his Pearl spotted Owlet calls again, drawing in Vielets barbet and  pygmy sunbird. The fig tree also held, Long tailed glossy starling, Bearded barbet and African grey hornbill. Walking along further we picked up more sunbirds and searched the area for Water thicknee without any luck. We did chance upon Yellow penduline tit and another Batteleur passed over us before Karanta ushered us over towards a thicket where he had found some 4 banded sandgrouse. They blended into the foliage as well as a nightjar...a really good find Karanta. Walking back towards the jeep Grasshopper buzzards gave us good views and Abysinian roller posed nicely for me. A striped kingfisher didn't pose and flew away before I raised my camera. Bugger !

 

Four- Banded Sandgrouse.



 

We continued on the road and after quite awhile Karanta told the driver to pull over quickly...Gary asked what he had seen, Karanta smiled but did not answer. " Ground hornbill" ? Gary asked ...Karanta smiled again. We piled out of the jeep and walked back along the road, there they were 2 very large Ground Hornbills walking away from us and into long grass, we managed a few shots but nothing that would win a competition before they flew off and away. Before we arrived back at the Hotel we had picked up European Bee Eater, Grey Headed Bush Shrike, Woodland Kingfisher and African Green Pigeon.

European Bee Eater.

 

 

24th December 2013.

 

We set off for a walk around Kotu bridge and surrounding areas after our trip up river. I agreed to meet Gary near the bridge when he was ready and I chanced my luck behind the bird guides office where they have a small hide.

My luck was in, not only did I get shots of a White crowned robin chat I also caught up with a slightly harder to find White crowned robin chat. African thrush and Blackcap babler showed as well. Before leaving the hide a Blue breasted kingfisher made a appearance. I met Gary and we walked towards the Birdwatchers café and garden. After a cool drink we made our way towards the sewage ponds and a Hooded vulture lifted from the ground onto a dead tree close by. We took the opportunity to photograph the bird at close quarters before Gary noticed that we had disturbed it from eating the face off a dead dog that had curled up below another tree...Lovely stuff !

 

 

Mother in law.

The ponds were full of waders and Whistling ducks we took lots of shots of Black winged stilts, Common, Green and Wood Sandpipers as well as African Jacana, Intermediate and Little Egrets.We made our way towards the main road and met our driver Njogo. Gary had used him before and they had become friends. He took us along The Bund road and we scanned the large water and roadside bushes spotting Blue cheeked bee eaters,Beautiful Sunbird,and African Gonolek and a Sub Alpine Warbler on the roadside. At the waters edge we noted Avocet,White wagtail, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and a fly by Gull billed tern.

Moving on we arrived at Banjul ferry terminal and made our way behind some shops and onto a small beach. A large raft of Gulls sat on the water and lots of other birds flew around us. Grey headed gulls were easy to pick up and after a few minutes we had Royal Terns, Caspian Terns and Sandwich terns. We had a small handful of Kelp gulls just off the foreshore and then we noted 3 Pomerine Skuas attacking any gull that had food about them. They chased and harassed the gulls, out manoeuvring them with ease until they surrendered their catch. The Skuas would drop back and take their loot...true pirates of the sea. It was a spectacle worth watching and gave us good photo opportunities.

Pomerine Skua.

We came away and had lunch at The Nefertiti bar and restaurant just off the main road.

We made our way back to Kotu and the Birdwatchers café Garden again. Matty was pleased to see us and we stayed awhile before agreeing to go with Lamin for the Painted snipe. We had a brief walk with him and though we did see them they did not show very well. We did have good views of Pygmy Kingfisher though and walking back we had Sedge warbler,European Hoopoe and a Rare Golden tailed woodpecker, though this was not confirmed until we saw it again the next morning. Cutting back through the golf course we saw Red Billed Hornbill foraging on the ground. Near the end of our walk  a cracking male Lanner falcon flew onto a open branch clutching prey, we sneaked around to the side  to use the better light to our advantage when the female Lanner Falcon flew in to join her mate and his prize. In the photograph it is easy to see that the female is about one third larger than the male.



Male and Female Lanner Falcon with Prey.

25th December 2013.

 

I set off to meet Lamin and try my luck at the Painted snipe again, we cut through part of the Golf course and onto the main road. Lamin seemed very determined to find these birds for me and we did get a few brief glimpses but no real photographs. We tried another part of the same place and had 3 birds fly past us and land in thick vegetation. We stood on a raised narrow footpath that divided the rice fields and Lamin moved ahead of me. Within a few minutes he waved for me to catch him up, he had a Painted snipe just below the path and quite obscured by thick vegetation. I tried my best to manually focus on it but I was far too close. We moved to the side and the bird was away, we saw more Snipe but the photographs are poor. Walking back we had Blue bellied roller posing well and Lizard Buzzard on the telegraph wires. The European Hoopoe was in the same area as the day before and in better light we could see the Golden tailed Woodpecker a lot more clearly. Great bird !

 

Blue Bellied Roller.

All in All the entire trip was fantastic. Though I would not spread myself so thinly again over so many places. With the wonder of hindsight I would concentrate my efforts on fewer sites for longer. Gary And Karanta are superb Bird watchers and boosted my overall tally to 255 species. The boat trips were exceptional, the numbers of birds we saw breath taking !The road trips offered great views around each bend, like a lucky dip you had no idea what was going to surprise you next. The Gambian people that we met made our stay very comfortable, we had no worries and no real hassles to speak of. The weather was hot, the food was good overall. Gambia is good for many reasons and a superb destination to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catching up with the past few weeks !

 

Hi it has been a few weeks now since I last posted anything on here. So this is a quick attempt at catching up with things. Plenty of
good birds have been visiting the North West whilst the whole of our country has enjoyed a long and fairly hot summer.
It has been a good season for many reasons and let us all hope that many bird species have been able to fledge many broods this year. It has been a long while since I have seen so many Butterflies and Dragonflies. The last Swallows have not moved southwards yet as I write this. Today 14/10/2013 two Swallows have been seen in the east Lancashire area.

Visiting Spurn point on the east coast is always special and my last trip was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Whilst down at Sammy's point I fell off a wall breaking the back of my camera and cracking a couple of ribs as well as bruising my pride.
Though on a good note I did catch up with two Wryneck, a possible Barred warbler, and a superb Sparrowhawk strike yards in front of me. Other birds seen were Whinchat, Stonechat, Spotted and Pied flycatcher, Little Egret all before setting off towards Hull accident and emergency department.

Leighton Moss has been superb on the wader front this past few weeks with Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper and Wood sandpiper.

A quick visit one evening with Gary Waddington ( check out his blog)! Produced good numbers of waders along with Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher and few minutes of decent Otter watching. That evening we counted 75 Little Egrets coming into roost. Whilst walking back to the car we had  numerous Bats swooping around our heads. I believe Leighton Moss holds 8 of the 16 species of Bats that are found in Britain, I think that is quite impressive.
Spotted Redshank photo taken at Leighton Moss RSPB.
Wood sandpiper photo taken at Grimsargh reservoir, Longridge.
Closer to home we have had Black necked grebe that I was unable to find when I visited Alston reservoirs, Little stint at Lower Foulridge reservoir, found by Gary Waddington. Two Yellow browed warblers found by John Metcalf and Russell Carter. I was lucky to catch up with one of the warblers one evening and a Ring necked parakeet the same evening.
The past week or so just outside of what I would call " our local patch" we have had four Glossy Ibis at a place called Doffcocker near Bolton. I visited yesterday and found nothing, nowt, not a damn thing. I scanned the fields from 3.30pm and checked every blade of grass. Then around 5.30pm I poured myself a drink from my flask and contemplated going home when all of a sudden all four of them wizzed past me from right to left and out of view before I could even put my brew down. Bugger !
This morning I was up with the early birds and back off towards Doffcocker. Shortly after arriving at the same spot I noticed four Curlew like birds busy feeding in a field 100 yards or so to my left...I set off in my best stalker mode.

Though at first the light was poor and the birds quite distant I waited and waited until they marched slowly towards my camera.
A great bird in this area and I did manage to get all four in frame at once, before the drizzle started to descend  and the Glossy Ibis moved further away.
I believe these birds breed mainly in eastern Europe around the Danube delta, Yugoslavia and northern Greece. Wintering in Africa Sahara region.
So overall it has been quite good here in the north west over the  past few weeks. Autumn is now here and the Redwings have arrived and Whooper Swans have been spotted.  Lots of birds have left us but new ones will arrive for the winter. Lets hope that we get some good ones.

My next post will be about my friend Anne, and her photos from her days out and holidays !

  

Norfolk, Suffolk and a little bit of Lincoln.

July 5th-7th 2013.

A little time off work, and away I headed towards Thetford in Norfolk. The target list was fairly short and my main aim was to improve my birding away from my local area and give myself time to experiment and improve my photography. I had chosen sites where I knew I would see target birds but the aim was to see what else I could find whilst at these sites.
RSPB Lakenheath was the first port of call, and the sun was baking hot. Along the path towards Fen pools gave sightings of Sedge warbler and a quick glimpse of a Cetti's warbler within 10 minutes of arriving. A male Kestrel flew into the corner of the woods further  along the path and I noticed both birds heading towards this corner several times during my visits.
At New Fen viewpoint Great crested grebes and Mute swans graced the water in front of us. A Kingfisher and a adult  Bearded tit gave us brief views before I took the long walk towards Joist fen viewpoint. A Hobby was hunting quite high overhead, probably catching insects on the wing. Once at the viewpoint Marsh harriers entertained us as they searched the fens and reed beds.

 This viewpoint is supposed to be a good place for Common cranes but not today. Whilst sat in the bus shelter type hide another Cetti's warbler called from a bush no more than 5 yards to my left but was well hidden. Again it called and then again. Deciding to have a look for the elusive blighter I failed to see anything nearby. What I did notice though was a yellow/green speck in the Popular trees next to the path I had just walked along. Putting the scope on it didn't help because the heat haze was strong and the distance was far. Was it a Green woodpecker or the famous Golden oriole ? it was hard to call at that range and in that heat. Returning to my seat the Harriers could still be seen and another Hobby flew around high. Grey herons stalked among the reeds and 3 Egyptian geese flew past us and around us before coming around again. A walk back along the river produced nothing, no swallows, no swifts, just the distant call of a Cuckoo.
Near the end of the river walk I noted Little grebe lots of Mute swans and a male Gargney .
Back at the car park I managed to lock my car keys in the boot and I had to call the AA. That gave me chance  to look around the car park area. Jays,Great spotted woodpecker and the call off a Turtle dove back towards the car park made me turn around. Somewhere near the visitors centre I heard the dove again, walking towards the centre I noticed it upon a wooden bridge before it flew to my left and posed briefly atop a tree before moving out of view.

The AA rescued the keys and off I went towards Weeting Heath.
You don't have far to walk at Weeting heath.50 yards or so and your in one of the hides, I chose west hide. Just in front of the hides is a grassy flowery strip of meadow that is quite tall and about 20 yards wide, behind this is a greener shorter area of grass where I counted over 20 Rabbits running around in the slowly dimming light. Over to my far left I managed to pick out a distant Stone curlew but it was not worth trying to photograph. I heard the calls similar to the more common Curlew but  I saw nothing. Then 3 birds flew across my field of view before landing to my far left and close to the first bird. I could still here calling as I searched the whole area then 2 birds flew from the left and landed to my right hand side giving better views but still quite distant.  I watched as these birds stood erect looking around with those large eyes, before running a short distance and pecking at the ground for food. Then after a minute it stood upright again ran a short distance again and stopped to feed again. It did this several times moving from my right across the ground and over to the far left again. These are cracking birds and something I have not seen before. Sadly I saw no Wood lark at this site one of my target birds. Though I did pick up a Spotted flycatcher in near darkness when I was leaving.

Saturday I had a quick run to a site that was given to me for Nightjars, called Firebreak 24. A large track between two blocks of trees in Thetford forest. It led to a clear fell area that looked superb. I would return that evening.
 
Back at Lakenheath I started by walking the riverside towards the New fen viewpoint, a Cuckoo was keeping its distance in front of me but constantly calling. As I turned left towards the New fen area a fluted exotic call came from the tall Poplar trees just by the path. Another birder was stood on the path looking into the trees where the sound had come from. Scanning the trees was pointless really but we did. After a few minutes and no more calls we walked down to the viewpoint.

The young Bearded tits were active but no adults today. The Marsh harriers hunted around the reeds and a Hobby flew from behind us and over towards the Joist fen area. Trying to photograph the Bearded tits between the reeds was hard and then another fluted exotic call came from the Poplar trees behind us sounding quite close. We stopped and scanned the trees again but saw nothing. A few more minutes chasing the Beardies and again came the fluted call of the exotic Golden oriole but no sighting. This happened several times before I moved over to the Joist fen viewpoint. Sitting in the shade of the bus shelter 2 Common buzzards soared in the distance and the Marsh harriers made a food pass above this huge fen. Two men with scopes sat on the benches in the sun to  our right, talking amongst themselves. One of these guys suddenly jumped up shouting " Cranes", and pointed towards the back of the fen. Two Common cranes had taken off and were rising as they flew across the back of the fen, a great sighting and also another target bird. we watched them drift away and sat back in the shade. The Cetti's called from the same area as the day before
so I decided to let it come to me this time but with no luck. As I waited a Bittern rose from the reeds flew 20 yards and dropped down again. Ten minutes later another Bittern rose and flew away from us before dropping down into the reeds. On the walk bact to the car a Kestrel flew into the same corner of the woods and one flew out moments later. Sedge, Willow and Reed warblers   sang from the side of the path and I picked up a Grasshopper warbler nearer the car park.
Next site was over the border in Suffolk, Lackford Lakes. A good place for Nightingales, Woodlark, Turtle doves and Yellowhammer  . The staff are very helpful though the site looks very family orientated. The paths are easy and the whole site is a superb mixture of woods, ponds, reed beds and lakes. My first stop was Bills hide. Grey herons and two Little egrets waded on the waters edge and two Green sandpipers pleased me when I found them. A Kingfisher flew back and forth across the hide but remained a tad out of reach for the camera.

Moving to the double decker hide I was expecting a busy packed hide but was surprised when it was empty, as I opened the door a window flap had been left open and I noticed a blue flash in the corner of my eye. A Kingfisher had landed within shooting distance so I slowly sat down and reached for  the camera, I rattled off 20-30 frames and the bird dived from its perch returning with a Stickleback sideways in it's bill. I watched as the bird bash the fish on the branch again and again shooting frames all the time, it then tossed the fish into a head on position before swallowing it whole.

 It was great watching this a few yards in front of me with the camera and good light. I rattled off about 80 shots and some results are the best I have ever taken of this species.

Moving around the site I noted lots of young Swallows, Blackcap, Swans and Greylag geese, Along with the odd Pochard and one male Red crested pochard that is a resident here. Lots of Cuckoos called around the reserve and a Muntjac deer stepped out in broad daylight. The briefest of sightings of a Pair of Yellowhammer, and 
several Whitethroats sang from the scrub. Birds of prey included Kestrel, Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.  I imagine this site is superb in spring and winter and worthy of more visits.
As dusk arrived I headed towards firebreak 24 in Thetford forest covered in midge lotion and with a large supply of cold water. I stood on a piece of raised ground overlooking the area and waited. Within minutes I was covered in midges, they were in my eyes and ears and I must of swallowed a dozen.  Muntjac barked and I saw three in total, Woodcock flew above the trees and I heard the screeching of what was probably young Long eared owls. The Nightjars started and became very vocal as the light faded and several birds could be seen at fairly close range. I left as the light gave up and went to my hotel for a long cool shower.

Sunday morning I headed towards Boston in Lincolnshire and Frampton Marshes RSPB, another site I had not visited before. Leaving Lastingham the skies were clear and blue. As I drove along the country lanes Sparrows and Collard doves could be  seen, I slowed down and watched as two Red Legged Partridge ran for cover from the road side. Just before I joined the A1065 I noticed a bird soaring to my left so I lept from the car  and stood with my back against a large bush as the bird circled closer I noticed it was a Red Kite, grabbing some shots it must of seen me and drifted away.

Pleased with my luck I made Frampton by 9am.
Frampton looks a great site with plenty of walks, and the staff were helpful. I started at the 360 hide and noticed Little Egrets, Avocets, some with young and good numbers of Black tailed godwits. Along the paths I noted plenty of Sedge warblers, Goldfinch, Reed buntings and Goldfinch. The Reedbed hide had plenty of Gulls in front of it but no Mediterranean gulls. more Grey herons and more Avocets, and Godwits. A circular walk back towards the visitors centre produced a single Corn bunting and a single Yellow wagtail.
Plenty of warblers along the paths again and close to the end a small group of Yellowhammers flitted around one favoured area.
At the car park a Marsh Harrier was flying low over the fields but was distant, close by a  Little owl was stood on a fence post near a old farm building. After lunch I set off around again but this time towards the East hide. The first bird of note was a Little ring plover working along the edge of one of the pools and several more Avocets. At the bend leading towards the hide a couple were taking photos of something on the floor, beautiful, dainty Bee Orchids. These flowering orchids stood about 4 inches tall and looked superb in bloom.

At the hide a single Brent goose had remained also Ring plover, Redshank more Godwits and Avocets.
Leaving the site I was made to slam on the brakes as a large Adder slid across the tarmac in front of the car. I think it had been basking on the tarmac in the strong sunshine. Frampton Marshes is worthy of plenty more visits.