Blue-bellied Roller - Yoba, first positive identification from the car
Unusually for us, we booked just a few months before travel and opted for a package put together by Farakunku Lodges, where we spent the majority of nights.
Thursday 8th - Arrive 14:15 Banjul and transfer to Tanje.
There was no space for us at Farakunku on the first night and we stayed at the Tanje Ecolodges. The lodges were clean and we were aware that there was no hot water. In the afternoon, after arrival, we went down to the beach, watching gulls, terns and Storm Petrels. There were no waders on the beach there but a look through the scrub running along beside the beach gave some of our first species for our list.
Storm Petrel
Fishing boats at Ghanatown
Red-chested Swallow
Friday 9th - Tanje until transfer to Farakunku 14:30
Before breakfast we watched the birds coming in to the water pools to drink.
Western Bluebill
Shikra
Black-necked Weavers, Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu,
Common Bulbul, and Black-billed Wood Dove
Vervet Monkey
We then walked through the forest (that was fairly quiet) and out onto the beach. Here we setttled in with many familiar birds along the water's edge.
Bar-tailed Godwit
Sanderling
Caspian Tern
After transferring to Farakunku we sat in the bird and tree sanctuary for a while and had some good close views.
Fine-spotted Woodpecker
African Thrush
Beautiful Sunbird
Yellow-throated Gonolek
Long-tailed Glossy Starling
At Abuko we had some interesting non-bird sightings.
West African Crocodile
Red Colobus Monkey
Rock Python
Nile Monitor
Most birds that we saw were close to water.
Giant Kingfisher
Black Heron
African Harrier Hawk
Senegal Coucal
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Grey Woodpecker
After lunch at the delightfully quirky Lamin Lodge, located in the mangroves and where 'monkey sticks' were provided to keep the Vervets away from food while people are eating, we moved on to the rice fields.
Mud skipper
At the rice fields we walked between fields on the raised banks. There wasn't much water in the fields at all, but we still found a few birds.
Striated Heron
Western Reef Heron
Dark Blue Pansy
African Spoonbill
Senegal Thick-knee
Greater Painted-snipe
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Our guide, Ebrima, also had a site for White-faced Scops Owl.
White-faced Scops Owl
Sunday 11th - Brufut woods am, local walks pm.
The most striking thing about Brufut woods was the rubbish. A lot along the roads, some dumped in a shallow pit - and then you really appreciate regular rubbish collections, something that doesn't happen in the Gambia. Most of the rubbish is basically plastic, with no where for it to go it just sits there, for ever more!
As the day progressed it became increasingly hot, so finishing up at the water provided to attract birds to drink in a shady area (with seating for birders) was appreciated.
The vast majority of litter is plastic.
African Grey Hornbill
Hooded Vulture
Fanti-Saw-wing
Senegal Parrot
Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Yellow-fronted Canary and
Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu.
Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu.
Lizard Buzzard
Long-tailed Nightjar
In the afternoon we spent some time at Tujereng, exploring the pools and finding a Great Snipe, Snipe, Spur-winged Goose, Black-winged Stilt, Broad-billed Roller, Kittilitz's Plover, Sedge Warbler, African Collared Dove and Tawny Eagle amongst others.
Muddy pools by the coast, Tujereng
Broad-billed Roller
Wood Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Kittlitz's Plover
A terrific start to the day with two owl species before breakfast and both in the grounds of Farakunku lodges!
African Scops Owl
Pearl-spotted Owlet
As a result we were a little late setting off for our fist stop, Farasutu Forest where we were led to first where two White-faced Scops Owl were roosting, and then further into the forest was the addtional bonus of well hiden African Wood Owl roosting, but the Grey Eagle Owls had not be located in the windy conditions over night and had yet to be pinned down.
White-faced Scops Owl
A visit then to Farasutu Forest the Verreaux's Eagle Owl were found easily, but it was not quite warm and the forest was failry quite. We spent some time over lunch watching the water provided at the rangers station for a while.
Farasutu Forest
Verreaux's Eagle Owl one of a pair
The last location, Farara Banta, was a scrubby, open area. It was very hot by this time and undoubtedly, this affected the numbers of birds seen.
Baobab tree. Large pods are too tough for animals to break in to.
Contents is a white powder, made into a drink
or mixed with sugar and eaten like sherbet.
Dark Chanting Goshawk
(Western) Red-billed Hornbill
Tuesday 13th - Penyam, Marakissa & Darsilami
Another day of trekking in our quest to see birds, first of all visiting the area of Penyam.
Red-billed Quelea
Little Bee-eater
Penyum
Unidentified plant
The day was punctuated by a very good lunch at Marakissa where we listened to Pied Kingfishers on the river while we ate our ample meal, and again watching birds come down to water put out for them.
Purple Glossy Starling
Brown Babbler
Greater Honeyguide
Pia Piak (adult with black bill)
Plain-backed Pipit
African Wattled Lapwing
Darsalami