Gambia Training Project, Commencement of the Gambian Ringing Scheme part 1 - January 2020.

It's a very long time since we were approached by Fagimba Camara for help with learning to ring. Now after two years of intensive planning and working towards the scheme, we are finally here and have seven trainees, keen to develop their ringing skills. Some are employees of Department of Parks and Wildlife Management and West African Bird Studies Association, a further two are volunteers with another who is the reserve warden at Tanji bird reserve, the base for the project.

Due to constraints of time my posts may not be as wordy as usual. However there will be plenty of photos and species numbers at the end of January and the ringing days of February.

Day 1.

First GRS committee meeting.

Despite 46kg of  ringing kit, some items just had to be sourced locally. The vehicle

has also been hired to bring in the seven trainees each day. 

Day 2.

After some practice setting nets the first bird ringed by the GRS was an African Thrush. This adult has already bred and the brood patch is feathering over.

The first ringing day, ringing team NJ, MS,CL,LS, FC, BM , DKL, AJ & AS.

Little Greenbul (a rater vocal individual) - one of two birds captured and processed in the afternoon 

while CL and DKL busied themselves with admin.

Green Vervet monkey - just one of the regular visitors to the drinking pool.

Chameleon species - either Graceful or Senegal, a less common visitor.

Day 3.

The nets were dropped at 7am and proved much more successful than the previous day. MS, AS & AJ all extracted and ringed some birds today. There were 11 Red-billed Firefinches, providing a good opportunity to compare individuals side by side. We captured our first European migrant, a Whitethroat, hatched during the 2019 breeding season. Session Total - 21 new birds.

Practicing net handling - running nets out and in.

Day 4.

Another good day with 22 new birds and one retrapped Red-billed Firefinch. New species included Black-necked Weaver, Common Bulbul and Beautiful Sunbird.

Beautiful Sunbird male starting post juvenile moult.

Day 5.

Fewer birds today, but still some very colourful, quality species. 

Juvenile Yellow-crowned Gonolek

Adult female Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher

Common Wattle-eye juvenile female

Little Bee-eater adult

In the afternoon CL & DKL did a brief reccie of the other end of the reserve, looking for other possible sites to ring. There is also a leaking water tank just across the road from Tanji Eco-lodge - but we need to get in and clear areas. Just waiting for the return of NJ to work with AS and make some space for nets. Current running total 73 new and 2 retrapped birds.