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Monday 5 February 2018

Birding The Gambia day 7 Darsilami Forest and Marakissa Wetlands

My last full day in The Gambia with once again a normal time breakfast at 7.30am, picking up Ebrimah at Serekunda, hitting heavy traffic all the way to Brikama. Stopping for guys to get breakfast we eventually arrived in an area near Darsilami known as Penyem.

A walk into the forest was quiet to begin with but once we got into an open area things started to happen. First of the raptors to appear was a Tawney Eagle.
Tawney Eagle
 Then a Long-crested Eagle
Long-crested Eagle
 We then found this confiding Bearded Barbet
Bearded Barbet

Bearded Barbet

Bearded Barbet
 and a Black-crowned Tchagra close by.
Black-crowned Tchagra

Black-crowned Tchagra
 Ebrima then shouted Bateleur  and looking into the sun one flew over
Bateleur



Bateleur
we also managed to see a couple Stone Partridges before heading off to Marakissa river camp.

Marakissa River Camp
Here we had pre-booked lunch the choice being either chicken with rice, or chicken with chips. I chose chips but the rice looked good and you got chips aswell! As soon as we arrived the Dutch proprietor and his Gambian wife welcomed us and put us onto a very showy Malachite Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher
 and then a Giant Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
While waiting for lunch and then the hour afterwards! I was able to watch the water pots and today it was non stop with birds coming to drink. The highlights were:-

Common Bulbul

Piapiac (red billed is a juvenile)

Long-tailed Glossy Starling with Purple Glossy Starling behind

Purple Glossy Starling

Red-billed Firefinch

Spotted Honeyguide

Spotted Honeyguide

White-crowned Robin Chat

White-crowned Robin Chat

Yellow-throated Leaflove

Blue-breasted Kingfisher

Senegal Parrot
After lunch a very short drive took us to the Marakissa wetlands, a part of the Allahein river floodplain. Seeing another Bateleur, and a Wahlbergs Eagle. Trees beside the river held a Rufous-crowned Roller and a Grey Woodpecker.

Rufous-crowned Roller

Grey Woodpecker

Marakissa Wetlands

Creating Salt pans
 Walking around the wetlands and across the salt workings we found several species of wader including Wood Sandpipers, Greenshank, Common and Green Sandpiper and this Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper
 (That was certainly a much better view than the only other one I have seen at Cliffe Pools in 2017)

Also there were several Black-winged Stilts
Black-winged Stilts
 It was now time to head back to the Lodge and so we said our farewells firstly to Babacah for his excellent driving in testing conditions.
Babacah the Driver
 and then to my guide for the week Ebrimah Njie and thanked him for his superb spotting and knowledge and also thanked him for his patience when I couldn't get onto something
Ebrimah Njie 

Birds added to my list today were:- Tawney Eagle, Long-crested Eagle ,Bateleur, Stone Partridge,
Purple Glossy Starling, Spotted Honeyguide,Wahlberg's Eagle, Marsh Sandpiper.

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