On the spur of the moment I really needed a break, couldn't find any birding tours with availability so I contacted Ebrima from my last trip to The Gambia who was willing to take me around and assured me I would see some new birds as we would be at the start of the wet season. I booked an hotel and flight with The Gambia Experience for around £550 and Ebrima's charge for the day including driver and car was £65. Leaving on the 3rd July the flight by Enter Air was an hour late leaving, on arrival at Banjul there were thunderstorms and we were diverted to Dakar. After 3 hours on the tarmac there while they sorted payment for refuelling we took off again and landed in Banjul around 8.30pm their time which was 6 hours later than expected. The usual no rush at the airport I arrived at The Senegambia hotel just in time as the restaurant closed so went straight to bed. Next morning I met Ebrima to sort out our itinerary and stayed around the hotel for the rest of the day checking the gardens for birds and lizards and getting use to the heat and humidity.
The list of birds seen in hotel grounds during the week were Pied Crow, Laughing Dove, African Mourning Dove, Grey-headed Gull, Hooded Vultures fed daily at 11am, Yellow-billed Kite, Giant Kingfisher, Cattle Egret, African Thrush, Tawney-flanked Prinia, Cordon Bleu, Lavender Waxbill, Beautiful Sunbird, Grey Woodpecker, Palm Swift, Common Bulbul, Western Red Hornbill, Western Plantain Eater, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Hammerkop, Oriole Warbler, Bronze Manakin, White-crowned Robinchat, Brown Babler, Red-billed Firefinch, Green-wood Hoopoe.
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| Grey Woodpecker |
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| Hammerkop |
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| Hooded Vulture |
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| Nile Monitor Lizard (approx. 1 metre long) |
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| Ogama lizard Male (30cms) |
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| Western Red Hornbill |
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| White-crowned Robinchat |
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