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.
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| Tawney Eagle |
Then a Long-crested Eagle
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| Long-crested Eagle |
We then found this confiding Bearded Barbet
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| Bearded Barbet |
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| Bearded Barbet |
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| Bearded Barbet |
and a Black-crowned Tchagra close by.
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| Black-crowned Tchagra |
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| Black-crowned Tchagra |
Ebrima then shouted Bateleur and looking into the sun one flew over
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| Bateleur |
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| Bateleur |
we also managed to see a couple Stone Partridges before heading off to Marakissa river camp.
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| 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
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| Malachite Kingfisher |
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| Malachite Kingfisher |
and then a Giant Kingfisher
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| 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:-
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| Common Bulbul |
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| Piapiac (red billed is a juvenile) |
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| Long-tailed Glossy Starling with Purple Glossy Starling behind |
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| Purple Glossy Starling |
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| Red-billed Firefinch |
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| Spotted Honeyguide |
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| Spotted Honeyguide |
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| White-crowned Robin Chat |
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| White-crowned Robin Chat |
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| Yellow-throated Leaflove |
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| Blue-breasted Kingfisher |
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| 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.
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| Rufous-crowned Roller |
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| Grey Woodpecker |
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| Marakissa Wetlands |
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| 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
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| Marsh Sandpiper |
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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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