Monday 3rd December 7 of us met up at Gatwick at 5.30am to board the Thomas Cook flight to Banjul. Leaving on time we arrived in Banjul around 1.30pm. Our luggage being the last to be unloaded and Julie being questioned about the needles in her sewing kit we finally left the airport around 3pm with our guides Ebrima and Hally and our driver Moses. After changing our currency in a layby, first stop was at Farasuto where the local guide took us on a short walk to show the specialities of Greyish Eagle Owl and Standard-winged Nightjar. I haven't included the commoner species seen throughout the trip.
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| Greyish Eagle Owl |
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| Standard-winged Nightjar |
Our next stop a couple of miles down the road took us to Bonto Woods where we met up with Edrissa (the Village Council) He showed us the pair of Verreaux's Eagle Owls, 1 on a nest the other flew as we approached. Next he showed us the White-faced Scops Owl. A quick thank you and we were on our way to Tendaba.
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| Verreaux's Eagle Owl |
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| White-faced Scops Owl |
Other bird highlights were excluding the commoner species African Harrier Hawk, Stone Partridge, Double Spurred Francolin, Rose-ringed Parakeet, African Palm Swift, African Thrush, Green Wood Hoopoe and Abyssinian Roller.
After a couple more hours of travelling we reached Tendaba Camp in darkness around 7pm.
Tuesday 4th December after breakfast we set off for George Town, only 2 minutes down the road we stopped as a Bruces Green Pigeon was seen, from here on the birds kept coming.
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| Bruce's Green Pigeon |
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| Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling |
Soon we were at the Gambia river crossing to take us to the North bank, although having to wait for over an hour there was plenty to keep us from getting bored
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| Pink-backed Pelican |
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| Ferry to Farafini |
Having crossed over to the North Bank we continued our journey stopping at various spots picking up more and more species.
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| Black-headed Lapwing |
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| Broad-billed Roller |
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| Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting |
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| Abyssinian Roller |
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| Little Bee-eater |
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| Palm-nut Vulture |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
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| Sahel Paradise Whydah |
Other notable species seen before lunch were Long-tailed Glossy Starlings, Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Purple Glossy Starling, Senegal Parrot, Hammerkop, European Spoonbill, Bush Pritonia, Black-rumped Waxbill, Pygmy Sunbird, Brown Babler, Tawney-flanked Pirinia, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Senegal Coucal, Grey Kestrel, Griffon Vulture, Red-necked Falcon, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Hornbill, Western Reef Heron, Grey Heron, Long-tailed Cormorant, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Gull-billed Tern, White Wagtail, Caspian Tern, Spur-winged Plover, Squacco Heron, Red-rumped Swallow, Namaque Dove, Wire-tailed Swallow, Tawney Eagle, Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, Green-winged Hytilia, Piapiac, Buffalo Weaver, Brown Snake Eagle, Tree Pipit, Viellot's Barbet, Woodland Kingfisher, Black-billed Wood Dove, African Hawk Eagle.
After lunch we arrived at a wetland and a quick scan found an Egyption Plover, being the last to get onto it, it disappeared up the road. Our next stop was at Njua a water retention lake where immediately we saw 3 Egyption plover and while watching a flock of Red-throated Bee-eaters flew in.
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| Egyptian Plovers |
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| Egyptian Plover with Common Sandpiper |
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| Egyptian Plover |
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| Red-throated Bee-eaters |
Heading towards George Town on the outskirts of Lamin Koto we stopped for an Anteater Chat that joined another.
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| Anteater Chats |
On arriving at the ferry crossing the light was fading but we crossed the river after a short wait and arrived at Boabolong Annexe our accommodation for the next 2 nights.
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| Ferry leaving Lamin Kotu for Georgetown |
Other birds seen this afternoon were Collared Pratincole, African Darter, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Yellow Wagtail, Black-faced Quail Finch, Whistling Duck, Whistling Duck, Purple Swamphen, Montagues Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Senegal Thicknee, Gaber Goshawk, African Harrier Hawk, Yellow-billed Shrike, Broad-billed Roller, Grey Hornbill, Senegal Eronomela, Village Indogo Bird, White-backed Vulture, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Spur-winged Goose.
Wednesday 5th December - Paul's Birthday. After a not very good night due to noise and no electricity Paul and I went for a walk up the road before breakfast picking up Speckled Pigeon, Mourning and Laughing Doves plus Grey-headed Bush Shrike and Yellow Crowned Gonolek, during breakfast a juvenile Klaas's Cuckoo appeared in the Lodge grounds. After breakfast we headed for the jetty
to take a boat trip on the Gambia River seeing Tawney -flanked Prinia, Red-billed Firefinch, Yellow-throated Leaflove, and a Shikra. Paul cutting his forehead on the boats canopy put a downer on things but fortunately the injury was minor and we continued on our way after Bridget's first aid.
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| George Town Cruise |
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| African Fish Eagle |
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| African Harrier Hawk |
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| Blue-breasted Kingfisher |
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| Grey-headed Kingfisher |
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| Nile Monitor Lizard |
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| Palm-nut Vultures |
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| Striated Heron |
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| Swamp Flycatcher |
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| Western-banded Snake Eagle |
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| Western-banded Snake Eagle |
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| Woodland Kingfisher |
Other birds seen on the trip Bruce's Green Pigeon, African Darter, Senegal Thicknee, Spur-winged Goose, Violet Turaco Broad-billed Roller, Senegal Parrots, Black-headed Lapwing, Parakeets, Black-headed Heron, Chiffchaff Abyssinian Roller, Oriole Warbler, Marabou Stork, Black-crowned Night Heron, Grey Hornbill, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Hammerkop, Yellow-billed Shrike, Wood Hoopoe, Bearded Barbet, Beautiful Sunbird, and White-backed Vulture. Returning back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon we set off for a walk around the now deserted Bird Safari Camp
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| Bird Safari Camp |
seeing more species including
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| Lizard Buzzard |
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| Fine-spotted Woodpecker |
Marsh Harrier, Little Swift, Northern Puffback, African Paradise Flycatcher, Little Green Bee-eater, Willow Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Blackcap Babbler, Stone Partridge, Scarlet Chested Sunbird, Vinaceous Dove, Grey Kestrel, Turtle Dove, Double-spur Francolin, Wahlbergs Eagle, and as dusk fell a couple of Long-tailed Nightjars.
Thursday 6th we packed our bags once more and set off back to Tendaba Camp, stopping a little further east at Bansang Quarry where Red-throated Bee-eaters breed
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| Bansang Quarry |
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| Red-throated Bee-eaters |
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| Paradise Whydah (left) Bush Petronia (right) |
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| Namaque Dove (female) |
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| Double Spur Francolin |
We were hoping to see the bee-eaters come out of their burrows in numbers but it didn't happen however a few were around, also seen there Dark Chanting Goshawk, Pied Kingfisher, Mosque Swallow, Senegal Parrot, Cinnamon breasted Bunting, Purple and Long-tailed Glossy Starlings, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Spurwinged Plover, Shikrs, Vinaceous Dove, Piapiac,
Following the South bank road we stopped several times seeing Oxpecker, African Golden Oriole, Pallid Swift, Red Rump Swallow, Wahlbergs Eagle, and Long-crested Eagle.
At Jachaly Rice fields we saw Grasshopper Buzzard, Wood sandpiper, Intermediate Egret, Grey Heron, Black-winged Stilts, Black Crake, Squacco Heron, African Jacana, Montagues Harrier, Black-headed heron, Little Swift, Palm Swift, Wire-tailed Swallow, Marabou Stork, and Brown Snake Eagle.
Stopping for lunch at Barrakunda we saw Osprey, Greenshank, Wattled Lapwing, Bateleur, African Hawk Eagle, African Sea Eagle, Mottled Spinetail, Beaudouin Eagle, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Caspian Terns, another Montagues Harrier, Gull-billed Terns, Little Egret, White-rumped Seedeater, Common Kestrel and a White-crowned Tchagra.
Our final stop of the day was at Tendaba air strip where we added Great White Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Slender-billed Gulls, Redshank, Whimbrel, Ruff and Zitting Cisticola to our days list.
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| Tendaba Airstrip with a colony of Baboons |
We arrived back at Tendaba Camp around 6pm.
Friday 7th. After an early breakfast we headed to the river to get our next boat trip which would take us across the river to Kissi Creek.
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| African Darter |
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| Great White Pelicans |
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| Great White Pelicans |
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| Long-tailed Cormorant |
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| Malachite Kingfisher |
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| Martial Eagle |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
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| White-throated Bee-eater |
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| White-throated Bee-eater |
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| Wooly-necked Stork |
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| Wire-tailed Swallow |
Other birds seen on the river were Caspian Tern, Slender-billed Gull, Grey Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Common and Green Sandpipers, Greenshank, Goliath Heron, African Spoonbill, Pink-backed Pelican, Common Cormorant, Whimbrel, Striated Heron, Mousebrown Sunbird, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Parakeets, Yellow-billed Stork, Red-breasted Swallow, Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Blue-checked Bee-eater, Western Reef Egret, Montagues Harrier, Beaudoins Eagle, Hammerkop, Grey-headed Sparrow, Spotted Redshank, and Little Egret. We had lunch back at the camp where I had time for a few pics of the camp before walking up the hill to Ebrima's photo hide.
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| Tendaba camp reception |
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| Tendaba camp round houses |
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| Tendaba Village |
In the afternoon we walked up this hill to the photo hide, although quiet eventually we saw Yellow-fronted Canary, Black-rumped Waxbill, Bush Petronia, Grey-headed Sparrow, Black-billed Wood Dove, Common Bulbul, Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu, Village Weaver, Lavender Waxbill, Vinaceous Dove, and Red Billed Firefinch. With our bags packed we headed off for the West Coast stopping on the way to look for Temmincks Courser of which we had no luck but were highly delighted when Moses spotted a couple of Abyssinian Ground Hornbills in a tree.
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| Abyssinian Ground Hornbills |
Also seen here were Lizard Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Palm-nut Vulture, Northern Puffback. Further along the road we stopped to see this Rufous-crowned Roller and also saw Variable, Beautiful and Splendid Sunbirds.
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| Rufous-crowned Roller |
We eventually arrived on the west coast at Evergreen Lodge in Tujereng at 6.45pm where we were made most welcome and our hosts Greg and Maria put on an excellent buffet supper.
Saturday morning we went to Lamin Rice Fields an area used for growing rice in the wet season and vegetables after.
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| Wattled Lapwing |
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| Woodland Kingfisher |
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| Blue-bellied Roller |
Despite a good search we couldn't find our target bird of Black Heron but a good selection of birds seen in the hour there included Red-billed Firefinch, Green Sandpiper, Piapiac, Parakeets, Squacco Heron, Western Reef Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, African Jacana, Bronze-winged Manakin, Long-tailed Cormorant, Senegal Thicknee, Vinaceous Dove, Pied and Giant Kingfisher, Village Weavers, Shikra, Red-eyed Dove, Buffalo Weaver, Senegal Parrot and Hammerkop.
A two minute walk across the road and we were in the Abuko Nature Reserve. Today it seem really quiet (compared to my last two visits) until we reached a spot where some birds were up in the canopy which was a bit of a relief Added to our days list were African Thrush, Purple Heron, Little Greenbul, Plantain Eater, Swallowtail Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Common Wattle Eye, Lesser Honeyguide, Black-neck Weaver, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Collared Sunbird, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Fanti-Sawing, and a Nile Crocodile.
Lunch was at Farakunku Lodge Heather and Moses made us most welcome and after a delicious Veggie Curry we walked the gardens seeing
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| Beautiful Sunbird and Red-billed Firefinch |
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| Bronze Manakins |
Plus Double-spur Francolin, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Variable Sunbird, Blackcap Babler, Brown Babler, Greater Honeyguide, Lavender Waxbill, Red-eyed Dove.
Late afternoon we returned to Tujereng near our Lodge and walked the woods which are now compounds with farmed areas. Enjoying
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| White-fronted Blackchat |
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| Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver |
Plus Northern Crombec, Singing Cisticola, Palm Swift, Rufous-crowned Roller, Larner Falcon, Osprey, Grey Hornbill, Yellow Wagtail, Viellots Barbet, Winchat, Woodchat Shrike, Grey Kestrel, Lesser Honeyguide, Pied-winged Swallow, Little Swift, Little Bee-eater, Striped Kingfisher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird.
Sunday 9th December, today we went to my favourite place Kartong Bird Reserve. No bird ringing was happening and we more or less had the place to ourselves First we looked in the marshes at the entrance seeing Whistling Ducks, Common Snipe, Jacanas, Purple Swamphen, Squacco Heron, Black-headed Heron, Little Grebe, Spur-winged Plovers, Black Crake, walking towards the beach we added to our list Piapiac, Long-tailed Glossy Starlings, Blue-bellied Roller, Grey Kestrel, Village Weavers, 2 Four-banded Sandgrouse, Beautiful Sunbird, African Harrier Hawk, Osprey, Brown Babler, Malachite Kingfisher, Gull-billed Tern, Green Wood Hoopoe, Zitting Cisticola, Black-tailed Godwit, Caspian Tern, Spur-winged Goose, Black-winged Stilts, Marsh Harrier, Wood Sandpiper, Melodoius Warbler, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, European Hoopoe, Namaque Dove, Red chested Swallow. Barn Swallow and Wattled Lapwing.
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| Osprey |
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| White-faced Whistling Ducks and Spur-Winged Goose |
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| Beautiful Sunbird |
Approaching the beach we were called to by another guide pointing to Carmine Bee-eaters, a species high on every ones list to see.
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| Carmine Bee-eaters |
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| Carmine Bee-eaters |
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| Carmine Bee-eater |
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| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater |
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| Crested Lark |
Having seen Crested Lark and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in the same area went out to the waters edge for waders seeing White-fronted Plover, Turnstone, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling. Then it was off to Stalla Lodge for lunch.
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| Stalla Lodge |
The afternoon was taken up with another boat trip on the river Allahein. We set off from Stalla Lodge passing the bank on south side a few feet from Senegal. Here we passed roosting Caspian Terns Royal Terns, Grey Headed Gulls, and Slender-billed Gulls
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| Caspian Terns |
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| Grey-headed Gull |
Also seen
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| Senegal Thicknee |
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| Goliath Heron |
Plus Sandwich Tern, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Whimbrel, Grey Heron, Western-reef Egret, Ospreys, Greenshank, and at the river mouth a distant Kelp Gull. Returning back up river we added to our list Red-breasted Swallow, Blackwinged Stilt, Spur-winged Plover, 2 more Carmine Bee-eaters, Great Egret, Pink-backed Pelican, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Lesser Black-backed Gull and the highlight of the afternoon was when Paul spotted a Franklin's Gull roosting with the mix flock of gulls and terns.
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| Franklin's Gull. (First record for The Gambia?) |
Returning back to Evergreen Lodge around 5pm still gave us time to take a walk out to the beach, a Northern Crombec being the only bird of note.
Monday 10th our last full day was spent visiting firstly Penyem then Marakissa. The day started well with us seeing a Scimitar bill a (new bird for me) shortly after leaving the mini bus.
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| Scimitar bill |
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| Yellow-billed Shrike |
Other birds seen here were African Harrier Hawk, Grey-backed Cameroptera, Black-winged Bishop, Black-crowned Tchagara, Yellow-billed Shrike, Yellow-crowned Gonlek, Village Little and Buffalo Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Further down the road we tried the forested area which proved too overgrown other than a Double-spur Francolin, Greater Honeyguide, Green Wood Hoopoe, and Yellow-fronted Canary we went back to the road seeing a Whalbergs Eagle and Tawney Eagle in the sky together. Next stop was some wetland at Darsilarmi which had Knob-billed Duck,Hammerkop, Grey Heron, Intermediate Egret, and Red-breasted Swallow. The wooded part here was also overgrown so we headed to Marakissa Camp for Lunch.
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| Intermediate Egret |
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| Blue-bellied Roller |
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| Black-crowned Night Heron (juvenile) |
At the Marakissa drinking pots there were only a few birds, Bronze Manakins, Purple Glossy and Long-tailed Glossy Starlings and a couple of Red billed Firefinches, Yellow-billed Stork, Common Sandpiper, White-crowned Robin Chat, Blue Spotted Wood Dove, Pied Kingfisher which was disappointing compared to my visit last February.
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| Purple Glossy Starling |
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| Long-tailed Glossy Starling |
After lunch rather than visit the Marakissa wetlands it was decided to try for 2 birds that had eluded us all week being Painted Snipe and Black Heron. This meant travelling north for about an hour to tourist area around Kotu. First stop was at the Kotu Sewage ponds where we walked the area seeing Squacco Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Plover, on another pool where I had seen Black Heron before there were Sacred Ibis, Moorhen, Green and Wood Sandpipers, Hammerkop, Jacanas, Purple Heron and Long-tailed Cormorant. Feeling rather disappointed we walked back to main track where Ebrima met another guide who showed us a Pearl-spotted Owlet then took us to a site behind a hotel where earlier in the day he had seen Painted Snipe. However it wasn't to be but we did see a female Northern Puffback, and a Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird.
Heading back to the minibus we retraced our steps and then in one of the ponds a Painted Snipe emerged from the reeds.
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| Painted Snipe |
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| Painted Snipe |
Our luck was now back as while watching the Snipe a Black Heron flew over and landed in another pond which we had already visited, so a quick walk round and we watched as it did its umbrella feeding (although distant)
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| Black Heron |
So not a bad day after all.
Tuesday 11th Today we said our farewells to Greg and Maria such lovely hosts.
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| Group photo |
We still had a few hours spare before our flight home, so first stop was at Tanji river mouth, a quick scan through the roosting gulls and terns found nothing new. Next stop was at Brufut Woods where we met up with a local guide who tried his hardest to find African Green Pigeon for us as it hadn't been seen on our trip yet but sadly it wasn't to be Highlight for me here was this African Golden Oriole
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| African Golden Oriole |
Other notable birds seen Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu, Variable Sunbird, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Yellow-throated Leaflove, African Thrush, Fork-tailed Drongo, Wattled Lapwing, Double-spur Francolin, Olivaceous Warbler, Yellow-billed Shrike, Shikra, Violet Turaco, Grey-headed Sparrow, Senegal Parrot, White Eye, Copper Sunbird, Northern Red Bishop, Black-winged Red Bishop, Lavender Waxbill, Black-billed Wood Dove, Palm Swift, Greater Honeyguide
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| Greater Honeyguide |
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| Long-tailed Nightjar |
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| Variable Sunbird |
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| White-billed Buffalo Weavers |
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| Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird |
Around 12.00 we set off for the airport arriving in good time for our 4pm flight home. Many thanks to Ebrima for finding the birds and organising everything, to Moses for his driving and Hally for carrying the scope and looking after us.
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Ebrima, Moses and Hally
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