Senegal and The Gambia January 2026 - Part 3 Saturday 24th Djoudj

After breakfast we packed our bags and entered the National Park and had our first look of the lakes near the lodges. Being the first major wetland south of the Sahara it was teeming with birds.

Djoudj

Lesser Flamingos

One of the first close birds we saw was a Kittlitz's Plover being only the second one I've seen.

Kittlitz's Plover

We had a boat trip arranged on a tributary of the Senegal River while waiting for our guide to collect our tickets a Warthog passed by

Warthog

We boarded our boat and within minutes we were enjoying the spectacle of the Great White Pelicans that nest in the area

After a while we reached a man made island where the Pelicans nest

Other birds we saw while on the boat included

African Fish Eagle

Black Heron

Crocodile

Great Cormorants

Another African Fish Eagle

African Jacana

Purple Swamphen

Squacco Heron

Skulking Allen's Gallinule

African Darter

Allen's Gallinule eventually in the open

Synchronised feeding Pelicans 

After our boat trip we walked along from the pontoon and found our second River Prinia and an African Stonechat.

River Prinia

African Stonechat

Our local guide then took us to an area to look for roosting Nightjars, but the only ones we saw were those that were flushed being Long-tailed and Egyptian Nightjars. Lunch was taken back at the lodge we didn't stay at, and then in the afternoon we met up with our local guide again to visit another part of the reserve. While waiting for him to join us we looked at another wetland finding another Kittlitz's Plover plus others.

Kittlitz's Plover

White-faced and Fulvous Whistling Ducks

Marsh Sandpiper

Glossy Ibis

Our guide took us to another area of water that was teeming with ducks the highlight being over a hundred Garganey

Garganey

Our next target was for an Arabian Bustard, so we drove across some sandy grassland with some scrub looking, and stopping a couple of times where we had good views of a flock of ten Black-crowned Cranes flying over.

Black-crowned Cranes

An African Golden Jackal was also seen

Golden Jackal

Eventually an Arabian Bustard was spotted, with only his head showing. Quietly we got out of the mini bus and watched it as it moved through the grass and then took off but landed in the distance but still in sight.

 

Looking for Arabian Bustard 

Arabian Bustard in the distance, photo by Jo.

We now had an hour and a half drive back towards St Louis where the local guide had arranged our accommodation for the night at Lampsar Lodge just off the main N2 road.

By the time we arrived it was dark but the rooms were far better than the previous night.

 

Room was basic but clean and had aircon

Sunday 25th Breakfast was served at 7.00, and as light dawned we found we were staying by the edge of a tributary of the Senegal River.

My room balcony over looking the river

View from my balcony

With bags packed we left at 9.00 for Podor.