Gambia West African Paradise
Friday 16th to Friday 30th January 2009
AA9018
The
Gambia has long been a popular birdwatching destination. Situated on the
coast of West Africa, it is one of the continent’s smallest countries, but
it has an impressive avifauna and offers visitors from Europe an ideal
introduction to the colourful world of African birds. In January the weather
should be sunny and dry and with the prospect of maybe 300 bird species to
see, this tour offers an enticing alternative to winter at home. Our first
week is spent in an excellent hotel on the Atlantic coast and from this base
we will visit some of the numerous birdwatching sites available nearby.
During the second week we head inland for a real Avian Adventure, following
the mighty Gambia River to Janjangbureh and staying in comfortable, but more
basic accommodation. On this excursion we can expect to see the beautiful
Egyptian Plover, for many an important ‘target’ species, but this is only
one of the numerous gems that make The Gambia an essential element of our
tour programme.Day 1: A
morning flight from London Gatwick to Banjul, followed by transfer to our
hotel. On arrival there should be time to enjoy some birding in the hotel’s
spacious grounds where White-crowned Robin-Chat, Yellow-crowned Gonolek and
Red-billed Hornbill are just three of the many colourful species that can be
found.
Overnight - Senegambia Beach Hotel
Days 2 - 7: We will spend these six
days exploring the many excellent birdwatching sites that are located within
easy reach of our hotel. These include The Gambia’s best-known reserve,
Abuko, a fine example of mature riverine forest with secluded pools,
surrounded by more open savannah woodland. Here we can expect to see
Palm-nut Vulture, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, African Paradise Flycatcher,
Hamerkop, Little Greenbul, Giant, African Pygmy & Malachite Kingfishers,
brilliant Green & Violet Turacos, African Pied Hornbill and many more. We’ll
also visit the coastal Tanji Reserve where African Hobby and Red-necked
Falcon are often seen. The bushes here hold Palearctic migrants such as
Melodious & Western Olivaceous Warblers as well as resident Swallow-tailed &
Little Bee-eaters and Splendid Sunbird and the shoreline may have Audouin’s
Gull amongst the many Grey-headed Gulls, Caspian & Royal Terns. An even
better place to see shorebirds will be the Bund Road on the edge of Banjul.
Here we can look for Slender-billed Gulls and Pink-backed Pelicans, offshore
Arctic or Pomarine Skuas and familiar species such as Ruddy Turnstone,
Ringed Plover and Sanderling. The Kotu sewage ponds, together with nearby
golf course, cycle track and creek, will certainly be on our schedule and
may occupy us for most of one day. In recent years the sewage ponds have
attracted such oddities as American Golden Plover and Black-bellied
Whistling Duck, but we are more likely to find Black-winged Stilts, Marsh &
Wood Sandpipers and perhaps Black Crake. Also, it is here that we often see
Grey Kestrel and Double-spurred Francolin. The golf course can usually be
relied on for Black-headed Lapwing and Blue-bellied Roller, while the creek
may have Western Reef Egret, Senegal Thick-knee and Wire-tailed Swallow. The
abandoned shrimp farm at Pirang is where we will hope to see Black Crowned
Cranes and this is also a good site for Black-necked Parrot, Quailfinch,
Mosque Swallow and Plain-backed Pipit. The Farababanta bush track is well
known for its raptors including Bateleur, Grasshopper Buzzard and Dark
Chanting Goshawk, but we will also look and listen out here for colourful
Grey-headed & Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrikes. At Brufut woods, we might see
more Palearctic migrants, maybe a Common Redstart, but it is also a good
area for a variety of sunbirds, as well as those tongue-twisters,
Grey-backed Cameroptera and Green-backed Eremomela. Another interesting
woodland is at Bambakuno, where Black-rumped & Orange-cheeked Waxbills,
White-shouldered Black Tit, Black-faced Firefinch and Black-winged Bishop
will be our targets. Depending on the time available and local advice, other
sites we may visit include Marakissa, Yundum, Lamin ricefields and Camalou
Corner.
Overnights - Senegambia Beach Hotel
Days 8 & 9: We leave the coast and
head ‘up river’ for a two night stay at Tendaba Camp, located on the south
bank of the Gambia River. Here we will enjoy one of the highlights of the
tour when we take to the river in a pirogue and cruise amongst the
mangroves, exploring the creeks and channels. Amongst the birds to be
expected are Grey-headed & Blue-breastedKingfishers, Goliath Heron,
Mouse-brown Sunbird, African Fish Eagle, White-backed Night-Heron, African
Blue Flycatcher and White-throated Bee-eater. We have sometimes seen African
Finfoot here. On land, in the surrounding area, there is also plenty to see
in a variety of habitats and this is a good place to find Abyssinian Ground
Hornbill, Long-crested Eagle and Bruce’s Green Pigeon.
Overnights - Tendaba Camp
Days 10 & 11: We head further
inland, crossing the river by ferry and making our way along the north bank
towards Janjangbureh. Although there should be many birds to see on the
journey, the highlight is almost certain to be the wetland at Kaur, where we
will hope to see The Gambia’s most famous bird, Egyptian Plover, together
with Kittlitz’s Plover and other waders. Bird life on the north bank and
this far inland is different from that we have seen previously and we are
sure to keep finding ‘new’ birds. From Janjangbureh we will visit Basse to
look for Northern Carmine Bee-eaters and Black Coucal and we’ll visit a
colony of Red-throated Bee-eaters. All the time we will be looking for
vultures – by now Hooded will be very familiar, but here we could see
Rüppell’s Griffon, African White-backed or White-headed. Martial Eagle is
also a possibility.
Overnights - Bird Safari Camp
Days 12 & 13: We begin our journey
back towards the coast taking the road along the south bank of the river and
stopping at the Jakhaly ricefields, which often hold a good number of
waders. This can be a good place to see African Pygmy Geese, Comb Duck and
maybe Painted Snipe. For our last two nights in The Gambia we return to
Tendaba where we may take another boat trip on the Gambia River. A Land
Rover safari into nearby Kiang West National Park is
another of several other possibilities.
Overnights - Tendaba Camp
Day 14: We return to the coast,
stopping on the way for another visit to Abuko.
Overnight - Senegambia Beach Hotel
Day 15: Birding at coastal sites before our flight home.