Ghana - Gold Coast Birding
Saturday 31st October to Saturday 14th November 2009
AA9017
Ghana is your dreams come true! Our Bird Safari to Ghana offers superb birding opportunities in the “Gold Coast” of West Africa, with sunshine, fantastic scenery, extremely friendly people, abundant wildlife and hundreds of exotic bird and butterfly species. The trip explores many superb habitats from the coastal wetlands, through lush broad-leaved Upper Guinea forests and the dry savannah of the Sahel. Sought-after species found here include Yellow-headed Picathartes, Congo Serpent-eagle, Black Beeeater, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Standard-winged Nightjar and Blue Cuckoo-Shrike. In addition, Mole offers a good variety of African savannah mammals. It is the most secure country of the region, due to the extreme friendliness and goodwill of its people and the political stability over the last decades. The relatively fast development of its infrastructure and the fact that English is spoken everywhere makes this country an excellent choice for your African birding holiday.
Day 1: Evening arrival in Accra, the
capital of Ghana met by your Ecotours guide. We transfer to the hotel.
Overnight - Accra
Day 2: Starting our tour from Accra,
we head west visiting Panbros coastal salt lagoons. This is the area for
many wintering waders, closely viewed alongside Black and Western Reef
Heron, Pied Kingfisher, also White-throated Bee-eater, Croaking and
Black-backed Cisticola. We visit Muni lagoon close to Cape Coast,
where Spur-winged Lapwing and White-fronted Plover can be seen. In the
picturesque lilypond nearby we may be rewarded with close views of African
Pygmy Goose, African Jacana and the jewelled Malachite Kingfisher. Late
afternoon we arrive to Hans Cottage, a hotel with its own lake and colourful
wildlife.
Overnight - Hans Cottage Hotel near Kakum
Days 3 & 4: We spend two days in
Kakum National Park, which conserves important primary and secondary Upper
Guinea forest. Here, from the world famous Kakum Canopy Walkway Blue
Cuckooshrike, Red-billed Helmet-shrike, Grey and Red-fronted Parrots,
Black-casqued and Brown-cheeked Hornbills, Forest Woodhoopoe and Great Blue
Turaco might be seen. Tree platforms provide a fabulous vista over the
forest, ideal for raptor watching: Cassin's Hawk-Eagle, Red-chested Goshawk
and African Harrier-hawk are all possible. Walking on the trails of Antwikwa
we might encounter the sought-after Black Bee-eater, Piping Hornbill,
Brown-necked Parrot, Preuss’ Weaver and Ussher’s Flycatcher among many
others. We will also visit nearby coastal grasslands, woodlands, mangroves
and wetlands, and observe the abundant wildlife including the amazing
roosting behaviour of Preuss’s Cliff Swallow. Visit Elmina for afternoon tea
if time permits, see the colourful fishing boats and the old slave fortress
on the beach.
Overnights - Hans Cottage Hotel near Kakum
Day 5: After a morning birding in
the Kakum area, we drive to Assin Fosu, the site of the enigmatic
Yellow-headed Picathartes. In the afternoon we walk in the hilly rain forest
to search for these soughafter and rare birds arriving back to their nests
before dark.
Overnight - Assin Fosu
Day 6: In the morning we visit the
Aboabo section of Kakum, an open forest with some remnant large trees. It is
a good place to see Long-tailed Hawk, Blue-headed Wood-Dove, Black and
Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills, Yellow-billed Turaco, a nice array of greenbuls
including Red-tailed Greenbul and Grey-headed Bristlebill, the tiny Tit-Hylia,
flycatchers, sunbirds and malimbes among others. Then we drive north to
Kumasi. Near here we visit Owabi Sanctuary where we search for the elusive
African Finfoot and Giant Kingfisher on the small reservoir.
Overnight - Kumasi
Day 7: We travel far to Mole
National Park in the Guinea Savannah Belt. The scenery changes dramatically,
the broad-leaved woodland zone is much less humid. En route we stop to see
Grasshopper Buzzard, Abyssinian, Blue-bellied and Rufous-crowned Rollers
perched atop the roadside trees. In the evening we reach our fine hotel
inside the park.
Overnight - Mole Hotel
Days 8-10: We spend 3 full days in
Mole where we expect to find Spur-winged Goose, Hadada Ibis, Hamerkop,
Saddle-billed Stork, Stone Partridge, Violet Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl,
Greyish Eagle-Owl, Redthroated Bee-eater, Blue-breasted and Grey-headed
Kingfisher, Black Flycatcher, Snowy-crowned and White-crowned Robin-Chat,
Oriole Warbler, White Helmet-shrike and several iridescent sunbird and
glossy starling species. This is also a great place for raptors including
Bateleur, Lizard Buzzard, Martial Eagle and White-backed and White-headed
Vulture. The afternoons are rest periods which can be spent by the pool,
whilst observing the animals at the waterholes. Warthogs graze on the lawns,
Olive Baboons and Patas Monkeys troop by and Elephants bathe below. On one
evening we search for the incredible Standardwinged Nightjar and owls. We
also visit the local village of Larabanga and its famous ‘Stick Mosque’.
Overnights - Mole Hotel
Day 11: We depart Mole after a final
early morning birding and head south to Kumasi, looking out forraptors and
more new species en route.
Overnight - Kumasi
Day 12: Just East of Kumasi lies
Bobiri Forest Reserve famous for its abundance of butterflies and birds. We
spend a morning with birding along the forest paths of Bobiri, looking for
specialities including Narina Trogon, Blue-throated Roller, White-crested
Hornbill and Shining Drongo. In the afternoon we return to Accra passing
through the Atewa Hills.
Overnight - Accra
Day 13: We take a day trip to the
dry open savannah of the Shai Hills Reserve. Rufous-crowned and Blue-bellied
Roller, Senegal Parrot, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Vieillot’s Barbet, Piapiac
and Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike can be seen here. On our return route to
Accra we visit the grand Aburi Botanical Gardens for refreshments and where
we may find Purple Glossy-Starling, Chestnut-winged Starling and Heuglin’s
Masked Weaver.
Overnight - Accra
Days 14 & 15: In the morning we visit Sakumono Lagoon for an array of waterbirds including Kittlitz’s Plover, Black Heron, African Spoonbill and Royal Tern. Yellow-throated Longclaw can be found in the neighbouring grassy sand-hills. Across the coast-road fishermen pull up their nets, attracting more birdlife. Here we can also use our ‘scopes for sea-watching. In the afternoon we can visit an African handicrafts market or if you prefer you can spend a restful time in our hotel where we have use of a dayroom for our luggage, taking showers, changing etc. We have a late evening flight back to the UK arriving there on the morning of Day 15.