29th December 2022 – Norfolk Winter’s Day

A Private Tour today in North Norfolk for some visitors from the USA. We had originally been scheduled to go out yesterday but as the forecast was for rain we switched it to today. The weather was much better – bright winter sunshine, although there was still a stiff breeze blowing.

We met in Old Hunstanton and headed first for Titchwell. As we got out of the minibus, an over-wintering Chiffchaff flicked around in the hedge by the car park. Behind the Visitor Centre we found a large flock of Goldfinches in the alders and we stopped to admire some of our commoner birds – some smart Chaffinches, Greenfinch and a brief Brambling, Dunnock and Wren at close quarters, some very tame Robins and a couple of Blue Tits on the roof.

The ditches by the main path are still rather dry so far this winter, but we did still manage to find a Water Rail feeding in the water in the bottom of one of them, giving us some great close-up views of this often very secretive species.

Water Rail – in the ditch

It was rather windy once we got out of the trees. A Marsh Harrier was chased by a Carrion Crow out over Thornham Marsh and a Red Kite was perched in the dead trees at the back of the reedbed. A steady succession of small flocks of Pink-footed Geese flew west overhead calling. Out on the saltmarsh, we stopped to look at (Eurasian) Curlew, Common Redshank and a single Grey Plover (known as Black-bellied Plover in North America) out on the saltmarsh, with one or two Little Egrets and a Chinese Water Deer further back and a (Common) Kestrel sheltering from the wind on the old concrete bunker.

We headed for the shelter of Island Hide. (Northern) Lapwings are always stunning birds so we got the scope on one of those first for a closer look. There were a few Black-tailed Godwits mostly asleep on the same island. Several (European) Golden Plover were on the bund behind and a single (Common) Ringed Plover on the next pool beyond. The group of wintering (Pied) Avocets were sheltering behind one of the islands further back, not the best view from this side. A Common Snipe played hide and seek in and out of the vegetation on the island closest to the hide.

Brent Geese – flying off

There was a nice selection of wildfowl on the Freshmarsh too. The noisy flocks of Brent Geese on the water when we arrived gradually drifted off back to the saltmarsh to feed. There were plenty of (Eurasian) Teal, (Northern) Shoveler and Mallard, three Gadwall a couple of (Common) Shelduck and a few (Northern) Pintail. A single female Goldeneye was diving at the back and three Tufted Ducks worked their way round the edge. A lone juvenile Whooper Swan dropped in with the Greylag Geese on the water but stayed when the geese flew off again.

Whooper Swan – a juvenile with the Greylags

We made our way round to Parrinder Hide now. A quick look from the north side provided some great views of Common Redshank and Grey Plover. There were lots more ducks, including several (Eurasian) Wigeon on the Freshmarsh from the southern side of the hide. A few Dunlin were picking around the edges of the far compartment and we had a better view of the Avocets from here. The Long-billed Dowitcher had not put in an appearance here this morning, but unusually and unlike most of the other people here today we were not too worried about seeing it, as they are much commoner in the USA! We did manage to pick out a Spotted Redshank on the back of one of the islands from here, and admire its needle-fine bill.

With so many distractions here for us this morning it was already time for lunch, and with high tide out on the beach now, we decided to head back to use the facilities and get a welcome hot coffee. After lunch, we made our way east along the coast road to Holkham. There were lots of Egyptian Geese and Lapwings in the fields as we passed by.

We stopped overlooking the grazing marshes first. It didn’t take too long to pick out a small group of White-fronted Geese mixed in with the Greylags. A larger flock of Barnacle Geese were feeding in the distance over by the pines. Having seen flocks overhead earlier it was nice to get the scope on a Pink-footed Goose on the ground now for a better look. A couple of Great White Egrets stalking round the marshes were possibly less of interest today than a Grey Heron on the edge of one of the ditches.

There was a good selection of raptors here – several Red Kites including one which drifted across in front of us glowing rich rusty red in the afternoon sunshine, a couple of Common Buzzards one on the ground and one on a bush, a distant Marsh Harrier quartering and a Common Kestrel which came in to hover right in front of us. A Goldcrest which flew over our heads and into the hedge the other side unfortunately did not hang around.

Red Kite – in the sunshine

It was very busy at Lady Anne’s Drive but we still managed to park at the north end. A couple of Lapwing and a Curlew were out on the marshes close to the fence, along with lots of Wigeon. From the top end, we looked down over the reeds at some dark lumps moving in the grass which were the resident small covey of Grey Partridge.

Grey Partridge – in the grass

The sun was already starting to drop in the sky and disappeared behind some low clouds on the horizon now too. We made our way out onto the saltmarsh and walked east towards the cordon. There were fewer birds out here today, possibly given the disturbance from all the people and dogs, but we did see a flock of Linnets whirling round the back of the saltmarsh. Two Red Kites hung in the air overhead.

Another birder walking back the other way told us that the Shorelarks (aka Horned Larks) had just flown off out to the beach but as we were speaking we saw them fly back in way off in the distance and when we got to the cordon we could see them feeding on the sand right down at the far end. We walked most of the way down and got them in the scope – nice enough views, we could see their yellow faces and black bandit masks. But then they took off and flew straight towards us, landing much closer, and then they proceeded to pick their way right past us. Great views, even if the light was going now.

Shorelarks – six of the eleven

Shorelark – close views

It was getting dark by the time we got back to Lady Anne’s Drive, but there was one final treat in store. As we walked back to the minibus, we heard a cacophony of Pink-footed Geese calling and looked over to see several thousand flying in against the setting sun. We stood and watched as they dropped down onto the grazing marshes, a wonderful sight and a great way to end the day.

Pink-footed Geese – and sunset

18th-25th Nov 2022 – The Gambia

Two years later than planned, but finally our first tour to The Gambia organised together with Oriole Birding was able to go ahead last month. An action-packed trip, with around 260 species in just a week on the coast. Read all about it below, and if you like what you read you would be welcome to join us in 2023.

Friday 18th November

We met at Gatwick at 6am, in good time for our Titan Airways flight down to Banjul. The plane departed on time at 8.30am and after a fairly uneventful flight we landed half an hour early at 2.30pm (another bonus when visiting The Gambia is that there is no time change at this time of year, so we didn’t even have to reset our watches). It was rather slow getting through the airport but eventually we found ourselves outside for the transfer to our hotel. As our luggage was being loaded into the waiting coach, our first Hooded Vultures circled overhead.

With construction underway on the new airport road, there was a bit of congestion on our way to the Senegambia Beach Hotel – but we were in Africa now, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Looking out of the windows of the coach, we could see kettles of Hooded Vultures, Yellow-billed Kites and Pied Crows and Laughing Doves and Speckled Pigeons on the wires, to get our trip list started.

The hotel seemed a little surprised at how many guests arrived on the coach, but eventually we got our rooms sorted. With daylight likely to fade quickly now, we had just a short break before we met up with our local guide for the first day, Modou Taal, for a short walk around the extensive hotel grounds before it got dark. It was nice to stretch our legs after a long day travelling, and a good introduction to some of the commoner birds and animals. New ones came thick and fast, it was hard to keep up – several White-crowned Robin Chats, Blackcap and Brown Babblers, Western Red-billed and African Grey Hornbills, lots of Red-eyed Doves. A flock of White-faced Whistling Ducks circled round beyond the hotel compound and couple of Striated Herons flew past. Several Broad-billed Rollers hawked back and forth overhead along with African Palm Swifts. A Nile Monitor was feeding on the lawn and several Green Monkeys were hanging around between the accommodation blocks.

Western Red-billed Hornbill – at the hotel

As dusk descended, we had a chance to change some money and buy some water before a slightly longer break to freshen up and for some of us to try to work out how to get the locks to their room doors to work (there is usually a technique to it!). We then met again for a quick drink before dinner. Most people were very tired after a long day, so didn’t stay up for the local drummers providing the entertainment tonight down by the pool.

Saturday 19^th November

It is important to make the most of the morning here, before it gets too hot, so we were up for breakfast when the restaurant opened. A couple of Broad-billed Rollers were perched in the trees nearby and the family of Green Woodhoopoes were around their usual dead stump, where we would see them daily. A Cattle Egret dropped down onto the fence by the outside tables where it eyed up peoples’ breakfast.

Broad-billed Roller – at breakfast

After breakfast, we met up outside the hotel with Modou Taal again and our bus driver for the week, and set off on the short drive to Abuko. We stopped on the side of the road on the edge of the rice fields. A Hammerkop and Spur-winged Lapwing were down in a nearby wet field and a Black-headed Heron was perched in the top of a tree beyond. Two Violet Turacos flew over the road.

As we walked down the track into the ricefields, lots of Hooded Vultures were sat around waiting for the day to warm up. A distant Blue-bellied Roller and a Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird perched up nicely in the trees on the edge of the fields. Along the first smaller path we tried, we encountered lots of ants, so we turned back and found a different path out into the middle to scan the wetter fields. Here we found several African Jacanas and Black Crakes, Striated and Squacco Herons, Great White, Little and Western Reef Egrets. A Little Bittern flew past and a Black Heron circled round but wouldn’t land. A Malachite Kingfisher perched up briefly, then a more obliging Pied Kingfisher landed on a nearby post. Our first Senegal Coucal appeared behind us.

Pied Kingfisher – in the ricefields

As we carried on further through the rice fields down towards a creek, we stopped to admire a Little Bee-eater and noticed lots of Village Weavers flying in and out of the reeds. A Palm Nut Vulture drifted over and a Shikra shot in and out repeatedly from a tree, hunting. A Lizard Buzzard perched in the trees nearby and an African Harrier Hawk flew over.

The Pied Kingfisher reappeared, hovering over the flooded field right behind us, putting on quite a show. A couple of Wire-tailed Swallows shot past. On the bank of the creek, we found several Senegal Thick-knees and lots of doves were coming to drink, including our first African Mourning and Vinaceous Doves. A Violet Turaco appeared in the trees behind, a very striking bird indeed!

Violet Turaco – a stunner!

As it was starting to warm up now, the Hooded Vultures and Yellow-billed Kites were circling up overhead and three Grey Kestrels flew round amongst them. We made our way back round through the ricefields, where a Green Sandpiper was now out on the mud – a reminder that a lot of the birds here at this time of year are palearctic migrants which breed in Europe and come here for the winter. Our first Splendid Sunbird was feeding on some flowers in the trees.

Back to the bus, we had just a short drive to the nearby Abuko Forest. It was quiet at first here – not many birds but lots of butterflies and dragonflies, and several Green Monkeys and Red Colobus in the trees. We hadn’t walked far before we stopped at the Darwin Centre where a West African Crocodile was lurking half-hidden on the pool from the viewing terrace. A couple of Western Grey Plantain-eaters were in the trees just behind.

As we waited at the bottom of the steps for people to finish buying postcards inside, someone noticed a flash of blue from the base of the bushes. When it did it again, we crouched down and looked under the bush and found an African Pygmy Kingfisher hiding in the overhanging branches in the shade.

African Pygmy Kingfisher – under the overhanging branches

Carrying on through the wood, we started to find a few more forest birds. A pair of African Thrushes were feeding under the trees by the path and a Little Greenbul flitted around in the branches above. Further on, we came across several Red-bellied Paradise Flycatchers and as we stopped to watch them a Brown-throated Wattle-eye appeared right above our heads. Out into more open secondary forest, we looked up to see a couple of Fanti Sawwings hawking round the tops of the trees, a Grey Woodpecker flew in, as did several Bronze Mannikins and a pair of Yellow-breasted Apalis appeared in a nearby tangle.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye – in the forest

It had been all action this morning and we had worked up an appetite – it was already time for lunch now, so we made our way back to the bus. We were heading to a restaurant we hadn’t been to before, and after driving down some increasingly narrow and rutted side streets it turned out we couldn’t get all the way there in the bus. We had to get out and walk the last stretch through the ricefields, but of course that meant there were loads of new birds to see again. More distractions!

A Pearl-spotted Owlet appeared in the trees above us, mobbed by a mob of Common Bulbuls and other birds, including our first Grey-backed Cameropteras. An Osprey was perched on a dead palm trunk and a couple of Lizard Buzzards flew past. A smart male Northern Red Bishop perched in one of the ricefields, along with several browner females and a large family of Bronze Mannikins. As we got to the outside of the restaurant, a pair of Northern Crombecs were feeding in the trees above.

After our walk out here, it was nice now to have a break for lunch in the shade in the garden on the edge of the mangroves, with Little Bee-eaters hawking from the trees as we ate. A couple of Western Reef Egrets perched in the trees behind us, along with several Long-tailed Glossy Starlings and a single Bronze-tailed Starling. There were lots of Fiddler Crabs waving their claws on the muddy creeks beyond.

It was mid-afternoon by the time we walked back to the bus and although it was the heat of the day, we didn’t notice as we were surrounded by even more birds now. An Orange-cheeked Waxbill perched up in the reeds just outside the restaurant and a Senegal Coucal allowed us to walk right past it in the ricefields. We stopped to admire a Woodland Kingfisher and a Fine-spotted Woodpecker appeared in the same tree. A Bearded Barbet flew past.

Senegal Coucal – common

We found the Pearl-spotted Owlet again, in roughly the same place we had seen it on the way out, and some very nice views in the scope now being mobbed by bulbuls and Plantain-Eaters. We were almost back to the bus, when Modou heard a Klaas’s Cuckoo calling and after he tried whistling back for a while eventually it appeared in a distant tree. While we were watching it, a pair of Village Indigobirds chased through the bushes in front of us.

Pearl-spotted Owlet – while being mobbed

With all the birding on our walk to and from lunch, we were later getting to Kotu than planned. The bus stopped along the road to the bridge, and we walked down. An Oriole Warbler was singing on the edge of the mangroves, so we stopped to see if we could locate it. A Malachite Kingfisher was perched in the bushes but shot off as we approached.

We couldn’t find the Oriole Warbler, but the clear area by the road was full of doves and finches. We had better views of Vinaceous Dove here in particular, along with several Red-billed Firefinches and three Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu feeding in the short grass.

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu – a smart male

We tried a short way down a track through the mangroves, which produced Blue-breasted Kingfisher, then turned back and walked on down to the famous Kotu bridge. A Western Reef Egret and a Long-tailed Cormorant were both perched obligingly on a nearby stump, the latter drying its wings. A Black-winged Stilt was stalking around the shallows and both Whimbrel and Greenshank flew round calling.

Long-tailed Cormorant – drying its wings

We walked back up the road to the nearby sewage ponds next. When we stopped to admire a pair of Woodland Kingfishers in the trees by the verge, a Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird appeared in a tree right next to us. When it disappeared we realised it had gone into a hole in the branch, so we waited and after a minute or so its head popped out! A Palm Nut Vulture was chased through the trees by Pied Crows which were probably after the fish it was carrying.

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird – in its hole

Up at the sewage ponds, there were lots of Spur-winged Lapwings and scanning round we found a Common Sandpiper on a small pool. Lots of Cattle Egrets were standing around on bund beyond. A Pearl-spotted Owlet was being mobbed in the trees just behind us, but disappeared in as went to look. We walked down to the trees along one edge, where three Yellow-billed Shrikes were perched, then cut down along paths through the fields and back through mangroves to the bridge.

A Pied Kingfisher was perched on the stump now, where the egret and cormorant had been earlier, with a large fish in its bill which it was beating repeatedly on the post. Unfortunately the light was starting to go already and it was time to head back and freshen up before dinner. It had been a great first day, an excellent introduction to some of the commoner birds of The Gambia in particular.

Sunday 20^th November

After breakfast, we headed straight out again for the day. We met the bus and driver outside the hotel and had a change of guide today – Modou Jarju would now be with us for rest of our stay, along with his assistant Fanta. It was not too far to Brufut, where we disembarked and were met by one of the local forest guides, Madi. We set off down a track between the trees and a large walled garden where lots of people were working. Modou heard Yellow-throated Leaflove calling on the edge of the trees and we quickly located it in the branches.

As well as the Leaflove, birds were coming thick and fast here: our first Black-billed Wood Doves, then a smart Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Northern Puffback and Northern Black Flycatchers. A Singing Cisticola perched up at the back of some abandoned building works and a Guinea (Green) Turaco flew over. Continuing down the path, an African Grey Hornbill was perched high in the trees, a pair of Shikra chased round overhead and a Yellow-breasted Apalis showed really well in a tangle of branches over the path. An African Golden Oriole flew over and a Glossy-backed Drongo landed on the wires nearby.

Yellow-breasted Apalis – above the path

We turned back and took another in path the other side of the track, in through some more cultivations. A Grey Kestrel was perched on a large water tank way off in the distance. While Madi went off to look for owls, we stopped to scan. A variety of different sunbirds were coming and going from a nearby flowering tree, including two Western Violet-backed Sunbirds and our first Copper Sunbirds too. A Pearl-spotted Owlet flew out from a nearby tree, chased by a crowd of bulbuls and other small birds, including several Lavender Waxbills.

Madi had not found the hoped for owls here, so we walked back through some more overgrown gardens, where a male Variable Sunbird was singing and a Village Indigobird perched up ahead of us.

Variable Sunbird – a male

We stopped in one area to try for Black-winged Bishop. There were lots of weavers in the reeds, mostly Village Weavers but with a couple of Vitelline Masked Weavers too. First a female Black-winged Bishop appeared briefly then we found a couple of smart red and black males a bit further down.

Black-winged Bishop – a smart male

Walking on, we cut back into the wood. A Melodious Warbler was singing and eventually appeared in an acacia by the path. Our first Yellow-crowned Gonolek came in too, one of the most striking birds here with its bright red underparts, jet black wings, back and mask and contrasting canary yellow crown.

We sat down now on the shady benches overlooking some bowls of water where a succession of birds were coming and going for a drink – and we had a chance to get a cool drink while we watched too! There were more Black-billed Wood-doves, Bronze Mannikins, Cordon-bleus and Firefinches. A Gambian Sun Squirrel came in for a drink too. Several Little Bee-eaters hawked around and a Swallow-tailed Bee-eater landed briefly. Four Pink-backed Pelicans drifted high overhead.

We were then led deeper into the woods, to where Madi knew a Long-tailed Nightjar was roosting on the forest floor and we were led in two at a time to view the bird. Always amazing that they are located here, deep in the woods and given how well camouflaged it was against the leaf litter.

Long-tailed Nightjar – roosting

While we were here, Modou heard a Northern White-faced Owl calling nearby so once we had all seen the Nightjar, we went to look for it. We stopped to see if it would call again, and it did, from deep in some trees. Madi went in to try to locate it, and soon came the reply that he had. It was very well hidden, and we realised there was actually a pair of Northern White-faced Owls now, hiding in the leaves. An amazing find!

We went back to the drinking bowls, for another quick look and this time an African Pygmy Kingfisher had come in. Then we made our way back out to where the bus was parked. A quick look in the open woodland beyond provided better views of Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, perched in the top of a tree, and a distant Lizard Buzzard.

It was just a short drive from here to Tanji for lunch, where we found a large table and various chairs set up in the shade overlooking a small pool. Lots of Common Bulbuls and weavers were coming in and out to drink and bathe. We had heard several Oriole Warblers already but not actually seen one yet – now here one was hiding in the trees above the pool. It wouldn’t come down to water at first, but eventually we got good views when it stopped being quite so shy. Our main target here was Western Bluebill and we didn’t have to wait long before one appeared. A female came in through the branches above and eventually dropped down to the pool and nearby bowls for a drink and bathe.

Western Bluebill – a female

After a delicious local lunch, it was nice to sit here and relax a little while through the heat of the middle of the day and just watch the activity. Various birds came and went from the water: a Green-headed Sunbird dropped in, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, several African Thrushes, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatchers and a brief Snowy-crowned Robin Chat.

After lunch and a break watching all the birds coming and going, we got back in the bus and drove down to Tanji beach. There was rubbish everywhere and a strong smell of fish as we made our way down a narrow alley and out onto the beach, but we were soon distracted by the birds. Lots of Caspian Terns were flying up and down just offshore and Grey-hooded Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were gathered out on the water.

Caspian Tern – just offshore

We scanned the boats moored offshore, where Sandwich Terns were resting on the gunwales and found a single Lesser Crested Tern and a Common Tern in with them. Several Ruddy Turnstones were perched on another boat and two Bar-tailed Godwits flew past along the beach, as several White-breasted and Long-tailed Cormorants flew back and forth overhead. A cloud of gulls and terns flew up from the distant sandbar offshore where they were roosting and scanning with the scope we picked up a small group of Pink-backed Pelicans out there too.

A couple of Pied Kingfishers were hovering just offshore fishing, Yellow-billed Kites kept swooping down to collect dead fish from the water and several Pied Crows were looking for scraps along the beach. A group of Little Swifts hawked back and forth over the village behind the beach.

Pied Crow – looking for scraps

Our final destination for the afternoon was Tujerang. It had already started to cool down a little as we walked down along a track through the scrub towards the beach. There were more Palearctic migrants in the bushes here – several Western Olivaceous and Melodious Warblers, and a Tree Pipit perched up briefly. A couple of Senegal Eremomela flitted in and out, along with both Whistling and Zitting Cisticolas (the cisticola formerly known as Fan-tailed Warbler!) and a smart Black-crowned Tchagra perched up singing.

Black-crowned Tchagra – singing

A succession of weavers flew in and out and among the commoner Village Weavers we picked out our first Black-headed Weavers and got better views of Little Weaver. But the big surprise of the day was a pair of Sudan Golden Sparrows which flew in and landed briefly in the bushes in front of us – they are nomadic wanderers, commoner further north in Senegal and normally scarce here.

Little Weaver – better views

We were particularly looking for some Chestnut-bellied Starlings here and eventually found them in the more open cultivated areas just behind the beach. We had some great views as they flew up and down from the fence – another scarce bird here, and another good one to see.

Chestnut-bellied Starling – with a mantis

A White-billed Buffalo Weaver was feeding with them. Modou heard a Levaillant’s Cuckoo calling and eventually managed to whistle it in. A Common Whitethroat perched up briefly in one of the thorny bushes nearby.

Levaillant’s Cuckoo – whistled in

There were some small pools behind the beach further up, so we stopped to scan. The first held Black-winged Stilt, Green Sandpiper, Western Reef Egret and several Senegal Thick-knee. A pair of Double-spurred Francolin ran in and out of the vegetation at the back. A couple of Crested Larks flew up nearby calling and an Osprey drifted over. Several African Jacana were on the larger pool beyond and an African Darter was drying its wings in the top of a low tree on the edge.

As we made our way back along the track, Modou heard Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver calling, so we stopped to see if it would show itself. It didn’t, but we did get to see a pair of Red-winged Warbler instead and a Red-necked Falcon shot through low over the bushes, hunting. Little Bee-eaters and Yellow-fronted Canaries showed well in the late afternoon sunshine.

Little Bee-eater – in the late sunshine

Back to the bus, we made one last stop of the day a little further down. A flock of Piapacs came up from the ground as we got out and landed in a nearby tree. A Striped Kingfisher was calling in the top of another and a Lesser Honeyguide appeared above our heads, along with a Willow Warbler. Unfortunately, we were out of time – the sun was already setting as we set off to drive back to the hotel, and we still had to battle with the congestion due to the new airport road construction again.

Monday 21^st November

We had a longer drive this morning down to Farasutu. As we turned off the main road through the village, our first Purple Starling landed on the wall ahead of us and as we got out to the fields beyond there were lots of Cattle Egrets. We got out and set off down a narrow path through the fields, stopping under a large acacia tree where a small plot of chillis was being grown below.

A succession of birds came and went, starting with a selection of sunbirds – Pygmy and Scarlet-chested Sunbird were both new for the trip. A pair of Grey Woodpeckers flew in, a male Northern Puffback appeared briefly, along with Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Western Olivaceous, Melodious and Willow Warblers and our first Common Chiffchaff of the trip. A Nightingale was calling in the bushes behind but didn’t show itself, but then back out on the main track, as we walked down towards the forest, another Nightingale flicked across the path ahead of us.

We stopped to look at the drinking pots by the entrance to the forest, but there wasn’t much activity here yet. A few Firefinches came to drink along with a Blue-spotted Wood Dove, and a Grey-backed Cameroptera picked around in the trees above us. We were met by one of the forest guides, ‘Bob’, who led us down along the tracks through the trees and out to the edge of the mangroves beyond. A Hammerkop was out on one of the pools along with several Senegal Thick-knees. Our first Giant Kingfisher perched up on the mangroves beyond, then flew round calling. The White-backed Night Herons we had come here to find were eventually located – two young birds flew out first, and then we managed to find an adult roosting deep in the palms.

White-backed Night Heron – hiding in the palms

As it was warming up now, raptors were starting to circle up. An African Harrier-hawk drifted over and then a Shikra circled right above us. Scanning in the distance, we picked up a Tawny Eagle being mobbed by a Pied Crow out over the mangroves. They were then joined by a Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle which circled with them, the Pied Crow alternating between mobbing one then the other. They were a long way off, but still impressive to see.

Shikra – circled overhead

Back into the forest, Modou spotted a firefinch on the track, so we stopped to see if it might come out again. There was no further sign, but several other good birds did show themselves in the trees while we looked: African Paradise Flycatcher high in branches, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Collared Sunbird and better views of Snowy-crowned Robin Chat. We walked back round to the drinking pots where we could get stop for a drink too. Several Red-billed Firefinches, Black-rumped Waxbills and Cordonbleus came in to drink and a Gambian Sun Squirrel was in the trees here now too.

Out into fields, a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater flew over briefly and we stopped to look at a Striped Kingfisher in one tree and a Dark Chanting Goshawk in another beyond. The latter flew across and dropped down to catch a lizard in the grass, then landed again in another tree further down the path. It flew off as we walked on, but then a Cardinal Woodpecker appeared instead and we watched it excavating a hole in a small dead branch in the same tree.

Cardinal Woodpecker – excavating

We cut across a now overgrown field which had apparently earlier been used to grow watermelons – they were in season and we saw watermelons for sale everywhere by the side of the road and had delicious watermelon most days for lunch! A couple of Northern Black Flycatchers flitted around in some trees as we passed. We picked up a Lanner away in the distance, which helpfully flew in and past us.

Lanner – flew in

Then a Grasshopper Buzzard circled up over the forest beyond and again, helpfully came towards us and eventually right overhead. They are commoner upriver, more unusual here closer to the coast, so this was a really nice bonus to see.

Grasshopper Buzzard – circled right overhead

Cutting across the field and into the forest again, ‘Bob’ took us to where two Greyish Eagle Owls were roosting in the trees. They stared down at us as they had their photos taken and then we left them in peace to go back to sleep. The bus was waiting for us nearby and we had a short drive to another site in the forest with a hide and some drinking pools.

Greyish Eagle Owl – 1 of 2 here

We were hoping for Spotted Honeyguide here, and one had apparently just been in, but despite waiting a while we didn’t manage to see one now. A Snowy-crowned Robin Chat was under the tree at the back and both Black-billed and Blue-spotted Wood Doves came in. We had to make do with a smart male Greater Honeyguide which came in to one of the pots for a drink. It was time for lunch, so we would come back and have another go here afterwards.

Greater Honeyguide – in for a drink

We were going over to Boabab Island for lunch, but we arrived to find that the jetty we were supposed to be using to board the boat had collapsed yesterday. Several men were now hastily attempting to finish cobbling together a new one. They appeared to have run out of planks and were now using some bamboo, which one of them was sawing to random sizes against his leg (no health and safety assessment here!).

It looked like we wouldn’t be getting lunch anytime soon at first, but remarkably quickly all things considered they made a structure which was just about passable, if a bit rickety (it would have taken years to get a new jetty erected back in the UK). While we were waiting, six Yellow-billed Storks flew past and we whiled away the minutes watching all the Mudskippers flipping around on the mud below.

Unfortunately, it was low tide now, so the boatmen couldn’t use the larger boat with an outboard and instead, they had to use a flotilla of small boats to get us across. The first two volunteers went over on a pedalo with one of the boatmen, although they possibly didn’t realise what they had volunteered for and their attempts to help with the transit resulted in the pedalo circling round and round several times at first!

Pedalo – a novel way to get to lunch!

Another two went over by dugout, before the boatmen realised they could use one of the slightly larger boats and push it up the channel if one of them waded in. Finally we all managed to get over for lunch. Several Mauritian Tomb Bats were roosting in the roof of the main lodge.

Mauritian Tomb Bat – in the roof

After another delicious buffet of local food was prepared, well worth the effort required to get over here, and afterwards we had enough time for a quick walk round the island. A Bearded Barbet flew across and landed briefly, but was off again before everyone could get to see it through the scope. Two Lesser Honeyguides were chasing round a tall tree.

Time was getting on and we still needed to get back across the channel to the mainland. From the jetty this side, we could see a group of Wattled Lapwings on the mud opposite, the first we had seen properly on the ground, along with several Senegal Thick-knees. The tide was slowly rising, so thankfully we could all get back on the slightly bigger boat now. On the way back, we saw Striated Heron and a Common Redshank on the edge of the mangroves. Five Yellow-billed Storks flew back the other way.

It was just a short bus ride back to the hide and drinking pots. There was a lot more activity here now, lots of weavers, doves and Common Bulbuls coming in to drink, along with Lavender Waxbills and a pair of Yellow-fronted Canaries. A couple of African Pygmy Kingfishers flew in repeatedly and splashed into one of the pools to bathe. Several Red-bellied Paradise Flycatchers were in the trees together with one hybrid African x Red-bellied with black spotting on its breast. A male Common Redstart was feeding under the trees at the back now, along with a pair of Brown-throated Wattle-eyes.

Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher – a male

Eventually, the owner saw a Spotted Honeyguide fly in to the trees above the hide and we went out in turns to look at it through the scope. It was rather nervous, and reluctant to come down – eventually it did drop down onto the branch by its favoured pot briefly, but after a minute flew back up into the trees.

Spotted Honeyguide – dropped down briefly

Unfortunately we were out of time, as we had a long drive back to the hotel. On the way back towards the main road, an Abyssinian Roller was perched on a half built building on the edge of the village. A nice end to another action-packed day.

Tuesday 22^nd November

It was a longer drive again this morning, down to Pirang. As we set off along the track into the old shrimp farm, an African Crake started calling from the overgrown pool alongside but unfortunately remained well hidden.

We hadn’t seen many up to now, but here there were lots of swallows overhead. Most were West African Swallows (formerly the local race of Red-rumped, now a separate species) but a pair of Mosque Swallows were circling with them and a Rufous-chested Swallow and a House Martin flew through. Turning onto a smaller, overgrown path, we flushed our first Namaqua Dove from the bushes.

Mosque Swallow – overhead

There was a nice selection of waders on the first pool – Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Ruff, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Greenshank and a single Wood Sandpiper. A pair of Crested Larks were feeding on the bund ahead of us and several Western Yellow Wagtails flew back and forth calling. More wintering Palearctic migrants. When first a nice male Yellow Wagtail landed on the track ahead of us, we could see it was Iberian (subspecies iberiae), and it gave a slightly raspier call as it flew off too, later a British male (subspecies flavissima) landed on the mud.

A Subalpine Warbler flitted in and out of the bushes ahead of us and we found another two and a Chiffchaff further along. We flushed a Double-spurred Francolin from the bund as we walked along and lots of Crimson Speckled moths flew up from the grass, a rare migrant back home.

Gull-billed Tern – several flew past

A couple of Little Terns were fishing over the pools close to the path and several Gull-billed Terns flew in and right past us. A Pied Kingfisher seemed to be following us, and hovered next to us several times. When a large flock of birds flushed in the distance by someone walking round the pools, we looked up to see a mixture of spoonbills, Yellow-billed Storks and Pink-backed Pelicans.

The next shallow pools were full of small waders mostly Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers and significantly outnumbering the Dunlin, the reverse of what we usually see back home in the UK. We would see really impressive numbers of small waders as we made our way round. A Marsh Sandpiper dropped in, and we found a few Black-tailed Godwits and lots of Whimbrel here too. A small group of Greater Flamingoes were standing around in the middle, dwarfing the tiny waders around them.

Greater Flamingos – on the pools

Further up, on an island in the wide channel the other side of the bund we could see a few White-faced Whistling Ducks and a West African Crocodile which had hauled itself out onto the mud. By the time we got up there, the croc had retreated to the water, but from here we could see a Kittlitz’s Plover on the mud just beyond.

On the next pool, there were good numbers of Northern Shoveler and a large mixed flock of roosting gulls and terns – mostly Caspian and African Royal Terns, with one or two Sandwich and a single Lesser Crested Tern with them. The gulls were mostly Slender-billed Gulls with a smaller number of Grey-headed Gulls. There were some larger birds standing in with them – a spoonbill sandwich, with a single Eurasian Spoonbill in the middle flanked by two African Spoonbills giving us a nice comparison, and a lone Pink-backed Pelican.

Terns – roosting on the pools

Further up, we could hear Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters calling and looked over to see several flying across the back of the pool. Modou picked up a single White-throated Bee-eater too, perched in a tree right over the other side, which everyone eventually managed to make out in the scopes. Small groups of swifts hawked overhead, a mixture of Little Swift and Pallid Swift, and an Osprey flew over.

There were more huge flocks of waders as made way back across. In with the stints and Curlew Sandpipers, we picked out one or two Knot and Ruddy Turnstone. As well as Ringed Plover there were several Kentish Plovers on the mud this side too but scanning through we were more surprised to find a single White-fronted Plover with them. They are normally only seen on the coast and it seems that this was perhaps the first one ever to be found here. We were just watching the plover when a Collared Pratincole flew over behind us and we didn’t quite know which way to look!

Continuing on, a young Palm Nut Vulture drifted right across in front of us. A Northern Wheatear was hiding around the small bushes on the edge of the mud. We could easily spend all day here, but it was already the middle of the day and we had more to do. We were met by the bus and drove back out of the shrimp farm.

Palm Nut Vulture – a young one

Unfortunately, we were unable to go to the usual venue for lunch today as they had cancelled on us and the alternative restaurant was quite a drive away. We still needed to visit the nearby Bonto Forest and this meant it would be a quick stop here and then a late lunch.

We were met at the entrance by one of the forest guides, who took us straight in to look for White-spotted Flufftail. A very secretive species, they can be hit and miss here but he eventually managed to whistle one in for us and we watched it creeping around deep under the trees. A Green Hylia appeared briefly right overhead just as we were watching the Flufftail and had unfortunately disappeared when we turned our attention back to looking for it.

White-spotted Flufftail – a record shot!

On the walk back out to the main track, we stopped to look at a Green Turaco high in the canopy above. Then we turned down another narrow path and after what was possibly a little over the advertised 200m (Gambian metres!), we were pointed to a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl roosting high in the trees. We had great views of it through the scopes and the chance to admire its distinctive pink eyelids.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl – high in the trees

Unfortunately there just wasn’t time now to explore the forest further, and after the best part of an hour’s drive to Marakissa River Camp it was then a very late lunch – more like high tea! It was nice to sit down with a cold drink overlooking the river, where a Pied Kingfisher appeared on a post with a fish and a West African Crocodile surfaced briefly.

After another delicious lunch of fish, chicken and fried vegetables with rice and peanut sauce, we walked out to the road. A Violet Turaco was feeding in the tree opposite and several African Green Pigeons were in the top of a fruit tree a little further along, even if they were at times difficult to see, very well camouflaged in all the green leaves.

African Green Pigeon – well camouflaged

Continuing on down towards the bridge, we scanned the pools – a Black Heron was doing its umbrella fishing and there were several Black Crakes and African Jacanas. We saw our first Intermediate Egret, along with a couple of Squacco Heron, and a colony of Cattle Egrets in the trees behind. An African Darter flew over, and a Common Snipe flew past.

A couple of African Grey Hornbills flew in and landed in the afternoon sunlight right behind to us and a Blue-breasted Kingfisher landed in a dead tree the other side.

African Grey Hornbill – in the sunshine

Unfortunately, we were out of time again. As we walked back along the road an Ovambo Sparrowhawk flew across the fields and landed in the top of a tree where we could get it in the scopes. A couple of Blue-bellied Rollers were in the small trees opposite the entrance to the camp now.

Blue-bellied Roller – smart

There was one last surprise waiting for us back at the camp. The crocodile was waiting in the water just behind where we had eaten lunch earlier and when the owner started calling, ‘crockie, crockie’, it came straight out of the water and up onto the bank right in front of us. Thankfully it was more interested in the chicken it was being fed than us, but it was quite a thing to stand right there and watch.

West African Crocodile – very close!

It was a long drive back and the traffic was even worse than normal tonight. Our driver tried everything he could to get round the congestion, turning down small dirt roads through houses and shops, but there were a couple of vehicles broken down, and others blocking the small roads. At one point we hit complete gridlock and it meant we were late back tonight. The new airport road cannot be finished soon enough!

Wednesday 23^rd November

It was an extra early start this morning, leaving before breakfast, as we were driving down to Kartong, close to the Senegal border. On the upside, it did mean we beat the traffic and had a smooth run down. It was getting light as we got to Kartong and several Hooded Vultures were still sitting around in the middle of the road, although they were nearly mown down by a speeding taxi.

It was still quite cool as we got out of the bus, with a fresh breeze blowing this morning. There were lots of Squacco Herons and Cattle Egrets around the pools and a pair of African Silverbills flew off from beside the path as we walked through the houses to Kartong Bird Observatory. Here we were met by Colin Cross and his wife and ushered out onto the terrace where we were served tea and coffee and ate the packed breakfasts we had brought from the hotel while Colin talked to us about the history of the Bird Observatory. Several Marsh Harriers and Ospreys circled over the marsh in front and those who had not stayed to listen to the talk saw a Rufous-crowned Roller.

Osprey – lots at Kartong

After breakfast, we walked back out to the track and down through the old sandpits. There were lots of White-faced Ducks on the pools, along with several African Jacanas and a remarkable number of Pied Kingfishers perched on just about every bush. A single Little Grebe was out on the water and a young Lesser Moorhen flew across. A few Pink-backed Pelicans and African Spoonbills flew over, along with a lone Spur-winged Goose. Two Red-necked Falcons flew past in front of us and a female Namaqua Dove was feeding on the track.

We turned off the track and cut across into the acacia scrub beyond. We had seen several flying round on previous days but a Citrus Swallowtail finally posed for us in the vegetation now, probably still warming up.

Citrus Swallowtail – finally one settled

We first flushed a Tree Pipit which flew up from the ground and landed in a tree briefly, and then a couple of British Yellow Wagtails and several Plain-backed Pipits too, one or two of which perched nicely for us to get in the scopes.

There were lots of birds in the acacia trees – Splendid Sunbird, Northern Crombec, Senegal Eremomela, a smart pair of Yellow-crowned Gonoleks. We could hear Vieillot’s Barbet calling, but it was distant and didn’t come in to Modou’s whistled imitation of its call. A couple of Abyssinian Rollers were in the bushes nearby and were more obliging for the photographers.

Yellow-crowned Gonolek – a stunner

Continuing on, we skirted round some shallow pools in the grass. There were lots of Spur-winged Lapwings and a couple of Wattled Lapwings with them on the first and the second looked fairly empty as we approached until a Dwarf Bittern came up in front of us from the near edge. It flew away and round behind some bushes ahead of us where it appeared to be dropping down, so we walked over to see if we could find it, but unfortunately there was no further sign.

Modou had been whistling Vieillot’s Barbet on and off all the way round and when we stopped to admire a Black-crowned Tchagra in the top of a nearby bush, a Vieillot’s Barbet started calling again. It was closer this time and flew in and landed in the top of the trees neat to us. Persistence pays off! A Senegal Batis was in a nearby acacia, along with a Woodchat Shrike, and Olivaceous and Melodious Warblers all in same tree. A Nightingale called from the undergrowth behind.

Vieillot’s Barbet – finally!

As we made our way back out onto the main track, a European Turtle Dove flushed ahead of us and landed and briefly in a tree. Walking on down towards the beach, a small flock of Red-billed Quelea appeared in the bushes along with a Western Orphean Warbler briefly. After the walk, it was nice to take a break in the shade in the shack on the beach and get a cold drink. The grapefruit juice which was freshly squeezed as we watched was truly delicious!

There were a few birds moving offshore as we sat and scanned, mostly terns today. Venturing out onto the beach, some waders were feeding on the rocks on the corner – two Sanderling with the Ruddy Turnstones, one or two Grey Plover and Whimbrel. A couple of the group had seen a Eurasian Oystercatcher earlier but there was no sign of it here now. Another Woodchat Shrike was hunting in the scrub behind the beach.

We walked on further down the beach, along the tide line. Lots of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were perched in the mangroves, and hawking above, nice views in the scope. White-fronted Plover is one of the main targets here – we found a female standing higher up on the beach, and through the scopes we could see it was on a nest scrape, standing above its eggs and shading them from the sun. We didn’t disturb it and after a good look we left it in peace.

We all managed to catch up with a couple of Oystercatchers now, further down the beach, together with a larger flock of Sanderling feeding along the water’s edge. We could see a large gathering of gulls and terns more distantly down the beach – but despite scanning through carefully we couldn’t find anything new in with them. Then we walked back up the beach and found the bus waiting for us now by the shack.

West African Mud Turtle – crossing the track

As we drove back up the track, we stopped for a West African Mud Turtle which was crossing the road. We had another quick look at some pools further up, where there was no sign of the hoped for Painted Snipe but a Common Snipe came out of the vegetation and a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron flew across. Our first Yellow-billed Oxpeckers were actually on a donkey here (not an ox!) and a Purple Heron flew through the trees beyond.

Yellow-billed Oxpeckers – or donkeypeckers?

We were heading to Stala for lunch and there were lots of Fiddler Crabs on the mud as we drove out through the mangroves to the lodge. Again, it was a nice place to sit, in the shade, overlooking the river beyond, and another delicious local lunch was laid out for us. Afterwards, we had arranged a boat trip on the river.

Heading downstream first, we came across several more Ospreys first – we saw amazing numbers of them today. There were lots of terns loafing on the bank, including Caspian, a few Royal and Sandwich and one or two Gull-billed Terns. Two pairs of Wattled Lapwings on the water’s edge were our best views yet, and there were lots of Whimbrel, plus Greenshank, Redshank, Common Sandpipers and a couple of Ringed Plover on the muddier stretches.

We got down almost to the mouth of the river, before we had to turn back. We could see a raptor circling now, way off in the distance, and the boatman accelerated back up the river to get us a little closer, at which point we could confirm it was an African Fish Eagle. Unfortunately, it remained rather distant, over on the Senegal side of the river, but a Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle circled up too. We continued on past Stala, upstream a short way where there were more Senegal Thick-knees and a nice Blue-breasted Kingfisher, but no sign of the Goliath Heron we had been hoping to find.

Blue-breasted Kingfisher – from the boat

It was a long drive back, and after the early start this morning we decided to call it a day. A Lanner Falcon flew over as we got back on to the road. The traffic was not so bad today, and we got back to the hotel in good time tonight. We even had time for a little bit of birding in the grounds to round off the day, watching the Green Wood-hoopoes going in and out of their nest hole in the stump just behind the restaurant and nice views of several Long-tailed Glossy Starlings in the trees.

Green Wood-hoopoe – back at the hotel

Thursday 24^th November

After breakfast at the hotel again today, we drove down to Sohm, close to the border with Senegal. We turned on to a dusty track, through the village and then out through overgrown cultivations. A male Black-winged Bishop was perched up in the vegetation by the track as we passed and several Mottled Spinetails zoomed in and out of trees.

We got off the bus and walked in on a small track through the vegetation, and despite this being our last day’s birding the birds were still coming thick and fast. There were lots of sunbirds here, including a couple of Copper, a Pygmy and a smart male Scarlet-chested Sunbird.

Scarlet-chested Sunbird – a male

Pygmy Sunbird – a young male

It didn’t take long to locate one of our first targets here, with a couple of African Yellow White-eyes, and we also had great views of a pair of Senegal Batis, several Senegal Eremomela and one or two Melodious Warblers in the bushes. A Dideric Cuckoo came in too, but kept low down and was hard to see.

Senegal Batis – a female

An amazing number of African Golden Orioles appeared, hard to tell how many but five flew over together at one point and a smart male dropped in briefly. There were several species of weaver too, and Modou had a brief glimpse of a Heuglin’s Masked Weaver. But the highlight here was the smart pair of Black-faced Firefinch which flew in, a scarce species here and a pretty one too.

Black-faced Firefinch – the male

We decided to try a bit further in to try to get better views of the weaver. As we walked through the vegetation a large bird flew up just ahead of us, flashing lots of white in the wing – a male Black-bellied Bustard! We had good views of it as it flew off, another great bird.

Black-bellied Bustard – flew up ahead of us

We positioned ourselves overlooking some small trees now and waited. The Dideric Cuckoo flew back in and this time perched in full view for a long period, allowing us to get it in the scopes and have a really good look, and a Levaillant’s Cuckoo flew over. A Brown-backed Woodpecker appeared in the trees too and we eventually got better views of a Heuglin’s Masked Weaver. Both Whistling and Singing Cisticolas perched up nicely in quick succession.

Dideric Cuckoo – eventually showed well

We had already seen a fantastic selection of birds here, then as we were making our way back out, a Yellow-bellied Hyliota started calling in a tree by the track and dropped down into the bushes right ahead of us.

Yellow-bellied Hyliota – flew down

Back on the bus, we drove on to a nearby area of forest. A pair of Western Violet-backed Sunbirds, a Klaas’s Cuckoo, another Hyliota and a couple of Pearl-spotted Owlets came in to investigate and a Dark Chanting Goshawk flew over and landed in the trees nearby but there didn’t seem to be anything different here today so we moved on again.

We drove deeper in to an area of more open savannah woodland and again it seemed to be alive with birds here. Lots of European Bee-eaters were hawking from the overhead electricity wires and nearby trees and several Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters perched up on the bushes in front of us.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater – perched up nicely

A Yellow-billed Shrike, male Northern Puffback and Northern Black Flycatcher all appeared in the same tree. There were lots of sunbirds, another couple of White-eyes, Melodious Warbler, Red-winged Warblers, Tawny-flanked Prinia and a pair of Grey-backed Cameroptera. A Yellow Penduline Tit flashed through but unfortunately didn’t stop.

Yellow-billed Shrike – showed well

That was a good enough supporting cast but there were lots of new birds for us here too. A White-shouldered Black Tit came in to investigate, although kept its distance and then a Black Scimitarbill flew in to the top of the trees above us. A Pied-winged Swallow appeared briefly over the trees and a male Blackcap was new for the list but probably less exciting for us.

Black Scimitarbill – flew in

A Brubru started calling and eventually one appeared in the trees. The Yellow Penduline Tit was calling too now, but still wouldn’t show itself properly. As we turned to walk back, a Greyish Eagle Owl flew up in and landed in the trees ahead of us. We were hoping we might find some different larger raptors here, but it was rather cloudy today and still and just a few Hooded Vultures were trying to circle up now.

Greyish Eagle Owl – a surprise here

We walked on and out into a more open area where cattle were grazing. Several Yellow-billed Oxpeckers were on the backs of the cows – nice to see them on an ‘ox’ this time – and a couple of Wattled Lapwing flew up from the grass. A Mottled Spintail seemed to come in to investigate us, making a single low pass right over our heads then gone. Two Western Bonelli’s Warblers and one or two Willow Warblers flitted around in the acacia scrub and two moulting male Pin-tailed Whydah appeared with the weavers in a nearby tree.

Yellow-billed Oxpecker – on an ox

Something spooked all the European Bee-eaters out of the trees beyond and it was an impressive sight as a hundred or so of them took to the sky. There were some small pools here, and as we walked round we flushed lots of Bronze Mannikins and several Namaqua Doves. A couple more Black Scimitarbills were probing around a dead tree, another pair of Brubru were in the bushes, a Greater Honeyguide flew into the top of the tree above and the White-shouldered Black Tit appeared again.

As we were making our way back to the bus, there were still more distractions. We found the Yellow Penduline Tits now in an acacia right in front of us and they stayed to allow us a good look in the scopes.

Yellow Penduline Tit – finally showed well

A family of Yellow-billed Shrikes dropped into the top of a tree nearby where a Fanti Sawwing was also perched – nice to see one that wasn’t just zooming round.

Fanti Sawwing – perched

We had maximised the morning hours and been rewarded with so many new birds, but the time had flown and we walked back now to the bus and drove to a nearby lodge for a late but very welcome lunch break and a chance to rest for a while. Afterwards, we had a look around the grounds and the surrounding cultivations. There were lots of glossy starlings feeding in a fruit tree in the garden, including several Purple, a couple of Bronze-tailed, and a single Greater Blue-eared Starling.

Purple Starling – in the fruit tree

An African Harrier Hawk flew over and when all the weavers scattered from the nearby palms, we looked up to see an Ovambo Sparrowhawk fly across and land in a nearby tree. Several Speckled Pigeons and doves were coming down to feed on a small patch of grain put out between the huts and as we walked out through the gates there were lots of doves in the trees around the ricefields – very different from modern agriculture back home. A Mottled Spinetail lingered overhead now, giving us better views and a Grey Woodpecker appeared briefly in the trees behind us.

African Grey Woodpecker – a female

Then it was unfortunately time to head back. We got back to the hotel in good time again today, and sadly said our last farewells to Modou, Fanta and our bus driver.

Friday 25^th November

We had to be checked out of the hotel by midday today, so it was a morning of leisure. Given that, it was perhaps a surprise to see so many of the group up and about for the start of breakfast again. There are plenty of birding opportunities just around the hotel grounds though and we wanted to make the most of the last few hours. A Grey Kestrel showed very well in the trees behind the beach, where a mixed but rather mobile flock of glossy starlings were also to be found early on.

Grey Kestrel – by the beach

It was a chance to try to get some last photos of the Blackcap and Brown Babblers, White-crowned Robin Chat, Western Red-billed Hornbills, Green Woodhoopoes, Hooded Vultures and more, though the local monkeys failed to put in an appearance today for their photo opportunity.

White-crowned Robin Chat – in the hotel grounds

For those who wanted it, we met again for an early lunch down at the beach bar, although the ordering process was a bit chaotic and the food ended up taking longer to arrive than we had expected. Then time for a quick check out and the coach was already waiting outside to take us to the airport. Our flight left on time at 4pm and again arrived about half an hour early into Gatwick just after 10pm. The airport was fairly quiet at this time of night and we got out to baggage reclaim quickly, so it was even more of a surprise to find our bags already arriving on the carousel. Once everyone had got their bags, we said our final goodbyes.

What a visit to The Gambia – a great list of birds, well in excess of any of our expectations. Roll on the return in 2023!

4th Dec 2022 – Early Winter, Day 3

Day 3 of a 3-day Early Winter Tour today. It was a mostly rather grey and overcast day with a chilly east wind, but it stayed dry until we were on our way home at the end of another very successful day’s birding.

It was a very grey start and with a gusty east wind still we decided to start with a quick look out at the sea at Cley. There were not as many birds moving as yesterday – fewer auks, some distant lines and several closer Guillemots; a few small groups of Common Scoter flew past; one or two Gannets and a few Red-throated Divers. Were just about to move on when someone called a Great Northern Diver and we managed to pick it up heading east offshore. A nice return for our 40 minutes work.

Wigeon – by Lady Anne’s Drive

As it started to brighten up a little, we made our way along the coast to Holkham. The car park was quite busy (for a weekday in early December at least!), and it turned out there was a 5 mile fun run here this morning. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be disturbing the birds. There were lots of Wigeon on the grazing marsh right beside Lady Anne’s Drive.

A couple of what resembled clods of earth out in the grass were actually Grey Partridges. We found an angle where we could get a clearer view and counted six together. They were busy feeding, mostly heads down, but one looked up occasionally and showed its orange face.

Grey Partridge – two of the six

Scanning the trees in the distance, out towards Decoy Wood, there were a few Marsh Harriers up, and several Common Buzzards mostly perched on the bushes. A Red Kite drifted over and a Sparrowhawk flew across. A Raven flew in towards us kronking, over Lady Anne’s Drive and disappeared off east.

Raven – flew in kronking

From the top of the Drive, we scanned down along the hedgeline to the west. There were several Blackbirds and a Jay out on the grass. Three Bullfinches were feeding on the remains of the blackberries in the hedge – two browner females and a smart pink male. They stayed out in view feeding for a while, giving us plenty of time to admire them through the scopes.

Bullfinch – in the hedge

Out onto the saltmarsh, we turned east and walked down towards the cordon. Not far along, there was a flock of Linnets, pipits and Skylarks feeding out in the vegetation not far in from the path. But we could see some rather ominous dark clouds approaching ahead so we decided to head for the Shorelarks first, just in case the weather deteriorated, and come back to the other birds later.

We were glad we did. When we arrived, the Shorelarks were in the cordon but very close to the fence. We watched as they picked around at the dead flower heads, feeding – great views, some of the best we have had of them this winter. Some were in and out of the vegetation but we eventually saw all twelve of the Shorelarks together that are currently enjoying the hospitality here. Smart birds, with their yellow faces and black masks.

Shorelark – showing well!

After a while, something spooked the Shorelarks and they took off. They flew round for a minute or so and then came back in past us, landing again in the cordon, but a bit further out now. We took that as a cue to move on.

The dark clouds had passed over so we continued on out to the beach to look at the sea. There were lots of Common Scoter offshore but the first bird we got a scope on was a Velvet Scoter. It was quite close in, but a bit further up the beach from where we were standing. Then scanning back along the shore we found more Velvet Scoters closer to us – eventually we saw eight together, but there could have been more as they were diving and kept breaking into smaller groups. Several Red-breasted Mergansers were close in, diving in the breakers too.

We found a Slavonian Grebe close in too, and then a second one a bit nearer. There were several Great Crested Grebes feeding offshore as well, but we couldn’t see anything different out here today. Turning our attention to the beach, there were a few Sanderling running about on the shore, along with one or two Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits. A large group of Cormorants were lined up on the sand bar further out, drying their wings.

As we made our way back, we stopped to look at the pipits on the saltmarsh now. There was a nice mix of Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits, giving good side by side comparisons through the scopes, the Rock Pipits larger and swarthier. A group of Black-tailed Godwits were feeding on the saltmarsh nearby.

Black-tailed Godwits – on the saltmarsh

It was just after midday already, so we decided to stop for an early lunch. News had come through that a dowitcher had appeared at Titchwell, which would be a new bird for most of the group, and everyone was keen to try to see it. If it hung around, we could head back that way this afternoon. We stopped at the Lookout for lunch and while we were eating confirmation came through that it was a Long-billed Dowitcher, possibly the bird that was hanging around at Cley for much of last month.

So after lunch, we set off west. On the way, we made a quick stop overlooking the grazing marshes. As we got out of the minibus, we could immediately see at least 40 Russian White-fronted Geese feeding out on the grass in the near corner.

White-fronted Geese – some of the 40

A Great White Egret immediately stood out, out in the middle, but with most of the cattle taken in for the winter now we weren’t sure whether the Cattle Egrets would still be here. We could see a small group of Belted Galloways right at the back, in front of the pines, but they were behind some brambles and in some very tall vegetation. Luckily, we saw a Cattle Egret fly up and land on the back of one of the cows, just like they do with herd animals on the African savannah! It dropped down again quite quickly, but knowing they were there we continued to scan and when some of the cows moved into a clearer space, we could see at least three Cattle Egrets walking around with them now.

A Kestrel was hovering just in front as we pulled up, there were several Marsh Harriers out on the grazing marsh and several Common Buzzards on various fence posts. A Red Kite drifted over. There were hundreds of Lapwings roosting out on the grass, and when something spooked them they all took to the air together and swirled round, an impressive sight.

We didn’t linger long, as we wanted to get to Titchwell. Arriving in the car park, we headed straight out towards the Freshmarsh. Some locals were just leaving, and mentioned to us that a Long-eared Owl had just been found at Brancaster. First things first – we would go out and try to see the Long-billed Dowitcher first, then maybe try for that afterwards.

The Long-billed Dowitcher had been asleep on one of the islands earlier, but had woken up and was feeding actively when we arrived. We had some good views of it through the scopes as it fed along the muddy edge of the island. Like a slightly bulky snipe, with a long straight bill slightly tweaked at the tip, although greyer and plainer with just a well-marked supercilium.

Long-billed Dowitcher – awake on the Freshmarsh

After a while the Long-billed Dowitcher flew over to the next island, where it preened for a couple of minutes on the front edge. Then it walked up onto the muddy bank and went back to sleep. We had seen it well, and we had already had a good look around Titchwell on Friday, so we decided we would move on.

Our thoughts turned back to the Long-eared Owl and we managed to get confirmation that it was still on view round at Brancaster. We parked on Beach Road this time and walked along the bank. We could see a small group on the seawall, close to where we had seen the Hume’s Warbler on Friday. They let us have a look through their scopes first and there was the Long-eared Owl lurking down in one of the sallows.

We managed to find an angle where it wasn’t too obscured and then had good views through our scopes too. It was a bit breezy out here, and it’s ‘ear’ tufts were being blown around. The Long-eared Owl had been found by someone looking for the Hume’s Warbler. Presumably fresh in from the Continent, it was roosting here before heading on inland. As with so many Long-eared Owls which arrive off the sea here, it would not be seen the following day, so we were lucky it happened to turn up when we were at Titchwell anyway this afternoon.

Long-eared Owl – a great way to end

What a great way to end a December long weekend with two excellent birds. And both completely unexpected! The light was starting to go now, a little earlier tonight – it was rather grey and we could see darker clouds approaching. It just started to spit as we got back to minibus and started to rain on and off on the drive back. Perfect timing!

3rd Dec 2022 – Early Winter, Day 2

Day 2 of a 3-day Early Winter Tour today. It was a grey, wet and windy start, but thankfully it dried out quickly and then even brightened up from the middle of the day. The forecast suggested it would be much worse (again!).

As we met at the B&B in Hindolveston this morning, a Fieldfare flew over tchacking. Possibly another fresh arrival from the continent overnight.

Our first destination for the day was Sheringham. As we pulled up on the edge of Beeston Common, it was very grey, low cloud, windy and spitting with drizzle. It didn’t look too promising. But we looked up into the trees opposite and the first bird we saw perched right up in the top of one of them was a Waxwing! We got it in the scope, a super smart bird to start the day. After a few minutes it flew a short distance out onto the Common and disappeared out of view.

Waxwing – first, one

There had been 10 Waxwings here yesterday, so we walked up the road and round onto the Common to see if we could find any more. There were lots of rowan trees here and lots of berries – always promising! A Bullfinch flew across. And there were nine Waxwings lined up in the top of one of the trees. Enough to brighten any morning!

Waxwings – then all nine

We watched the Waxwings for a while. They were rather jumpy, and kept flying round and landing again back in the same couple of rowans. We could see a mixture of adults with brightly marked wings and duller 1st winters.

After a while, it started to rain more heavily and the Waxwings flew back towards where we had first seen the lone one. Having enjoyed such good views, we decided to move on.

We made our way down to the promenade next. Several Turnstones scooted off ahead of us as we walked along to the Tank. We stopped in the lee to scan, out of the wind, and immediately spotted a Purple Sandpiper on the next groyne up. It seemed to be mostly down out of sight on the far side of the rocks, so we walked further along for a clearer view. Several Turnstones flew in to the same groyne and when we got to where we could see the rocks we found that there were actually two Purple Sandpipers together.

Purple Sandpipers – and Turnstone

It was windy out on the prom, so we made our way back to the lee of the Tank to scan the sea. There were lots of auks moving offshore this morning – the closer ones were mostly Razorbills, with a smaller number of Guillemots. There was a steady stream of Kittiwakes passing too, and we managed to pick out one young Little Gull further back. A few Gannets flew through along with a small number of Red-throated Divers and a single Great Crested Grebe – always odd birds to see flying past offshore. A Shag was on the sea but diving and hard to see behind the breakers.

We were about to pack up when a message came through that a couple of skuas had flown east past Cley, so we stayed on to see if we could see them from here. Two Eider flew west and a couple of small groups of Common Scoter came past. Eventually we picked up a Great Skua flying towards us and we could see the big white flashes in its wings as it came past.

Pink-footed Geese – at Weybourne

Back in the warmth of the minibus, we made our way back west. We stopped briefly to look at a field full of Pink-footed Geese at Weybourne. We pulled into a gateway and scanned from the bus, as they were looking nervous, heads up. We could only see a tiny part of the flock from here, unfortunately, and there was nothing obviously different with the closer ones. Still, always an impressive to see a field full of wild geese.

We made our way down to Cley. It was still rather grey and threatening to rain again, as we made our way out to Bishop Hide first. A Marsh Harrier flew past over the reeds, the first of several we saw hanging around the reserve this morning.

Marsh Harrier – one of several

There were lots of ducks on Pat’s Pool – Teal, Shoveler and Wigeon. There were a few Avocet hanging on here too, despite the increasingly wintry weather, and lots of Lapwings on the islands. Scanning through more carefully, we found one Black-tailed Godwit, a few Dunlin and a Turnstone. Eventually, one of the Little Stints appeared from behind one of the islands further back. There have been two hanging around with the Dunlin here still recently, Little Stints are scarce birds here in winter.

This can be a good place for gulls, but there were only Black-headed Gulls here now. We could hear a Chiffchaff calling just outside the hide in the reeds and a Sparrowhawk shot past, probably too quickly to spook anything on the scrapes!

We made our way round to the middle hides next. After the recent rain, there is a lot of water on some of the other scrapes now. There were lots more ducks on Simmond’s, including several Gadwall, and we could see some small groups of Canada Geese out beyond Billy’s Wash.

Little Stint – 1 of 2

Looking out at Pat’s Pool from this side, we managed to find both the two Little Stints now and a couple of Curlew appeared.

More gulls dropped in, including several larger ones now. A young gull with a striking white head was a first winter Caspian Gull. We had a good look at it through the scopes and discussed the finer points of its identification as it preened and showed various features off to us.

Caspian Gull – 1st winter

We walked back to the Visitor Centre for lunch and helpfully it even brightened up a bit so we could still make use of the picnic tables. Afterwards, we drove along to Salthouse. The Iron Road pool has more water too, so there are not so many waders on here now – just one Black-tailed Godwit on our walk out.

As we continued on over the bridge towards the beach. we saw the small flock of Twite fly round and land on the shingle in the distance. Unfortunately, before we could get there they flew off again. We scanned from the shingle ridge and saw them flying round over the grazing marshes with a few Linnets and several Skylarks too. They dropped down out of sight, then flew up and round again. This time they disappeared off east towards Salthouse.

We hoped the Twite might come back to the shingle, so while we waited we scanned the sea. They were still a few auks, Kittiwakes and Gannets moving, but they were further out than they had been this morning.

Stonechat – on Iron Road

We were in danger of getting cold out here, and we had one last place we wanted to visit this afternoon, so we decided to walk back. As we set off, the Twite flew back in and round in front of us again with a few Linnets. They looked like they might land on the saltmarsh, but eventually disappeared off east again. A Stonechat flicked along Iron Road ahead of us.

As we got back to the minibus, we heard Pink-footed Geese calling and looked up to see wave upon wave of them flying in from the east, thousands of them. Possibly, the birds we had seen feeding at Weybourne earlier, we watched as they carried on west. Another impressive goose spectacle!

Pink-footed Geese – flew over in skeins

Our final destination for the afternoon was Garden Drove. As walked down the track, we stopped to admire the small flock of Brent Geese in the winter wheat.

Several Blackbirds flew out of the hedges in front and a Redwing dropped down to feed on the ground ahead of us. A Mistle Thrush flew up into the top of one of the bare trees. Down at the far end, more Blackbirds and a couple of Fieldfares flushed out of the bushes.

There were a few people already gathered on the edge of the coastal path here, so we joined them to scan. We could see several Curlews and Little Egrets and a single Great White Egret out on the saltmarsh. We were all hoping that the Pallid Harrier might put in another of its erratic appearances here, but the omens were not so good as it had not come in last night.

A rather dark juvenile Peregrine flew in over East Hills and disappeared off east. A ringtail Hen Harrier appeared briefly and distantly, going away from us, but helpfully then flew back and round over the saltmarsh in front of us, giving us good views. A grey male Hen Harrier remained more distant, over the spartina bed further back. A Common Buzzard flew past too. An excellent selection of raptors and a great return for the hour we spent here, but unsurprisingly there was no sign of the Pallid Harrier again tonight.

The light was starting to go, so we decided it was time to head back. There was a nice sunset over the fields away to the west, and then several skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew through heading out to the mudflats to roost. A great sight to end the day.

2nd Dec 2022 – Early Winter, Day 1

Day 1 of a 3-day Early Winter Tour today. There were a few showers around, but thankfully mostly light and brief, and there were some nice bright sunny spells too – not a bad day at all for early December. We spent the day on the coast in NW Norfolk.

As we met up at the B&B in Hindolveston, a couple of skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew over calling. Historically they were rather scarce this far from the coast, but they are increasingly having to look further afield to find their favoured sugar beet fields, as less beet is grown and more fields are ploughed in straight after harvest. A worrying sign.

With a rather grey start, we decided to head for Titchwell first. More skeins of Pinkfeet flew over as we got nearer the coast, a more typical location. Two Fieldfares landed on the top of the hedge beside the road. There didn’t seem to be many birds left in the cover strips at Choseley as we passed, just a small flock of Linnets.

As we got out of the minbus in the car park at Titchwell, a tit flock was working its way through the trees beside us. A Goldcrest fluttered in the back of the hedge. We could hear a Bullfinch calling distantly through the trees. We had a quick walk round the overflow car park, to see if anything might have dropped in overnight, but the bushes here were quiet today.

There were lots of Goldfinches feeding in the alders by the Visitor Centre. We had just started looking through to see if anything else was with them, when something spooked them and they all flew off. We decided to press on and have another look on our way back later.

Out onto the start of the main path, there is still not much water in the ditches. One side is still dry, but we did find a Water Rail lurking in the water in the bottom the other side. They are often rather tame here, but this one was unusually jumpy and ran off up the ditch ahead of us.

Red Kite – hanging overhead

As we got out of the trees, a Red Kite drifted over and hung in the air overhead. It seemed to be checking us out – we were not dead yet! We could see a Great White Egret on the first pool through the reeds and a Marsh Harrier over the back of reedbed. A couple of the group got a brief view of a Bearded Tit, but it was a bit too windy for them today.

We stopped opposite the Reedbed Pool to talk to some of the locals who were just walking back and the (Greater) Scaup appeared from behind the reeds right down at the front. It favours the channel a little further up, so when we lost sight of it we figured it would reappear there. It duly did and we got a much better look at it. The others had pointed out a Whooper Swan which was feeding distantly in the field south of the main road with Greylags, but it was largely hidden behind some trees from here.

Greater Scaup – in the reedbed channel

It started to spit with rain now, so we made for the shelter of Island Hide to scan the Freshmarsh. There is a good selection of ducks on here now, including several smart Pintail. A gaggle of Brent Geese dropped in.

Brent Goose – dropped in

There were still 10 hardy Avocets out towards the back and a small group of Dunlin feeding along the edge of the far bund beyond. A few Black-tailed Godwits were dozing among the Wigeon on the next compartment along.

The rain stopped again quickly, so we made our way back out to the main path. We could see the Whooper Swan now – still very distant, but at least clear of the trees. Out on the saltmarsh, a Chinese Water Deer walked across. Five Common Snipe flew over. Further up, we stopped again by the bund to admire the Golden Plover, looking stunning through the scopes.

Golden Plover – looking golden

The weather had improved significantly now, and it had even brightened up a little, so we decided to make the most of it and head straight out to the beach. At the far side of the Volunteer Marsh, several Redshanks and Curlews were in the muddy channel. A Grey Plover was down in the water in the bottom towards the back and a Bar-tailed Godwit was on the muddy bank nearby. When it walked across to the other side, it joined a Black-tailed Godwit giving us a nice opportunity for comparison.

There was not much on the Tidal Pools today – more Pintail here out on the water. So we continued on to the beach. Here the tide was already coming in and the mussel beds were already covered.

Two Slavonian Grebes were on the sea together, close in, and we had a good view of them in the scopes. There were a couple of Great Crested Grebes too. Two Common Scoter flew past and several Gannets were plunge diving further out.

A couple of Sanderling were running around on the beach in typical fashion, in and out of the waves. Several Bar-tailed Godwits and a Grey Plover were feeding along the shore too and some larger flocks of Oystercatcher and Bar-tailed Godwit were roosting out on the beach to the east, towards Brancaster.

We had been told there was a Spotted Redshank on pools out on the saltmarsh behind the dunes earlier, but it had disappeared. We scanned again now, and found it feeding in the water around a Little Egret. Eventually it came out onto the vegetation where it was easier to see – we could see its longer needle-fine bill and neat white fore-supercilia meeting over the bill.

As we walked back, we called in at Parrinder Hide. Another dark cloud had blown in and there was a little light rain on and off. We could see the sky clearing again from the east, even if it took a bit of time to arrive, so waited for the rain to stop. A Great White Egret was stalking around in the water. A couple of Ringed Plovers were feeding with some Dunlin on the grassy island in front of the hide. A Water Rail show out of the reeds just below us but disappeared straight into the denser vegetation on the bund.

Great White Egret – stalking the shallows

When the rain stopped, we continued on our way back. We diverted round via Meadow Trail, as there had been a couple of Siberian Chiffchaffs by the Dragonfly Pool. A Common Chiffchaff appeared in the sallows first, quickly followed by one of the Siberian Chiffchaffs. We could see the latter was much buffier, less olivey green. As it disappeared back into the sallows, it called – a plaintive monosyllable, very different. Another Common Chiffchaff flicked through following a flock of Long-tailed Tits.

We had a quick look out at Patsy’s Reedbed. Several Coot and Tufted Duck were new for the tour list and we had nice views of a couple of Common Snipe feeding on the cut reed. Then it was time to head back for lunch.

Back at the Visitor Centre, we came across another flock of tits and a female Blackcap appeared with them briefly. There were still lots of Goldfinch in the alders, so we collected our lunch from the minibus and ate today on the tables by the Centre (as the cafe was closed). Scanning the trees, we eventually found a single Siskin in with the Goldfinches, the best we could do here today.

After lunch, we drove round to Gypsy Lane. The walk out through the trees was quiet but there were several Redshanks and Curlew, plus Little Egret and Grey Heron on the saltmarsh beyond.

The Hume’s Warbler started calling from across the pool shortly after we arrived, but we couldn’t see it. It was very vocal so we waited to see if it would come out. There were a few Reed Buntings in the bushes and a female Stonechat flycatching.

Our timing was fortuitous as the grey clouds receded and the sun came out now. We had a glimpse of something flick into the sallows further along and then the Hume’s Warbler appeared in one of the bushes right by the bank. We walked up towards it and were treated to some great views. It flicked around for some time on the sunny edge of the sallow, calling constantly – the call distinctly squeakier than a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Hume’s Warbler – showing well

They were far better views of the Hume’s Warbler than we could have hoped for, so when it finally disappeared back deeper in, we decided to walk across to the beach. As we got to the sea, three Fieldfares were just coming in off, fresh arrivals from Scandinavia. Three Slavonian Grebes were riding the waves just offshore and another Sanderling was running around on the sand. We could see a juvenile Peregrine out on the beach on Scolt Head.

We could see some a few ducks in the mouth of the harbour channel, but they were very distant and impossible to see easily in the swell. With the tide pretty high now, we decided to try Brancaster Staithe and see if anything had gone further into the harbour.

The sun was already going down and the temperature was dropping fast as we walked back. A Marsh Harrier was circling over the reeds towards the back of Titchwell, gathering to roost. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed in the dead trees by the path, calling.

Grey Plover – in the car park

When we got to the Staithe, a Grey Plover was feeding on the edge of the car park as we got out. There were lots of Turnstones picking around where someone was raking up the leftover mussels. One of them had a set of colour rings – ringed locally rather than further afield, it seems to be a regular here. We had nice close views of the Bar-tailed Godwits on one of the islands, but the Red-breasted Mergansers were very distant, right out at the far end of the harbour. Several Pied Wagtails flew in and landed on the boats, coming into roost.

The light was going now and it was time to head back. A very good first day, with the promise of more tomorrow.