Gambia-Details-1

Day 1 Arrival to Yundum Airport and Local Birding
for Most After Arrival

Day 2: Kotu Ponds, Stream and Open Area/golf course:
Afternoon at Casino Cycle Track

It is always exciting to look out of the window for the first
time in a new country and we certainly won't be short of
birds to look at here. In fact, with Laughing Dove,
Speckled Pigeon, Red-billed Hornbill, Pied Crow,
Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Common Bulbul, Red-billed
Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin and many others to look at, it
will be hard to drag ourselves to breakfast! As soon as
breakfast is finished we will meet Solomon and walk
across the road to the Kotu ponds, stream and golf
course. Common species here include White-faced
Whistling-duck, Black-headed, Spur-winged and Wattled
Lapwings, Hooded and Palm-nut Vultures, Grey and
Fine-spotted Woodpeckers, Blue-breasted and
Abyssinian Rollers, Little Bee-eater and a variety of
sunbirds including Splendid, Variable and Beautiful
Sunbirds. Cattle Egrets are all over the place and by the
stream we will look for Senegal Thick-knee and
Yellow-throated Longclaw whilst watching Pied, Malachite
and Giant Kingfishers hunting.

During the heat of the day we will return to the hotel but
later in the afternoon we will check the area known as the
Casino Cycle Track. Here we may add Tawny-flanked
Prinia, Zitting Cisticola, Northern Red Bishop, Green
Woodhoopoe, Pipiac, Village Indigobird, Senegal Parrot,
Little Swift and African Palm-swift, Oriole Warbler (Moho),
Brown and Blackcap Babblers, Senegal Coucal and
Grey-backed Camaroptera to our lists. As the light fades
we may see both Long-tailed and Standard-winged
Nightjars.

Day 3: Abuko Nature Reserve

We will spend the day at Abuko Nature Reserve. Although
small it encloses a remnant area of riverine forest as well
as some savannah. Protected since 1916 as a water
catchment area, with a fence that keeps domestic
livestock out, Abuko abounds with birds. On the pools are
Long-tailed Cormorant, African Darter, Hamerkop,
Black-crowned Night-heron and Black-headed and
Striated Herons, whilst in the forest Western Grey
Plantain-eater and Green and Violet Turacos are the
most conspicuous species together with Grey and African
Pied Hornbills. Small birds are often not as easy to in the
canopy of trees or the undergrowth, so a good ploy is to
sit quietly in the photographic hide. By doing this,
especially in the heat of the day, we can remain in the
shade and see many new species including Black-billed
and Blue-spotted Wood Doves, Western Bluebill,
Snowy-crowned and White-crowned Robin-chats,
Grey-headed Bristlebill, Little Greenbul and African
Pygmy Kingfisher. Another good place to be in the heat of
the day is in one of the hides which overlook the pools.
Nile Crocodiles and Monitor Lizards also occur here as
well as Red Colobus and Green Vervet Monkeys and we
may also see Bushbuck and Sitatunga. There is a very
convenient stall selling cold drinks and snacks in the
middle of the reserve by the animal orphanage and we will
spend some time here as the water and food attract many
birds. At another time we will visit the savannah extension
(not in the heat of the day!) which supports a different
selection of birds including Stone Partridge,
Double-spurred Francolin, Fanti Sawwing, Pied-winged
Swallow, Grey Kestrel, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and
maybe roosting Verreaux's Eagle Owl in one of the large
trees. Continuing our circular journey we will find new
species all the time including perhaps Lizard Buzzard,
African Harrier-hawk, African Paradise and Red-bellied
Flycatchers, African Golden Oriole, Northern Puffback,
Yellow-breasted Apalis and Green Hylia. Bird activity often
increases at about 5.00 pm and exciting species including
Levaillant's and Klaas's Cuckoos, Yellowbill,
Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike and Sulphur-breasted
Bush-shrike have been found at the last gasp!

Days 4 to 7: Lamin Fields, Bund Road, The Tanji Bird
Reserve, The Faraba Banta bush track, Pirang and
Mandinaba

We will visit many areas with different habitats looking for
new species. The Lamin Fields has open grassland and
agricultural areas where we will look for Greater
Painted-snipe, Temminck's Courser, White-faced
Scops-owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Striped Kingfisher,
Northern Black Flycatcher, Pin-tailed Whydah and
Chestnut-bellied Starling. In the scattered trees we should
see Vieillot's and Bearded Barbets and Red-eyed and
Vinaceous Doves, while Dark Chanting Goshawks and
Black-shouldered Kites often hunt over the area.

The Bund Road is an area of marshy pools and
mangroves close to Banjul, where the mud is alive with
Fiddler Crabs and Mudskippers as well as waders which
include Little Stint, Dunlin, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed
Godwits, Eurasian Curlew and Wood Sandpipers and
Black-winged Stilt. Grey-headed and Slender-billed Gulls,
Pink-backed Pelicans and the white-breasted form of
Great Cormorant roost on the wrecks in the bay. Western
Reef Egrets are common and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters
and Wire-tailed Swallows hawk over the area, while large
numbers of Pied Kingfishers and African Mourning Doves
watch from the wires.

The Tanji Bird Reserve is an excellent site for many
species including Whistling Cisticola, Yellow-fronted
Tinkerbird, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Northern Crombec
and Western Palearctic migrants, such as Melodious,
Western Olivaceous and Subalpine Warblers and Rufous
Nightingale, whilst African Hobby hunt over the area. On
the saltwater lagoon, White-fronted Plover and Caspian,
Royal and Lesser Crested Terns can be found and
Four-banded Sandgrouse come in to drink at the
freshwater pool in the evening.

The Seleti Waterholes on the Senegal border offer
another good opportunity to watch birds coming in to
drink and these include Exclamatory Paradise Whydah,
Bush Petronia, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-rumped and
Lavender Waxbills and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu.

The Faraba Banta bush track is an outstanding area for
raptors and here we will look for Brown Snake-eagle,
Bateleur, Martial, Tawny and Wahlberg's Eagles and
African Hawk-eagle, whilst African Green Pigeons can be
found in the woodland.

Pirang, a failed attempt at a shrimp farm, is an excellent
place for Black Crowned-crane together with Black-faced
Quail-finch, Plain-backed Pipit and Mosque Swallow.

Mandinaba is an extensive area of rice fields where
Hadada Ibis can be found and, on one occasion, we
discovered a Dwarf Bittern there.

Day 8: Up river to Tendaba Camp

Today we will drive up river for a one-night stay at
Tendaba camp. Despite its name it is a lodge and does
not have tents. En-route we will stop at a particularly
productive woodland site where Brown-backed
Woodpecker, Black-faced Firefinch, White-shouldered
Black Tit, Yellow White-eye, Yellow Penduline-tit,
Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver
and White-fronted Black Chat may be seen. At Tendaba
we will have lunch, after which we will take a pirogue into
the mangrove creeks. Species we could see include
Yellow-billed and Marabou Storks, Sacred Ibis,
Intermediate Egret, Goliath Heron, White-backed
Night-heron, African Spoonbill, Knob-billed (Comb) Duck,
Spur-winged Goose, African Fish Eagle, White-throated
Bee-eater, Mouse-brown Sunbird, African Blue Flycatcher
and Blue-breasted and Grey-headed Kingfishers. In the
varied habitat around Tendaba we may see Long-crested
Eagle, Pygmy Sunbird, Brown-necked Parrot, Bruce's
Green Pigeon, White-crested Helmet-shrike and
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill.

Days 9 to 10: Kau-ur swamp and then to Basse

Leaving after breakfast we catch the ferry across to the
north bank of the river, looking for Winding Cisticola as
we wait. The roads on the north bank are truly appalling
but we make frequent stops to look at the waterholes
where large numbers of birds come to drink in the heat of
the day. Amongst numerous weavers, we may see
Namaqua Dove, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Black-crowned
Finch-lark, Cut-throat, Exclamatory Paradise-whydah and
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Eventually we will arrive at
the superb Kau-ur swamp where we will look for the
regular Egyptian Plovers together with Kittlitz's Plover and
Collared Pratincole. Continuing our journey, and looking
for Northern Anteater-chat, we will take another ferry to
Georgetown Island, our base for the next two nights. The
accommodation here is good with en-suite facilities and
good food. On day 10 we will drive to Basse to look for
Northern Carmine Bee-eater before stopping for a lunch
break. On the way back to Georgetown Island we will look
for Rüppell's Griffon-vulture and African White-backed
and White-headed Vultures en-route before stopping at a
large Red-throated Bee-eater colony where the very local
Rufous-chested Swallow can also be found. On the island
we will work the rice fields for African Crake before visiting
other sites for Grey-headed Bush-shrike and Spotted
Thick-knee. After dinner we will look for African Scops-owl.

Day 11 Downstream Boat Trip for birding in Morning, Dry
woodlands in afternoon near Tendanaba

In the morning we will take a two-hour pirogue trip
downstream to look for African Finfoot. Other birds we
may see on the river are Spur-winged Goose and Comb
Duck. After being picked up by our bus, we will visit a big
area of marshes and rice fields where specialities may
include African Pygmy-goose and Black Coucal. We will
also make a brief visit to a school to donate equipment.
Heading back west, we will arrive in time for lunch at
Tendaba. In the afternoon, we will explore the dry
woodland again for species we may have missed such as
Brown-rumped Bunting. Overnight at Tendaba.

Day 12: AM final Tendaba Birding and then to Coast

We will have the opportunity to revisit a number of sites in
the Tendaba area before lunch. In the afternoon we will
return to our coastal hotel for a three-night stay, birding
en route and arriving in time for dinner.

Days 13 and 14: Abuko, Brufut Woods, Marakissa

During the last two days back at the coast we will revisit
some of the best sites, including Abuko, as even on a
second or third visit we will see new birds. We will also
visit new sites such as Brufut Woods where exciting
species such as Collared, Green-headed,
Scarlet-chested and Western Violet-backed Sunbirds,
Lesser Honeyguide, Red-winged Warbler and Senegal
Batis can be found. Marakissa is a mixture of cultivation,
forest and a river with specialities including Black Crake,
White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike and Spotted Honeyguide.
Camalou Corner has mudflats and cultivation where we
may see Yellow-crowned Bishop. After two weeks we will
not only still be seeing new birds but also getting better
views of, and even photographing, birds we have seen
before.

Day 14: AM Birding and Flights Onward

At breakfast, we should be fully packed for our flight home
with the exception of the birding essentials for the
morning.

We will bird several local sites before returning to Yundum
Airport at about 2 PM.

Detailed Itinerary

For More Information or to Register for this Trip, call Charles at 888-203-7464
or directly at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com.