The final day was spent in Brufut with
Clive while Debs took it easy back at the hotel. Not far into our walk a single
large tree held many calling birds that included several African Thrushes, 3
Western Grey Plantain-eaters and 2 Green Turacos as well as Common Bulbul,
Beautiful Sunbird and Yellow-billed Shrike. At the small bridge where we had
earlier in the week looked for a rare Gecko (Red-chested, I think) we saw its
head poking out of the disused Red-rumped Swallow nest that it has made its
home and around the stream side edges we had a pair of Black Crakes, a Purple
Heron, a pair of Grey Kestrels, an African Darter and an Intermediate Egret.
Also in this area were Wattled Plover, Spur-winged Plover, White-billed
Buffalo-weaver, Western Reef Heron, Long-tailed Cormorant and a pair of
Blue-bellied Rollers. Other birds included Mottled Spinetail, Pallid Swift,
Little Swift, Broad-billed Roller, Bearded Barbet, Splendid Sunbird, Fanti
Saw-wing, Grey Woodpecker and an Orange-cheeked Waxbill at her nest. A
Melodious Warbler was singing from a bush as we walked past and a Subalpine
Warbler was seen a few times. A supporting cast of Red-eyed Dove, Osprey, Black
Kite, Blue-spotted and Black-billed Wood Doves, Red-billed Hornbill, African
Palm Swift, Senegal Coucal, Black-headed Heron, Northern Crombec and Black Wood
Hoopoe all enlivened the day.
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| Grey Kestrel |
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| Grey Kestrel |
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| Grey Kestrel |
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| Intermediate Egret |
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| Intermediate Egret |
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| Purple Heron |
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| Wattled Plover |
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| Long-tailed Cormorant |
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| Orange-cheeked Waxbill near her nest |
On the morning of the leaving day I watched
40 Gannets flying north in a 30 minute sea watch (Gannets are scarce in Gambia)
while Osprey, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern and Grey-headed Gull all
put in appearance with Brown Babbler, Black Kite, Pied Crow and Piapiac all
around the hotel. While in the airport lounge there were 50 Hooded Vultures
making use of the sprinklers on the grass in front of the runway.
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| Little Swift |
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| Senegal Parrot |
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| Western Grey Plantain-eater |
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| Subalpine Warbler |
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| Hooded Vultures at the Airport |
Below is a species list for the trip
Northern Gannet
Great-white Pelican
Pink-backed Pelican
Long-tailed Cormorant
African Darter
Cattle Egret
Squacco Heron
Striated Heron
Intermediate Egret
Western Reef Heron
Great-white Egret
Black-headed heron
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Osprey
African Harrier-hawk
Palm-nut Vulture
Pied Crow
Hooded Vulture
Black Kite
Grasshopper Buzzard
Black-shouldered Kite
Shikra
Lizard Buzzard
Lanner Falcon
Red-necked Falcon
Grey Kestrel
Double-spurred Francolin
Ahanta Francolin
Stone Partridge
Four-banded Sandgrouse
Black Crake
African Jacana
Spur-winged Plover
Wattled Plover
Northern Lapwing
Grey Plover
Ringed Plover
White-fronted Plover
 |
| White-fronted Plover at long range |
Eurasian Curlew
Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Black-winged Stilt
Ruff
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Pomarine Skua
Arctic Skua
Audouin’s Gull
Grey-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Kelp Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull races graellsii, intermedius & fuscus
 |
| Graellsii, Fuscus (middle) & Graellsii ith adult Kelp rear right |
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Lesser-crested Tern
Sandwich Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Common Tern
Laughing Dove
Blue-spotted Wood Dove
Black-billed Wood Dove
Speckled Pigeon
Namaqua Dove
Red-eyed Dove
African Mourning Dove
Vinaceous Dove
Piapiac
Senegal Coucal
Levaillant’s Cuckoo
Klaas’s Cuckoo
White-faced Scops Owl
Pallid Swift
Little Swift
Mottled Spinetail
African Palm Swift
Black Wood Hoopoe
Green Wood Hoopoe
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Broad-billed Roller
Blue-bellied Roller
Rufous-crowned Roller
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater
Ring-necked Parakeet
Senegal Parrot
Violet Turaco
Western Grey Plantain-eater
Green Turaco
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Bearded Barbet
African Pied Hornbill
Red-billed Hornbill
African Grey Hornbill
Grey Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Greater Honeyguide
Crested Lark
Fanti Saw-wing
Red-chested Swallow
African Golden Oriole
Fork-tailed Drongo
Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Common Bulbul
Yellow-throated Leaflove
Little Greenbul
Grey-headed Bristlebill
Oriole Warbler
Blackcap Babbler
Brown Babbler
Northern Wheatear
Common Nightingale
Snowy-crowned Robin-chat
African Thrush
Olivaceous Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Subalpine Warbler
Willow Warbler
Whistling Cisticola
Red-winged Warbler
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Northern Crombec
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Common Wattle-eye
African Paradise Flycatcher
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher
Variable Sunbird
Splendid Sunbird
Beautiful Sunbird
Copper Sunbird
Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike
Northern Puffback
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Yellow-billed Shrike
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
Long-tailed Glossy Starling
House Sparrow
Grey-headed Sparrow
White-billed Buffalo-weaver
Northern Red Bishop
Viteline Masked Weaver
Village Weaver
Little Weaver
Black-necked Weaver
Yellow-backed Weaver
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Lavender Waxbill
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Red-billed Firefinch
Bronze Mannikin
Pin-tailed Whydah
Village Indigobird
Western Bluebill
Some of the Non Avian
Cape Hare
Carpenter Bee
Nile Monitor
Agama Lizard
Gambian Mongoose
Gambian Striped Squirrel
Common Wall Dragonfly
Black Percher Dragonfly
Red Basker Dragonfly
Banded Groundling
Strong Skimmer
St. Lucia Widow
Brown-flanked Skink
Small Pale Green Mantis
Common Stick Grasshopper
Variegated Locust
Green Vervet Monkey
Red Colobus Monkey
White-lady Swallowtail
Caper White
African Caper White
African Tiger
Common Grass Yellow
Dark Blue Pansy
Painted Lady
Spotted Acraea
Pearl Charax
Veined Swallowtail
Narrow-banded Swallowtail
Citrus Swallowtail
Large Vagrant
Tiny Orange Tip
Common Scarlet
Little Commodore
African Grass Blue