crocodile bird - stevehay.co.uk

World of birds ● For an affordable, sun-soaked introduction to the world of African
birding, there’s no better destination than The Gambia, according to STEVE HAY,
who tallied 277 species during a one-week stay in January.

Adrian Jordi T ravel is great. They say it broadens upriver, say 200 miles to Georgetown Island Gambia known as the ‘smiling coast’. When
the mind, but it also narrows it – it where I spent a fantastic night at Bird Safari you drive through towns and villages, the local
makes you focus on the important Camp, and you’ll be well over 250. children yell “toubab” (from ‘two bob’, the
things. I thought some great thoughts amount of money they ask for) and chase after
during my week travelling in The And what birds! Egyptian Plover was my your vehicle. “Future Olympians,” Sering calls
Gambia in January, mostly relating top pre-trip target. Although not that rare them.
to how fantastic the country is for birds, and throughout much of Central Africa, the
how easy it is to see so many of them ‘crocodile bird’ is what lures many birding Because it is such a popular destination
(although having Sering Bojang as my guide visitors to The Gambia. Backing it up are with birders, many of the locals offer their
definitely helped). When I arrived home, I wonders such as Black Crowned-Crane, services as bird guides – great if you want to
went straight to the doctor. Not for ‘Banjul White-backed Night-Heron, African Finfoot, see monkeys and everyday birds, but not
belly’, but to have my eyes and ears tested. Hadada Ibis, Temminck’s Courser, Spotted much more. There is, however, an organisation
Sering showed me what real observation is. Thick-knee, Brown-necked Parrot, Fanti – Habitat Africa – that provides accredited
Sawwing, African Blue-Flycatcher and and trained local guides like Sering, working
The Gambia is a narrow strip of a country, Mouse-brown Sunbird, among others. The either independently, or through the tour
following the course of the River Gambia for raptors are fantastic, as are the bee-eaters, companies that visit The Gambia.
250 miles inland, the first half of which is tidal egrets, kingfishers and rollers. In fact, as an
and mangrove-covered. North of the river, the introduction to African birding, there can be no Sering was a fantastic guide. Time and
country is much drier, with desert scrub and better place to go. It’s easily accessible from again, he would call “lo, lo” to stop our vehicle,
Sudan savannah replacing the wooded Guinea the UK, has decent transport links (although having caught the briefest flash of colour.
savannah typical of the coastal and southern in places, the roads are a nightmare – part of “Green Bee-eater,” he said on one occasion,
areas. Senegal surrounds The Gambia on three the ‘Gambia experience’ according to Sering), and once my eyeballs had stopped bouncing (it
sides, leaving only the western approaches and a bird list of more than 550 species, with was on one of those nightmare stretches of
open to the Atlantic Ocean, and it is here, in the representatives of five of the 10 families road), I managed to get onto the bird, which
Banjul, Kololi, Kotu beach, Bakau and Fajara endemic to the African mainland. was indeed as Sering called it. Another
areas that you’ll find most of the tourist expert guide is long-term ex-pat Clive Barlow,
hotels. Using this area as a base, it would be You’ll encounter the usual beach bums and who is based at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul,
easy to clock up well over 200 species in a ‘artists’, but no worse than most other areas and whose Field Guide to the Birds of The
week, without straying too far. Venture which suffer from poverty, and in general the Gambia and Senegal has become the essential
people are very friendly – not for nothing is The reference for every visiting birder.

In search of the

crocodile bird

Prime target: Egyptian Plover is the main
draw for most birders visiting The Gambia,
but the supporting cast is also impressive.

The West African Bird Study Association breasted Apalis, Western Bluebill
(WABSA), founded by Solomon Jallow in 1997,
is at the forefront of the fight to protect The and Copper and Beautiful
Gambia’s threatened bird species and habitats.
All Habitat Africa guides are members of Sunbirds as I walked round the
WABSA. A large part of its remit is to take
birds and birding into the schools, where they forest trails with Sering, and
establish ‘member clubs’ and organise field
trips to show the next generation the benefits watched Hamerkop, herons,
that birds can bring to The Gambia.
kingfishers and Black Crake as I
Fighting for space
One of the main pressures is the loss of chatted to Craig on the balcony
coastal forest, mainly due to tourism over-
development, but also because communities of the field station. The ultimate
burn this habitat for agricultural use.
aim is for Craig, and MWT Lasse Olsen
A prime example lies behind the Palma
Rima Hotel at Kotu beach. Renowned as a research director Linda Barnett, to
haunt for Long-tailed and Standard-winged
Nightjars, the scrub behind the hotel has now hand the trust over to Gambians
largely been cleared to make way for a new
hotel. The birds were still there in January, but within the next few years.
when the hotel is completed, the disturbance is
certain to squeeze them out. WABSA has Craig would also like to Black Crowned-Crane is, unsurprisingly, another popular
launched a mission to save the coastal forest
to try to prevent such occurrences in future. see visiting birders make a attraction for birders visiting The Gambia.

Makasutu Wildlife Trust is another NGO, contribution towards sustainability.
set up three years ago to protect Gambian
wildlife. The MWT is a professionally run “Many good birders come here, keep their Woods, where it was the same old story, this
charity which recently moved into new
headquarters, the Darwin Field Station at lists and then go home. We need them to time told by warden Lamin Bojang; a little
Abuko, the first Gambian nature reserve
established back in 1967, and the smallest submit their records, so that we can use the money could go a long way to protecting a
protected wildlife area in continental Africa.
information to fight developments and fantastic birding area. They need funds to
MWT executive director Craig Emms
showed me around the riverine forest at Abuko, establish a research network.” provide better fencing, complete the pools and
which had a poor wet season last year and was
almost completely dried out when I visited. This was a point also made to me by Clive erect permanent photo hides – and pay the
Within the next two years, and with the help
of Wetlands International, MWT plans to Barlow. He would like to see more research wardens a reasonable salary. Tour company
create a managed series of wetlands there.
undertaken on local birds, but is that a role for Birdfinders has provided funds for some of
Abuko is a fantastic place to bird, with
more than 254 species recorded within its visiting birders rather than the guides, who the work done, and this is paying dividends.
boundaries. I enjoyed spectacular views of
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Violet Turaco, Yellow- earn their living taking tourists out into the Here we found two Verreaux’s Eagle Owls

field? The guides certainly care about the high in a baobab tree and we also had great

birds and the habitat – that much was obvious views of two Guinea Turacos, and the briefest

in every conversation I had with Sering. of glimpses (twice) of two Buff-spotted

Woodpeckers flitting around the foliage.

The birding hots up Here too we saw the elusive Northern

In the recent past, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Crombec and Blue-spotted Wood-Dove.

European Rock Thrush, White-winged Black- After a trip to the beach reserve which Clive

Tit and White-fronted Black-Chat could all Barlow helped establish at Tanji, where we

be found at Yundum Woods, our afternoon added Kelp, Slender-billed and Audouin’s Gulls,

location, but no more – bush fires have seen Gull-billed, Caspian and Royal Terns, Little

to that. I saw much evidence of recent fires Bee-eater, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Cardinal

during my stay, as well as several large Woodpecker and Green-backed Camaroptera

burning bush fires when we headed upriver. to my rapidly expanding list, it was on to

Despite this, Yundum still yielded Striped WABSA’s newest reserve at Kartong. Bone-dry

Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Pied- when I visited, this former sand mine has huge

winged Swallow, Booted Eagle, Red-winged potential which should result in a top-class

Prinia, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, African wetland site, host to Little and Baillon’s Crakes

Steve Hay Golden Oriole and Lanner Falcon. and Kittlitz’s Plover, which have all wintered,

➠The following morning was spent at and other vagrant visitors such as

WABSA’s recently created reserve at Brufut Bluethroat and Western Orphean Warbler.

37BIRDWATCH ● APRIL 2005

Adrian Jordi None of these were in evidence when I was village. It also pays all the village taxes and
shown round by warden Lamin Jabang, but we will soon purchase a community vehicle.
The pink eyelids on Verreaux’s Eagle Owl Adrian Jordi did pick out Hoopoe, Tawny Eagle, a few
make it a truly distinctive bird. Wire-tailed Swallows and a small flock of Brown-necked Parrot is the bird which
Steve Hay African Quailfinches. This site will provide draws birders to Tumani Tenda, and right on
Peering through the mangroves, with their some spectacular birding once it has been cue, two flew past us into the forest. In the
huge eyes, White-backed Night-Herons are turned into a permanent wetland, and I surrounding area we also found White
a bizarre sight indeed. would love to see it in its prime. Helmet-shrike, White-shouldered Black Tit,
Green Woodhoopoe and Senegal Batis.
A lucky shot of the rarely seen Black Wader-watching was the aim at the next
Goshawk as it surveys forest at Marakissa. stop-off, the sewage ponds and creek at After an excellent lunch at Tendaba, we
Kotu, and the pool at Badala Park Hotel. The headed across the River Gambia in a pirogue
last location is the prime site for Greater (a Gambian dugout canoe) to venture up
Painted-snipe, and after a quick scan through Tunku Bolon creek in search of White-backed
the massed ranks of African Jacanas and Night-Heron and African Finfoot. In the end,
assorted herons, we picked out a male – in the finfoot evaded us, but we managed good
this species, the dowdier of the sexes – views of three bizarre White-backed Night-
which was the first of two we watched at close Herons in the mangroves. The creek also
quarters. At the sewage pools we found provided views of Goliath Heron, African
Common, Green, Wood and Marsh Darter, White-throated Bee-eater, Mouse-
Sandpipers, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, brown Sunbird, a dark-morph Montagu’s
Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, as well as Harrier and a superb African Blue-Flycatcher.
the resident flock of White-faced Whistling- Despite studying the literature, I wasn’t
Duck. The creek – which has not yet fully prepared for the colourful brilliance of this
recovered from a damaging oil spill in 2003 – beautiful bird.
produced four Sacred Ibis, and before dark
we moved on to the nearby Palma Rima If you plan a trip upriver during your stay
nightjar site, gaining good views of Long- in The Gambia, Tendaba comes highly
tailed Nightjar and a glimpse of a Standard- recommended. As proprietor Sajor Touray
winged Nightjar flying into the gloom. says, “A warm welcome awaits all birders”.
I can vouch for that – I ended up doing my
Crowning glory own version of The Gambian soft-shoe shuffle
The following morning we headed upriver. during the Muslim feast of Tobaski.
En route to Tendaba we stopped at Pirang
Shrimp Farm, the most reliable site for Black On the road early the next morning, we
Crowned-Crane, whose numbers have picked up Spur-winged Goose, Red-rumped
dropped to two in recent months. The site is and Mosque Swallows and a fly-over Martial
privately owned, and access is restricted to Eagle. When we crossed the River Gambia at
the outer gate, although the cranes can usually Yalli Tenda, a fly-past Hadada Ibis waved us
be scoped from here. Hopefully, better off, and on the northern bank, I could see a
access for birders can be arranged in future. cloud of around 400 Black Kites, or Yellow-
On the occasion of my visit (I think Sering billed Kites as this African form is known.
told them I was a visiting dignitary), we were There were also a few European Black Kites
allowed to walk through the dried-out shrimp among them, their paler grey heads making
beds which enabled us to pick out a host of them distinctive.
birds we would otherwise have missed,
including Long-crested Eagle, Black-winged Having crossed the river, the landscape
Kite, a beautiful Malachite Kingfisher, changed dramatically, becoming much drier.
African Hobby, a couple of Crested Larks The species too were obviously of different
and, at the far side, Pink-backed Pelican, origin, with chats, larks and sparrows to the
Yellow-billed Storks and a couple of African fore. Northern Anteater Chat, Chestnut-backed
Spoonbills, along with the cranes. Sparrow-Lark, Brown-rumped Bunting, Rufous
Scrub Robin, White-fronted Black Chat and
At Tumani Tenda eco-lodge, we saw how an Sudan Golden Sparrow all put in appearances,
eco-project can benefit the whole community. while overhead we added Beaudouin’s Snake-
Wardens Sedou and Basiru told me how, from Eagle, Marabou Stork, and Rüppell’s, White-
a small-scale scheme to plant a vegetable backed, Lappet-faced and Griffon Vultures.
garden and show visiting tourists the medicinal
value of trees, the project has grown to the At various points we paused at areas of
point where it now provides electricity for the wetland, adding Kittlitz’s Plover, Collared
Pratincole, Allen’s Gallinule, Yellow-billed
Oxpecker, Cut-throat, African Hawk-Eagle and
Brown Snake-Eagle to the bag.

And then we arrived at Nyanga Bantang.

38 BIRDWATCH ● APRIL 2005

Here at last, we (OK, Sering) found a single At Bansang Quarry,
Egyptian Plover, 50 m from the roadside. WABSA has protected a
While I watched it (and finally succumbed to nesting colony of Red-
digiscoping) Sering checked further along
the road and found two others which were throated Bee-eaters.
showing even better.
Marcus Ward
Birding is a strange pursuit. Egyptian
Plover was not the most colourful bird I saw,
nor the rarest. But there was something
magical about them all the same, and I lapped
up the few minutes spent observing them.

Safari camp Red-throated Bee-eaters, and the site also Warbler and Northern Puffback.
From there it was a relatively short journey attracts many desert species to the watering With my flight due to leave around 5 pm,
to Georgetown Island and Bird Safari Camp, hole. More funding is needed for a hide.
an experience I’d thoroughly recommend. Highlights included Cinnamon-breasted there was time to visit Gambia’s capital,
The accommodation is in tents, which come Bunting and Village Indigobird. Banjul, on the final morning for some more
equipped with toilet, shower and electricity, waders, terns and skuas, and my last trip
the hospitality is warm and generous, and From Bansang, our most easterly tick, at the airport at Yundum – a Wahlberg’s
the river view is spectacular. destination, we headed back for the coast – Eagle, soaring on slender wings with its
a 12-hour drive without the overnight stop – narrow, square-ended tail distinctive.
Around the camp we found Western pausing at the Jahally rice fields for Swamp
Bonelli’s and Western Olivaceous Warblers, Flycatcher, another Greater Painted-snipe (a I loved The Gambia, and would
Black-rumped Waxbill, Banded Snake-Eagle female this time!), three African Pygmy- thoroughly recommend it as an accessible,
and Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah, as well Geese and a flock of Collared Pratincoles. easy-to-bird destination. As I trudge up the
as a party of Four-banded Sandgrouse. Further roadside stops provided Spotted hill from the train station in Charlbury on a
Thick-knee and very distant flight views of Thursday evening and the sound of Da-Da-
Also at Bird Safari Camp that night was a two Northern Carmine Bee-eaters. Drum, our local African drumming group,
Birdquest group, led by Nik Borrow, author drifts by on the evening air, I smile and think
of the excellent new Helm Field Guide to the All too soon, my last full day arrived. We warm thoughts of the smiling coast. ■
Birds of Western Africa, and Solomon Jallow. were scheduled to visit WABSA’s new site at
They were returning from Senegal, having Marakissa. This is a prime coastal forest site Acknowledgements
enjoyed a very successful trip, and I joined around 40 minutes from the main tourist Birdwatch visited The Gambia courtesy
them for a spot of ‘owling’ in the forest around hotels, and it was here that we saw the rarest of The Gambia Experience, Monarch
the camp. We managed to lure African Scops bird of the trip, a very obliging Black Airlines and the Senegambia Hotel.
Owl, but despite ‘calling’ to a White-fronted Goshawk which surveyed us for a few minutes Thanks also to Jill Thomas and The
Scops Owl that purred briefly, it didn’t show from the safety of the thick forest canopy Gambia Birding Group, Saye Drameh
(perhaps not surprisingly, as the locals are before flying off. It’s not a mega-rarity, but it and The Gambia Tourism Authority,
intolerant of these ‘witchy’ birds). is very rarely seen, especially showing so Habitat Africa, West African Tours,
well. Green Crombec is another hard-to-see Sajor Touray of Tendaba Camp, Mark
Next morning we ventured further inland to species which performed well here, and we Thomson and Charles Seagrove of
the WABSA reserve at Bansang quarry, also saw Sacred Ibis, Didric Cuckoo, Square- Bird Safari Camp, Sering Bojang and
established with funding from The Gambia tailed Drongo, Black Scimitar-bill, Oriole Landing Bayei.
Birding Group and Birdfinders. This funding
has allowed WABSA to protect a colony of

Birding The Gambia Accomodation Essential reading
■ Senegambia Hotel, PO Box 2373, ■ A Field Guide to Birds of The Gambia and
Organisations Serrekunda, The Gambia, West Africa (tel: 00 Senegal by Clive Barlow and Tim Wacher,
■ The Gambia Experience, Cutter House, 220 446 2717/8; email: frontdesk@senegambia- illustrated by Tony Disley (Christopher Helm).
1560 Parkway, Solent Business Park, Fareham, hotel.com; web: www.senegambiahotel.com). ■ Field Guide to the Birds of Western Africa by
Hampshire PO15 7AG (tel: 0845 330 4567; ■ Tendaba Camp, LRD, The Gambia, West Nik Borrow and Ron Demey (Christopher Helm)
email: [email protected]; web: www. Africa (tel: 00 220 541024; email: tendaba@ ■ A Birdwatchers’ Guide to The Gambia
gambia.co.uk). qantumnet.gm). by Rod Ward (Prion).
■ Makasutu Wildlife Trust, Darwin Field Station, ■ Bird Safari Camp, 27 East Road, Bromsgrove,
Abuko NR, PO Box 2164, Serrekunda, The Worcestershire, B60 2NW (tel: +44 (0)1527 Online resources
Gambia (tel: 00 220 7782633; web: 576239; email: [email protected]). ■ www.gambiabirding.org: a must. It features
www.darwingambia.gm). pages of advice on when and where to go, and
■ African Bird Club, Wellbrook Court, Girton Guides is packed with reports and photos.
Road, Cambirdge CB3 0NA (email: ■ Habitat Africa, PO Box 2087, Serrekunda, ■ www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/Gambia/
[email protected]). Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa (tel: 00 220 introduction.html: follow links from this page on
4472208; email: [email protected]). the ABC’s website for a wealth of information.

39BIRDWATCH ● APRIL 2005