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| A Report from birdtours.co.uk |
The Gambia, Oct 24 - Nov 4 2003,
Introduction
My quandary as a keen birder with a non-birding spouse and two non-birding sons, aged 12 and 14, is to arrange family holidays that allow me to indulge my birding passion without impinging too much on the sun, sea and sightseeing pleasures of my ever tolerant family. We've done most Mediterranean countries and Florida last year was an ideal destination to combine a birding/family holiday. So where next to follow a destination like Disneyworld? How about somewhere completely different? how about Africa?
Always with an eye on birding possibilities and budget The Gambia seemed ideal. I forewarned my family of the possible culture shock but explained what an opportunity to show the boys a complete contrast to the excesses of last years trip. (Not to mention a possible 100 + lifers for me!)
This is not an in depth report on how to bird The Gambia, more an indication to what can be achieved with birding planned around a family holiday. I therefore hope it is useful for other birders, in similar circumstances, who are unable to spend all day, from dawn 'till dusk, birding (I wish!)
I birded most days from 0800 - 12.30 with a guide (details of which follow) and nearly every morning from dawn (approx. 06.45) to 07.45 by myself around the local patch (hotel garden and Bijilo) whilst my family stayed in bed!
Arrangements
We booked our flights and accommodation through The Gambia Experience, as mentioned in previous reports, a specialist company who gave excellent service both in the UK and The Gambia.
We chose the Senegambia Beach Hotel for both family accommodation and facilities
and also with my eye on the mouth watering hotel bird list mentioned in
other reports. We had two adjoining Jacana rooms which were very comfortable.
As a hotel for families the Senegambia was superb. They couldn't have done
more for my boys who made plenty of friends amongst the staff. Special mention
must go to the 'Animation Team' Senegambia's resident entertainment team.
Thank you Pineapple, Wandi, the volleyball ref et al. for a fun packed eleven
days. We will be back.
Guides
I took the recommendation of Bob Briggs (trip report 30 Jan - 6 Feb. 2003) and hired Tijan Kanteh. Thank you Bob, Tijan was as good as you said and more. He could see birds with the naked eye that I struggled to find with my scope!! He knew all the bird calls and tracked them down every time. I can't recommend Tijan highly enough. He is reliable, very reasonably priced and an all round nice guy. He can be contacted through his e-mail on 'Tijanthebirdman@yahoo.com.' He also has web sites on ' www.ubique.co.uk/tijan' and 'www.guidedbirding.com.'
Good Gen
We got 49 Dalasi to the pound at the hotel and 53 outside.
It cost 31.50 Dalasi to get into Abuko (08.00 - 18.00)
It cost 35 Dalasi to get into Bijilo Forest Park (08.00 - 18.00, although I
got in at 07.30)
The footpath outside the boundary fence around Bijilo Forest park mentioned in Rod Wards Birdwatching guide book is now eroded away in some places preventing use.
Development at the Prime Rima Nightjar site seems to have displaced them. I went once and a fellow German birder went twice (both with guides) with no sightings. Bird guides are now suggesting not to bother with this site but go to Tanji or Brufut. The Golf course was also devoid of Nightjars.
Pirang shrimp farm is now back in use and access is now
limited.
Julbrew was 25 Dalasi outside the hotel and went down rather well after a hard
mornings birding!!
Ali Baba's and Uncle Sam's were very good value restaurants.
The Flamingo Restaurant at the Senegambia was first class but not cheap.
We had virtually no hassle from the locals, a friendly attitude and a bit of good banter was enjoyed by all.
Overview
The hotel was superb, the weather was wonderful, the locals brilliant and the birds just fantastic.
Itinerary OCT/NOV 03
Fri 24 Arrive 16.00, hotel garden (17.00-18.30)
Sat 25 Hotel garden (06.45-0730) Badala park pools/Kotu creek/Golf course (15.00-18.45)
Sun 26 Hotel garden (06.45-07.30) Brufut (08.00-12.00)
Mon 27 Hotel garden (06.45-07.30) Yundum (08.00-12.30)
Tue 28 Hotel garden (06.45-07.30) Hotel excursion (Roots)
Wed 29 Hotel garden (06.45-07.30) Abuko (08.00-12.30)
Thur 30 Bijilo (07.30-11.300 without guide
Fri 31 Pirang/Fanta Banta bush track (08.00-15.00)
Sat 1 Bijilo (07.30-10.00) without guide
Sun 2 Cape point/Bund rd (08.00-12.30)
Mon 3 Hotel excursion (4 wheel drive)
Tue 4 Depart 14.00
As you can see I had plenty of quality family time and still saw a total of 199 species (couldn't quite crack 200)!
A total of 158 were lifers
56 species were seen in/from the Senegambia hotel gardens.
I fully recommend The Gambia and the Senegambia Beach hotel as a brilliant place for any birders out there that need to combine birding with family holidays. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail. Snbaines@aol.com.
Systematic List
1. Long-tailed Cormorant - Kotu creek, Pirang
2. African Darter - Kotu creek,Bund rd
3. Pink-backed Pelican - Pirang, Bund rd
4. Grey 'Mauritanian' Heron - Badala pools, Pirang, Bund rd
5. Black-headed Heron - Yundum, Abuko, Fanta Banta
6. Cattle Egret - Senegambia, Common elsewhere
7. Great White Egret - Fairly common in wetlands
8. Little Egret - Badala pools, Kotu creek
9. Western Reef Egret - Common all wetlands incl. beach
10 Squacco Heron - Badala pools, Kotu creek, Pirang
11. Striated Heron - Pirang, Bund rd
12. Hamerkop - Kotu creek, Abuko, Pirang
13. African Spoonbill - River Gambia (Roots trip)
14. Greater 'Rosy' Flamingo - Pirang, Bund rd
15. White faced (whistling) Duck - Badala pools, Pirang
16. Spur-winged Goose - Pirang
17. Yellow-billed Stork - Pirang
18. Wooly-necked Stork - Pirang
19. Osprey - Pirang, Bijilo, Cape point
20. Tawny Eagle - Fanta banta
21. Wahlberg's Eagle - Brufut, Yundum
22. Short-toed Eagle - Fanta banta
23. Brown Snake-Eagle - Fanta banta
24. Ayres's Hawk-Eagle - Pirang
25. Ruppells Griffon (Vulture) - Abuko
26. Hooded Vulture - Senegambia, everywhere else!!
27. Palm-nut Vulture - Senegambia, Golf course, Abuko
28. White-backed Vulture - Brufut
29. Black-shouldered Kite - Brufut, Yundum, Pirang
30. (Dark) Chanting Goshawk - Yundum, Fanta banta
31. (African) Harrier-Hawk - Senegambia, Fanta banta
32. Lizard Buzzard - Bijilo
33. Eurasian Marsh Harrier - Pirang
34. 'Yellow billed' Black Kite - Cape Point, Tanji beach (4WD excursion)
35. Shikra (Goshawk) - Senegambia, Kotu creek, Bund rd
36. Ovambo Sparrowhawk - Yundum
37. Lanner (Falcon) - Yundum
38. Grey Kestrel - Senegambia coastal rd, Brufut, Fanta banta
39. Red-necked Falcon - Senegambia coastal rd
40. African Hobby - Pirang
41. Double-spurred Francolin - Badala pools, Golf course, Bijilo
42. Black-crowned Crane - Pirang
43. (Greater) African Jacana - Badala pool, Abuko
44. (Eurasian) Oystercatcher - Bund rd
45. Black-winged Stilt - Kotu creek, Pirang
46. Senegal Thick-Knee - Kotu creek
47. Spur-winged Lapwing - Kotu creek, Golf course, Pirang, Cape point
48. Black-headed Lapwing - Golf course
49. (Senegal) Wattled Lapwing - Senegambia, Kotu creek, Yundum
50. (Greater) Ringed Plover - Bund rd, Tanji beach (4WD excursion)
51. Grey Plover - Bund rd
52. Sanderling - Tanji beach (4WD excursion)
53. Little Stint - Kotu creek
54. Ruff - Kotu creek
55. Black-tailed Godwit - Bund rd
56. Bar-tailed Godwit - Bund rd
57. Whimbrel - Senegambia, common most wetlands
58. Redshank - Kotu creek, Cape point, Bund rd
59. Greenshank - Cape point
60. Green Sandpiper - Bund rd
61. Common Sandpiper. - common all wetlands
62. (Ruddy) Turnstone - Bund rd, River Gambia (Roots excursion)
63. Pomarine Skua - Banjul port/River Gambia (Roots excursion)
64. Arctic Skua - River Gambia (Roots excursion)
65. Kelp Gull - River Gambia (Roots excursion)
66. Lesser Black-backed Gull - River Gambia (Roots excursion)
67. Grey-headed Gull - Common around coast and Banjul port
68. Black-headed Gull - Banjul port (Roots excursion)
69. Gull-billed Tern - Common on coast
70. Caspian Tern - Cape point, Bund rd, Bijilo beach
71. 'African' Royal Tern - Cape point, Bund rd
72. Sandwich Tern - Cape point, Bund rd, Bijilo beach
73. Common Tern - Bund rd
74. Little Tern - Bund rd
75. White-winged (Black) Tern - Pirang
76. African Mourning Dove - Brufut, Fanta banta
77. Red-eyed Dove - Senegambia, common elsewhere
78. Vinaceous (Turtle-) Dove - Senegambia, common elsewhere
79. Laughing (Turtle-) Dove - Senegambia, very common
80. Black-billed Wood-Dove - Brufut, Abuko, Fanta banta, Bijilo
81. Blue-spotted Wood-Dove - Bijilo
82. Speckled Pigeon - Senegambia, common elsewhere
83. Senegal Parrot - Kotu creek, Brufut
84. Rose-ringed Parakeet - Kotu creek, Brufut, Yundum, Bijilo
85. Western Grey Plantain Eater - Senegambia, common elsewhere
86. Violet Turaco - Brufut, Abuko
87. Green Turaco - Abuko
88. Levaillent's Cuckoo - Badala pools
89. African Cuckoo -Yundum
90. Klaa's Cuckoo - Badala pools, Yundum
91. Diederik Cuckoo - Yundum
92. Senegal Coucal - Senegambia, common elsewhere
93. African Scops-Owl - Senegambia
94. Pearl-spotted Owlet - Kotu creek
95. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl - Abuko
96. Mottled Spinetail - Bijilo
97. African Palm-Swift - Senegambia, common over scattered woods
98. Little Swift - Senegambia, very common
99. Woodland Kingfisher - Senegambia, Bijilo
100. Blue-breasted Kingfisher - Cape point
101. Striped Kingfisher - Brufut, Yundum, Fanta banta
102. Malachite Kingfisher - Kotu creek, Abuko
103. African Pygmy-Kingfisher - Senegambia, Brufut, Abuko
104. Giant Kingfisher - Abuko, Tanji beach (4WD excursion)
105. (Lesser) Pied Kingfisher - Common wetlands
106. Little Bee-eater - common most habitats
107. Swallow-tailed Bee-eater - Brufut, Yundum, Abuko
108. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - Brufut
109. White-throated bee-eater - Bijilo
110. Abyssinian Roller - Yundum, Cape point
111. Rufous-crowned Roller - Brufut, Yundum, Coastal rds
112. Blue-bellied Roller - Brufut, Yundum, Abuko, Fanta banta
113. African Broad-billed Roller -Senegambia
114. Green Woodhoopoe - Senegambia, Golf course, Brufut, Cape point
115. African Grey Hornbill - Senegambia, Brufut, Abuko
116. (African) Red-billed Hornbill - Senegambia, common everywhere
117. African Pied Hornbill - Brufut, Abuko
118. Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird - Senegambia, Brufut
119. Viellot's Barbet - Yundum
120. Bearded Barbet - Senegambia, common elsewhere
121. Greater Honeyguide - Brufut
122. Fine-spotted Woodpecker - Senegambia, Golf course
123. Grey Woodpecker - Senegambia, Golf course
124. 'Senegal' Crested Lark - Pirang, Bund rd
125. Plain-backed Pipit - Pirang
126. Red-chested Swallow - Senegambia, common elsewhere
127. Wire-tailed Swallow - Pirang
128. Mosque Swallow - Senegambia, Brufut, Abuko, Cape point
129. Fanti Saw-wing - Abuko, Yundum
130. Pied-winged Swallow - Yundum, Pirang
131. Red-rumped (West African) Swallow - Pirang
132. Blue-headed Wagtail - Pirang
133. Garden Bulbul - Senegambia, very common
134. Little Greenbul - Abuko
135. Yellow-throated Greenbul - Brufut
136. Grey-headed Bristlebill - Abuko
137. Snowy-headed Robinchat - Abuko, Bijilo
138. White-crowned Robinchat - Senegambia
139. African Thrush - Senegambia, Abuko
140. Greenland Wheatear - Pirang
141. Whistling Cisticola - Yundum
142. Zitting Cisticola - Pirang, Cape point
143. Tawny-flanked Prinia - Senegambia, Yundum
144. Grey-backed Camaroptera - Brufut
145. Northern Crombec - Brufut, Yundum, Bijilo
146. Green-backed Eremomelia - Brufut, Yundum
147. Red-winged Warbler - Yundum
148. Oriole Warbler - Golf course, Bijilo
149. Reed Warbler - Yundum
150. Olivacious Warbler - Pirang
151. Yellow-breasted Apalis - Abuko
152. (Northern) Black-Flycatcher - Senegambia
153. Red-bellied Paradise-Flycatcher - Abuko
154. Senegal Batis - Yundum
155. Scarlet-spectacled Wattle-eye - Brufut, Abuko
156. Blackcap Babbler - Senegambia, common elsewhere
157. African Brown Babbler - Senegambia, common elsewhere
158. Yellow-bellied (variable) Sunbird - Brufut
159. Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Yundum
160. Coppery Sunbird - Badala pools, Bund rd
161. Splendid Sunbird - Senegambia, Yundum
162. Beautiful Sunbird - Senegambia, very common
163. Collared Sunbird - Abuko
164. African (Golden) Oriole - Pirang, Bijilo
165. Yellow-billed Shrike - Senegambia, very common
166. Black-crowned Tchagra - Brufut, Yundum
167. Yellow-crowned Gonolek - Senegambia, Bijilo
168. Common (Fork-tailed) Drongo - Badala pools, Brufut
169. Square-tailed Drongo - Fanta banta
170. Piapiac - Senegambia, common everywhere
171. (African) Pied Crow - Senegambia, Very common everywhere
172. Purple Glossy-Starling - Senegambia
173. Bronze-tailed (Glossy-) Starling - Yundum
174. Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling - Senegambia, common elsewhere
175. Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-Starling - Senegambia
176. Northern Long-tailed Glossy-Starling - Senegambia, common elsewhere
177. Yellow-billed Oxpecker - Badala pools, Yundum, Pirang
178. 'Indian' House Sparrow - Senegambia, villages and towns
179. Grey headed Sparrow - Senegambia, Fairly common elsewhere
180. White-billed Buffalo-Weaver - very common most places
181. Black-necked Weaver - Senegambia, Brufut, Cape point
182. Village Weaver - Senegambia, everywhere!
183. Little Weaver - Yundum
184. Southern Masked (Vitelline M.) Weaver - Yundum, Cape point
185. Yellow-crowned Bishop - Pirang
186. Northern Red Bishop - Very common everywhere
187. Black-winged Red Bishop - Fairly common
188. Yellow-backed Weaver - Cape point
189. Yellow-fronted Canary - Yundum, Fanta banta
190. Western Bluebill - Abuko
191. (African)Quailfinch - Pirang
192. Red-billed Firefinch - Senegambia, common elsewhere
193. Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu - Senegambia, common elsewhere
194. Lavender Waxbill - Senegambia
195. Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Brufut
196. Black-rumped Waxbill - Pirang, Cape point
197. Bronze Mannikin - Senegambia, common elsewhere
198. Village Indigobird - Pirang village
199. Pin-tailed Whydah - Brufut
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