BRUFUT WOODS – TANJI BEACH
Another great
day in the wonderful Gambia! We added many new species to our growing list but
most of all we all enjoyed a superb day out and had a wonderful time walking in
the open glades of Brufut Woods and the contrasting beach area of Tanji.
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| A SLEEPING WHITE-FACED SCOPS OWL |
We ate
breakfast on the terrace, it was warm but overcast, the group was in high
spirits with plenty of laughter at the breakfast table. At 8am we boarded our
bus and drove some 30 minutes to the area around Brufut. We passed through the
expansive suburbs of the village where hundreds of school children were walking
to school, all looking resplendent in ‘daz’ white uniforms.
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| HOODED VULTURE |
The wood
comprises mainly of secondary growth with open glades and tracks which bisect
the whole area. There are many mature Baobab and Mango Trees and also areas of
open farmland.
We set off on
foot along one such track and soon we stopped to watch an interesting variety
of species, new for us were Levaillant’s
Cuckoo (3), African Green Pigeon and
Grey-backed Camaoptera but we also had great views of another 20 or more
species, in particular: Black-capped
Babbler, White-crowned Robin-Chat, Variable Sunbird, Northern Red-Bishop,
Violet Turaco, African Grey Hornbill, Lizard Buzzard, Shikra, Northern Red
Bishop.
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| LAUGHING DOVE |
Two special
species were particularly appreciated by the group and they were Whit-faced Northern (Scops) Owl and Long-tailed Nightjar, both of these
species were found in their regular roosts. So after about two hours of walking
along track we sat in a make-shift shelter where local guys has made benches
and sold cold drinks, they also supplies drinking troughs for birds. We stayed
about two hours and enjoyed every minute, many species came down to drink and
gave us quite a show. The Pygmy
Kingfisher was the star, two them came down and splashed into the water at
such speed it was incredible to watch. Lavender
Waxbills, Orange Cheeked Waxbills, Northern Red Bishop and Red Cheeked Cordonbleu added colour
amongst the many doves, Bubuls and babblers. One beauty showed up in a nearby
tree and caused quite a stir and that was Sulphur –breasted Bush Shrike, what a stunner!
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| LEVAILLANT'S CUCKOO |
We drove to
the coast for lunch and ate a lovely buffet at the new Bird Reserve restaurant
right on the coastline. A few Ospreys drifted
over as did Grey Headed Gulls. A
short walk along the beach produced our first Kelp Gull and also a single Western
Reef Heron, a couple of Whimbrel and
a distant Eurasian Curlew.
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| THE GROUP ENJOYING THE FOREST BIRD-DRINKING STATION |
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| GREATER HONEYGUIDE AT THE WATER TROUGHS |
We then moved
further into the town near the mouth of a river where a huge roost of Gulls and
terns were loafing. Along the shore we saw Bar-tailed
Godwit, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone and a of Lesser-black Backed Gulls, Grey
headed Gulls and a few Royal Terns. At
the roost we found 4 Slender-billed
Gulls and a single Lesser-crested Tern which was found amongst the hundreds of gulls and Terns. Also on the
shore we saw Common Greenshank, Grey
Plover, an Osprey, Western Reef Heron, lots of Caspian Terns, Sandwich Terns and
two more Kelp Gulls. Out on a
distant island we could see the shape of two or three White Pelicans.
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| ON THE BEACH AT TANJI |
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| THE STAR BIRD ON THE BEACH - KELP GULL |
It was
approaching 5pm so we called it a day and walked back to the bus for our journey
home well satisfied with another superb day out in The Gambia.
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