THE GAMBIA 2013 - DAY 7 - 21ST NOVEMBER

TENDABA to GEORGETOWN WITH STOPS AT: SOMA MARSHES – BUIBA MARSHES – JAHALLY RICE FIELDS AND MANY OTHER SHORT STOPS

It just keeps on getting better and better, more new species today with our trip tally reaching 230 and we are only half-way through the tour. The weather has played a major role in our enjoyment, it has been overcast nearly every day, the temperature has remained relatively low and so we are able to stay out all day with no midday breaks. 

We left Tendaba at 8am and headed further eastward towards Georgetown Island some 150 kilometres away. We stopped to look at many species along the way including a couple of troops of Patas Monkeys. Our first scheduled stop was just outside the town of Soma where a huge expanse of marshland and open water is dissected by the main road. We parked at the side of the road on the causeway and listed a good number of species. The main target species was the Egyptian Plover (crocodile bird), there was one present and it caused quite a bit of excitement within the group, alas it was too far out to photograph. We also saw Osprey, Marsh Sandpiper, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Hammerkop, African Darter, several species of herons and egrets. White-faced Whistling Duck, Northern Shoveler and Spur-winged Goose were also present. The resident Red-rumped Swallows were coming down to the lake shore-line to collect mud for nesting building

Next stop was after we had passed through Soma, it was at a large pool covered in lily pads, the pool stretched either side of the road. We quickly found African Jacana but our target bird was the Pygmy Goose, a family party of this colourful tiny goose we were seen in the mid-distance. For me the best bird was a Black-bellied Bustard, this huge bird flew across our line of sight, then it circled and landed behind a line of bushes at the far end of the pool, fantastic.

THE TINY NAMAQUA DOVE COULD FIT IN YOUR POCKET!

Another stop was to look at a group of vultures perched in a roadside tree, we found Griffon Vulture (3), Ruppell’s Vulture (3) and a few Hooded Vultures. All 3 species sat side by side so that we could compare the size difference of each of them.

A FLOCK OF NAMAQUA DOVES - waiting to come down to drink

For the next hour we made frequent stops adding a good number of raptors to our list: Dark Chanting Goshawk, Grey Kestrel, Lanner Falcon, Red-necked Falcon, Brown Snake Eagle, Beaudouin’s (snake) Eagle, African Harrier-Hawk, Montagu’s Harrier and of course many yellow-billed Kites.

Our lunch stop was at 12 noon at a cattle watering hole, it was alive with birds. I have never seen so many Namaqua Doves in my life, we counted 40 at one point! Flocks of weavers and bishops came down in large numbers theses flocks also held: Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Bush Petronia, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Yellow-fronted Canary, Black-rumped Waxbill, Red-billed Quelea, Cut-throat (Finch) and the enigmatic Northern (Sahel) Long-tailed Paradise Whydah. 

Chestnut - backed Sparrow-lark (male)

We tried to eat our picnic lunch but we were constantly interrupted by new sightings: Palm Swifts, Red-rumped Swallows, Brown Snake Eagle, Lanner Falcons (two swooped down over the pool trying to catch the doves), but the best of all was a White-headed Vulture, this is a rare sighting over the Gambia and nice species to have on our list.

Red-necked Falcon taken in bad light

After lunch we drove to Jahally Rice fields and as we drove into the large rice paddy area we were blown away by the sheer numbers of birds there, it was packed full of them,  I don’t know where to start as I write this record. For as far as the eye can see this area is covered in square shaped pools, most of them had a few inches of water with a growth of flowering lilies, other had a crop of well developed rice, other had neither, just a very little water and patches of grass. All of the pools had a bank of earth round each side giving good vantage points. 

We drove just 50 metres and parked, the pool on our left held 32 Afican Jacanas! The first pool ahead of us held little water but attracted many birds, 7 Maribou Storks joined lots of egrets and herons but also a large flock of Ruff, a few Wood Sandpipers, Yellow Wagtails and a couple of Common Snipe. As we made our way round the first section of pools and we found out target species, the Painted Snipe. It is the females of this species that have the most colour, reverse sexual dimorphism, males are plain with little colouring. Over the next hour we stalked them down and eventually had 7 of them feeding happily out in the open in our presence, what a joy, it brought the house down because this was one of the most wanted species on everybody’s list. 

HERE IS A PAINTED SNIPE FEST - THE MALES ARE THE PLAIN LOOKING BIRDS FOR A CHANGE!

We continued further into the marsh looking for another unusual special species, the Black Coucal, it took quite a while to find it but eventually we ‘nailed’ it. In the meantime we list another 20-25 species including a few new birds to our list: Winding Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola and Western Olivaceous Warbler.

We dragged ourselves away from the area and continued our journey to Georgetown Island, arriving at 5pm. By 6pm we were out again, we headed along a track found just outside our ‘Camp’. The light was fading as we searched for sandgrouse. A Subalpine Warbler was new for us and then we had great time watching a group of Stone Partridges, they flew up into the trees in preparation for roosting, they are very colourful little birds. We had several sightings of Four-banded Sandgrouse but not prolonged views, just fly-overs or birds taking off, just one tiny view when they were grounded.

 Well satisfied we our days’ birding we drove back to the camp and got ready for dinner, which was enjoyed by us all and washed down with a couple of cold beers.