Friday 24 July 2009

Gambia Trip List - part 7

And now we're past the rather routine selection of Western Palearctic waders, gulls and terns, onwards to some more exotic birds....

78. Laughing Dove - abundant
79. Blue-spotted Wood Dove - paddyfields near Abuko, plus other sites I failed to note
80. Black-billed Wood Dove - Bijilo, Abuko, relatively in and around woodland


81. Speckled Pigeon - common, including in the Senegambia grounds
82. African Green Pigeon - two or three at Brufut, well found by Ebrima

83. Namaqua Dove - just a couple, at Tujering

84. Red-eyed Dove - common
85. African Mourning Dove - common, and rather similar to...
86. Vinaceous Dove - common, especially around hotel grounds

87. Piapiac - several seen around town; probably very abundant, but we weren't really looking for these!
88. Senegal Coucal - numerous around the hotel

89. Klaas's Cuckoo - one showed really well by the Faraba Banta bush track

90. White-faced Scops Owl - two seen roosting in trees along Brufut entrance track
91. Long-tailed Nightjar - one of the highlights of the holiday, a local guide showed us one roosting at Brufut. Simply stunning! Click to enlarge...

92. Little Swift - Kotu
93. Mottled Spinetail - over paddyfields near Abuko
94. African Palm Swift - common
95. Green Wood Hoopoe - various sites, including small groups around the hotel
96. Giant Kingfisher - a pair seen at Abuko, very active and showing well.

97. Blue-breasted Kingfisher - one briefly at Bijilo, plus another even more fleetingly at Kotu Creek
98. Striped Kingfisher - seen well at Faraba Banta and Tujering

99. Pied Kingfisher - quite common, seen well at Abuko, Lamin Lodge and Pirang

100. Pygmy Kingfisher - one seen very close, but briefly, near the entrace to Abuko

2 comments:

Tim Allwood said...

Hi David

Some wonderful birds on there, been enjoying the pics when you can be bothered to post them! The Nightjar and the Scops in particular.

Did your Dad make the cuckoo?

catch up soon

Dbradnum said...

Hi Tim - long time no see! Hope you're keeping well, getting ready for some quality finds in the next few months.

Glad you like the pics... I'll try to keep the momentum going now I've started again!

Not sure what Dad's been up to since I spoke a couple of days ago, but I'm certainly planning to come up for it tomorrow. Could've done this afternoon, even thought about sitting on the shingle bank at Kelling and watching over the Quags... which is where it's been relocated. Typical! Hopefully the weather is still poor up your way and it'll be there for me tomorrow.

ATB

David