THE GAMBIA NOVEMBER 2001 TOUR NEWS Leaders: Solomon Jallow and Vaughan Ashby

November 2001 saw another successful tour to The Gambia. Although at 307 the group total was down on the 2000 two-week tour record of 325, the weather played a large part in this, with unseasonably cloudy weather on many days culminating in rain on 29 November! Highlights of this year's tour were two White-backed Night-herons, seven African Pygmy-geese, a superb Martial Eagle, African Hobby, amazing views of Ahanta Francolin walking along the path in Abuko, White-spotted Flufftails heard calling, Black-bellied Bustard, four Spotted Thick-knees on the north bank road between Kau-ur and Georgetown just after dark, three Temminck's Courser (scarce this year), three Bronze-winged Coursers (also on the north bank road just after dark), three sightings of the rare African Emerald Cuckoo, including possibly the first breeding record for The Gambia, Black Coucal, Long-tailed Nightjar (showing to 6 feet on the north bank road just after dark), African Scops-owl (showing to 10 feet at Bird Safari Camp), seven Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, 100s of Red-throated Bee-eaters at their breeding colony, all five regular Gambian woodpeckers, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Grey-headed Bristlebill, White-fronted Black Chat, six species of cisticola, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Green Hylia, White-shouldered Black-tit, Yellow Penduline-tit, all 10 species of Gambian sunbird, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Chestnut-bellied Starling, Speckle-fronted and Red-headed Weavers and Western Bluebill..

This was Birdfinders' sixth tour to The Gambia with Solomon Jallow and we have been pleased to sponsor the new WABSA (West African Bird Study Association) group by providing funds for the new Brufut Woods reserve. You will see the new signs at both entrances to the reserve and you will be asked for an entrance fee of 10 Dalasis (just 40p) to birdwatch there.The money is split equally between the villagers and WABSA who employ three villagers to maintain the reserve. The ticket collector will have an official badge and the tickets carry a WABSA stamp. Please don't try to avoid paying this small fee (as I understand some groups have done) – the money is going to a very good cause and unless they receive an income from it the villagers have no incentive to preserve the Brufut Woods area. Birdfinders will shortly be sponsoring a similar scheme at Bansang Quarry to protect the Red-throated Bee-eater colony.

Birdfinders will soon have an office in The Gambia, at the Badala Park Hotel. This office will be run by Solomon and his other guides and will offer day trips and up-river excursions to birders. Day trips are available from £25 per person including transport and guide but excluding entrance fees to reserves. Birdfinders also operates two Land Rovers in The Gambia painted with the familiar yellow owl logo. Birdfinders are also able to offer budget package tours for independent birders to The Gambia as agents for The Gambia Experience. It will cost you nothing extra to arrange your independent package through us and we can arrange day trips and up-river excursions with Solomon or one of his other excellent guides on your behalf. Similarly, Birdfinders can arrange tours for groups. You can contact Solomon on his mobile in The Gambia on 921551.

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