THE GAMBIA 12–26 November 2010 Leaders: Solomon Jallow and Vaughan Ashby

The Gambia is one of the easiest introductions to both tropical birdwatching and Africa. A former British colony, it is one of the smallest countries in Africa, surrounded by Senegal and straddling the Gambia River for some 200 miles. We will be visiting after the end of the wet season when the vegetation is still green and some of the weavers and bishops are still in summer plumage. A lot of European migrants will be present and, together with resident birds and trans-African migrants, the species diversity will be good. Habitats range from sandy beaches, mangroves and riverine forest to dry savannah. The country relies heavily on two industries: tourism and ground nuts. The Gambia is one of the safest and friendliest countries in Africa.

Day 1 Flight from London Gatwick or Manchester to Yundum Airport. Flight time is six hours and we will transfer to our hotel in time for some late afternoon birding before our evening meal. Seven nights at a coastal hotel.

Day 2 It is always exciting to look out of the window for the first time in a new country and we certainly won't be short of birds to look at here. In fact, with Laughing Dove, Speckled Pigeon, Red-billed Hornbill, Pied Crow, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Common Bulbul, Red-billed Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin and many others to look at, it will be hard to drag ourselves to breakfast! As soon as breakfast is finished we will meet Solomon and walk across the road to the Kotu ponds, stream and golf course. Common species here include White-faced Whistling-duck, Black-headed, Spur-winged and Wattled Lapwings, Hooded and Palm-nut Vultures, Grey and Fine-spotted Woodpeckers, Blue-breasted and Abyssinian Rollers, Little Bee-eater and a variety of sunbirds including Splendid, Variable and Beautiful Sunbirds. Cattle Egrets are all over the place and by the stream we will look for Senegal Thick-knee and Yellow-throated Longclaw whilst watching Pied, Malachite and Giant Kingfishers hunting. During the heat of the day we will return to the hotel but later in the afternoon we will check the area known as the Casino Cycle Track. Here we may add Tawny-flanked Prinia, Zitting Cisticola, Northern Red Bishop, Green Woodhoopoe, Pipiac, Village Indigobird, Senegal Parrot, Little and African Palm Swifts, Oriole Warbler (Moho), Brown and Blackcap Babblers, Senegal Coucal and Grey-backed Camaroptera to our lists. As the light fades we may see both Long-tailed and Standard-winged Nightjars.

Day 3 We will spend the day at Abuko Nature Reserve. Although small it encloses a remnant area of riverine forest as well as some savannah. Protected since 1916 as a water catchment area, with a fence that keeps domestic livestock out, Abuko abounds with birds. On the pools are Long-tailed Cormorant, African Darter, Hamerkop, Black-crowned Night-heron and Black-headed and Striated Herons, whilst in the forest Western Grey Plantain-eater and Green and Violet Turacos are the most conspicuous species together with Grey and African Pied Hornbills. Small birds are often not as easy to see amongst the canopy of trees or the undergrowth, so a good ploy is to sit quietly in the photographic hide. By doing this, especially in the heat of the day, we can remain in the shade and see many new species including Black-billed and Blue-spotted Wood Doves, Western Bluebill, Snowy-crowned and White-crowned Robin-chats, Grey-headed Bristlebill, Little Greenbul and African Pygmy Kingfisher. Another good place to be in the heat of the day is in one of the hides which overlook the pools. Nile Crocodiles and Monitor Lizards also occur here as well as Red Colobus and Green Vervet Monkeys and we may also see Bushbuck and Sitatunga. There is a very convenient stall to buy cold drinks and snacks in the middle of the reserve by the animal orphanage and we will spend some time here as the water and food attract many birds. At another time we will visit the savannah extension (not in the heat of the day!) which supports a different selection of birds including Stone Partridge, Double-spurred Francolin, Fanti Sawwing, Pied-winged Swallow, Grey Kestrel, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and maybe roosting Verreaux's Eagle Owl in one of the large trees. Continuing our circular journey we will find new species all the time including perhaps Lizard Buzzard, African Harrier-hawk, African Paradise and Red-bellied Flycatchers, African Golden Oriole, Northern Puffback, Yellow-breasted Apalis and Green Hylia. Bird activity often increases at about 5.00 pm and exciting species including Levaillant's and Klaas's Cuckoos, Yellowbill, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike and Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike have been found at the last gasp!

Days 4–7 We will visit many areas with different habitats looking for new species. The Lamin Fields has open grassland and agricultural areas where we will look for Greater Painted-snipe, Temminck's Courser, White-faced Scops-owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Striped Kingfisher, Northern Black Flycatcher, Pin-tailed Whydah and Chestnut-bellied Starling. In the scattered trees we should see Vieillot's and Bearded Barbets and Red-eyed and Vinaceous Doves, while Dark Chanting Goshawks and Black-shouldered Kites often hunt over the area. The Bund Road is an area of marshy pools and mangroves close to Banjul, where the mud is alive with Fiddler Crabs and Mudskippers as well as waders which include Little Stint, Dunlin, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Eurasian Curlew and Wood Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilt. Grey-headed and Slender-billed Gulls, Pink-backed Pelicans and the white-breasted form of Great Cormorant roost on the wrecks in the bay. Western Reef Egrets are common and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and Wire-tailed Swallows hawk over the area, while large numbers of Pied Kingfishers and African Mourning Doves watch from the wires. The Tanji Bird Reserve is an excellent site for many species including Whistling Cisticola, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Northern Crombec and Western Palearctic migrants, such as Melodious, Western Olivaceous and Subalpine Warblers and Rufous Nightingale, whilst African Hobby hunt over the area. On the saltwater lagoon, White-fronted Plover and Caspian, Royal and Lesser Crested Terns can be found and Four-banded Sandgrouse come in to drink at the freshwater pool in the evening. The waterholes at Seleti on the Senegal border offer another good opportunity to watch birds coming in to drink and these include Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Bush Petronia, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-rumped and Lavender Waxbills and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. The Faraba Banta bush track is an outstanding area for raptors and here we will look for Brown Snake-eagle, Bateleur, Martial, Tawny and Wahlberg's Eagles and African Hawk-eagle, whilst African Green Pigeons can be found in the woodland. Pirang, a failed attempt at a shrimp farm, is an excellent place for Black Crowned Crane together with Black-faced Quail-finch, Plain-backed Pipit and Mosque Swallow. Mandinaba is an extensive area of rice fields where Hadada Ibis can be found and, on one occasion, we discovered a Dwarf Bittern there.

Day 8 Today we will drive up river for a one-night stay at Tendaba camp. Despite its name it is a lodge and does not have tents. En-route we will stop at a particularly productive woodland site where Brown-backed Woodpecker, Black-faced Firefinch, White-shouldered Black Tit, Yellow White-eye, Yellow Penduline-tit, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver and White-fronted Black Chat may be seen. At Tendaba we will have lunch, after which we will take a pirogue into the mangrove creeks. Species we could see include Yellow-billed and Marabou Storks, Sacred Ibis, Intermediate Egret, Goliath Heron, White-backed Night-heron, African Spoonbill, Knob-billed (Comb) Duck, Spur-winged Goose, African Fish Eagle, White-throated Bee-eater, Mouse-brown Sunbird, African Blue Flycatcher and Blue-breasted and Grey-headed Kingfishers. In the varied habitat around Tendaba we may see Long-crested Eagle, Pygmy Sunbird, Brown-necked Parrot, Bruce's Green Pigeon, White-crested Helmet-shrike and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill.

Days 9–10 Leaving Tendaba after breakfast we catch the ferry across to the north bank of the river, looking for Winding Cisticola as we wait. The roads on the north bank are truly appalling but we make frequent stops to look at the waterholes where large numbers of birds come to drink in the heat of the day. Amongst numerous weavers, we may see Namaqua Dove, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Black-crowned Finch-lark, Cut-throat, Exclamatory Paradise-whydah and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Eventually we will arrive at the superb Kau-ur swamp where we will look for the regular Egyptian Plovers together with Kittlitz's Plover and Collared Pratincole. Continuing our journey, and looking for Northern Anteater-chat, we will take another ferry to Georgetown Island, our base for the next two nights. The accommodation here is good with en-suite facilities and good food. On day 10 we will drive to Basse to look for Northern Carmine Bee-eater before stopping for a lunch break. On the way back to Georgetown Island we will look for Rüppell's Griffon-vulture and African White-backed and White-headed Vultures en-route before stopping at a large Red-throated Bee-eater colony where the very local Rufous-chested Swallow can also be found. On the island we will work the rice fields for African Crake before visiting other sites for Grey-headed Bush-shrike and Spotted Thick-knee. After dinner we will look for African Scops-owl.

Day 11 In the morning we will take a two-hour pirogue trip downstream to look for African Finfoot. Other birds we may see on the river are Spur-winged Goose and Comb Duck. After being picked up by our bus, we will visit a big area of marshes and rice fields where specialities may include African Pygmy-goose and Black Coucal. We will also make a brief visit to a school to donate equipment. Heading back west, we will arrive in time for lunch at Tendaba. In the afternoon, we will explore the dry woodland again for species we may have missed such as Brown-rumped Bunting. Overnight at Tendaba.

Day 12 We will have the opportunity to revisit a number of sites in the Tendaba area before lunch. In the afternoon we will return to our coastal hotel for a three-night stay, birding en route and arriving in time for dinner.

Days 13–14 During the last two days back at the coast we will revisit some of the best sites, including Abuko, as even on a second or third visit we will see new birds. We will also visit new sites such as Brufut Woods where exciting species such as Collared, Green-headed, Scarlet-chested and Western Violet-backed Sunbirds, Lesser Honeyguide, Red-winged Warbler and Senegal Batis can be found. Marakissa is a mixture of cultivation, forest and a river with specialities including Black Crake, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike and Spotted Honeyguide. Camalou Corner has mudflats and cultivation where we may see Yellow-crowned Bishop. After two weeks we will not only still be seeing new birds but also getting better views of, and even photographing, birds we have seen before.

Day 15 At our hotel or visiting local sites before returning to Yundum Airport after lunch for our afternoon flight home.

General Information The Gambia is hot and humid in November but rain is unlikely. The pace is easy but the heat can be uncomfortable at times. Some days we will split the birding into two sessions, with a break at the hotel in the middle of the day so that we can relax. There are a number of health requirements and you must consult your GP in this respect. Insects are not a major problem but you must take precautions to avoid health risks. Rooms are twin-bedded in a medium-standard hotel with private facilities except in Tendaba and Georgetown where the facilities are more basic.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 16 with 2 leaders.

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