Mfuwe's second year.

[Galana]

Practically the only vulture around.

106. Hooded Vulture. Nesting around camp and feeding on the Oyster shells.

 

[Dave Williams]

You have passed the ton without TG ....hopefully well past it now!

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching the 100. Sorry The Gambia was disappointing.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

hopefully well past it now!

Yes but not as far past as I had thought but some quality sightings. Species count 165 including 31 lifers.

Should have gone to Specsavers or the coast.

1 hour ago, TonyQ said:

Sorry The Gambia was disappointing.

It was not that bad. Anywhere there are birds and beasts and I am content. It was just my incorrect assumptions.

A couple more:-

107. Yellow-billed (Intermediate) Egret.

 

108. Blue-spotted Wood Dove. The dark bill on the first one is poor lighting.

Edited April 6, 2018 by Galana
Additional photo and text.

[Dave Williams]

I take back my commiserations... you did pretty damn well!

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

you did pretty damn well!

Thanks and yes, I suppose not bad for 7 days.

Four more. Sorry to drip feed but quality control is problematic.

109. Village or Spot-backed Weaver.

 

110. Pied Kingfisher. One in almost every tree. Even by the heavily chlorinated swimming pool.

 

111. Western Reef Egret. This bird (or birds) came regularly to feed at low tide. Obviously a Yachtie with those yellow wellies! A lifer for me.

 

112. Western Grey Plantain Eater. Their manic cackling was everywhere. Another lifer and as I have seen the Eastern Grey Plantain Eater I have the full set.

[Galana]

Four more. Pole pole!

113. Fanti Sawwing. They use the swimming pool and obliged by perching. (Up sun!)

 

114. Anthreptes gabonicus. For such a small bird it goes by several names, Little Brown Sunbird, Mangrove Sunbird, Brown Sunbird and I have even heard of Mouse Sunbird. My first views of it had me thinking "A brown White-eye??" until the penny dropped. Certainly a cute little number and a lifer too.

 

115. African Mourning Dove.

 

116. Vitelline Masked Weaver. The timing of my visit, end March was wrong for breeding plumage and made the Weavers and Bishops etc., harder than usual but I am reasonably comfortable with this one.

 

 

[Galana]

Those awaiting colourful birds will have to wait a while. The next bunch are also a bit monochrome.

Even the Thrush does not have the coloured flanks of its eastern cousin in TG.

 

117. African Thrush. Has anybody noticed how often my water dish features? A great asset.

 

118. Common Sandpiper. Almost ashamed to put these up the quality is so rubbish.

 

119. Bronze Mannikins. There's that dish again. I had to buy bottled water!!

 

Now to one of the oddities of the trip already mentioned by others.

120. Gambian Tree Whimbrels. Numenius phaeopus arborilus.

The field guide states "singly or loose groups on tidal mudflats, sandy shores, mangrove creeks, estuaries and lagoons; occasionally on dry ground inland! " I see no reference to tops of bloomin Palm Trees and wonder how they perch?

[Galana]

More of the same.....

 

121. African Darter.

 

122. Long-tailed Cormorant.

 

 

123. Afirican Harrier Hawk. Gymnogene. Imm and adult.

 

the ultimate monochrome.....

124. Pied Crow.

[Galana]

As a pause in the routine of posting "what I know/think" are the correct species does anybody care to have a go at helping out with two or three that I don't?

 

I am thinking the first is in the Bishop or Indigo family

What say you? 

The next I feel are two shots of the same bird but what?

Warbler sized and I have ruled out Honeyguides.

 

Thanks in advance for all suggestions.

[Dave Williams]

The last two are possibly melodious Warbler? The warblers like Willow and Chiffchaff do tend to look a lot yellower ( is that a word?) in TG.

[Galana]

12 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

The warblers like Willow and Chiffchaff do tend to look a lot yellower ( is that a word?) in TG.

Thanks Mr W. I can go with that.  It was on my short list of suspects.  Expect it on the list at the end. I don't see why "yellower" should not be a word. We have browner and greener although purists would suggest "more brown" etc.,

The first bird has me leaning towards juv Bush Petronia.

Thanks. I have two dodgy Sunbirds lined up for later.

[Galana]

Lets get to some colour for a change.

 

There were lots of these around but it seems I only ever bothered with one.

125.Spur-winged Lapwing.

 

A bit brighter:-

126. Swallow-tailed BeeEater.

 

127. Long-tailed Starling. That 'white' eye shows an affinity to its eastern cousin Ruppell's LTS.

 

128. White-crowned Robin Chat. The only one we say in seven days. Strange that, unlike it's near relative the Snowy-crowned RC, it is almost unknown in the East.

 

 

 

[Galana]

Gotta get a move on. Some way to go yet and I was out this morning finding more so.......

129. Northern Black Flycatcher.

 

130. Grey-backed Cameroptera. Bleating Bush Warbler in Southern Africa.

 

131. Grey Woodpecker.

 

132. Yellow-billed Shrike.

[TonyQ]

You are getting a good selection from The Gambia!

[Galana]

 

2 hours ago, TonyQ said:

You are getting a good selection from The Gambia!

Thanks. Not done yet and I think the best is yet to come.

Not quite there yet as I am posting in the order of 'first of the species' seen!

 

133. Bearded Barbet.

 

134. Black-headed Heron.

 

135. Great White Egret.

 

136. Pied Hornbill.

[Galana]

Four more.

 

137. Piapiac.

 

 

138. Splendid Sunbird. An apt name in the right light. The bird is drinking from a leaking pipe. You will see that fitting regularly as I spent my pre-afternoon walk up there with a chair 'borrowed' from Mandina staff quarters. Birding in comfort even if the light was not of the best.

 

Two raptors end today:-

139. Shikra or Little banded Goshawk.

 

140. Lizard Buzzard. I always think this is a smart little bird.

 

Until the morrow:-

[PeterHG]

That is a good collection of Gambia birds you’re posting @Galana ! And in many colours, too.

[Galana]

@PeterHG  Thanks. I seem to have left the monochrome ones now at least for a while.

Trying to progress this bundle as I went out yesterday and nailed four migrants but need to finish The Gambia to keep the numbers correct.

Here is a taster...

Is this 206 or 219? Only time will tell.

Back to The Gambia and some colour....

 

141. Blue-bellied Roller.

 

142. Senegal Parrot. Saw lots but they were reluctant to pose.

 

143. Green Wood-hoopoe. Somewhat different to those in East and Southern Africa.

 

144. Red-billed Firefinch.

[elefromoz]

@Galana, what an oddity the Bearded Barbet is with that weird beard. OTOH, the Lizard Buzzard is a picture of concentration, lots of variety there..

[Galana]

2 hours ago, elefromoz said:

Bearded Barbet is with that weird beard.

True indeed. Barbets are named for the bristles they have around the bill but that guy has taken it to extremes. Designer stubble is fashionable, I am told, but that is verging on the down right scruffy!

[Galana]

Still coming. It's raining so let's think of Africa.

145. Greenshank.

 

 

146. Beautiful Sunbird. Note 'the Dish' and the water fitting.

 

147. Yellow-crowned Gonalek. I love Bush-shrikes.

 

148. Common (Brown-throated) Wattle-eye.

 

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations on reaching the tonne and then storming on to nearly 150!

 

Some really interesting birds too!

[michael-ibk]

Some very pretty birds you saw in the Gambia! The Bearded Barbet is a particular favourite - saw it in Ethiopia, a really stunning bird.

[Kitsafari]

beautiful bearded barbet and gonalek! 

sorry you had a disappointing gambia trip, but you can't be too upset with the numbers and species you got!