B.Y. 2019. The Tortoise rules!

[Dave Williams]

139)Little Egret

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

140)Little Greenbul

Little Greenbul Eurillas virens by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

141)Long Tailed Cormorant

Long-tailed Cormorant   Microcarbo africanus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

142) Long-tailed Glossy Starling

Long-tailed Glossy Starling   Lamprotornis caudatus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

143)Malachite Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher   Corythornis cristatus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

144) Melodious Warbler

 

Melodious Warbler   Hippolais polyglotta by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

145)Northern Black Flycatcher

Northern Black Flycatcher   Melaenornis edolioides by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

146)Laughing Dove

Laughing Dove   Spilopelia senegalensis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

147)Lavender Waxbill

Garden on the edge of Farasutu forest

Lavender Waxbill   Estrilda caerulescens by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

148) Northern Puffback

Female

Northern Puffback  Dryoscopus gambensis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

149)Orange-cheeked Waxbill

Farasutu forest

Orange-cheeked   Waxbill     Estrilda melpoda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

150) Oriole Warbler

The only one I saw!

Oriole Warbler   Hypergerus atriceps by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

151)Piapiac

Strangely the only ones I found and in deep shade too.

Piapiac   Ptilostomus afer by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

152)Pied Crow

Pied Crow   Corvus albus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

153)Pied Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

154) Pied Swallow

A "lifer", in a field on the edge of Farasutu forest.

Pied-winged Swallow   Hirundo leucosoma by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

155) Pink-backed Pelican

Pink-backed Pelican   Pelecanus rufescens by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

156)Purple Glossy Starling

The only one I saw of these too!

Purple Glossy Starling   Lamprotornis purpureus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

157)African Swamphen

Everyone needs an EBC now and again. I was delighted to get this grab shot of a distant  African Swamphen, the first i have seen in the Kotu area .

African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

158)Red-billed Firefinch

Male

Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala by Dave Williams, on Flickr

female

Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

159) Red-billed Hornbill

Red-billed Hornbill  Tockus erythrorhynchus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

160) Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu

Garden on the edge of Farasutu forest 

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu  Uraeginthus bengalus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[xelas]

I have no idea that you can produce a viable EBC photo, @Dave Williams !

 

On a more serious note, I am really surprised how different the bird are, between South Africa and The Gambia. A quick look would say that our two lists might not have more then 25% of birds in common.

[Dave Williams]

14 minutes ago, xelas said:

 

 

On a more serious note, I am really surprised how different the bird are, between South Africa and The Gambia. A quick look would say that our two lists might not have more then 25% of birds in common.

 

I'm banking on it!!!!!

 

I had a rather strange attitude to TG this time,  but I just decided I wasn't prepared to throw money at guided trips just to increase my BY list. I have seen most of what there is to see, although I did pick up a couple of lifers. I guess it comes down to the difference between bird listers and photographers.Very few guides understand a photographers needs. They see you with what they think is a big lens and assume that the tiny dot in the distance makes a good photo which isn't the case of course. I was just as likely to get a decent shot of something without leaving the area we were staying in. The time of year makes a difference too and some previously common species were either not there or hardly seen. The reverse was true as well of course, but not to the same extent. Consequently my TG list is well down on last years.

I shall soon be sat back waiting for the Hare to pass!!

[Dave Williams]

161) Red-eyed Dove

Red-eyed Dove    Streptopelia semitorquata by Dave Williams, on Flickr