Last Day - morning drive and drive to Dakar Airport. - 23rd January.

 We had a walk to a patch of mangroves by the river, a morning drive out to a track where we had a couple of stops to look for birds and then back to the hotel for lunch and then packed up and the drive back to the airport.

A slightly more leisurely breakfast before we walked down a track to a patch of mangroves by the waters edge in the hope of Mangrove Sunbird. There were several birds in a flowering tree and a Pearl-spotted Owlet arrived in the tree in front of us. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten to put my card back in the camera so I didn’t manage to photo any of them. I changed the card from the bridge camera, (I found it later in my shirt pocket,). We had close views of Scissor-tailed Bee-eater and a lovely wire-tailed Swallow was resting on the bridge of a small boat. Fiddler Crabs were abundant on the mud in many colours and sizes. We walked along the mangrove edge but didn’t see anything new so we retraced our steps to the van and drove out a short way to a dirt track. We made couple of stops, one for great views of Shikra in a tree by the road and then by a track into the woodland. A Red-billed Hornbill seemed in afraid to see us and another Pearl-spotted Owlet was seen in a tree. There were a few butterflies about, including a Guineafowl and a couple of Whites. A little difficult to see was an African Paradise Flycatcher and Northern Yellow White-eye. We moved on to another spot with monkeys and a herd of cattle which had an attendant Red-billed Oxpecker and a few flowers to look at. 

We also saw several birds of prey including Bateleur, Hooded Vulture, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Hammerkop.  

It was very hot and it was good to get back in the van for the drive back to the hotel for lunch. As we were finishing, Peter called out from the concrete path to the river that he had a couple of Marsh Mongoose. We all dashed down but they had gone into hiding by the time I got there. We hung around quietly and there was some movement but not much and the others slowly drifted off to pack. David and I hung around and suddenly there was one hunting in the mangrove roots on the other side of the small bay. It sniffed about a bit and then disappeared into the mangroves. After a few minutes it re-appeared and ran across the small bay before crossing the road and going into the mangrove roots on the other side of the track. Brilliant views and a great way to finish the trip before checking out the African Spurred tortoises, loading the van and heading off to the airport in Dakar. 

The drive was about 4 hours with a few ‘diversions’ around some road improvements. There were a few large lakes with various waders and a few gulls. We arrived at the airport with time to spare but going through customs took time, we had to scan our luggage before it was checked in. We also had to check in at the desk and fight for seats together, but it all worked out OK. The flight left on time, 23.05 and the break in Madrid went quickly before we were on the London flight and home at 8.25 am to a dry but considerably colder morning. Getting the car went smoothly and we arrived home safely following a really interesting break in Senegal. 

Drive to Toubacouta and River Ride - Hotel-Lodge Kerr Saloum - 22nd January

 A morning shortish drive to Toubacouta. Afternoon boat ride for White-crested Tiger Heron. 

The original plan was for a morning drive round, drive to Toubacouta with stops and then a boat ride next morning, but because Tiger Herons are easier to see on a falling tide the decision was taken to head for Toubacouta earlier, have lunch and th

We had another stop at a site that seemed full of birds. We had Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Yellow-billed Shrike, Pearl Spotted Owlet, Green Wood Hoopoe, Brown Babbler, Blue-bellied and Broad-biller Rollers and Black-billed Wood Dove. In the skies were Long-crested and Brown Snake Eagle, African Harrier-hawk and Palm-nut Vulture. At one point it was difficult to know which way to look. There was also a huge Hammerkop nest in one of the trees and in a clearing were some tree stumps cut like seats

We then drove to the Kerr Saloum where we checked in and then went for lunch where we were entertained by a small group of Green Monkeys. We had a short look around before walking to the jetty and climbing down into the boat for our river ride.

The guide was great and we were soon ticking off birds as he navigated round the channels and mangroves, he also took us up river and past some islands with various birds roosting. We had 3 White-crested Tiger Herons in total, which was unexpected, along with Great White Egret, Western Reef, Striated and Goliath Herons, Malachite, Pied and Blue-breasted Kingfishers, Royal, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Green and Redshank and an Osprey. It was very enjoyable. 

We returned to the Hotel where Brenda and I managed to take a swim before dinner. There was a group of entertainers performing. We went for a walk round the grounds looking for Galagas and other mammals. We couldn’t find anything in the garden so wandered out into the surrounding area. In the branches of a tree we had eyeshine and then managed to identify another Genet which moved along the branches, down the trunk and then ran into some bushes and eventually disappeared. So we wandered back to the hotel and bed.

Around Kaolac - Hotel Relais - 21st January

 A visit to some areas around Kaolac followed by lunch and then a drive, vista site for Saville’s Bustard and short boat ride, to the Island of Kousmar for the Swallow-tail Kite roost

After an early breakfast we loaded up the van and drove out to an area of dry scrub where we walked through the bushes looking out for birds. Birds seen included African Grey Hornbill, Pygmy Sunbird, African Palm Swift and the ever present Abyssinian Roller. We had a short diversion to a dry field with withered stems of some long dead crop. As we walked across the dry ‘field’ a herd of cattle strolled through with a couple of boys and a big dog. A small flock of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse flew through and then, in an area around a farm building we saw a Saville’s Bustard. It was quite distant but good views in the scope. We relocated it through a line of trees but the views weren’t good and it was time to go. As we walked back we saw Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Southern Red-billed Hornbill as well as Long-tailed Glossy Starlings and Pied Crow.

Another stop and we walked across more scrubby, dry vegetation. As I was trying to photograph a butterfly the others called for me to go over, they had had a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl. It had flown down the field to a tree and was visible on the left hand side, with the scope you could see its eyelids. As we walked back a Scissor-tailed kite and Montague’s Harrier flew over and then, in the distance an Abyssianian Ground Hornbill was seen. It was stalking around on the ground, moving further away and into some vegetation. It then flew out and along a line of trees into a baobab before it flew on out of sight. We walked back to the van and back to the hotel for lunch.

After lunch we set off to Kousmar island. We met up with the boat man who ferried us across the channel in groups of three and four. It was pretty muddy so I took off my shoes and socks before carefully squelching through the mud to the island. The boatman brought a bucket of water to clean our feet before we set off for the Kite roost. It was very hot and seemed a bit of a trek. We soon reached the vegetation and followed a path into the middle of the bushes and trees. We were given strict instructions by a group of French scientist before we settled down to wait. There were a couple of butterflies of interest, one was the seemingly abundant Plain Tiger as well as one of the Orange tips. 

After a short wait we began to see small white dots high up in the sky beginning to gather and slowly they began to coast down and settle in several trees around us. The estimate was around 2,000 birds came in and jostled along the branches before the light faded and it was time for us to return. As we came out onto the Sandy ‘beach’ we found a stick insect and there were a few Lesser Kestrels beginning to roost on the ground, but not as many as expected. The boat ride back across the channel was one of the most peaceful and mindful 10 minutes under the stars, before carefully transferring through the mud and back to the van and back to the hotel for dinner. 

Drive to Kaolac - Hotel Relais - Friday 20th January

 

Mainly a driving day with stops for the birds at St. Louis, various roadside stops and a stop for Quail Plover before settling into the lovely Hotel Relais de Kaolac for two nights.

We met up for breakfast and then set off towards Kaolac. We stopped along the road to look at Grey-headed Gulls, Yellow-billed and Black Kites and an Osprey sitting on a buried tree stump before driving on to the causeway where we spent quite a bit of time scanning the birds. On the water there were Pink-back and Great White Pelicans, Reed Cormorants, Redshank. Along the edge we saw Redshank, Sanderling and Common Sandpiper and overhead were Slender-billed Gull, Sandwich and Common Terns with one Royal Tern that David and I were lucky enough to see. All along the waters edge were fishermen sorting catches of fish fresh from their nets and lot of chatting going on. There were boats coming in and going out all the time, all colourfully painted. 

It was soon time to go so we climbed about the bus and set off on the drive to Kaolac. Along the road we had reasonable views of Patas Monkeys and we had several short stops for vultures with White-backed and Hooded on a carcass and flying around. Down the road were some women hacking boughs off a tree, presumably for firewood. We also found a small flock of Pin-tailed Whydah with a few White-rumpled Seedeaters. As usual, there were Black and Yellow-billed Kites and Namaqua Doves everywhere. 

We stopped for lunch in a ‘service area’ and finished off with an ice cream before setting off again. We drove through Toubacouta with its large and very famous mosque before pulling into an area under some trees and getting out and walking across a ‘field’ of bushes and scrub. We met up with Carlos and his Spanish group and set off to walk the field. It was extremely hot but we were lucky when a Quail flushed after about half an hour, a second one flew across and a third was seen to land near a bush. Some patient stalking managed to find the bird sheltering in the shade and pecking about among the roots and we had some great views through the scope. Another bird was found feeding which came slowly closer and gave very good views. As we left the bird we saw a So uthern Grey Shrike and Desert Cisticola which we watched for about five minutes before the heat drove us back to the bus and the drive to the lovely Kaolac Hotel Relais. 

We had dinner in the restaurant and then had a quick look round, as we were heading back we found a Four-toed Hedgehog snuffling about in the gardens. The Spanish group were just behind us and we went to get Alan and Brenda who managed to see the hedgehog before it hid in some dense roots. One of the Spanish girls tried to get it out but wasn’t successful. They told us about a couple of bats they had been watching which were chewing on the wooden slats of the shelter by the edge of the grounds. We decided they were Straw-coloured Fruit Bats but no idea why they were eating the wood, you could see semi-circular holes where they had obviously been chewing before. 

Drive to St Louis via Richard Toll and Djoudj - Ranch de Bango - 19th February

A day driving back west towards St. Louis, with various stops along the way. There was a change of plan that saw us spending an afternoon in Djoudj as there was a better chance of seeing Arabian Bustard and lots of water birds before driving to the Ranch de Bango for our overnight stay. 

Another 7.o’clock breakfast before leaving around 7.30 for Richard Toll. We spent a little while looking for an owl that had been reported in the tree in the courtyard, but no luck. We also recorded the front door from the riverside, as well as taking a last look at the Little Swifts flying round the rooftops. The van was loaded up and we began our drive towards St. Louis. We stopped at a roadside village and began searching through the trees for Little Grey Woodpecker. As we went we saw things like Western Red-billed Hornbill, Senegal Batis, Brubru, Swallows and Palm Swifts, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Mourning Dove and Abyssinian Roller, one of which decided to land close to Brenda. We spread out and after a short while, David called us over to where he had found a Little Grey Woodpecker in a tree at the back of the village. We all converged and followed it through the village as it moved from tree to tree, getting really good views. 

As we made our way back to the van we were approached by a gang of children who were playing with hoops and balls. The hoops seemed to be made of hose pipe with a piece of wire looped to a piece of stick which was used to bowl the hoop along. We spent a little time letting them look through our binoculars, taking pictures and trying to chat before loading up and setting off again. 

We retraced our footsteps around the airport loop where we had good views of Black-headed Lapwing, Temmink’s Courser, Ant-eater Chat, Wheatear, Blue-named Mousebird and the ever present Yellow-billed Kite. We drove along a track and parked up near a small thicket where we met up with Carlos and his Spanish group and we’re quietly taken to a gap in the hedge where we could see Spotted Thicknee roosting in the shade of  bush before we carefully entered a thicket to see 9+ Long-tailed Nightjars roosting around the clearing. 

We then headed to Richard Toll for lunch before driving to Doudj National Park. There was a short wait to sort out the admin and then we drove into the park, heading to the best area for the Bustards. On the long drive in we saw a variety of water birds including Pied Kingfisher, African Jacana, Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier, Squacco Heron and a very pale Grey Heron, subspecies Mauritanian Grey Heron. We also had good views of Side-striped Jackal and Golden Wolf. We stopped at a hide where we were went up the steps one ata a time to see three juvenile Barn Owls in the corner. Across the water we could see various waterfowl like Whistling Ducks and Shoveler plus Greater and Lesser Flamingos. One stop gave us Arabian Bustard and Black-crowned Cranes, a bit distant but good views in the scope. There were several Pied Kingfisher and Kentish, Kitlitz and Ringed Plover along the shore line and 2 Pelicans with an Osprey sitting on a sunken branch. Another stop saw several Short-eared Owls, which flushed and flew across the bushes. We went a little further before returning to the bridge near the entrance where we eventually saw River Prinia, Winding Cisticola and Marsh Warbler and enjoyed thousands of Whistling ducks flighting overhead. We then headed back getting good views of Golden Wolf and Warthogs along the exit track before we headed to the hotel. 

Around Podor - La Cour du Fleuve - January 18th

A day spent primarily looking for Nightjars and Little Grey Woodpecker in the area around Podor. 

  We got up for 6.15 start to go for Golden Nightjar. We tried the original site but we only found Long-tailed nightjars so we went to the second place we visited last night and soon had one flying around but it didn't settle and we did have several Long-tailed Nightjars calling and flying around. The air was thick with flying insects.We walked around the site, which looked like it was cultivated at times and saw various birds like Village Indigo bird, Vitelline Masked Weaver, a nice Woodchat Shrike, Red-billed Quelea, Pin-tailed Whydah, Ruddy Shelduck, African Sacred Ibis, Grey Heron and Cattle Egrets flew around We returned for breakfast of bread and Hibiscus jam, there were Little Swifts flying around and we spent a bit of time on the roof where we saw a Veillot’s Barbet in the trees. Egrets and a Purple Heron flew along the river and there was a small group of women on the bank doing some washing. We spent some time peering into a tree as someone reported an owl but no luck. We then spent the day scanning an area for Little Grey Woodpecker. On the way back to the site we stopped at a pool which held 3 Painted Snipe, Night Heron, 

We went back for a 2.00 pm lunch of fish and rice before returning. I spent my time pottering around the area while the others ranged more widely but no luck. Among the birds we did see was a steady stream of Namaqua Doves plus things like Tawny Pipit, Green Wood Hoopoe, Fork-tailed Drongo, Woodchat Shrike, Green Bee-eater and Blue-napped Mousebird. It was very hot. 

We headed back to the second site and had two Golden Nightjars flying around but, similar to before, they didn’t hang around very long. There were several Long-tailed Nightjars calling and feeding in the very insects soup. As we made our way back we did some spotlighting from the van and one set of eye shine looked very promising, so we stopped the van and quietly walked along a raised bank. It was a Genet, seen by David and Chris to cross the path into some thickets, it appeared a little further on but I couldn’t see it. We made our way back slowly and a scan along the field edge showed eye shine again. This time the Genet walked slowly through the hedge, appearing a little later at the back of the field and giving excellent views as it made its way into a small copse. Brilliant!

We headed back for dinner and bed. 

Drive to Podor - La Cour du Fleuve Hotel - 17th January

 An early start before the long drive to Podor via St. Louis and Richard Toll before driving to Podor and the Nightjar site. We checked into the La Cour de Fleuve hotel at around 8.30 for 9.00 pm dinner.

We were up around 6.30 for 7.00 breakfast which was bread rolls, butter and jam plus fruit juice and tea or coffee. It was still getting light but we could see Kites beginning to fly around and as we waited for the luggage to be loaded on the roof we began to learn the identity of the regular, small birds that we would be seeing everywhere. There was a small flock of African Firefinch in the dust, a Pied Crow flew to the roof and the first of many Laughing Doves flew into the palms. 

We then started the long drive north with several roadside stops. In the roadside bushes we saw Abyssinian Roller, Red-billed Hornbill, Striped Kingfisher and Senegal Coucal, we also stopped for Lappet-faced and White-backed vultures and picked up Grey-headed Sparrows, Red-cheeked Cordon-blue, Sudan Golden Sparrow and a Grey Woodpecker plus Brubru and Speckled-fronted Weaver. Namaqualand Doves were everywhere. An orange-tipped butterfly flew by but was too quick to get a good identification. 

On further stops we saw Striped Ground Squirrel, more White-backed and Ruppels Vultures plus several of the lovely Namaqua Doves.

As we approached St Louis we drove across a causeway with water on either side. This was full of birds but time was short and we would be returning this way so we carried on. We did mange to identify Greater Flamingo, Grey-headed and Black-headed Gulls, Whimbrel, Intermediate Egret and Western Reef Herons, Great White Pelican, Whiskered Tern and Blacksmith Lapwings. 

We stopped at Richard Toll for fish and rice with a sauce lunch at a lovely place by the river. There were Plantain Eaters in the garden plus Melodious Warbler, and views up and down the river and our first sighting of a pirogue. 

We drove on, taking the loop around the airport where we saw lots of Stone Curlew sheltering in any bit of shade they could find, Wheatear, Mourning Collared Doves, Scrub Robin and a Sennar Penduline Tit which we found very quickly, before heading to the track for nightjars. We had great views of Long-tailed Nightjar but no luck with Golden. We headed to the hotel for 8.30 pm with dinner at 9.00. There was a salad starter with chicken and chips followed by pancake with Nutella. 

The bathroom had a resident cockroach which was around for both days but had died by the second morning.