Of Parts hot and sticky!!

Op ihren reissepass bereits sind?


This was the question that came on the the SMS a couple of months ago, of course it was and always is, just for emergencies you understand!

Alarm bells started as it was my friends turn to do a trip, and knowing him it could be anywhere from the Amazon basin to Antarctica and as we had both done central and Southern America I was already postulating as to where this time.

As is the case on these affairs hints are dropped but only those that fit in general, it was soon worked out, it was Stickycles and not Icicles that was to come. However as I was to find out I had been led down the proverbial path.

So after a a six hour delay at Brum Airport I was met at Schipol and we descended on the overnight accommodation with two raging thirsts. It was here that the final piece of the mystery was thrust into my grubby mit!

As the flight out was at 05:30 it was an early night, We raided the breakfast buffet for boiled eggs, Rolls and cheese, there was no in flight catering. The departure board said it all Transavia flight xxxx to Yundum, Whooohoo!!! The Gambia at last, having been in the North and East of Africa this birding was going to be great and the rains had only really stopped a week ago and they had been really heavy this year, so lots of green and tall, and a few rainy season only birds. The first trip tick! was an Ariel view of Northern Gannet as we approached the airport, which was a disappointment as the normally! short grass was over head height and nothing was visible, the area around the terminal as we waited in the 35C heat gave up a few Sparrows house type , and some nice Cattle Egret. The trip to the base Camp!! was a touch more interesting with Hooded Vulture, Northern Red Bishop and Pied Crow to name a few, many can be seen in the Gallery to Gambia trip.

We also had the other Bishop but no photo this time.

Base camp!! was in the basic league but the essentials were spot on, cold beer anytime of the day, and at the same price as bottled water it just made sense. Mind you we drew the line at teeth brushing !!! We acclimatised for two days as we patrolled the roadside between Banjul and the Bijilo Forest on the early morning patrol, it was more like Disney's Dawn Patrol with all the trumpeting going on, before the bumsters got up, well most of them at least.

No long lists just the odd photo from here and there.

Day three saw us walking the track through Tanji village to the Paradise inn!! out by the river the huts were basic and by local standards clean with shower and toilet, food was again basic with breakfast a real banquet of cheese, eggs, jam and copious coffee followed with naturally beer chasers!! later in the day.

Up before first light we were on the track down to the salt flat for things like Copper Sunbird, Giant Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher , Wattled, Spur winged and Black headed Plovers, etc. etc.

So by day 4 the trip list was standing around the 165 species with 35 Lifers but as it would happen we were really struggling for the more common stuff, we believe that the extent of water around had kept the birds out in the country rather than the norm, so I am told.

Two days later we are back in the base for some well earned rest!! and a resupply on clean clothes beer etc. before heading out again to Tendaba camp a supposed six hour journey in bush taxi's along with the population of every town on the way, what with police check points followed in 200 meters by Military checkpoints all wanting something or other from someone in the bus finally saw us in the compound a mere 9 hours later and just 100 miles up country.

But the first Kingfisher we saw was the one on the label of the beer bottle. A shower, a feed and retiring early, as the generator went down ,so the beer was getting warm. Daybreak saw us tramping around the airport vainly searching for Storks etc, at 09:00 the temperature was at 33 degrees and it was back for breakfast and lots of coffee before taking a pirogue across into the mangrove swamps for the elusive finfoot and Perls fishing Owl. Well you find out as I get to the next Blog on this place.

An Abysinian Roller or Abby or as it ended up NCIS!!

Till the next one

Paul