Gambia birds - Kotu Creek, Fajara Golf Club, Badala Pond and Abuko Nature Reserve January 2009

Gambia birds - Kotu Creek, Fajara Golf Club, Badala Pond and Abuko Nature Reserve. This years winter break was The Gambia where Kotu Creek was my local patch for two weeks. During my stay I managed to notch up around 142 species including an excursion down the road to Abuko Nature Reserve.

We decided not to stay in the Senegambia Hotel as it was rather expensive compared to others and instead opted for another recommended hotel, the Bakotu Hotel. This turned out to be a superb choice as the area at Kotu was better for birding than the Senegambia. Our hotel was right on top of Kotu Creek and Fajara Golf Club. Not only this, Badala Pond was ten minutes walking distance.

There were plenty of bird guides that could be found at Kotu Bridge. These guys were all very friendly and we quickly found out that some were clearly struggling with the id of several species. I found a good test was to get them identifying the little brown jobs especially the cisticolas.

Equipment used was Nikon D90 with Nikon 80 - 400mm VR and no teleconverter. For me, this setup along with Canons equivalent are the best all round kits for birders on the market as they are light, good quality, can be handheld and have a good photographic reach. There were few occasions when I thought it was necessary for a teleconverter. Some pictures are taken with the Canon S3 IS and the trained eye will be able to spot which ones are taken with this camera.

Bird photo pages or go to bottom of page for individual species links:

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Abysinian Roller
Abysinian Roller

Abysinian Roller - One hanging around Fajara Golf Course by the Bakotu Hotel, 1 in the Senegambia Hotel and 2 on Kololi Beach

African Grey Hornbill
African Grey Hornbill

African Grey Hornbill
African Grey Hornbill

African Grey Hornbill - 1 seen on two occasions at the Bakotu Hotel

African Jacana
African Jacana

African Jacana - Common on the Badala Pond and a couple at the sewage ponds


African Palm Swift

African Palm Swift - Common in all areas.

African Pied Hornbill
African Pied Hornbill

African Pied Hornbill
African Pied Hornbill

African Pied Hornbill - 2 seen at Abuko Nature Reserve.

African Silverbill
African Silverbill

African Silverbill - 2 at Bakotu and 2 at Senegambia Hotel

African Thrush
African Thrush

African Thrush - Seen regularly in small numbers mainly singly anywhere with cover.


Ahanta Francolin

Ahanta Francolin - 3 at Abuko Nature Reserve

Day 1
Pied Crow
Common Wattle-eye
Village Weaver
Green Woodhoopoe
Snowy-crowned Robin-chat

Day 2
Black Kite
African Jacana
Beautiful Sunbird
Hamerkop
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Long-tailed Cormorant
Laughing Dove
Wattled Plover
Spur-winged Plover
Grey-headed Gull
Pied Kingfisher
African Thrush
Red-billed Hornbill
Broad-billed Roller
Little Bee-eater
Red-billed Firefinch
Subalpine Warbler
Hooded Vulture
Squacco Heron
Osprey
African Palm Swift
Western Reef Heron
Cattle Egret
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Bronze Mannikin
Black Heron
Little Swift
Speckled Pigeon
Red-eyed Dove
Ringed Plover
Whimbrel
Redshank
Grey Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Senegal Thick-knee

Day 3
Black-necked Weaver
Grey-headed Sparrow
Long-tailed Glossy Starling
Yellow-billed Shrike
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap Babbler
Square-tailed Drongo
Fork-tailed Drongo
Wire-tailed Swallow
Olivaceous Warbler
Barn Swallow
Oriole Warbler
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Malachite Kingfisher
Blue-bellied Roller
Hoopoe
Vinaceous Dove
Long-tailed Nightjar
Senegal Coucal
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Common Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Black Crake
Double-spurred Francolin
Red-necked Falcon
Grey Kestrel
White-faced Whistling Duck
Sacred Ibis
Little Grebe
Abysinian Roller

Day 4
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Purple Glossy Starling
White-crowned Robin-chat
Brown Babbler
Bearded Barbet
Western Grey Plantain-eater
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Shikra
Pink-backed Pelican
Black-headed Plover
Black-headed Heron

Day 5
Piapiac
Dunlin
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
White-throated Bee-eater
Grey Woodpecker
Willow Warbler
Striated Heron
Rufous-crowned Roller
Variable Sunbird
Northern Black Flycatcher
Mottled Spinetail
White-billed Buffalo-weaver

Day 6
African Grey Hornbill
Northern Crombec
House Sparrow
Hadada Ibis

Day 7
Painted Snipe
Northern Puffback
Lizard Buzzard

Day 8
Black-crowned Night Heron
Lesser Honeyguide

Day 9
Common Tern
Great Cormorant
African Darter
Barn Owl
House Martin
African Harrier-hawk

Day 10
Pearl-spotted Owl
Singing Cisticola
Lavendar Waxbill
Palm-nut Vulture

Day 11
Sandwich Tern
Great White Pelican
Melodious Warbler
Goliath Heron
Royal Tern

Day 12 - Abuko Nature Reserve
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Yellow-throated Leaflove
Little Greenbul
Fanti Saw-wing
African Pied Hornbill
Violet Turaco
Green Turaco
Giant Kingfisher
Klass's Cuckoo
Black-billed Wood Dove
Blue-spotted Wood Dove
Ahanta Francolin
Grey-headed Bristlebill

Day 13
Red Bishop
African Silverbill

Day 14
Black-shouldered Kite
Whistling Cisticola
Mosque Swallow

Day 15
Intermediate Egret
Zitting Cisticola