Ghana Day 4

Breakfast at 5am as usual and then we headed back to the Abrafo section of Kakum NP where the first bird of the day was a Red-chested Goshawk flying over giving much better views than yesterday. We followed this with an obliging Red-tailed Greenbul, Green Turaco, Fanti Saw-wing, Ussher’s Flycatcher and Black Bee-eater. The trail we took this morning went through excellent forest but was rather quiet, however we gained in quality what we lacked in quantity and it doesn’t get much better than a displaying Rufous-sided Broadbill that we watched for a good ten minutes. 

Rufous-sided Broadbill

A few little flurries of activity in the canopy above us produced Johanna’s and Fraser’s Sunbirds, female Sabine’s Puffback, Red-bellied Paradise-Flycatcher, brief Western Bearded Greenbul, Cameroon Sombre (Plain) Greenbul, and a perched Icterine Greenbul. Eventually, after much searching we tracked down a calling Chocolate-backed Kingfisher to its perch high overhead and managed to scope the little beauty. There was also Black-and-white Flycatcher, Honeyguide Greenbul, Western Black-headed Oriole and West African Wattle-eye. 

Rosy Bee-eaters

Leaving this patch of forest we walked along the main path and scoped 35+ Rosy Bee-eaters in a large tree. What cracking birds they are and we spent quite some time watching them before returning to the coach, but not before admiring a pair of Vieillot’s Barbets. Driving back to the hotel, we stopped beside a small pool where an African Pygmy Kingfisher was spotted and as we watched this a Blue-breasted Kingfisher also appeared.

Lunch was at 12 o’clock and we left the hotel to go birding at Brenu Beach Road at 1.30pm. We stopped at the Ashanti office to meet the friendly staff before arriving at Brenu Beach Road at 3.00pm and boy was it hot. We lingered in the air-conditioned coach for a while before venturing outside! Despite the heat, Paul managed to locate a Marsh Tchagra and this bird gave amazing vies as it perched on a bare branch for a while before joining the female a little further away. Wow! 

Lanner

We then saw a pair of Lanners flying over, Green-headed Sunbird and a couple of Little Bee-eaters. A puddle in the road was drawing in lots of birds and we managed to see Bronze Mannikins, Orange-cheeked Waxbills, Black-rumped Waxbills and a few Bar-breasted Firefinches coming on to drink. 

Grey Kestrel

Walking along the road and we picked up a Wilson’s Indigobird, Singing Cisticola, African Wattled Lapwing, African Hobby, Grey Kestrel and a Yellow-crowned Gonolek that seemed to be predating a colony of Village Weaver nests. With the sun setting we returned to the coach, seeing a rare Pied-winged Swallow and headed to our next accommodation at Sekondi for a two-night stay.

Ghana Day 3

We birded the Antikwa section of Kakum NP first thing this morning. Once again (as everyday is) it was very hot and humid, but there were more clouds and mist than on previous days but the rain kept off until we were back at the hotel for lunch. So we began with an adult African Hawk-Eagle before Paul called in a skulky Puvell’s Illadopsis in a roadside thicket. Not everyone saw it well but it gave brief views to most of us. Then we crossed the road and walked to a small swampy area underneath the bushes and called in a White-spotted Flufftail. This showed reasonably well as it walked under the tangle of vines and creepers hanging over the water. A Grey-headed Bristlebill was also at the same spot but wasn’t very obliging, although the Blue-billed Malimbe Ron spotted posed nicely. As we walked back to the road a Lowland Sooty Boubou began calling and this too skulked in the densest section of some bushes but despite this we managed to see it sufficiently well to tick it! Then we drove a little further before walking a short distance during which we found a pair of Green Crombecs displaying and feeding in an area of low bushes close to the track, as well as Diederik Cuckoo, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Viellot’s Black Weaver, Black-necked Weaver and a flyover Red-chested Goshawk. Another short drive took us further into this farmbush habitat but this area also had some much taller trees. Around a fruiting tree were numerous Bristle-nosed and a few Naked-faced Barbets, plus a couple of showy Swamp Palm Bulbuls. However a soaring Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle showed wonderfully well right over our heads and was on view for several minutes so we could study its plumage in full. 

Cassin's Hawk-Eagle

There was also a few Orange-cheeked Waxbills feeding with a flock of Black-and-white Mannikins beside the track, a Red-vented Malimbe at the top of a tree and another pair of Blue-billed Malimbe’s. We then walked back to the coach and set off towards the Pra River, stopping along the way to have a look at a large colony of Preuss’s Cliff Swallows. These pretty little birds were nesting underneath a road culvert and gave point-blank views as they flew in and out. Down at the river I was rather relieved to find a few White-bibbed Swallows feeding over the water, as they hadn’t been seen here recently due to the high water levels. A couple of pairs of Rock Pratincoles were also here, a Cassin’s Spinetail flew over and a Mangrove Sunbird was also here.

In the afternoon we went to another section of open forest and this turned out to be a rather productive session. We found Blue-headed Coucal, Simple Leaflove, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Brown-crowned Tchagra and Red-bellied Paradise-Flycatcher. We then saw a Black Sparrowhawk flying over, quickly followed by a Guinea (Green) Turaco. Another abortive owling session followed and we were happy to return to the hotel for some nice cold Star beers and another decent dinner.

Kakum Canopy Walkway

Must admit it did hurt when the alarm went off at 04:30am and with breakfast shortly after we were soon driving to Kakum National Park. How best to describe a morning’s birding here is very difficult as there’s always a steady flow of quality species and time passes all too quickly. Even walking to the start of the canopy walkway gave us Green Crombec and a delightful Forest Robin hopping along the trail in front of us. The canopy walkway is suspended some 40m above the forest floor and you get a great view of the surrounding area – as long as you can ignore the heart-pounding, bouncing and moving walkway between the solid platforms! 

Anyway, we had a great four hours here before the activity died and the heat got too much and our birdlist reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of desirable species. So here goes: 3 White-crested Hornbills, a superb Brown-cheeked Hornbill, flyby Tambourine Dove, a pair of Black Bee-eaters, Sabine’s Puffback, Speckled, Red-rumped and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-spotted and Hairy-breasted Barbets, Yellowbill, the rare Willcock’s Honeyguide, Cassin’s Honeybird, Slender-billed, Ansorge’s, Spotted, Golden, Little Grey and Honeyguide Greenbuls, 3 Tit-Hylias, West African Wattle-eye, Violet-backed Hyliota, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Sharpe’s Apalis, Yellow-browed and Olive-green Cameroptera, Grey Longbill, Copper-tailed Starling, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Blue Cuckooshrike, Western Black-headed and Black-winged Orioles, Grey-headed, Chestnut-breasted and White-breasted Negrita, Red-headed Malimbe, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Preuss’s Weaver, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Little Green, Green, Blue-throated Brown, Collared and Superb Sunbirds. Phew! Lunch and a siesta back at the hotel were very much appreciated.

Yellow-throated Tinkerbird

Yellowbill

After scoping a nice Magpie Manakin across the road from the hotel we left at 3.30pm and returned to the canopy walkway, which was not unexpectedly much quieter than this morning. But we still picked up a few trip birds such as Lanner, Palm-nut Vulture, a cracking Yellow-billed Turaco and an immature European Honey Buzzard. We stayed until dusk when a Brown Nightjar was heard below us but failed to respond to the tape, so we returned to the coach and headed back to the hotel.

Ghana - Winneba Lagoon to Kakum NP.

So this was it and after a relatively short night’s sleep we were up for a 5.30am breakfast before driving some two hours to Winneba Lagoon. Our first trip birds appeared along the drive, nothing special but still nice to get the trip list started and we saw the common Pied Crow, Piapiac, Western Grey Plantain-Eater, Yellow-billed Kites, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black-winged Red Bishop and both Palm & Little Swifts. Upon arrival at the lagoon it was readily apparent that it was a very high tide and there were only a few small islands showing. However, a decent hour or so of scanning produced a few shorebirds such as Marsh, Common and Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stint, Whimbrel, Common Greenshank, Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. Ron spotted a small group of Collared Pratincoles flying in to land on one of the islands. A few Western Reef Herons were dotted around the area and a Striated Heron flew by. A large tern flock held Common, Sandwich and a few Royal Terns and due to Richard’s diligent searching a dark-backed gull was seen. Although it was distant on the far side of the lagoon and despite the heat haze it appeared to be an adult winter Laughing Gull, a very rare visitor to West Africa.  The surrounding bushes were home to several Copper and Splendid Sunbirds and both species looked very nice when seen through the scope. Leaving here we headed to our lunch spot at Cape Coast, but first a quick comfort stop at a services gave us views of Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Senegal Coucal, Mosque Swallow, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Bronze Mannikin and another group of Piapiacs. So not a bad morning and a good, gently introduction to West African birds. Lunch was at a restaurant overlooking a fine sandy beach at Cape Coast and we had a nice meal with a cool, sea breeze before heading an hour to the Rainforest Lodge at Jukwa – our base for the next three nights to explore Kakum National Park.

Our birding in Ghana really took off this afternoon with a walk along a track through what is called locally as farmbush habitat. It’s basically secondary growth with a few taller trees left standing but it’s always productive and we picked up most of our species by standing in one nice spot with a view down into a valley. Several Superb Sunbirds got the ball rolling, and then we saw Western Olive, Blue-throated Brown and Collared Sunbird all around the same tree. A Speckled Tinkerbird then flew in, a Piping Hornbill was scoped in a tall tree and Lesser Striped Swallows and Fanti Saw-wings flew over. A pair of Black Bee-eaters looked sexy in the scope and were followed by Ussher’s and Lead-coloured flycatchers, African Harrier-Hawk, African Pied Hornbill, Splendid Starling and Black-and-white Flycatcher. I was particularly pleased to catch up with a long-standing bogeybird – African Cuckoo-Hawk, ok it’s an immature but whatever! 

African Cuckoo-Hawk

There was also Little Grey Greenbul, a fine Melancholy Woodpecker spotted by Gail, and a cracking Yellow-spotted Barbet. Then we walked further along seeing a fine Buff-throated Sunbird, Whistling Cisticola and a Pale Flycatcher. Paul then led us to an open area where we waited for nightfall before calling in an awesome Akun Eagle-Owl, which I phone-scoped & never expected such a decent result especially in the low light. 

Akun Eagle Owl

We ended the day with a Long-tailed Nightjar hovering in front of us before finding another one perched on the track as we walked back to the coach.

Long-tailed Nightjar