BRUFUT WOODLANDS – TANGJI TOWN AND BEACH
During breakfast we saw the usual species flying above, Broad-billed Rollers, Little Swifts, Plantain Eaters, Pied Crows, Cattle Egrets, Woodhoopoes, Sunbirds and more. We were out of the hotel by 7:30am and on our way to Brufut Woods, it was slow going at first because of the hugh roadworks that is being undertaken along the main highway, it should be fantastic when it is finished.
We arrived with 30 minutes and set out on foot along the approach track near a large rubbish dump (not photgraphed) the whole area was alive with birds, every large tree had two or three birds sitting on the top. Hooded Vultures, Plantain Eaters, Broad-billed Rollers, African Grey Hornbills, Pied Crows and Grey Herons. A Lanner Flacon flew over the top of us as we made our way past the rubbish dump.
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher - female
It wasn’t before Modou found us some new species, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher was nice, Oriole Warbler was difficult to see, as was the Yellow-throated Leaf-Love. We had good views of Little Bee-eaters, Shikra, Red-billed Hornbills and several fleeting views of a pair of Green Turacos.
klaas's Cuckoo juvenile
The cuckoo being fed by the Grey-backed Cameroptera
Along another track we found a pair of Yellow-fronted Tinkerbirds and then a Grey-backed Cameroptera alongside a juvenile Klaas's Cuckoo! After watching the Cuckoo for a while we noticed that the Cameroptera was in fact feeding the Cuckoo!! In the same bush we found a Garden Warbler!!
Pygmy Kingfisher seen out in the open along the track
Along the track we saw Firefinches, Grey-headed Sparrows, Bronze Mannikins and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. Many butterflies were now on the wing, we noted Elegant Acreae, Small Orange Acraea, Citrus Swallowtail, White Lady Swallowtail, Scarlet Tip, Painted Lady and many of the ‘whites’.
Further along the track Modou found the large, hanging nest of the Oriole Warbler, it was deep in the overhang of a large tree, we saw the Oriole Warbler several times and bizarrely a Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat was hanging around the nest too! A Pygmy Kingfisher appeared in the next bush and showed extremely well out in the open, which was quite unusual for this ‘woodland’ species.
Black-crowned Tchagra
Before we stopped in Brufut Woods for drinks we watched a Black-crowned Tchagra, it fell asleep whilst we watched it!
A small seating area where cold drinks are served was where we sat for a couple of hours, the local wardens had created a drinking area for birds too! Over our watching and resting period we saw dozens of species, mainly doves, but also some goodies. Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat was lovely to watch as this is normally a secretive woodland species! This also applies to a pair of Pygmy Kingfishers that appeared several times. We watched African Thrush, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Bronze Mannikins, Grey-headed Sparrows, Common Bulbuls and a Leaf-Love called but did come down to drink.
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
We were taken for short walk into the woods to look at a pair of Long-tailed Nightjars, along the way we saw an Osprey fly over and a melodious Warbler in the bushes. The nightjars showed very well, we left them undisturbed.
Snowy-crowned Robin-chat
The afternoon went downhill from the there! We drove into the chaotic and hectic market town of Tanji where we sat down for lunch. The service was abysmally slow but we had time to kill in the heat of the day. A walk along the beach was equally crowded and chaotic and the smell of dead fish was also most tangible.
Lunch in Tangi
A few waders species and gulls were noted along the beach with a few terns. We saw bar-tailed Godwits, Sandering, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Turnstone and a Whimbrel. The gulls were mainly Grey-headed but also Lesser-blacked Gulls were present. Caspian, Sandwich and Common Terns were noted and not much else. We called it day around 5pm and headed back to the hotel.
Green Wood-hoopoe
In the grounds of the hotel a few of us watched Green Wood-hoopoes, Yellow-billed Shrikes, Long-tailed Glossy Starlings and other common species.