TRANSFER FROM JANJANBUREH ON GEORGETOWN ISLAND TO TENDABA CAMP WITH STOPS AT: WASSU QUARRY – KAUUR WETLANDS – WATER HOLES NEAR FARAFENNI
We spent all day travelling from one camp to another and added some great new sightings to our list. After a 7am breakfast we were at the quayside by 8am waiting for the Ferry to take us across to the north bank of the river. During the wait we found a pair of Swamp Flycatchers which showed very well.
Once across the river we set off for Wassu where we hoped to find a few new species, three of which were Bee-eaters. Before visiting the well known quarry area we searched some open countryside where Carmine Bee-eaters are often found, we dipped on the Carmines and headed to the quarry.
Red-throated Bee-eater - by Tony Moore
Cut-throat Finch - Tony Moore
Our walk around the quarry was great with some superb birding, the Red-throated Bee-eater is one of my favourite birds, we saw a dozen or so of them, A single Little Green Bee-eater was also found and we also saw our first Eurasian Hoopoe, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah and Cuthroat Finches. A few birds of prey circled above us we saw White-backed Vultures, our first Long-crested Eagle, also Beadouin’s Snake Eagle, Harrier-hawks and a Grey Kestrel. In and around the quarry we saw our first Gabor Goshawk, three were seen including a black (melanistic) type. There were dozens of other species in and around the quarry which I haven’t listed but the Red-throated Bee-eater stole the show.
Gabor Goshawk
A second visit to the fields nearby to look for the Carmine bee-eater produced our first and only sighting of Northern Anteater Chat but the Bee-eater remained elusive. We continued our journey west along the main road and after stopping to buy lunch supplies we pulled over at a well known pond near N'gie. There we ate lunch under the trees whilst watching some great birds, dozens of them.
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks
The Egyptian Plover was the most sought-after species by the group and they were well satisfied when we found six of them. One of the most colourful birds in the world and a photographer’s dream species. I can’t list the species we saw during our lunchtime break but there were many more besides the plovers.
Egyptian Plover - both taken by Tony Moore
Moving on, we stopped at other wetlands looking for more species, at Kauur we found Collared Pratincole, Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Greenshank and two harrier species, Marsh and an unidentified ringtail, either a Pallid or a Montagu’s but it was too distant to identify. A large group of Woolly-necked Storks were also present along with usual variety of herons and egrets.
Woolly-necked Storks
Our best afternoon stops were alongside a couple of cattle watering holes near Farrofenni, we sat quietly beside them whilst dozens of birds came down to drink. At the first place a Dark-chanting Goshawk flew up from water as we approached. Soon flocks of weavers and bishops came down to drink they were joined by Bush Petronia, Grey-headed Sparrows, yellow-fronted Canaries, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Firefinch, Common Bubul and dozens of butterflies.
Exclamatory Paradise Whydah - both taken by Tony Moore
The second pool gave us great views of Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, our first Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (now called Gosling’s Bunting), our first Veillot’s Barbet, also Cutthroat Finch, Little Green, White-throated and Blue-cheeked bee-eaters. We logged our first Sand Martins as well as Red-rumped Swallow, Palm Swifts and Little Swifts.
Firefinch
Cinnamon Breasted Bunting
It was getting late in the afternoon and still had plenty of driving to do, so we dragged ourselves away from the pools and continued west. We made a couple of short stops to search open fields for Temminck’s Courser but failed to find one. It was dusk when we reached Farafenni, we stopped for various supplies and enjoyed an ice-cream.
another picture of Tony Moore's of the Egyptian Plovers
Another hour or so on the road found us at Tendaba Camp around 7:30pm, it had been a long day on the bus but I think the sightings we had made it all worth while.