3rd February 2020
I was pleased in finding this Striped Kingfisher and was told later that there are only one or two records a year in the Kartong area.
I headed south to Katong for my second visit to the reserve. At 08.00 I arrived at the first pool that is still holding water as the others, as I found out later, have almost dried up. 2 African Spoonbill were feeding with a single Snipe and female Painted Snipe. I decided to cut across following the acacias on the west side nearest to the beach but it was pretty quiet. As a result, I took to the open area and heard both Tree and Red-throated Pipit with the usual stuff seen like Blue-bellied and Abyssinian Roller and herons and egrets.
African Spoonbill glowing from the rising sun
Woodchat Shrike
Male Variable Sunbird
It’s hard work identifying female sunbird with no field guide
I carried on walking towards the Senegal border and after seeing one earlier, I was treated to a singing Nightingale. I didn’t venture towards the beach where I saw the Northern Carmine Bee-eater on my last visit but headed further inland following the acacias. Both Western Bonelli’s and Olivaceous Warbler were in good numbers feeding in the trees and a pair of Battis were a new species for me. I spotted a Stiped Kingfusher low in one of the acacias that showed superbly at very close range. Out in the open from the trees there were a Black-shouldered Kite perched up with Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Mosque Swallow. I finished the early afternoon in the same way that I did on my last visit with 4 Red-billed Oxpecker sounding like the rattle of the call of a Mistle Thrush, as they flew off from the donkeys that they were on.
Acacias Trees
Western Bonellli’s Warbler
Stiped Kingfisher
Black-shouldered Kite
Mosque Swallow
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Yesterday, as Graham had 2 Double-banded Sandgrouse in the same fields as last time with 4 Temmink’s Courser. I stopped off on my return just twenty minute walk from our digs and found that the the original 6 Temmink’s Courser were back together in the newly planted Cashew plantation but no sign of the sandgrouse. Also, later in the evening, while cycling back from Sanyang, I got some cracking views of a Senegal Bushbaby in the beam of my head touch.
skipper sp?
Male Splended Sunbird
Bishop?
just got to the 6 Temmink’s courser lying on my belly before the sun went down.
SCILLYSPIDER 2 