The hotel we booked was the Palm Beach Hotel, and arriving during the night, it was hard to get a grasp of its setting. Stepping out of the hotel entrance in the morning, we were amazed to find ourselves looking right out across Kotu Creek, greeted by an assortment of waterbirds, including Giant Kingfisher, Whimbrel, Spur-winged Plover, Long-tailed Cormorant, Gull-billed Tern, Black Heron and Pink-backed Pelicans.
Walking up the track away from the hotel, two Blue-bellied Rollers perched up on posts in a field; the best views we received all trip.
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| Blue-bellied Roller |
We soon bumped into one of the many unofficial bird guides, all of whom will have an owl in a nearby tree that they wish to show you; a cunning tactic for use on newly arrived birders. The official bird guides in the Bird Guides Association will not do this. The number of guides is hardly surprising though, since the guides in the association now do a lot of teaching on birds in schools around Gambia, and there has now been a big increase in pupils leaving school with their heart set on becoming a bird guide... which can't be a bad thing.
Anyway, he showed us both Pearl-spotted Owlet and Northern White-faced Owl, before following us around and showing us the secret spot for Greater Painted-Snipe which you would never find without a guide. It is best to visit this spot in the evening when the sunlight is right behind you. The snipe are only 15 or so metres from the viewing screen, and give exceptional sustained views.
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| Greater Painted-Snipe |
A look around the wetlands to the east of the bridge revealed a single Spotted Redshank which is slightly on the scarce side. Large numbers of Wattled and Spur-winged Lapwing were roosting on the mud, with half a dozen Little Ringed Plover, singles of Grey Plover and Hamerkop, and a few each of Common, Wood and Green Sandpiper. A beautiful Blue-breasted Kingfisher perched up wonderfully close, making the odd dive down into the shallow water.
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| Blue-breasted Kingfisher |
We then had a walk around the golf course where we had great views of a couple of Green Woodhoopoes in a large mixed flock of Yellow-billed Shrikes and Blackcap Babblers.
Since the internet was out at our hotel, we got one of the official bird guides at Kotu Bridge to ring Ebrima up for us, and we arranged to meet after lunch at the hotel to go over the upcoming six day trip. Ebrima arrived on time and we discussed the itinerary before he wrote us a receipt.
After a quick rest, we headed back out and had a wonder around the Kotu sewage farm lakes. It was great here, with a large flock of White-faced Whistling Ducks, Black-winged Stilts, African Jacanas, Yellow Wagtails, a flyover Bearded Barbet and displaying African Grey and Western Red-billed Hornbills.
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| African Grey Hornbill |
We ended the day back watching the Greater Painted-Snipe in the perfect golden light. Possibly the best place in the world to get such close views of this species. A Black-crowned Night Heron put in a brief appearance under the mangroves and a Little Bee-eater perched up on top. On the walk back we stopped off where some ladies on the beach prepared a large plate of tropical fruit to share, before getting an early night for the week ahead.