We finished the day where we had left off the day before, visiting a water station, however this time in a different, more open area of Farasutu. Again, you'll want to make sure you have some spare cash with you. The water bowls were heaving with birds coming and going, the best being three species of honeyguides,
Greater,
Lesser and the rarer
Spotted Honeyguide, a good selection of wintering warblers, including
Blackcap,
Whitethroat,
Western Olivaceous Warbler,
Willow Warbler and
Subalpine Warbler, a few
Little and
Black-necked Weavers,
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, along with a few
Lesser Blue-eared Starling, a
Bronze-tailed Starling, and some showy
Bearded Barbets.
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| Bearded Barbets |
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| Spotted Honeyguide |
We then moved onto Bonto Forest (another community project) in the search for some
Verreaux's Eagle-Owls. They apparently change their roosts quite often, and understandably so considering the numbers of noisy
Western Plantain-eaters in the canopy. Ebrima, phoned around to muster some help from some locals who keep track of the owls, and after a bit of a wait, one was found high up in a large tree.
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| Verreaux's Eagle-Owl |
A wonder through the rest of the forest revealed a
Green Crombec, two
Northern Puffbacks,
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike,
Collared Sunbird,
Buff-spotted Woodpecker,
African Paradise Flycatcher and a showy
African Pygmy Kingfisher. However the most surreal moment was meeting Iolo Williams leading a birding group, of whom which we happened to follow around for the for the rest of the day and the morning of the following day.
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| African Pygmy Kingfisher |
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| Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike |
We spent the rest of the day relaxing at Marakissa River Camp. A
Giant Kingfisher perched up above a small pool, and Iolo and I watched an
Osprey flying over the small nature reserve that adjoins the camp, and contemplated whether it may have been Welsh.
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| Giant Kingfisher |
