Ghana April 10th - 19th

This was an organised birding trip to this West African country and was fairly short by birding trip standards, just 8.5 days in the field but with enough crammed in to look for as many of the Upper Guinea endemics as possible. So long days were in order. The transport and connections worked perfectly, the locals were very friendly, the accommodation was basic but functional (mostly), lunch and dinner was chicken (or dried chewy fish) and breakfast was omelet, the weather was hot and sweaty, up to 40c, but it only rained on one day in the late afternoon, and the local guides knew their stuff very well and importantly the beer was cold !

In Summary 301 species were seen and a further 22 heard only Over 120 of those seen were new for me, so an exceptional total. With the key species of the trip being the fantastical Yellow-headed Picathartes seen well after a short hike and sitting motionless on a rock ledge for 3.5 hours dripping with sweat !   Forest birding and difficult light wasn't particularly conducive to photos so a selection below is the best of a poor bunch on offer although the dry weather meant the forests were pretty bug-free - apart from the bitey ants.

Rather than list 300+ birds a few of those seen included Spot-breasted Ibis, White-breasted Guineafowl,  Hartlaubs Duck, Long-tailed Hawk, Green, Yellow-billed and Violet Turacos, Frasers and Akun Eagle Owls, Chocolate-backed and White-bellied Kingfishers, Blue-headed and Black Bee-eaters, White-crested, Black Dwarf, Red-billed Dwarf, Black Casqued and Brown-cheeked Hornbills, Yellow-footed Honeyguide, Rufous-sided Broadbill, White-throated Blue Swallow, Forest Robin, Lowland Akalat, Kemps Longbill, Violet-backed Hyliota, Red-cheeked Wattle-Eye............. and the list goes on



African Emerald Cuckoo



Velvet-mantled Drongo



Sharpe's Apalis



Canopy walkway - Kakum NP

 


Blue-headed Bee-eater

 


Double-barrelled Froggy in action

 


Western Grey Plantain-eater

 


Preuss's Cliff Swallows.



African Pygmy Kingfisher



Ant Swarm - they bite !!!



Little Grey Greenbul



Red Glider



Rock Pratincole







 


Grey Woodpecker



Whistling Cisticola



Exhausted after the days birding this Black-crowned Tchagra decided to lay low out of view.



Oriole Warbler



Brown-eared Woodpecker



Red-necked Buzzard



African Hobby



Blue-bellied Roller



White-throated Bee-eater





White-bellied Kingfisher