Bird watching in Gambia - July 2025

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Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

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คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

July 2025

Thursday 31 ^st of July 2025 and we leave Ocean Bay Hotel & Resort at 8 o'clock. I had had my breakfast and I store my luggage here until I come back again.

We are heading towards east on the South Bank Road. Gambia River runs along the country with the mouth at Banjul. There is one road south of the river and one going along the north side, North Bank Road. There is one bridge across the river, I think it is about 120 km east of Banjul.

Gambia

By Central Intelligence Agency - CIA World Factbook —
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/maps/ga-map.gif,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69259

We are heading east and we make the first stop after about 90 minutes, we pass one Blue-bellied Roller sitting on the wire next to the road. Blue-bellied Roller, a new “LIFER” for me so a good start of the day.

We spot one Double-spurred Spurfowl and we get out of the car to cross the road. There is a second Double-spurred Spurfowl, but I never managed to get any good pictures. And the recording is destroyed by passing cars.

Blue-bellied Roller

Blue-bellied Roller

Double-spurred Spurfowl

Listen to the Double-spurred Spurfowl

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

We see the birds when we stop along the road to take pictures of one Blue-bellied Roller sitting on the wire. Only got one call before the car passed as we can hear in the recording.

We continue along the South Bank Road and we stop again after about 30 minutes to try to get pictures of an Red-necked Falcon sitting on the wire next to the road.

15 minutes later and we stop again, but the Grasshopper Buzzard takes off before I can get any pictures. But 10 minutes after that we make another stop for a Grasshopper Buzzard, this time I get pictures of the bird.

We spotted plenty raptors, we had one Bateleur not long after the Grasshopper Buzzard.

Red-necked Falcon

Red-necked Falcon

Red-necked Falcon

Grasshopper Buzzard

Grasshopper Buzzard

Grasshopper Buzzard

Grasshopper Buzzard

Bateleur

Bateleur

We continue driving towards east on South Bank Road and we were soon reaching a bridge going across Gambia River. And of course, a military control before we could cross the bridge.

We are passing police/ military controls every few kilometres. They stop and ask for driving license and insurance. Just to pester the drivers, sometimes they just stop us and then they wave us through the check-point.

I think it was because I was in the back seat, don't disturb the tourists. Same as in Tanzania, when they saw me in the car, they just waved us through and the driver did not have to pay any money to the police.

Crossing Gambia River

Crossing Gambia River

Driving towards east

All the roads seem to be straight for long as you can see

We cross the bridge and we continue, now towards north and the North Bank Road, but there is one more bridge to cross before we are on the north side of the river.

We are soon stopping again, there is one Brown Snake-Eagle siting in the top of the tree next to the road. We spot one Dark Chanting-Goshawk that I did not get any pictures of.

One Purple Roller was sitting on the wire next to the road and I managed to get a picture.

Brown Snake-Eagle

Brown Snake-Eagle

Purple Roller

Purple Roller

Purple Roller

Crossing the second bridge

Crossing the second bridge

Crossing the second bridge

We are on the North Bank Road and we continue towards east. We will stop at River Gambia National Park before going to our hotel, Island Hotel Janjanbureh.

North Bank Road ends in Lamin Koto and from there we have to take a ferry across Gambia River to the Janjanbureh Island.

We stop at some rice paddies, I had seen a head sticking up from the rice paddy next to the road. We go back and I cannot see the head again. But there are a lot of birds in the paddies. There are a huge group of White-faced Whistling-Ducks.

And further away, there are three Black Crowned-Cranes walking. Way too far away for any photos, but I could see that it was Black Crowned-Cranes on the picture.

Black Crowned-Crane

White-faced Whistling-Duck

We are just about to leave when I see the head sticking up through the rice, turns out that it was two White-faced Whistling-Ducks. Continuing along the North Bank Road and we stop when we reach Kuntaur.

We get out to have a look for the Verreaux's Eagle Owl and a group of trees. We manage to see the bird, but I did not see the bird until it took off so no pictures.

Our boat that will take us out in Gambia River and the River Gambia National Park. There are 5 islands in the national park, they call them Baboon Islands as the biggest island is Baboon Island.

We arrive to the boat station around 2 thirty and my Guide and Driver have their lunch while waiting for the boat that will depart at 3 thirty.

We are getting out in Gambia River

We are getting out in Gambia River

We are getting out in Gambia River

We are getting out in Gambia River

We get in to the boat and we are soon on our way towards Baboon Islands. We are steaming towards south along the eastern side of Gambia River and we see a lot of Little Bee-eaters.

I could count to 18 of them. I got to see a new “LIFER”, the Red-throated Bee-eater. The most beautiful bee-eater I have seen so far in my life. I gorgeous bird and I was really happy to get to see the bird.

I counted to a total of 5 of them, so there was many more Little Bee-eaters.

Red-throated Bee-eater

Palm-nut Vulture

Palm-nut Vulture

Palm-nut Vulture

Looking for birds along Gambia River

We stop to pick up one Forester from the National Park

I got the see the Palm-nut Vulture as well. We stopped to pick up one Forester that works in River Gambia National Park. It seems like he lived in the forest, a hut made out of corrugated sheets.

Space between the corrugated sheets so I have my doubts that it is protecting against anything. Anyway, he is boarding our boat and he starts to tell me about the River Gambia National Park.

River Gambia National Park includes the 1,450 acres Baboon Islands archipelago, which consists of one large and four small islands.

Three of the five islands have Chimpanzee and they are given food supplements on a daily basis.

Since 1979, River Gambia National Park is site of a chimpanzee-reintroduction project, conducted by the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project (CRP) under the direction of Stella Marsden.

Chimpanzees confiscated from the illegal animal trade are reintroduced into the wild in the park.

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Chimpanzee on Baboon Islands

Palm-nut Vulture

Coming to River Gambia National Park and of course, I am here to see birds. But I am mostly excited over the chance to get to see hippos. The have hippos in the Gambia river and I hopeto see them today.

We approached Bird Island and we could see all the birds from very far away. And when we came closer, we could see that there were Hippos at the Bird Island.

Bird Island, located north of Kuntaur in the River Gambia National Park, is the only large mixed waterbird colony on the river.

It is a national stronghold for breeding African cormorants, African darters, great white egrets, and possibly black-crowned night herons. The island also serves as aroost site for large numbers of herons, egrets, darters, and cormorants

We came closer and we could see that there were 3 Hippos in the river, deep water and only their noses was sticking up above the surface. Looked like there was one baby Hippo as well.

We passed the Hippos without being attacked. We came to the other end of Bird Island and we turned around to go back on the other side and there was plenty noise from all the egrets and herons on the Bird Island.

Hippos

Hippos

Hippos

I asked Captain to stop the engine so I could make a recording of all the birds when we were floating by the island. Taking pictures was not possible as there were so many birds and it was impossible to chose only one.

But I got a recording and we can hear all the darter, egrets and herons. The recording is not good for any ID even though my Merlin app ID several of the birds, but I uploaded the recording to eBird as a soundscape.

Soundscape from Bird Island

African Darters on Bird Island

Click on the picture for full size

Plenty herons and egrets on Bird Island

Click on the picture for full size

Great White Egret on Bird Island

Click on the picture for full size

We leave Bird Island steaming back towards the restaurant where we had started. We passed one Black-crowned Night Heron on the way back that I could get on picture. A little later we passed one Squacco Heron.

We could hear one Blue-breasted Kingfisher, I never saw the bird but I got a recording of the bird. We continue when I am ready with the recording and I keep my eyes out for birds.

Going back and I cannot report the species that I recorded on the way coming here to avoid double reporting. But I report any new species that I see, among them, the Blue-breasted Kingfisher that I recorded even though I could not see the bird.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Squacco Heron

Listen to the Blue-breasted Kingfisher

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Gambia River, we have visited Baboon Islands and we hear the bird when we go back. Turning off the motor and floating by in the boat and we hear the bird disappear behind us.

Looking for birds along Gambia River

We stop to drop of the Forester and I really hope that he is not living in the shanty, but I could see nothing but wilderness. And I guess the restaurant we started at is the closest building.

We dropped him and we were waiting so I thought we were bringing him back ashore, but he came back just to give me the ticket to the national park. I think it was mostly for souvenir purpose.

We leave him and his camp side behind continuing towards the restaurant and our car.

My ticket to the national park

Looking for birds along Gambia River

We reach the restaurant and we are soon in the car to make it back to the North Bank Road. North Bank Road ends in Lamin Koto and from there we have to take a ferry across Gambia River to the Janjanbureh Island where we will spend the night.

We stop to have a look at one Black-headed Heron standing next to the road. This is a new “LIFER” for me and I take several pictures. My camera refuses to focus and I have to delete all the pictures of the Black-headed Heron.

We are soon stopping again, two Dark Chanting-Goshawks sitting on top of a pole, and this time my camera can focus on the birds. This was the last birds for today and I am happy with today's birding, 5 new “LIFERS”

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Click on the picture for full size

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Click on the picture for full size

Today's species count:

36

Today's “LIFER”

5

Total species count

1667

Today's species
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Black-headed Heron
Wattled Lapwing
White-faced Whistling-Duck Senegal Parrot
Pied Kingfisher
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Little Bee-eater
Red-throated Bee-eater
African Grey Hornbill
Palm-nut Vulture
Great White Egret
Western Cattle-Egret
Squacco Heron
Little Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Bittern
Reed Cormorant
African Darter
Spur-winged Lapwing
Laughing Dove
Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Long-tailed Glossy Starling
Abyssinian Roller
African Jacana
Black Crowned-Crane
Spur-winged Goose
Purple Roller, Brown Snake-Eagle, Bateleur, Hooded Vulture, Woodland Kingfisher
Grasshopper Buzzard
Red-necked Falcon
Blue-bellied Roller
Double-spurred Spurfowl

Today's “LIFER”
Black-headed Heron
Red-throated Bee-eater
Palm-nut Vulture
Grasshopper Buzzard
Blue-bellied Roller

MacCarthy Island, originally known as Lemain Island and officially named Janjanbureh Island, is an island located approximately 272 km upriver from the mouth of the Gambia River, in eastern Gambia, in the Janjanbureh District.

Located on the island is the second-largest town in the country, Janjanbureh, but on many maps it still appears by its European name of Georgetown. In addition to being adestination for some wildlife tourists, the island is also the home of Gambia's largest prison.

Next stop is the ferry in Lamin Koto to cross Gambia River to the Janjanbureh Island. Nothing I was looking forward to after having seen alot of these over loaded African ferries.

But the crossing should not take much longer than a couple of minutes. I got out of the car and I walked onboard to take a couple of photos when the car drove onboard.

The ferry took two cars and a small lorry and as soon as the lorry was onboard we took off towards Janjanbureh Island and we crossed the river in 10 minutes or so.

Reaching the ferry in Lamin Koto

Reaching the ferry in Lamin Koto

Ferry is full and we can take off

Leaving Lamin Koto behind

Crossing the Gambia River

Crossing the Gambia River

Reaching Janjanbureh Island after a couple of minutes

Getting off the ferry at Janjanbureh Island

I get off the ferry in Janjanbureh to get a video when our car comes off the ferry. Only one ramp on the boat so the cars have to back off the ferry. The ferry is not far away from the ferry and we park the car at Island Hotel Janjanbureh.

The hotel was brand new and they were building new buildings at the hotel. The water front was not completed, but it looked to be a very nice hotel when they will complete the construction.

The room was OK, well, no desk, but they brought a table for me so I can work with the pictures on my computer. The bathroom was a totally different experience, I was for sure not in a hurry to have a shower.

We will take off on a boat tour on Gambia River tomorrow morning, just click HERE to find out if we see any birds, or Hippos.

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