Ghana Day Three, Ankasa

Today (25th March) we spent the whole day in Ankasa National Park. We tried to drive down to the camp and pools but our truck got stuck and after digging it out it got stuck again so we went on foot down to the pools. Both Kojak and I were unprepared for a 6km hike through mud, I was in shoes and jeans. 

The birding was pretty tough- in Kojak's words 'I regret coming here'. Ankasa is generally slow, the forest is in such good condition with tall dense canopies, epiphytes and a dense understorey that the birds are very difficult to see but the forest is full of amazing secrets and by the end of the day we had logged 66 species HERE with highlights including Great Blue Turacos, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo calling at dusk, Nkulengu Rails, Dwarf Bitterns, Red-billed Dwarf, Pied, Black-casqued and Brown-cheeked Hornbills, White-bellied Kingfisher (a main target), Green-tailed Bristle-bill, Reihenbach's Sunbird and lots more.

A tough but amazing day. 

White-bellied Kingfisher

White bellied Kingfisher with West African Dwarf Crocodile

Great Blue Turaco (above and below) 

Dwarf Bittern

Finsch's Flycather Thrush

Nkulengu Rails

African Potto- a bizzarre primate

West African Dwarf Crocodile - top of wish list lifer

The West African Dwarf Crocodile Pool

Trouble getting along the Ankasa Road

When we got back to the Frenchman's we put the Lepiled up- absolutely stunning results and a dream come true to finally get a decent moth trap up in the West African forests. Haven't worked out the identifications yet but a small sample of some of the incredible moths below.