Ghana Day Six- Picathartes Day

We started the day off (28th March) at the Ebekawopa (Abrafo) Forest Reserve near Kakum. 50 species in about two and half hours HERE with highlights including Rosy Bee-eater and good views of Hairy-breasted Barbet and African Piculet. 

We then headed north and stopped off at the Pra River HERE for the two specialities Rock Pratincole and White-throated Blue Swallow. 

It was then on to Nyamebe Bepo forest to pay homage to the Picathartes (as it was Kojak's first time to Ghana it was a neccessary pilgrimage). We had five birds performing around their rock theatre and while we were waiting it was also a good opportunity to absorb the forest sounds with Black Cuckoo, Plain Greenbul (Cameron Sombre), Red-tailed Bristlebill and Western Bearded Greenbul calling/singing. Checklist HERE.

We then (sadly for me but happily for Kojak), had to say goodbye to the rain forests of the south and started heading north to the woodland savannah zone. We stopped off for the night north of Kumasi at a hotel that was still being built and ended up in the basement with a somewhat distrubed night as a big storm followed by a power cut and then the generator going on (in the basement next to my bed!)

Trip Report HERE.

White-necked Rockfowl/ Picathartes (above) 

Rosy Bee-eater (above and below) 

Hairy-breasted Barbet (complete with hairy breast)

Yellow-billed Barbet

Green Crombec

Swamp Bulbul 

African Piculet

White-throated Blue Swallow

Rock Pratincole

Picathartes habitat

Ghana Day Five, Breakdown Day

The plan for today (27th March) was to head to Kakum NP via the Carmelite Sunbird spot and do the afternoon on the canopy walkway. After doing the moths. at the breakfast briefing, Kojak was considering whether to get dropped off at a Beach resort for the rest of the trip because not only had the tough birding at Ankasa broken his spirit but he also suffers from vertigo and didn't want to go on the walkway. It looked like it was going to be a man down situatuon so we set off on our journey with things in the air. 

Within an hour or so we were pulling over on the side of the road for the third time this trip (two previous stuck in the mud episodes). This time a hydraulic brake fluid pipe had been damaged and was pumping out hydraulic fluid resulting in complete brake loss. Alex and Robert managed to fix the pipe and while they were doing that Kojak and I had a quick look round the farm bush habitat we were in. A few trip ticks and the fortuitous result of lifting Kojak's birding spirits as the birding was easy (as it was his first trip to Ghana we should have started off in farm bush and did the common birds first before heading into the tough forests looking for tricky targets). Ebird checklist from the road HERE . Highlights included Piping Hornbills, some nice views of Lesser Striped Swallows, Dusky-blue Flycatcher and Chestnut-backed Weavers. 

We were back on the road but a few minutes later the quick fix had broken and we lost all brake power again. Fortunately we stopped outside a mechanics so while we waited an hour and a half to get it fixed properly Kojak and I explored the farm bush in that area. Checklist HERE. Further trip ticks included Honey Buzzard, Black and Little Bee-eaters, Reichenbach's Sunbirds and good numbers of Red-vented Malimbes in the coconut plantations. 

We were now back on the road (after a 2.5 hour delay) and headed to Half Assini near the Ivory Coast border. A few miles later and the air conditionig belt broke so we were on the side of the road again. After removing the belt and now not having any air con we carried on to Half Assini where while watching the Carmelite Sunbrids HERE Alex and Robert got the air con fixed. Three breakdowns in one day and a total of five breakdowns for the trip in as many days. 

By now we had racked up a 3 hour or so delay and then got stuck in coast road traffic. We picked up lunch from Robert's wife and daughter again but by the time we approached Kakum it was nearly dusk so we had to abandon the plan of trying out the canopy walkway. In the Elmina area there were some salt pans where we noticed a flock of Black Herons flying over the road. We pulled over and intersected a roost movement of Black Herons where we counted 125 birds- one of the highest counts for Ghana HERE.

We finally arrived at our hotel after a long problematic day but Kojak was in better spirits and decided to stay on the tour. 

Live Trip Report HERE. 

Carmelite Sunbird (lifer)

Reichenbach's Sunbird

Dusky-blue Flycatcher

Male Honey Buzzard

Lesser Striped Swallow and Speckled Tinkerbird

Black Herons going to roost

Robert and our troubled truck 

Ghana Day Four, Ankasa

Another full day in Ankasa today with 72 species recorded HERE. We did the park HQ area in the morning and the main gate tracks in the evening. Highlights included some nice views of Yellow-spotted Barbets, Copper-tailed Starling (lifer), Brown-eared Woodpecker, Lemon-bellied Crombec, good views of Red-tailed, Icternine and Yellow-throated Greenbuls and just the joy of soaking up the Ankasa Forest sounds. 

We also had Cusimanse run across the road, Green Bush Squirrel and Mona Monkey (heard only). In addition to the Potto in Ankasa in previous days we've also had Lesser Spot Nose Monkey, Fire-footed Squirrel, Tree Hyrax, Demidorff's Galago, Palm Civet (heard) and Forest Elephant footprints. In addition to the West African Dwarf Crocodile we also had Nile Monitor. 

11 hours birding (with a short break) and 143 individual birds gives some indication of how the Ankasa forest is certainly a quality over quantity site. Kevin is finding it really hard in both the oppressive heat, the muddy tracks and the fact that a lot of the birds are heard onlys and views are brief in the dense forests. He is only recording approx half of the birds Robert and I are recording as most are lifers for him so he wants decent views which are basically not easy to get. However the HQ farm bush habitat gave him some relief as the habitat is more open and birds less skulking. It's touch and go whether or not he is going to abandon the trip. 

Fortunately it was an excellent moth night again at the Frenchman's which is keeping him hanging in there as it is the Chicken and Jollof.

Live trip report HERE

Yellow-spotted Barbet

Icterine Greenbul

Crested Malimbe

Red-vented Malimbe

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Yellow-throated Greenbul

Red-tailed Greenbul - doesn't have a Red-tail in this regional race

Woodland Kingfisher

Some more mega moths from Ankasa (above and below). More on these later once I can upload more to I-Nat. A few added to the project already HERE

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. 

Ghana Day One and Two

After meeting Robert and Alex on Monday night we transferred to a hotel in Accra and got straight down to business with Chicken and Jollof for dinner before getting to bed, The following day (24th March) we travelled from Accra to Ankasa and stopped off at the Winneba Plains, Boko Marshes and Ebi Mangrove on the way.  We also stopped off at Robert's family home at Takoradi where we met his lovely daughter and wife who made us Fufu with light soup and Tilapia- the best Fufu I've ever tasted.

We arrived at Ankasa National Park just before dark and did some night birding where we had a couple of Fraser's Eagle Owls in the spotlight and an African Potto.

Checklists from today HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. 

Live trip report HERE.

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird

Allen's Gallinule- nice to see this WP vagrant in its homeland