Ghana Day Eleven- last day

After a long drive back from Mole yesterday, we started off today (2nd April) at Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary where in three hours we recorded 52 species HERE with a few new trip ticks. Highlights included Narina Trogon, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Cassin's Honeybirds, Fire-bellied Woodpeckers, Sharpe's Apalis and Red-billed Helmetshrikes. 

Sadly it was then time to head to the airport. It was about a six hour drive back to Accra with a Fufu and Talapia stop on the way. The last part of the journey switched back to the precarious theme of this trip which was brake failure on our vehicle. We had time to stop once for a repair but within another hour or so they failed again. As it was pretty tight getting to the airport, there wasn't time to stop to fix them this time so we headed into the madness of the Accra traffic with no brakes- one light collision (mirror scraping alongside another vehicle) and three near misses later and we arrived in good time for our flight back. Luckily Kojak's dodgy guts from the day before had cleared up (we had to stop five times on the way back yesterday for 'Bush-visits')  as the last couple of hours of the drive had everyone on the edge of their seats. We knew it was bad when the driver actually put his seat belt on for the first time this trip.

A great trip. We recorded 321 bird species TRIP REPORT HERE which was okay considering we didn't visit any wetlands and concentrated on target species. In total I had 15 lifers taking my world list to 3586 HERE but the big news was I have now joined the Ghana 500 club with my Ghana list now on 502 (14th place in Ebird rankings) with 30 Ghana ticks this trip.

It's also looking not too bad on my target to get to 1000 species in a single year (not done that before as never tried) with my year list now on 818 HERE. With trips planned this year to Bulgaria and Southern Africa I'm hoping will hit that target (if the jet fuel doesn't run out before). 

On the moth front we made 432 observations with 192 species provisionally identified. I-Nat project HERE. Will do a seperate blog post on some of the highlights. In short it was incredible. 

The mammal list was also pretty good and some additional herps too. Will work on them and post seperately too. 

Already planning next year's trip to Ghana, with the focus on more moth trapping and target birding. Will just focus on the forest zone next year as there was a bit too much driving this time and on reflection in future will either focus on the Savannah zone or the Rain Forest Zone on future trips instead of trying to cover both. 

Red-billed Helmetshrike

Male Narina Trogon

Fire-bellied Woodpeckers

Sharpe's Apalis

Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary

A regular scene on this trip however ever time we broke down Kojak and I did a bit of birding and everytime we got some new trip ticks. On this particular stop we had Red-throated Crag Martins flying around which was a Ghana tick. 

Ghana Days Seven to Ten- Mole National Park

We spent 29th March to 1st April travelling north to Mole National Park and then back (checklists for those dates HERE). We had two full days birding at Mole with 119 species recorded on 30th March HERE and 111 on 31st March HERE. 

There were so many highlights including the mind blowing Denham's Bustard, the prehistoric Abysinnian Ground Hornbill,  Egyptian Plover, White-throated Francolin, Emin's Shrike, Gambaga Flycatcher, Dorst's and Rufous Cisticola, Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters.

Also a nice selection of Palearctic migrants on their way north. 

On the mammal front we had a really good selection of safari animals including Savannah Elephants, Roan Antelope, Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Kob, Patas and Calathrix Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Warthogs, Blotched Genet, White-tailed Mongoose,  Ground Striped Squirrel, Yellow-winged Bat and Senegal Galago.

There were also Nile Crocodiles, West African Mud Turtles and various skinks (to identify) and we also ran the moth trap at nights with a nice range of savannah species (also to identify).

Trip report HERE. 

Denham's Bustard (above and below). Shockingly good bird. 

Abysinnian Ground Hornbill 

Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Blue-breasted Kingfisher

Egyptian Plover- we had these on the way back from Mole outside the national park

Brown-backed Woodpecker 

Yellow-bellied Hyliota

Stone Partridge

Gambaga Flycatcher 

Emin's Shrike- top of wish list 

Brown-rumped Bunting

Pale Flycatcher

White-backed Vulture

White-headed Vultures

Dorst's Cisticola

West African Seedeater

Senegal Eremomela

Lesser Honeyguide

Red-winged Prinia

Wood Warbler. Several of these in the forest and savannah zone with birds in Mole presumably on the move as they tend to winter in the rain forest. Other Palearctic migrants recorded included Common and Pallid Swifts, House Martins, Barn Swallows, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warblers (surprisingly still there as birds were arriving in the UK at the same time) and we also had Honey Buzzard in the south. 

Savannah Elephants (above and below).

Warthog

Olive Baboon

Calathrix Monkey

Hartebeest

Roan Antelope

Waterbuck

Kob

Nile Crocodile 

View over Mole National Park. An incredible contrast to the rain forests of Southern Ghana

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