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| Egyptian Plover |
Following our visit to Mole National Park in northern Ghana (following post) we headed north, passing many traditional villages, before reaching the town of Daboya on the White Volta River.
A Western Banded Snake-Eagle (below) was seen along the way.
Daboya is a known site for Egyptian Plover and it wasn’t long before two birds showed. Previously it was necessary to travel further north to the Burkino Faso border area for this one but Daboya is a good deal more convenient. I’d seen the bird before in Cameroon and Ethiopia but it’s difficult to tire of this stunner.
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| Egyptian Plover |
Less expected was a group of African Quailfinch flushed in short grass by the river. Small numbers of Black-backed Cisticola, a species that’s widespread but difficult to nail in Africa, showed well. We saw Pied-winged Swallows again here after seeing them in Mole.
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| Black-backed Cisticola |
Heading back south we stopped at the roadside Fufulsa-Damongo dam where African Painted-Snipe was an unexpected addition to the list. Black-rumped Waxbill was seen. Further south, Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle perched atop a powerline tower by the road was another welcome addition to the list. We continued on for another overnight stay in Kumasi, visiting Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary again the next morning.
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| The group birding Bolbiri |
Olive-bellied, Little Green and other sunbirds were active in the gardens around the sanctuary headquarters, while Dwarf Black Hornbill and Rufous-thighed Sparrowhawk were seen.
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| Olive-bellied Sunbird |
We then headed to the town of New Tafo for a two-night stay, staying at the Nelshan Palace Hotel. The morning of Day 19 of our tour saw us hiking the steep road up the Atewa Range, where Little Green Woodpecker was a welcome addition to the list.
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| Little Green Woodpecker |
Much of the day was spent on the track along the Atewa ridge where unfortunately we heard but did not see the range-restricted Nimba Flycatcher. Crowned Eagle and Ayres's Hawk-Eagle were among the raptors to show.
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| Ayres's Hawk-Eagle |
Other birds seen and heard on the track up and along the ridge included Kemp’s Longbill, Sharpe’s Apalis, White-tailed Alethe, Ussher’s Flycatcher, Forest Robin and Melancholy Woodpecker.
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| Ussher's Flycatcher |
The following morning we were in farmbush in the Atewa area, seeing Black-belled Seedcracker, Black-winged Bishop in breeding plumage and Vanga (Black-and-white) Flycatcher, before returning to the start of the road to the ridge, where Puvel’s Illadopsis and Finsch’s Flycatcher-Thrush were vocal.
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| Black-winged Bishop |
We continued south, descending the Askwepin Range and enjoying the sweeping views of the southern Ghanaian plains (below).
Shai Hills Reserve was our next destination. Here we saw White-crowned Cliff-Chat and heard the distinctive race of African Barred Owlet (etchecopari, or Chestnut Owlet). We had excellent views of a Dwarf Bittern while leaving the reserve.
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| Dwarf Bittern |
Purple Glossy Starling (below) was common.
We visited Sakamona Lagoon on the final morning of our tour. Brief sightings of Black Coucal and Little Bittern for some were highlights. Collared Pratincoles and quite a few shorebirds were present. We were chased from the wetland by a group of aggressive men in robes having some kind of ceremony – our only unpleasant encounter with local people during our 21-day tour of Ghana. The silver lining to that cloud were several West African Crested Terns that we saw from the railway line above the beach after fleeing the robed ones.
We drove around to the western side of the lagoon, where Double-toothed Barbet (above) and Green Wood-hoopoe (below) showed nicely.
Our final get together at the Erata Hotel in Accra was a fun night.
