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Kotu Creek |
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Red-billed Firefinch |
Village Indigobird |
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Black Flycatcher |
African Silverbill |
The Lower Bridge spanning the Creek is a good place to start. From here there are good views of the open water and vegetation of the Creek, and it is here that most of the Gambian bird "experts" will be found. Plenty of waders, Herons and Kingfishers can be seen from here, as well as close views of regular Wire-tailed Swallows. A very good and not obvious spot is a leaking pipe under the trees. It is found by taking the first track on the left to the North of the lower bridge, which goes to the Kotu Strand Hotel. The pipe is under the trees on the left, about 30 metres from the main road. Birds here included our only Oriole Warblers and Yellow-throated Leaflove of the trip, Snowy-crowned Robin Chat and Yellow-crowned Gonolek. The gardens of the hotels in this area are also worth checking, in particular for Sunbirds. The Ponds next to the bridge allow close approach to a variety of water birds - Black Egret, Hammerkop, Senegal Thick-knee, Sacred Ibis, Oxpecker and a mobile Malachite Kingfisher were all regular. |
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Black Egret |
Hammerkop |
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Long-tailed Glossy Starling |
Yellow-billed Oxpecker |
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Pied Kingfisher |
Wire-tailed Swallow |
Any sewage works abroad are a must, and the 30 Dalasis fee for the ones opposite the Badala Park Hotel are no exception. There are 4 rectangular pits which act as a magnet for waders and White-faced Whistling Duck, but the openly wooded area next to them are also worth a look (Fine Spotted Woodpecker, Bearded Barbet, Shikra and flocks of Red Bishops).
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Sewage works |
White-faced Whistling-duck |
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Kotu Creek |
