Marakissa River Camp
Another Birdie Heaven
08.04.2019 - 08.04.2019
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Galavanting in The Gambia 2019
on Grete Howard's travel map.
Marakissa River Camp
Abdoulie takes us to this delightful camp for refreshments and bird watching. The camp is set on the riverside (there is a hint in the name), and features many different species. We spend a couple of delightful hours here, nipping between the covered terrace overlooking man made water pools, and the river below.
Abyssinian Roller
Yellow Billed Shrike
Beautiful Sunbird, preening
Purple Glossy Starling
Yellow Throated Leaflove
Red Cheeked Cordon Bleu
Lesser Honeyguide
Piapiac (AKA Black Magpie)
Scruffy Looking Village Weaver
Western Plantain Eater
Black Crake
Giant Kingfisher
Kingfisher Diving
While we are down at the river's edge, I spot a Pied Kingfisher in the corner of my eye, just about to dive into the water. I swing my camera around and manage to grab a quick shot as he carries his lunch away.
Having devoured the fresh snack, he comes back, sitting on a nearby branch, contemplating his next move.
Feeling hungry again, he hovers over the river, hoping to spot a fish.
Bingo! Not only did he manage to catch one (just – he is barely holding on to it by the tip of its head), but he also speared a dead leaf.
Which is now stuck on his beak.
Speckled Pigeon
Palm Nut Vulture
Western Reef Heron
African Black Kite
Great White Egret
Back up at the terrace we are joined by the two Dutch ladies we met at Brufut and Tanji. It seems that we are all doing a very similar birding circuit.
African Thrush
Blue Bellied Roller
Beautiful Sunbird
The female sunbird is nowhere near as colourful as the male
Orange Cheeked Waxbill
Red Billed Firefinch
A squirrel joins in the fun
Having had our fill of birdies this morning, we head back to the lodge, getting stuck in a very hot car as we hit a traffic jam along the way.
Lunch
It is lovely to see lots of people have come for lunch here at Tanji today – a big birding party plus a few other couples. We get a very warm welcome from our favourite waitress Awa, who throws her arms out and shouts our names as soon as she sees us. She has drastically changed her appearance from yesterday by going from long, black hair to extremely short, pillarbox red! It suits her. Mind you, she is such a pretty girl she'd look good in anything.
Butter fish in a delicious spicy sauce, served with chips.
We are watched during lunch by a troupe of the local Green Vervet Monkeys, as well as a couple of birds
Red Billed Firefinch
Grey Backed Camaroptera
After a delightful siesta, we spend the rest of the afternoon chatting to Haddy, the owner of Tanji Eco Bird Lodge, hearing all about her plans for the property as well as solving all the world's problems. As you do.
Dinner
Dinner is a low key affair again as usual, with just the two of us and staff.
Chicken Yassa
After dinner we retire to our room to let the staff go home while David and I share a few drinks on the balcony, going over the delights of the day.
Posted by Grete Howard 03:45 Archived in Gambia Tagged birds monkeys wildlife kite wild africa birding squirrel roller heron vulture west_africa kingfisher starling shrike finch gambia bird_watching sunbird eco_lodge vervet_monkeys thrush cordon_bleu wildlife_photography the_gambia tanji the_gambia_experience cordon_blue piapiac crake plantain_eater firefinch waxbill tanji_bird_eco_lodge abdoulie marakissa leaflove marakissa_river_camp wild_birds kingfisher_diving camaroptera siest haddy chicken_yassa
Wonderful shots of the Pied Kingfisher in action! I'm also rather taken with the Red Cheeked Cordon Bleu
by ToonSarah