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Gabon, São Tomé & Príncipe and Cameroon
Gulf of Guinea
island endemics, Cameroon Mountain endemics and Lower Guinea rainforest
rarities
14 February – 11
March 2004
Trip
Report
Introduction
This was a magical trip combining several of Africa’s great zones of endemicity, including Africa’s mini Galapagos – São Tomé & Príncipe. The team managed an impressive clean-up of all the endemic species and sub-species of the islands (26 species according to Clements, 27 according to BirdLife International and 29 according to Sinclair & Ryan). We made sure we saw all species for all taxonomies! Unfortunately only Keith (the leader) saw the rare and enigmatic São Tomé Grosbeak, thought to be extinct until 1990. Everybody got great looks at the other Critically Threatened endemics the Dwarf Olive Ibis and Newton’s Fiscal. Other bizarre oddities included the tree-marching São Tomé Shorttail and Dohrn’s Thrush-babbler as well as the magnificent Giant Sunbird and Giant Weaver.
In Cameroon we saw 24 of the 25 possible Cameroon Mountain EBA birds, including the equally enigmatic Mt Kupé Bush Shrike, Green-breasted Bush Shrike, White-throated Mountain Babbler, Bannerman’s Turaco and Banded Wattle-eye, we missed only Mt Cameroon Francolin which we did not try for (no-one has seen this species since the road up the mountain was washed out in early 2003).
In these two EBAs we saw an incredible number of localised and threatened birds featured in BirdLife International’s seminal publication, Threatened Birds of the World, including three species classified as Critically Endangered, four Endangered, 11 Vulnerable, 12 near-threatened and a single Data Deficient bird.
The lowland forests of Gabon yielded the mythical African River Martin, Rosy Bee-eater, Latham’s Forest Francolin and localised Loango Slender-billed Weaver, this was while we were absorbing Forest Buffalo and Forest Elephants. While in Cameroon we located Long-tailed Hawk, a Congo Serpent Eagle nest Vermiculated Fishing Owl, Bare-cheeked Trogon, White-crested and Black Dwarf Hornbill.
If you have not yet
been click here to see the programme for Tropical Birding’s 2005 birding tour
to Cameroon or arrange a customised trip for you and your friends by e-mailing
tropicalbirding@telkomsa.net.
Participants:
Keith Barnes (Leader)
John & Karen Shrader
Peary and BK Stafford
14
– 16 Feb: Gabon
The trip started off with a short sojourn in Gabon. Keith (the leader) arrived before the others and spent a couple of days at Lopé National Park by himself, undoubted highlights being a single pair of mythical African River Martin moving from the coast to the interior and the swarms of magical Rosy Bee-eater that seemed everywhere. Other highlights included good looks at Latham’s Forest Francolin, Forbes’ Plover, Afep Pigeon, the localised Red-chested Swallow, Cassin’s Malimbe, Black-bellied Seedcracker and Black-chinned Quailfinch. Peary and BK arrived snatching the localised Loango Slender-billed Weaver on their day near Libreville before the team all met up in São Tomé City.
One pair of African River Martin’s were found at Lope, moving into the
interior of Gabon (I. Sinclair)
17
– 19 Feb: São Tomé
We thoroughly enjoyed the larger and more populous of these two small, remote and almost forgotten islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the equator. They comprise the southern extension of a volcanic ridge that runs from Mount Cameroon in the north. These ex-Portuguese colonies closed their doors to the western world in 1975 and very little has been heard of them since. Their conversion to democracy, free market economy and a new constitution in 1990 makes them perfectly safe to travel in. In the interior extensive tracts of rainforest, dripping from the constant rain at high altitudes, cover the steep, precipitous, uninhabited slopes of the towering volcanic mountains, which are often obscured from view by the clinging mist and cloud. Many of the endemics are listed in BirdLife International’s Threatened Birds of the World book (a few were even considered to be extinct until recently). Undoubtedly, this archipelago is one of the world’s most under appreciated birding destinations. Its Portuguese charm, good food and unique character (it definitely does not feel very African) combine to make it decidedly enchanting. The birdlist is short, but the variety of endemics and more importantly the strange and interesting taxonomic enigmas present make the islands quality of bird rank much higher than quantity.
Our travels started with a
drive into the interior to the most pristine and unspoilt sector of forest
remaining on the island. A stop near a river yielded our first endemics
including the São Tomé (Malachite)
Kingfisher darting along a river and sitting on small rocks. A Forest Dove scuttled off the road in
front of our car. We started our walk
into the deep interior forests and immediately started reeling in a host of
excellent and threatened endemics. São
Tomé Bronze-naped Pigeon and São Tomé Green Pigeon feasted on a
fruiting tree where we saw our first bat-like São Tomé Spinetails and Principé
Seedeaters and Newton’s Sunbird
singing from a nearby tree. A little later a feeding party yielded the bizarre
nuthatch-like São Tomé Weaver clinging
to the moss-covered trunks and the see-sawing wing-snapping flight display of the
rufous-headed São Tomé Prinia.
Several São Tomé (Olivaceous) Thrushes uttered
the alarm “pssseep” call as they flushed ahead of us on the forest floor,
eventually allowing inspection of their scaly chests. The immaculate deep
glossy-blue of the São Tomé Paradise
Flycatcher came next, and we soaked up an impeccable iridescent male.
Islands tend to evolve various forms of gigantism and dwarfism as species
experience character release of being in new and un-exploted islands. São Tomé
has three forms that exibit these characteristics and we soon encountered the
marvelous Giant Weaver. The females
seemed to outnumber males but eventually we found an exceptional male which
build nests the size of footballs. Next was our search for one of the star
birds of the islands, the Critically Endangered Dwarf Olive (São Tomé) Ibis.
This species is estimated to have a global population of fewer than 50 birds!!
We spread out in the forest and fairly soon flushed one individual up into a
tree where we were able to all observe it for some time. The shaggy crest and
small size (for an ibis) being obvious features. Elated, we were able to move
on, adding the spectacular and one of the most exciting birds on the islands,
the Giant (São Tomé) Sunbird shortly
therafter. We got this by examining any flowering tree, especially the
beautiful wild yellow hibiscus or red Erythrina.
To see this huge sunbird as it probes its long, decurved bill into a flower is
a truly incredible experience. This enormous beast (given that it is a sunbird)
is spectacular and its vigorous displays or agitation when approached by
another sunbird were great trip memories. Further up the mountain we scored
both the less spectacular São Tomé
Oriole and São Tomé
(Chestnut-winged) Starling. Peering down into a spectacular forested gorge
with an amazing waterfall we saw our first White-tailed
Tropicbird soaring effortlessly and gracefully past. We reached base camp
just in time, as the rain started bucketing down and we had to plant ourselves
on the rather uncomfortable logs until the rains stopped. We were rather
nervous as this part of the islands is renowned as one of the wettest places on
earth, with over seven metres of water being dumped there each year.
Fortunately, things dried up after a couple of hours and before dark we were
able to nab another of the real tough birds of the islands. We were searching
for the strange enigma, the São Tomé
Short-tail (Bocage’s Longbill), a cross between a thrush and a warbler! We
were stalking down a riverbed playing the call when the bird first shot in and
perched nearby. After some nervous moments everyone got on the bird. Further
playback resulted in the bird swooping past us and into a tree nearby. Just
above head height, the now agitated beast marched up and down the slim branch,
its skinny bill and non-existent tail giving it a strange and awkward
appearance. On an island with virtually no ground-based birds, this warbler
seems to have exploited this niche to the fullest. A short walk just before
dusk scored us the São Tomé Scops Owl,
a rufous morph that showed well. We headed off for our respective logs in the
knowledge that Augusto was cooking a supremo meal and that at least two bottles
of good Portuguese vintage awaited us! It was a fun evening. The following
morning precious few endemics remained to be seen. Amazingly some of the
commonest had thus far eluded us! We headed up to a ridge, on the way seeing
the São Tomé Spierops, a group of
warblers related to the White-eyes, several species of which we would catch up
with on this trip! The ridge yielded our main target, another Critically
Threatened endemic species thought to be extinct until 1990 - Newton’s Fiscal – with a global
population estimate of less than 50 individuals! This bizarre interior forest
shrike does not have a bill like a shrike and the strange call is unlike any Lanius in the world. It responded
beautifully and we were able to watch it for some time, including video of it!
Coming down the path heading back to camp we encountered a flock, and Keith got
onto the prize of all prizes, a São Tomé
Grosbeak. The bird was high in the canopy and the chocolate-brown plumage,
gigantic beak and size (nearly twice the size of the accompanying seedeaters)
was a sure-fire give-away. The bird however did not hang around and before
Peary or BK could get on it….it flew. We hung around for some time, but
agonisingly, the beast did not return.
We decided it was time to
hike off the mountain, but not before we flushed more Dwarf Olive (São Tomé) Ibis that
we were able to video for some time before enjoying Capitan and salsa sauce
lunch at a spectacular Roça (old plantation farm house) while the tropicbirds
flew over the forest and the Atlantic ocean crashed into the seacliffs below. A
short walk at the Roça revealed wonderful views of São Tomé Spierops and also looks at the much rarer São Tomé White-eye. We ambled back to São Tomé City enjoying some of the sights of
this beautiful tropical paradise; the coastline of the island is dotted with
small fishing villages surrounded by coconut palm plantations before taking in
the northern savannas, where we located Golden-backed
and Black-winged Bishop before
calling it a day!
20
– 21 Feb: Príncipe
The following morning after a
leisurely breakfast, we headed to Príncipe, a smaller island only a short
flight away, holding seven endemics of its own. Very similar in appearance to
its larger sister, with lofty peaks covered in rainforest, and giant granite
obelisks poking their heads out of the foresty shadow below, the endemic birds
are all readily accessible around a luxurious and plush beach resort set up for
scuba diving and Marlin fishing. Arriving on the island was like landing in
paradise. We saw the high, distinctly phallus-shaped
mountains of the interior, formed from eroded volcanic plugs and craters, with
their heavily forested slopes. I, for one, intensely dislike laying
about on the beach. But seeing Bom-bom from the sky, the azure and powder-blue
oceans washing the reefs and pristine pearly-white beaches each lined with
private cottages looked like just the thing for us after a night camping on
stony ground and tree roots in the heartland of São Tomé. The airport yielded our first endemic as a Príncipe Drongo sallied out for a foraging sortie. En route to
Bom-bom we were stopped in our tracks when an explosive series of joyful
whistles next to the car yielded our first of many Dohrn’s Thrush-babbler. This bizarre little oddity is placed in the
flycatchers or babblers…some suggest it’s closest relatives are the Kupeornis Babblers of the Cameroon
Mountain chain, a bird we were to see later on the trip. We soon arrived at
Bom-bom, and after much debate decided to get the birds as soon as possible so
that we could “take it easy”. It didn’t take long, 54 minutes to be exact, to
reel in the compliment of endemics. The Príncipe
Sunbird gave itself up outside my beachside bungalo. Next came the Príncipe Weaver, at first trying to
play hard to get, but eventually showing exceptionally well. The Príncipe Spierops (perhaps the toughest
of the lot) was next, with views of a small party foliage gleaning and last
came the Príncipe Glossy Starling after
we had seen many Splendid Glossy
Starlings. The lure of the beach became overwhelming and we were drawn back
to paradise. Sitting on the beach we scored a Whimbrel, Western Reef Heron and Keith got a Brown Booby coasting offshore. The afternoon was dedicated to bin’s
down snorkelling and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves paddling through the reef
next to the restaurant finding parrotfish, blennys, angelfish, some bizarre
boxfish and a school of sturgeonfish. I enjoyed doing the checklist at the bar
that night, mostly because it took 3.5 minutes and we had cleaned-up! Well, not
quite, there was the nagging issue of the kingfishers, both endemic subspecies
and possibly species. We didn’t let this stop us enjoying our dinner on the
beach, which would probably have been very romantic for Peary & BK if I had
not been there, but I did not let that stop me enjoying myself! We kept on
reminding ourselves that “this was the life” and that all birding trips should
involve 54 minutes of birding and a lot of R&R.
The following morning, our
last on the island we caught up with the Príncipe
(White-bellied) Kingfisher and the dryas
race of (Príncipe) Blue-breasted
Kingfisher. Both birds are very different from their mainland relatives,
and perhaps the most perplexing thing is the former’s claim to species status
but the latter’s lack of claims. We managed to see all the endemics again,
including the principalis race of Lemon Dove…another decidedly different
looking bird. Feeling happy with our haul, we enjoyed our final lunch on
Príncipe before jetting back to São Tomé City.
22
Feb: São Tomé (again)
Our final day on the islands
was spent looking for our last species, São
Tomé Maroon Pigeon. We headed to the site where the birds where known, but
locals and hunters kept on telling us that the birds were higher up the
mountain, or not around at the moment. We kept on birding, looking at fruiting
trees, but no São Tomé Maroon
Pigeon. Trudging up and down the valley we started talking about everything
except the bird, hoping that it would fly over. Eventually, ready to give up we
turned to walk away when suddenly a large pigeon emerged from the forest canopy
and flew directly towards us. The huge size, dark plumage and yellow bill came
whisling past at high speed. We’d nailed it. All the endemic birds on the
islands! Quite satisfied, we made our way back to São Tomé City for our flight
back to Libreville. Our hotel in Libreville was frequented by a strange mix of
clientele, with a large part of the female contingent looking for employment.
We managed our night there and looked forward to getting to Cameroon.
23
Feb: Libreville - Douala
Little did we know quite how
long it might take. The following day, our early morning flight to Douala was
permanently delayed by 15 minutes. Over the next 5 hours we got to understand
that the “seats” made of barbeque mesh at the Libreville airport are possible
the most uncomfortable structures ever designed….even more effective than those
constructed by the Spanish Inquisition. We were greatly relieved when our
flight left five hours after schedule. The relief turned to disbelief and anguish
when we landed in Contonou, Benin. Not only were we late, but we’d missed and
bypassed our intended destination by about 1500 kilometers. We were told to
pipe down and behave, which was difficult to do, but we complied. We eventually
got to Douala eight hours late!!
24
Feb: Sanaga River
At 05h30, the driver had his taxi idling at the hotel’s door ready to
go. Dawn views of ubiquitous Yellow-billed Kites sailing down downtown Douala.
Barely 30 kms south of Douala we came across some reasonable patches of swamp
forest and several flocks of Pied, Piping and Black-casqued Hornbills were all seen crossing the road. African Grey Parrots were pinging and
meowing from almost every tree top. A Buff-spotted
Woodpecker foraged away on an exposed limb. A Lizard Buzzard happened to be perched next to where we stopped. A
pond yielded a Dabchick and an African Jacana. Some trees next to the
road produced Red-vented Malimbe and
Spotted Greenbul.
A bridge nearby yielded great views of Bates’s Swifts and curious Sabine’s Spinetails stooped past. A
colony of Viellot’s Weavers commuted
frantically from the emergence to their hanging condominiums. We reached the
Sanaga at 09h00 veering west and down-stream along the northern bank of the
river. Driving past several settlements we recorded Olive-bellied Sunbird, Pygmy Kingfisher and our first flocks of the
stunning Preuss’ Cliff Swallows. A
major bonus came in the form of a Black
Bee-eater that perched in the open affording us great looks.
On scanning the first sand bank we effortlessly
bagged our main quarry, Grey Pratincole,
of which we saw plenty more throughout the day, stretching their stunning
wings, chasing each other along sand banks at neck-breaking speeds and equally
damaging yet colourful twists, breaks and turns. Their dullish grey appearance
when roosting certainly does not do justice to their pied magnificence in
flight. We noted too that they were
highly territorial viciously chasing any other waders landing on their sandy
realms. A Black Goshawk came screaming past, a nice surprise!
Also present along the river were large
flocks of African Skimmers, many of
which delighted us with their water-skimming prowess. Vegetated sandy banks
hosted White-headed Lapwings. Little and Cattle Egrets were also recorded. During our constant search for
paths to the rivers edge we came across a host of other species such as Little Bee-eater, Palm-nut Vulture, Senegal
Thick-knee, Speckled and Yellow-throated
Tinkerbirds, Yellow-throated
Leaflove and Olive-green Camaroptera.
We returned to Douala, scoring Long-legged
Pipit and a host of Palearctic waders on the mudflats, Royal Tern and Chattering
Cisticola in town. We met up with the Shraders in town and prepared for our
trip to Korup.
25 Feb. Douala – Korup: We headed for
Mundemba, the HQ in the south of the Park. It was a long drive and we managed
very little birding of note. We reached Mundemba, dropped
our luggage and the participants at the hotel and organized a contingent of
porters, guides, cook, mattresses and anything else we needed for the forest.
This left a little time for afternoon birding. Back at the guest house, we
enjoyed a shower and an early sitting for some beer and pomelo juice, we
feasted on world class Cameroonian racing chicken. Korup National Park was
proclaimed in 1986, covering 1259 km2 of unique lowland rainforest
in southwest Cameroon. A forest refugium that survived the Ice Ages that
impacted the remainder of central Africa, this isolate of lower guinea
rainforest supports a greater diversity of plant and animal species than
comparable forests elsewhere in Africa. It is estimated to be more than 60
million years old. It supports more than 400 species of tree and 425 birds;
there are also 174 species of reptiles and amphibians as well as 140 species of
fish from the Korup area.
26-29 Feb: Korup N.P.
We packed our bags and after breakfast headed for the
bridge over the Mana River. The magical façade that greeted us was a wall of
rainforest over a suspension bridge. It is like entering the lost world! Here
we birded for a couple of hours whilst the porters, cook, all our materials and
food gathered, bundled up and were eventually ready to march into Rengo Camp.
The sheer wall of 30-meter tall trees across the wide Mana River leaves nothing
to the imagination and expectations of a tropical birder or a tropical
rainforest for that matter. Rising clouds of steam wafting off a shining lush
canopy, a long sturdy suspension bridge over a rushing river with flocks of Grey Parrots pinging and screeching
ahead got us all hyped up and excited.
Once inside the forest, one of our first finds
was the nest of a Congo Serpent Eagle.
It took us a long time to locate the calling bird, but it was well worth it
with a juvenile on the nest! Another of our first rewards was an immaculate Forest Robin singing away in the nearby
undergrowth. A pair of ungainly and comical Great Blue Turacos clambered around in a nearby tree. A short while
later we saw a White-crested Hornbill,
but the beast was not the most co-operative animal, choosing to stay well
concealed. Eventually we all got tickable views.
During our days at Rengo we located a very neat
White-spotted Flufftail that showed
exceptionally well. It took a little time to track down a calling male Bare-cheeked Trogon and a Blue-breasted Kingfisher was located
near a stream. Both Red-billed and Black Dwarf Hornbill were located
during our time in the forest as well as both Black and Yellow Casqued
Hornbills. Red-rumped and Hairy-breasted (Streak-throated) Barbets were
seen well as were several Buff-spotted
Woodpecker. Rufous-sided Broadbill displayed
admirably and we saw a host of flock greenbuls including Xavier’s, Icterine, White-bearded, Red-tailed and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls as well as Lesser (Green-tailed) and Common Bristlebill. A Sjostedt’s Greenbul made an awfully
brief and unresponsive appearance. The flocks also yielded Yellow and Grey Longbill,
Green Hylia, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Chestnut and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes, Dusky and Blue-headed Crested Flycatchers, Black-capped and Brown Illadopsis, Blue-billed, Crested and
Red-headed Malimbes. A series of
fantastic antswarms yielded Fire-crested
and Brown-chested Alethes as
well as Rufous Flycatcher Thrush. An
African Forest Flycatcher at the
Mana River in a flock was to be our only one of the trip.
At the camp we heard Nkulengu Rail doing its guttural call, and a Sjostedt’s Barred Owl called through an impenetrable multi-layered
canopy. The bath in the river under the dim lighting of a torch was utterly
refreshing and idyllic. The highlight being a Vermiculated (Bouvier’s) Fishing Owl that we saw and video taped
near our campsite at Rengo. Falling asleep with a chorus of crickets and frogs
stridulating and croaking away was a challenge. Tree Hyraxes sounded their
eerie screams, fortunately a few kilometers away. Our only disappointment for
the trip came in the form of spending four nights (a cumulative total of 10
hours!) at Picathartes Knoll and never even sniffing this unpredictable and
elusive forest denizen. Fortunately we caught up with it on our main 4-24 April set-departure trip (see trip report),
eliminating any fears that the birds had moved! We returned to Mundemba on the
evening of 29 Feb.
1 Mar. Korup N.P.-Mt Kupe: We left Mundemba
and transferred to Nyasoso at the base of Mt Kupe’. A late afternoon walk
yielded African Piculet, Yellow-billed
Barbet and a few other birds.
2–4 March. Bakossi’s & Mt Kupe: The next three days were spent exploring the
wonderful trails with their host of specials. We first headed to Kodmin, in the
Bakossi Mountains. Here we located a Mount Kupé
Bushshrike almost
immediately, but the bird showed itself very briefly and only Peary was able to
get onto it with his bins before it moved off. The reminder of the day proved
to be bush-shrike-less, but we racked up a host of other impressive endemic
species including Ursula’s Sunbird, Black-capped
Woodland Warbler, White-tailed Warbler, Cameroon Sunbird and Green Longtail alongside Bar-tailed Trogon,
Black-throated Apalis, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Cameroon
Olive and Grey-headed
Greenbul, Mackinnon’s Shrike and Black-billed Weavers.
The following day
we ventured onto the epic Max’s Trail, walking to Max’s camp. Here we were able
to locate many more of the specialities including Little Oliveback, White-bellied Robin-chat, Dark-backed Weaver, a
flocks of White-throated Mountain
Babblers and Mountain Sooty Boubou.
The farmbush revealed Bristle-nosed
Barbet, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet and many others
including a surprise Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. Our final day we decided to
return to see if we could refind the Mount
Kupé Bushshrike. We were lucky and once again lucked onto a pair almost
immediately. This time the bird came in and perched right over our heads, for a
brief moment those that had seen it arrive had cracking bins-filling views.
Once again it moved off quickly, but the mood was positively buoyant.
The first of several sightings of Fernando Po (Little) Olive-back were
made at Mount Kupe
Fri 5 March. Mt Kupe to Buea.
After some early morning birding at Kupe, we transferred to Mt Cameroon
and waved the Stafford’s good-bye as they had done both Mt Cameroon and the
Bamenda highlands on a previous trip.
6 & 7 March. Mt Cameroon: We spent the
better part of two days up Mt Cameroon searching for the mountain’s key
endemics. An active volcano, the isolated Mount Cameroon is a huge mountain
that rises from the ocean and is West Africa’s largest free-standing mountain
rising to over 4000 m a.s.l. Although a
great deal of the mountain has been deforested, the remaining natural
vegetation supports the endemics. Ever since the road bridge near Bonakanda was
washed out in May 2003, the Cameroon Francolin has been only possible to see if
you are prepared to spend an additional 4 days hiking. A hell of an effort for
a single species, so instead we went on a different route to find the other
endemics. With porters gathered we soon started our ascent, and after a couple
of hours located Cameroon Scrub Warbler (an
endemic subspecies) and Mountain
Robin-chat along with Yellow-breasted
Boubou and a host of other flock birds we had already encountered on the trip
thus far. A small clearing got us our first views of our first endemic the Mountain Saw-wing, although we were to
see these better later in the day. After luch, we climbed even higher to the
scrub at the top of the treeline eventually locating a massive flock of Mt Cameroon Speriops, which are found
no-where else in the world as well as Brown-backed
Cisticola. In the afternoon we
caught up with Western Green Tinkerbird and
better views of the saw-wing. We
also enjoyed more looks at Green
Longtail, Little Oliveback and Cameroon
and Ursula’s Sunbirds. The
following day, we rapidly located Cameroon
Olive Pigeon and started our hike down the mountain locating Cameroon Mountain Greenbul en route as
well as Cameroon and Ursula’s Sunbirds.
8 March. Mt Cameroon–
Bamenda: We made an early morning rise and headed to Bamenda, birding on route.
A stop at Limbe got us Western Reef
Heron and Rufous-vented Paradise
Flycatcher.
9
March. April 14: Bafut – Nguemba
After an early morning breakfast we made for Lake Edib and birded the
remaining patches of forest around it. It must be said that the area is in bad
shape, and protecting it appears to be an impossible mission. As we wound our
way up the valley we came across a pair of Bannerman’s
Weavers. Next to the road a Cameroon
Sunbird worked a flowering mistletoe. Yellow-breasted
Boubou came in inquisitively to playback. Bannerman’s Turacos were calling from further up the valley and we
eventually had magnificent views of these scarce and special creatures. The
metallic gratings of a wattle-eye on the opposite side of the road made us
abandon the mixed species party. We were duly rewarded with the arrival of a
pair of Banded Wattle-eyes. Little Grey Flycatchers and a noisy
pair of Brown-backed Cisticolas flitted
low across the road. Mackinnon’s Shrike approached
and perched in front of us attracted by our spishing, which also managed to
yield a brief but more than adequate view of the richly coloured Bangwa Forest Scrub Warbler.
During the day we encountered many parties producing
African Dusky Flycatcher, Northern
Double Collared Sunbird, Grey Apalis, Black-collared Apalis, White-bellied
Crested Flycatcher, White-bellied Tit, African Hill Babbler, Tullberg’s
Woodpecker, Oriole Finch and Grey
Cuckooshrike. Our lunch spot yielded two fun birds, a Bannerman’s (Long-billed) Pipit and Pectoral-patch Cisticola. The afternoon added several species
before we made our way back to the hotel we were had supper, enjoyed a meal and
called it a day.
Weds 10 March. Bamenda-Yaouande: A stop in some scrubby savanna was highly productive
yielding a great variety of birds we weren’t likely to see elsewhere on this
trip due to us not taking in the north of the country. Grey-headed
(Chestnut-bellied) Kingfisher, Moustached Warbler, Tropical Boubou were the first highlights, a host of seedeaters
included a surprise Brown and Dybowski’s Twinspots. African Yellow Warbler was also added. Some savanna type scrub got us Western Grey Plantain-eater (John’s 4000th bird!), We crossed the Sanaga River
and walked along the bridge where we saw White-throated
Blue Swallow and Rock Pratincole.
At a village called Bafia we watched hundreds of Preuss’
Cliff Swallows congregating at a
water puddle to gather mud for nest building, quite a sight!! Our final night
was in Yaouande.
11 March. Sanaga River day trip: We left Yaouande
really early to maximize our time in the forests near the Sanaga River and to
pick up on the exciting riverine birds at this site. Here we found African Skimmer,
White-headed Lapwing and the incomparable Grey
Pratincole, one of the best
looking of Africa’s Glareolids. After birding this site we went on to look for Hartlaub’s Duck which
we found before Keith had to head for Douala, bring an end to this great trip.
Gabon, São Tomé
& Príncipe and Cameroon Triplist
(Based on Clements)
SPECIES SCIENTIFIC
NAME
White-tailed
Tropicbird Phaethon
lepturus
K Brown Booby Sula
leucogaster
Little Grebe Tachybaptus
ruficollis
Long-tailed
Cormorant Phalacrocorax
africanus
Gray Heron Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Great Egret Ardea alba
Little Egret Egretta
garzetta
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron Butorides striatus
Hamerkop Scopus
umbretta
Dwarf Olive Ibis Bostrychia (olivacea) bocagei
Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis
Hartlaub's Duck Pteronetta
hartlaubii
Osprey Pandion
haliaetus
European Honey
Buzzard Pernis apivorus
Black Kite Milvus
migrans
Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis
Congo Serpent-Eagle Dryotriorchis spectabilis
African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco
monogrammicus
Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii
K Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter
erythropus
Black Goshawk Accipiter
melanoleucus
Red-necked Buzzard Buteo auguralis
Ayre’s Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus ayresii
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus africanus
Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Harlequin Quail Coturnix
delegorguei
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
K Forest
Francolin Francolinus
lathami
Scaly Francolin Francolinus
squamatus
Double-spurred Francolin Francolinus bicalcaratus
White-spotted
Flufftail Sarothrura
pulchra
Buff-spotted
Flufftail Sarothrura
elegans
H Nkulengu Rail Himantornis
haematopus
Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostris
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Stanley Bustard Neotis denhami
African Jacana Actophilornis
africanus
Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis
Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis
Gray
Pratincole Glareola
cinerea
White-headed
Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
K Forbes Plover Charadrius
forbesi
Whimbrel Numenius
phaeopus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Sanderling Calidris
alba
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Ruff Philomachus
pugnax
Royal Tern Sterna maxima
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris
São Tomé Maroon
Pigeon Columba
thomensis
K Afep Pigeon Columba
unicincta
Lemon Dove Columba larvata
(principalis)
Forest Dove Columba simplex
Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia
semitorquata
Laughing Dove Streptopelia
senegalensis
Blue-spotted
Wood-Dove Turtur afer
Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
H Blue-headed Wood-Dove Turtur
brehmeri
São Tomé Green-Pigeon Treron sancithomae
African Green-Pigeon Treron calva
Gray Parrot Psittacus
erithacus
Red-headed Loverbird Agapornis pullaria
Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata
Guinea Turaco Tauraco persa
E Bannerman's Turaco Tauraco bannermani
Western
Plantain-eater Crinifer
piscator
Levaillant's
Cuckoo Clamator
levaillantii
H Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius
Olive Long-tailed
Cuckoo Cercococcyx olivinus
Klaas' Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
African Emerald
Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus
Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius
Yellowbill Ceuthmochares
aereus
Black-throated
Coucal Centropus
leucogaster
Blue-headed Coucal Centropus monachus
Senegal Coucal Centropus
senegalensis
Vermiculated
Fishing-Owl Scotopelia bouvieri
H African Wood-Owl Strix
woodfordii
H Sjostedt's Owlet Glaucidium
sjostedti
São Tomé Scops
Owl Otus
hartlaubi
São Tomé
Spinetail Zoonavena
thomensis
Mottled Spinetail Telacanthura ussheri
Black Spinetail Telacanthura melanopygia
Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura
sabini
Cassin's Spinetail Neafrapus cassini
African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus
Common Swift Apus apus
Little Swift Apus affinis
Bates' Swift Apus batesi
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus
K Narina Trogon Apaloderma
narina
Bar-tailed
Trogon Apaloderma
vittatum
Bare-cheeked Trogon Apaloderma aequatoriale
Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata
São Tomé (Malachite) Kingfisher Alcedo (cristata) thomensis
Principe (Whitebellied) Kingfisher Alcedo (leucogaster) nais
African Pygmy-Kingfisher Ispidina picta
H Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon
badia
Gray-headed
Kingfisher Halcyon
leucocephala
Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis
Blue-breasted
Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica
Principe
Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon
(malimbica) dryas
Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
K Rosy Bee-eater Merops
malimbicus
Black Bee-eater Merops gularis
Blue-breasted
Bee-eater Merops variegatus
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops
bulocki
Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus
White-throated
Bee-eater Merops albicollis
Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus
White-crested
Hornbill Tockus
albocristatus
Black Dwarf Hornbill Tockus hartlaubi
Red-billed Dwarf
Hornbill Tockus camurus
Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus
African Pied
Hornbill Tockus
fasciatus
Piping Hornbill Ceratogymna
fistulator
Blk-and-white-casqued
Hornbill Ceratogymna subcylindricus
White-thighed
Hornbill Ceratogymna
albotibialis
Black-casqued
Hornbill Ceratogymna
atrata
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata
Naked-faced Barbet Gymnobucco calvus
Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus
scolopaceus
Western Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus coryphaeus
Red-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus atroflavus
Yellow-throated
Tinkerbird Pogoniulus
subsulphureus
Yellow-rumped
Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus
Yellow-spotted
Barbet Buccanodon
duchaillui
Hairy-breasted
Barbet Tricholaema
hirsuta
Double-toothed
Barbet Lybius bidentatus
Yellow-billed Barbet Trachyphonus purpuratus
Thick-billed
Honeyguide Indicator
conirostris
African Piculet Sasia africana
Tullberg's Woodpecker Campethera tullbergi
Buff-spotted
Woodpecker Campethera nivosa
Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
Elliot's Woodpecker Dendropicos elliotii
Gray Woodpecker Dendropic