The trip entered another phase today but before we left the Kakum area we spent a good morning session on a side road in Jukwa just around the corner from the Rainforest Lodge. Just before we left the lodge I was in the right place at the right time as 2 Magpie Mannikins put in appearance to the side of the lodge with the Woodland Kingfisher also putting in another appearance.
Along the dirt side road is a newly discovered site for Baumann's Greenbul and we managed to see 2 of this scarcity. While at the same spot a fantastic Marsh Tchagra showed well as did Pale Flycatcher, Red-faced Cisticola, 2 Copper Sunbirds, Simple Leaflove, Black-winged Bishop and Oriole Warbler. On the opposite side of the road I got views of a Lowland Sooty Boubou and a Brown-crowned Tchagra also joined the party. Other goodies included Honey Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Lesser Honeyguide, Mosque Swallow, Northern Fiscal and Green-backed Camaroptera. We then moved off down a narrow side track where White-throated Bee-eaters were everywhere together with Western Bluebill, Grey-headed Nigrita and Tit-hylia. Much staring into bushes then gave me some superb close-up views of Blue-shouldered Robin-chat after a couple of views of it flying back and forth across the track.
It was then time to move on and head north. Out stop on the way to Bonkro was at the Pra River where despite very high river levels we scored somewhat fortuitously with 2 Rock Pratincoles perched at distance on a partially submerged tree. The other main target here is White-throated Blue Swallow and we saw about half a dozen of this attractive hirundine around the bridge with 2 Mottled Spinetails too.
Leaving there in the searing heat with welcome icecreams we then made our way to Bonkro and checked in to the Picathartes Guesthouse in advance of our evening assault for the main target. Starting out into the forest mid-afternoon it was a good walk to the site where the picathartes roost in nests on a massive boulder. Sitting patiently on the benches we waited...and we waited. Things were starting to look dodgy (put down to a Red-breasted Goshawk in the area) but we heaved a sigh of relief as a single Yellow-headed Picathartes eventually showed up in the gloom at 17.20
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