Ghana, Day 10, 3 December 2023 - Opra Forest & The White Volta River at Daboya

Today was the day we made the long drive north from Kumasi to Mole NP so it was mainly travelling day. That isn't to say we did no birding - we stopped at 2 sites, one of which was rather memorable!

The first stop was at the much degraded Opra Forest, a site by the main road north. Here we nevertheless saw a few bits and bobs of interest  - Tambourine Dove, 2 Double-toothed Barbets, 2 Lizard Buzzards, Grasshopper Buzzard, 3 Green Wood Hoopoes, 4 Northern Puffbacks, Chestnut-backed Weaver, 2 Black and White Mannikins and lovely views of 3 Western Bluebills which are always stunning.

 

The other stop was much later in the day and involved a bit of a race against the light. It involved a detour of an hour each way to the banks of the White Volta River at Daboya. Just before we reached Daboya 4 Northern Red-billed Hornbills were my only tick of the day but the main attraction of the site is Egyptian Plover. We duly saw 2 birds while standing in a human latrine on a hill overlooking the river. Being careful where we stood we got some great views with the distant birds even responding to playback and flying much closer. Also there was a Malachite Kingfisher, 3 Pied Kingfishers, c30 Speckled Pigeons, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, 2 Vinaceous Doves, a swift fly-through Red-necked Falcon and herons flying to roost including hundreds of Cattle Egrets, Squacco Heron and 2 Black-crowned Night Herons.

After leaving there it was still quite a drive to Mole where we eventually checked into the Mole Motel for the start of a 3 night stay and had a rather late dinner!

    

Ghana, Day 9, 2 December 2023 - Kwabena Sam Forest & Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary

After a slight mix up due to our guide having been given the wrong itinerary (!) we were back on track with only the schedued one night in Bonkro and an afternoon visit to Bobiri. 

Leaving the guesthouse we had a showy Blue-headed Coucal near our cabins before we drove the short distance to the nearby Kwabena Sam Forest and began an extended walk along another muddy and puddled track. Our targets of Afep Pigeon and Bronze-naped Pigeon were nowhere to be seen but what we did see more than compensated. Initially 2 Red-fronted Parrots flew along the road and a Black Cuckoo showed distantly but well and made up for untickable views at Ankasa. Along the main track we went on to find African Emerald Cuckoo, Blue Cuckooshrike, Usshers Flycatchers, Tambourine Dove, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Klass's Cuckoo, Velvet-mantled Drongo and Yellow-mantled Weaver. Some lovely perched views of Long-tailed Hawk stole the show however and as we reached a slightly more open area Congo Serpent Eagle and African Cuckoo Hawk both fell in quick succession - a real purple patch! We then came to a large wide ride cut through the forest which was being cultivated by local villagers. A walk along the wide stretch yielded some great birds again with 4 Grosbeak Weavers, a very showy Black-throated Coucal, 4 Blue-throated Rollers, 2 Little Green Sunbirds, Red-headed Malimbe, Cassin's Honeyguide and White-throated Bee-eaters.

 

The afternoon session was at Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary after a drive north via the city of Kumasi. Along the entrance track to the reserve centre here we scored with c15 Red-billed Helmetshrikes, Honeyguide Greenbul, Sharpe's Apalis, Green Crombec, Little Green Sunbird, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Buff-throated Sunbird, White-breasted Nigrita, Maxwell's Black Weaver and best of all in terms of rarity Yellow-footed Honeyguide. Continuing beyond the centre we encountered the biggest ant swarm I've ever seen (literally millions completely covering the track) but emerged the other side after much swearing and slapping of legs! Our quarry were roosting parrots and after we found a good gap in the trees allowing viewing we saw c6 African Grey Parrots and c4 Red-fronted Parrots. The former in particular were very pleasing being endangered due to illegal trapping for the pet trade. 

          

Ghana, Day 8, 1 December 2023 - Jukwa, Pra River and Bonkro

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

 

Ghana, Day 7, 30 November 2023 - Ankasa NP, Brenu Akyinim and Kakum NP

A very long day started off with our last morning at Ankasa. We walked the trails near the river just across from the lodge. It was pretty hard and slow going with an hour an 45 minutes spent trying to get a glimpse of a calling Rufous-winged Illadopsis which eventually gave some brief views! A flock of greenbuls included Red-tailed Geenbul, Icterine Greenbul, Yellow-bearded Greenbul and the Upper Guinea endemic Western Bearded Greenbul. A Brown-eared Woodpecker was new with Blue-billed Malimbe, Shining Drongo and White-crested Hornbill also being seen. On the river itself we located a pair of Cassin's Fycatchers after some searching. Back at the lodge over the lunch break we got some great views of Red-vented Malimbe plus 3 Swamp Bulbuls, Olive-bellied Sunbird and Black Bee-eater.

 

Then it was time to make our way back along the horrendous entrance track and back to the minibus and a comfortable drive eastwards. 2 Lanners by the road near Beahu livened up the journey before we pulled up at Brenu Akyinim, a site of coastal savannah scrub and sandy tracks. This proved to be a good antidote to forest birding with some birds that showed without too much trouble for a change! Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike was the star bird but 2 Western Bluebills, Guinea Turaco, Piping Hornbill, Red-winged Warbler, African Grey Woodpecker, Red-faced Cisticola, Singing Cisticola, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-crowned Tchagra, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Black-naped Weaver, Green-headed Sunbird and 3 Snowy-crowned Robin-chats were a fantastic supporting cast. 

 

Dragging ourselves away we then made our way back to Kakum arriving just after dark for a go at some owls before a much delayed dinner at the Rainforest Lodge. This time we struck it lucky at long last with views of both Fraser's Eagle Owl and Akun Eagle Owl close to the road. The latter in particular gave prolonged and excellent views. Perseverance had finally paid off and top marks to Foster!  

  

Ghana, Day 6, 29 November 2023 - Ankasa NP

What a start to the day we had! Up at the ungodly hour of 04.00 and out onto the rainforest track in the dark. A little while later our guide emerged from the undergrowth, beckoned us and we began a hurried crash through the trees and over/through a stream to eventually arrived panting at 2 Nkulengu Rails sat on branch - wow! The hurry (including Jus landing on me in mid-stream!) was because the birds were about to leave their roost after which we'd have stood no chance. Somehow in the scramble Foster dropped his speaker in the stream as well but luckily it survived!

 

Breakfast certainly tasted better after that and pretty soon we were off back into the forest for the morning session. As we were leaving the lodge 3 Sabine's Spinetails cruised overhead, an African Pygmy Kingfisher posed on wires and a Cassin's Honeyguide showed briefly in trees by the restaurant.

 

The birds seen on the morning and afternoon sessions included Yellow-casqued Hornbill (our final hornbill), Yellow-billed Turaco, Blue-headed Wood Dove, a mega Long-tailed Hawk that flopped across the track at low level, West Africn Wattle-eye, Yellow-throated Cuckoo again, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Icterine Greenbul, a couple of gorgeous Forest Robins, Finsch's Flycatcher-thrush, Grey-throated Tit-flycatcher, Ussher's Flycatcher, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Speckled Tinkerbird, Sabine's Puffback and Shining Drongo. A real surprise at the 2nd pond as we waited for dusk were 2 Dwarf Bitterns one of which posed for ages in the fading light.

  

Back at the lodge 2 Black Bee-eaters showed amazingly well (and gave me probably the best photos of the trip) and a Green Hylia gave itself up.

Owls once again eluded us that night with just a Brown Wood Owl heard.

       

Ghana, Day 5, 28 November 2023 - Ankasa NP

We awoke at the Ankasa Lodge which is right in the thick of the action in the national park. To prove the point we had a shout just after breakfast for a singing Yellow-throated Cuckoo that had us running (and some quickly pulling trousers up!) to the entrance gate for some great views. Around the lodge grounds during the day we also recorded Reichenbach's Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, 5 Black Bee-eaters and a male Pin-tailed Whydah. 

The majority of the day was spent exploring the main track up through the rainforest in our (not so) trusty landrover. On the way up first thing we scored with both Tambourine Dove and Blue-headed Wood Dove together with a pale Honey Buzzard perched at close range by the track. The main site visited was 2 forest ponds close to each other at the far end of the track. The brding here was superb and a little easier than the thick forest. The first small pond held a fantastic selection of normally difficult to see kingfishers - White-bellied Kingfisher, 3 Shining Blue Kingfishers, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and Blue-bellied Kingfisher. Not bad for a pond no more than 30 meters across! Also there were some nesting Blue-billed Malimbes and 4 basking Dwarf Crocodiles. At the other larger but more grown-up pond Red-fronted Antpecker was the star bird with views also of Black Dwarf Hornbill, Dusky Blue Flycatcher and Crested Malimbe.

Along the track at various points on both the morning and afternoon sessions we had Square-tailed Saw-wing, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Shining Drongo, Sabine's Puffback, African Forest Flycatcher, Tiny Sunbird and Johanna's Sunbird amongst the more regular stuff. Sadly the evening session was cut short by torrential rain which made birding impossible. Even the drive back along the rapidly deteriorating track involved our driver having to clear 2 trees that had fallen across the track! Nevertheless a couple of nice mammals were seen on the way back - Demidoff's Galago and Hammer Bat.

With a chunk of our time (and 2 out of 3 evenings) at Ankasa gone we were now getting worried about our chances of seeing a certain rail as well as owls. Clearly explaining this to Foster had him making alternative plans for the morning. More of that in the next instalment...