Part 2 continuation of the article in the first post:
"Species List
Bold type denotes a lifer for PG, * is heard only
Olive (Green) Ibis * Bostrychia olivacea
Ibis calling loudly at dawn on Tiwai Is. on the last day there sounded like the tape of Green Ibis to me.
Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagadesh
Just two sightings, near Kenema and at Tiwai.
Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
Three birds perched by the creek at the entrance to the trail at Gola East and one at Tiwai.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Two sightings of 5 birds near Freetown.
Great Egret Egretta alba
Just a single seen near Kenema.
Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis gularis
This nominate subspecies was a new taxon for me, I’ve only seen the Middle East schistacea otherwise. There were 8 at Guma # 1 in the river estuary, all dark phase, with a single there on Jan. 7.
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
A few near Freetown and Kenema.
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Small numbers seen most days, max. 30.
Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus
A flying over couple on the Guma R.
Eurasian Honey-Buzzard Pernis apivorus
One soaring over at Regent Town on Jan. 7 was unexpected.
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus (migrans) parasiticus
Seen in small numbers most days, max. 10.
Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis
Two were at Guma Dam and singles at Gola East and Tiwai.
Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus
Still fairly common, I wonder for how much longer? Seen on most days, maxima were about 40 around Freetown on the first day, we had about 15 around Magburaka and a dozen at Bo.
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
One was at the Bumbuna SL Prinia site.
African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus
Two seen near Magburaka, 3 near Zimmi and 1 near Freetown.
Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammmicus
Three seen from Kenema to Zimmi and two en route to Bo.
Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii
One at Guma Dam was perched and gave quite a good view; the chestnut flanks were a good feature. Curiously, Borrow does not split this taxon from African Goshawk.
Shikra Accipiter badius
One was at the Kenema Pastoral Centre and one near Bo.
Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus
One tiny bird over the Moa R. at Tiwai, looking very like Little Sparrowhawk on shape. Another flew over the camp calling at dawn next day.
Black Goshawk Accipiter melanoleucus
One flew over at our final breakdown spot not too far out of Bo in farmbush country.
Red-necked Buzzard Buteo auguralis
Just one was seen, soaring over the peninsula hills near Guma Dam Village # 1.
Steppe Buzzard Buteo (buteo) vulpinus
One was at Lagos Airport in the harmattan dust on Jan. 8.
Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis
Just a single seen near Magburaka.
Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
A female perched near Regent Town.
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
Joan found us two soaring over a village near Bumbuna.
Double-spurred Francolin * Francolinus bicalcaratus
Heard near Kenema on one date.
White-spotted Flufftail * Sarothrura pulchra
One was calling early morning at the Turati’s Boubou site at Bumbuna.
African Jacana Actiphilornis africanus
Singles near Kenema on two dates.
Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius
This stunner was seen on rocks by the river near Kenema en route to Zimmi, with 4 birds dotted about and watched from the girder bridge, my first since Nigeria in 1980! Also 3 from the boat on the Moa River on Jan 5.
Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis liberiae
We saw 30 on Jan. 4 flying at dusk on the river with the ferry en route to Tiwai. Then 6 + on Jan. 5 and 42 on Jan. 6 on rocks in the Moa river, Tiwai Is. This is the chestnut collared subspecies liberiae, a new taxon for me.
White-crowned Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
Two on the Moa R. at Tiwai on Jan 5 were a surprise, a species I’d not seen since Zambia in 1988.
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Two on rice fields near Kenema and 3 there next day.
Forbes’ Plover Charadrius forbesi
Singles on the rice fields near Kenema on Dec. 30 and 31. Great views, I had only seen this species once previously at Mwinilunga. The brown forehead is a good character.
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Six at Guma River Dec 28 and one near Freetown next day.
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
One at Guma R and one at Moa R.
Green Sandpiper * Tringa ochropus
I heard one call from the Zimmi GH on Jan. 2, it must have been overflying.
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
One on a river near Freetown and singles on the Moa R.
Sanderling Calidris alba
Twenty on the Guma R. sandbanks on Dec. 28 and one there on Jan. 7.
Temminck’s Courser Cursorius temminckii
Three flushed off the airstrip at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos on Jan 8.
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
Singles at the Guma R. on Dec 28 and Jan 7 with Royal Terns.
Royal Tern Sterna maxima albididorsalis
This was a good bird for me being an African continent tick and a new subspecies, the very white forehead and orange bill being notable. There were about 300 in a roost at Guma R on Dec 28 and 500 there on Jan 7.
African Skimmer Rhynchops flavirostris
Two unexpectedly flew upriver at the big bridge near Kenema en route to Zimmi.
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Seen in Freetown.
Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba iriditorques
Heard much more than seen, but a great view of one at Gola East.
Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata
Quite common and widespread.
Laughing Dove S. senegalensis
A few around the Freetown area.
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur afer
Quite common.
Tambourine Dove T. tympanistra
Quite common.
Blue-headed wood-Dove T. brehmeri
This was heard quite often but was hard to get into view, apart from a great responsive one at Kambui Hills North on Dec. 31.
African Green Pigeon Treron calva
Widespread in small numbers, max. 8 at Kambui North.
Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus
Two near Zimmi and 2 over at Tiwai were all we saw.
Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata
Frequently heard and quite often seen in rain forest, with 9 visiting a fruiting tree on the edge of Gola East forest.
Guinea Turaco Tauraco persa
Only 3 seen, in a riparian forest patch at Bumbuna.
Yellow-billed Turaco Tauraco macrorhynchus
Quite often heard and seen well at Guma Dam on Dec 28 after a fly-by the previous day. Three at Kambui North on Jan. 1.
Western Plantain-eater Crinifer piscator
I saw 4 from the car as we were rushing to get to Magburaka before dark, and thought they’d be easy, then we saw no more until a single near Freetown on Jan 7, a late save for Joan for whom this was a lifer.
Levaillant’s Cuckoo Clamator levaillantii
One at Tiwai.
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
One at Tiwai was unexpected.
Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
Heard quite often and one seen near Magburaka.
African Emerald Cuckoo C. cupreus
One heard at Kambui south, and a great view of a male at Kambui North on Jan 1.
Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis
Singles near Kenema.
Black-throated Coucal * Centropus leucogaster
Calling distantly on Tiwai Is. but as with Semliki no chance to see the damn thing.
Rufous Fish-Owl * Scotopelia ussheri
Two mobile owls calling distantly on Tiwai about 2000 came in to my recording of the unfamiliar calls, a double low prolonged hoot, only to remain frustratingly close but out of view. I even saw a branch waving in a bamboo thicket as one took off. Kenneth swore blind this was Rufous Fishing Owl; the calls have a similar tone to the CD of that species but are a different cut. I suspect this is what they are as none of the other West African owls species fits. Damn. I tried again at 0500 and got one answering but again would not come in, very frustrating.
Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
Two watched at length at Bumbuna appear to be a range extension as seemingly not present in Sierra Leone according to all the books? It seems odd not to be recorded, as the habitat looks ideal.
Black-shouldered Nightjar Caprimulgus nigriscapularis
One was singing in the farmbush on the way back from Kambui South and proved very tape responsive, we had it fly right past several times. This was a long overdue tick, and the voice is distinct to that of Fiery-necked Nightjar, being higher pitched.
Long-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus climacurus
At least 7 on the Zimmi-Tiwai Is. road on Jan 4 gave really good looks. A nightjar in the road at Guma Village on Dec 28 had a churring song and was probably this species.
African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
Fairly common around the Freetown and Bumbuna area.
Common Swift Apus apus
Small flocks of 30-40 were quite widespread around Zimmi and Kenema.
Little Swift Apus affinis
A few around Freetown and Zimmi.
Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata
Quite common, seen at Guma, Kenema etc.
African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta
One at Bumbuna and one at Kambui North.
Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala
A few sightings, max 3 near Kenema.
Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis
Four sightings, first at the shanty-town at East Freetown.
Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica
One at Kambui South and a fantastic one on the Moa R. from the boat (and me sans camera of course!), with another on Tiwai.