Sierra Leone Day 3 03.04.2019

I had a quick walk around the campus in the morning before I set off to the Outamba-Kilimi National Park in the north of the country. The walk around campus produced nothing new but once again it was nice to familiarise myself with all the species I was seeing on a regular basis.

The travelling up to the park took a good few hours but along the way we saw a handful of nice species including Long-crested Eagle and White-crested Helmetshrike, both adjacent to the side of the road.

-Long-crested Eagle

By the time we arrived at the park it was already mid-afternoon and the sun was at its hottest. Still I ventured out into the savannah to try and track down the nearest thing Sierra Leone has to an endemic; the Emerald Starling. I had no idea if they were present here, but I gave it my best shot. Sadly the days heat had already taken its tole on the parks birdlife but there were still a number of nice new species for me; Blue-throated Roller, African Grey Hornbill and Violet-backed Starling.

-Blue-throated Roller

-African Grey Hornbill

Grey Tit-Flycatcher

-Fork-tailed Drongo

Species List:

University of Makeni, Fatima Campus: Cattle Egret, Red-eyed Dove, Western Plantain-Eater, Blue-backed Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Pied Crow, Fanti Saw-Wing, Common Wattle-eye, Common Bulbul, Pied Flycatcher,

Travelling: Long-crested Eagle, Abyssinian Roller, Senegal Coucal, White-crested Helmetshrike, Western Yellow Wagtail,

Outamba-Kilimi National Park: Hadada Ibis, African Harrier-Hawk, Red-necked Buzzard, Yellow-billed Kite, Palm Nut Vulture, African Jacana, Common Sandpiper, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Tambourine Dove, Blue-throated Roller, Blue-bellied Roller, African Grey Hornbill, African Pied Hornbill, Fork-tailed Drongo, Violet-backed Starling, Common Bulbul, Western Nicator, African Golden Oriole, Northern Puffback, Senegal Badis, Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Red-winged Prinia, Senegal Eremomela, Campbell’s Monkey,