Sierra Leone Day 4 04.04.2019

I started my day at first light, knowing this would be my only chance at a full days serious birding and my best shot at finding the Emerald Starling. I headed straight out into the Savannah, which was far more lively than it had been the previous day. I had a number of new species before I struck gold with my number one target.

I had wandered off track through the grassland and had just encountered a new finch species that I was working out when I spotted a starling shaped bird perch up in the tree next to me. Pulse rising, I raised my binoculars to observe my target species perched out in the open. I began to make moves to get on the light side of the bird, when I spotted another individual also perched up but in direct sunlight, the green of the plumage glistening beautiful.

-Emerald Starling

Throughout the morning I birded around the camp; producing species such as African Black Crake, Greater Painted Snipe and another of my target species White-browed Flycatcher. Birding ranged through savannah, forest and along the river bank.

-White-browed Forest Flycatcher

-Green Monkey

-Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike

-Senegal Badis

-Greater Painted Snipe

-Dragonfly sp.

-Butterflies

-African Black Crake

In the evening we went on a river canoe trip to visit a small colony of Hippos that exist a few miles downriver. The Hippos were excellent, with maybe 15 individuals showing very nicely for us. The birdlife along the river was also brilliant, with many Rock Pratincoles being the highlight but also joined by White-faced Bee-eater, Senegal Thick-Knee and Yellow-casqued Hornbill.

-Rock Pratincole

-Senegal Thick-Knee

-African Pied Wagtail

-African Finfoot

-Long-tailed Cormorant

-Hippopotamus 

Species List:

Outamba-Kilimi National Park: Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Striated Heron, Hammerkop, Long-tailed Cormorant, African Harrier-Hawk, Palm Nut Vulture, African Black Crake, African Jacana, African Finfoot, Common Sandpiper, Rock Pratincole, Greater Painted Snipe, White-crowned Lapwing, Senegak Thick-Knee, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller, White-faced Bee-eater, African Grey Hornbill, Yellow-Casqued Hornbill, Common Swift, African Palm Swift, Mottled Spinetail, Pied Crow, Black-crowned Tchagra, White-crested Helmetshrike, Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike, Fanti Saw-Wing, Square-tailed Drongo, Fork-tailed Drongo, Senegal Badis, Emerald Starling, Violet-backed Starling, Common Bulbul, African Pied Wagtail, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, White-browed Forest Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Red-breasted Paradise Flycatcher, Red-winged Prinia, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Whistling Cisticola, Green Monkey, Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey, Hippopotamus,