Ghana Days 1-2

This was a privately arranged trip for four of us arranged through Ashanti African Tours who are based in Ghana. Three of us had visited Ghana before so this trip was aimed at getting the specialities that we still needed.

Monday November 23rd

Three of us met up at Heathrow T5 mid-morning for our BA flight to Accra. Take off was on time at 13.30 and we headed due south over Spain and the emptiness of the Sahara Desert before landing in Accra five and quarter hours later, slightly ahead of schedule. With Ghana being in the same time zone as the UK there was no need for time adjustments. There was however a considerable temperature difference and being on the coast, it was also quite humid.

After waiting ages for our luggage, we met up with Neil whose KLM flight arrived a few minutes after ours. James, our local guide met us at the airport and after exchanging some currency we loaded the minibus up and headed off to our hotel on the outskirts of the city, an hour’s drive away.

Tuesday 24th

We met for breakfast at 05.30, a time that would be pretty regular for the rest of the trip. We left the hotel and drove the short distance to our first birding destination, the Shia Hills Reserve. The first bird was Yellow-throated Greenbul and this was quickly followed by a host of typical African forest birds. Among the highlights were a pair of stunning Blue-throated Rollers that were hunting along the fence line that kept in some Zebras and Ostriches. It wasn’t clear why they were penned in, perhaps part of a plan for reintroduction.

Ozzy the Ostrich

Blue-bellied Roller

We carried on further into the forest where we encountered Green Monkey and Olive Baboon and tried to see White-crowned Cliff-Chat. Despite hearing it singing, it refused to show itself so we had to settle for views of Stone Partridge and Guinea Turaco instead. By late morning the heat had suppressed bird activity so we went back to the hotel for lunch and then checked out.

Green Monkey

Shia Hills

Brown Babbler

Velvet-mantled Drongo

Western Plantain-eater

Piapiac

Double-spurred Francolin

African Pied Hornbill

We drove south for an hour to Sukomona Lagoon. Unfortunately the adjacent road had been upgraded and the previous pull-ins were no longer available so we had to make do with drive-by views. It was rather frustrating as there were a lot of wetland birds there including a flock of about 300 Collared Pratincoles! Instead we drove around the back where we could access a different viewpoint. It wasn’t as productive but we did see some good birds including a black-phase Gabar Goshawk, Senegal Thick-knee and an obliging Winding Cisticola.

We then had a long drive west towards Kakum where we were staying at the nearby Rainforest Lodge. Dinner was followed by the traditional beer and bird log.

Wednesday 22nd

A slightly earlier breakfast so we could get to Kakum for first light. We followed the stone steps uphill where the famous canopy walkway starts. Several platforms surround the tallest trees connected by a series of rope and cable walkways with the base being scaffolding plans inserted along ladders. They tend to sway a lot as you walk across but the platforms are nice and sturdy and you can see across the canopy. 

Kakum Canopy Walkway

One of the platforms overlooking the canopy

We spent the morning gradually working our way around the walkway, seeing birds such as Sharpe’s Apalis, Green Crombec, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Ussher’s Flycatcher and Forest Penduline Tit. It was a little slow at first but with patience more birds started to appear including some of the specialities like Yellow-billed Turaco, Blue Cuckooshrike, Fanti Saw-wing, Copper-tailed Starling and African Piculet. We also had a walk along one of the trails at ground level before heading back to the hotel for lunch and a siesta.

Red-cheeked Wattle-eye

Red-rumped Tinkerbird

Later in the afternoon we headed out to the walkway again and based ourselves on the second platform. Aside from the birds we also saw a group of Spot-nosed Monkeys feeding high up in a fruiting tree. 

Spot-nosed Monkey

More hornbills were seen including a gathering of 13 Black-casqued Hornbills and a distant Brown-cheeked, which was my personal target bird as it was the last species of hornbill in Africa that I needed.

Black-casqued Hornbill

At dusk we walked along a track just off the car park and saw a couple of Brown Nightjars. They flew over very close and were calling but we couldn’t find them perched up. We drove to another road and walked into the forest and after a short playback, the magnificent Akun Eagle-Owl appeared and landed out in the open on a tall tree. This was one owl we particularly wanted to see as there were no stakeouts known on our previous visit here. After a very successful day we headed back to the hotel for dinner.