Ghana Days 12-14

Saturday 2nd

It was a fairly short drive to our first birding stop at Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary. First up was a group of four Red-billed Helmetshrikes, followed by Honeyguide Greenbul, Yellowbill and many other forest birds. We even saw a few butterflies as well!

Bobiri

We then had a couple of hours drive before stopping for lunch. We checked into our hotel and then visited the nearby farmland bush at Atewa late in the afternoon. We’d left the intense heat of the north behind and hadn’t quite entered the humid coastal area so it was fairly pleasant. One tree held 55 White-throated Bee-eaters and we reacquainted ourselves with forest edge birds.

Sunday 3rd

Today’s expedition was to spend the day walking up the steep track at Atewa so Lynne decided to take a rest day while the three of us tackled the hill. 

Atewa

The track was steep in places but we took it slowly birding along the way. Birds seen included four Square-tailed Saw-wings, Fraser’s Forest-Flycatcher, Blackcap Illadopsis, a flypast Narina Trogon and a perched Forest Scimitarbill. 

Forest Scimitarbill

At the top we finally found a Blue-moustached Bee-eater after walking through four other territories. One wonders how long they and all the other forest specialists will survive here with the illegal logging that is going on here.

Blue-moustached Bee-eater

After a packed lunch we slowly made our way down, stopping regularly to photograph butterflies and other critters. Near the end we located a singing Yellow-throated Cuckoo, another of my wanted birds. We reached the bottom at 5pm; it was the longest walk of the trip, although it was only 11km.

Yellow-throated Cuckoo

Monday 4th

A change in weather with a very misty start although it soon burnt off. We walked the lower slope of the same hill at Atewa again. Although it was mostly the same species as yesterday there were still a plenty of new ones including a pair of Plain-backed Pipits that alighted on the main track. Western Nicator was eventually tracked down and in one spot we saw both Brown and Puvel’s Illadopsis. There was also Finch’s Flycatcher-Thrush and right at the end three Double-toothed Barbets which were the final addition for the trip list.

Plain-backed Pipit

Yellow-billed Kite

Black-and-White Mannikin

Speckled Tinkerbird

Splendid Glossy Starling

White-breasted Negrita

We returned to the hotel for lunch, showered and packed our bags ready for the flight home. We still had a couple of hour’s drive to Accra and stopped near the airport for dinner. 

Roadside stalls

Many wares are carried on one's head

Sitting underneath a mango tree

Where else would a trucker hang their laundry out to dry?

We checked in and relaxed before our respective overnight flights, three of us arriving back at Heathrow at 05.30. It had been a great trip with the total group bird list being 381 species seen or heard.