Our last day and as we only had a couple of hours available in the morning we opted for a quick walk along the Casino Cycle Track and the pool behind the Badala Park Hotel. Not before I got onto a
Western Olivaceous Warbler in mangroves by our room though. A
Black Crake ran quickly into cover beside the hotel entrance track while
African Palm Swifts were pretty much ever present as usual,
Senegal Coucal, Ring-necked Parakeet, 3 Sacred Ibis, 2 Squacco Herons, Black-headed Heron, Great White Egret, Long-tailed Cormorant and
Black Heron were all on or around the marshes/paddies. The pond behind the Badala Park enabled me to get a good photo of the uber-common
Black Kite and add the last 2 trip ticks -
Common Moorhen and
Black-tailed Godwit. Into the bargain there were also photographic opportunities for
Yellow-billed Shrike, Green Woodhoopoe and
African Jacana. Brown Babbler, Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Piapiac, White-billed Buffalo-weaver, Bronze Mannikin, Speckled Pigeon and
Western Grey Plantain-eater were also seen before a ridiculously approachable
Whimbrel was photographed on the hotel wall!
So, the trip was over and the fat lady was about to sing. In just 7 days I'd notched up 241 species of which 76 were new world birds for me. That was way beyond my wildest expectations and boosted my world list up well above the 1800 mark.
Black Kite
Piapiac
Yellow-billed Shrike
African Jacana
Green Woodhoopoe
Whimbrel
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