My first breakfast on the open-air patio at Badala Park was a little overwhelming, with hornbills and Green Wood-hoopoes flying around, monkeys trying to steal my watermelon, and birds I couldn't even identify. The above, accompanied by one of the myriads of white butterflies which were absolutely everywhere and seen coming in off the sea in huge swarms, was later confirmed by my guide to be a Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling. The first morning being taken up by an orientation meeting with our local rep, my guide offered to take me out for a few hours around Kotu in the afternoon, with me adding another 22 species before the 'real' birding began the following day. I had asked for one half day and three "full days", the first of which saw us spending no less than twelve and a half hours in the field! We started at Brufut Woods, where I saw my first African Green Pigeons, bright-red Black-winged Bishops, and three species of owls staked out on their daytime roosts. We then moved to Tanji bird reserve for a beautiful lunch overlooking the ocean before scanning the assembled gulls and terns on the beach, finishing the day at Tujering Woods, where the cute little Brubru was one of my favourites. I finally got back to the hotel after dark having seen another 48 new species in just one day and was so exhausted that we decided to move my half day forward for me to recover!
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl with its ridiculous pink eyelids
