Gliding in the morning light: a Black-shouldered Kite

A great image of an adult Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) on the approach, which was photographed near the coast in the Central Region of Ghana, should be mentioned today. Taken in the perfect light of the early African morning, the red eye of the adult particularly stands out. This is a beautiful picture, perfectly composed… Continue reading Gliding in the morning light: a Black-shouldered Kite

Beautiful Sunbird on a flower in Ghana

A male Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus) balances busily and without misstep on a bare stem of a Aloe, which lead to some, small yellowish flowers with red borders. There, the photographer has a chance to shoot the bird, which is aptly called its English name. The male of the Beautiful Sunbird places the rather long,… Continue reading Beautiful Sunbird on a flower in Ghana

Forbes’s Plover in Mole National Park

It is incredibly hot. If you would leave the air-conditioned bus, you will be attacked by extremely annoying bees. But: we are looking for the Forbes’s Plover (Charadrius forbesi). The Forbes’s Plover has to be found now. We drive to a flat area in the middle of the dry savannah of northern Ghana, which is… Continue reading Forbes’s Plover in Mole National Park

Common Whitethroat at Brenu Beach Grasslands near Cape Coast

After a long journey from Ankasa, we – a Birdquest-Group – stranded for an afternoon birding at Brenu Beach Grasslands near Cape Coast / Ghana. We had just seen a male Marsh Tchagra (Tchagra minuta) a bird in a spiny bush reminded me of an old friend from Germany. It looked like a Common Whitethroat… Continue reading Common Whitethroat at Brenu Beach Grasslands near Cape Coast

Birds in Kakum NP from Canopy Walkway

A strange bird is looking through the leaves like a dwarf Gnom. The Bristle-nosed Barbet (Gymnobucco peli) is the bird which welcomed us during a visit in the early morning. Fog and mist in the first light of dawn makes the rain forest look like a Chinese drawing. In the humid lowland rainforest of Ghana… Continue reading Birds in Kakum NP from Canopy Walkway

Photographing Shining Blue Kingfisher at perch in Ghana

A blue twitch in the shadow of an overhanging bush directly near the path along the water. A Shining Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo quadribrachys) has established a perch just on a quite busy trail on an overhanging branch. The Shining Blue Kingfisher sits just 1m above water level – ie at eye level for us. A… Continue reading Photographing Shining Blue Kingfisher at perch in Ghana

Yellow-headed Picathartes: a mystical bird

In March 2019 I visited Ghana with Birdquest specifically to search for the White-necked Rockfowl – or Yellow-headed Picathartes – (Picathartes gymnocephalus). Previously, colonies of this bird sought by many avian enthusiasts had been recorded throughout the rainforest zone of western Africa. Ceaseless deforestation destroyed all known populations, and the bird was considered extinct in… Continue reading Yellow-headed Picathartes: a mystical bird

Etchécopar’s Owlet in Shai Hills Resource Reserve

The target area of the morning is the Shai Hills Resource Reserve. We try to manage to see the scarce local form of African Barred Owlet sometimes split as Etchécopar’s Owlet (Glaucidium etchecopari). While the morning was still fresh we left the van to search for the bird in the dense thickets at Bat Cave.… Continue reading Etchécopar’s Owlet in Shai Hills Resource Reserve