June in The Gambia is almost too beautiful to put into words.
I’d almost forgotten because it’s been eleven years since I have spent this much time here.
Not wanting to mention the C-word but of course, that’s the reason we were still in The Gambia. No flights and all borders locked down.
I can’t think why there are not more birding groups coming here in June though.
It is more humid, in the daytime it’s around 70% and night-time 80%. And there may be rain. We had our first rain on the 12th of June but only had three more showers of rain in the rest of the month.
None lasted more than a couple of hours and you could say they were “dramatic”.
I suppose flights are more expensive too or maybe you have to go via Barcelona or Belgium.
But I think if you’re a Birdwatcher then it would be worth it for this experience.
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I’m no expert
Anyone who knows me would tell you I’m no expert when it comes to Birdwatching or Bird Photography but its just too easy here in June and this is what prompted me to tell you about it.
On the fourth of June, I was sitting by our eco pool and we had three feathered friends arrive all at the same time.
First a Hammerkop, then a Blue Breasted Kingfisher and then a Woodland Kingfisher. I’ve seen them back each afternoon around three o’clock and they stay for hours.
Add to this our regular afternoon visitors of Swallow Tailed Bee Eaters, African Paradise Flycatcher and Pygmy Kingfishers and honestly, I didn’t know where to point the camera first.
I was hoping to get the three different kinds of Kingfisher all together like a family photo but it was never to be. The Woodland Kingfisher evaded me. As I said earlier though I’m no expert. I did enjoy enormously trying to shoot the birds that surrounded us in June and I put together this short video of which I am quite pleased. It contains some interesting footage of A Paradise Flycatcher making its nest using a spiders web. Who would have thought eh!
Enjoy, now take a look and see what a Gambia Birding Holiday in June 2021 could offer you!
It’s so easy
All the images and video were taken by me in June at the lodge on a Nikon P900 They are not the professional standard I know that. But, they are not bad either and if I can shoot photos and video like this just think about what you can achieve.