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| Emerald Cuckoo |
We met at 5 AM for breakfast: omelets and better porridge, and premixed coffee and tea so we couldn’t use our decaf. Also we were joined by poor Martha who had her original flight cancelled and then the new one delayed and arrived last night at 1 AM!
At 5:30 we got on the bus - Phil divided us up into two groups: the Rock Fowl and the Egyptian Plovers. The groups alternate as to first pick of the bus seats - an excellent plan as I’ve seen people almost come to blows over perceived unfairness in bus seating. Today was the Plovers turn so Bob and I got seats Not over the dreaded wheel well!
We only had to drive about 20 minutes to get to the entry gate of Kakum National Park. It was lovely to get into dense rainforest again even though most of the park is second growth with a few huge original trees remaining, but it provides habitat for about 300 bird species and several mammals. We climbed a steep, roughly paved trail up to the entry way of the canopy walk. The walk consists of rope and board walkway suspended between seven large trees and allows one a walk of about 1000’ long and 100’ high. It sways dramatically which I thought was lots of fun, but everyone else did it only to see the birds! Each tree has a small platform around it and we stood on the first platform for several hours checking birds. I found it very difficult as you are surrounded by green trees, branches, and vines and descriptions of where the bird is are usually “on the horizontal branch above the large “y” on the bright green tree with fine leaves”…good for some people, particularly ones with sharp eyes which I don’t have! At one point someone pointed a brilliant green bird which I finally located nearby and it was spectacular! Emerald green scales on top with bright yellow below and blue feet: an African Emerald Cuckoo. It not only sat quietly while we photographed it but came back several times! At nine, the park opens and it being Saturday, lots of people, mostly groups of uniformed school and religious organization teens, came charging over the canopy walk. They didn’t scare off the birds, who must be used to the noise, but disturbed us!
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| Bob on the walkway |
We left the walk way about 11:30 and returned back at the hotel, cleaned up and met for fried chicken, rice and a delicious dish of red-red, a popular and tasty dish of beans and rice cooked in a lot of red palm oil.
We were given time off until 3:30 and a couple of us discovered that the hotel lobby actually has wifi! I managed to get on and alerted my sister, Hilary, that I was actually OK even though the Blog has never appeared.
At 3:30 we reassembled at the bus with flashlights added to our gear and returned to the canopy walkway. As we approached, we heard a roar similar to that of a European football stadium and found the walk full of very noisy teens having a very good time. They finally left as the park closes at 4 PM (we have special permission as the professional birding groups provide so much business for the park). We sat on platform #3 for 2 ½ hours; it was pretty slow birding, but we did see great views of the Copper-tailed Glossy Starling and observed a group of Yellow-mantled Weavers, lovely birds with black backs, chestnut bellies, and yellow collars who build hanging woven nests in communal groups. We observed pairs locking feet and spiraling down to the lower canopy of treetops.
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| Giant Squirrel |
We finally left as it got dark, using our flashlights to bounce across the walkway once more. Just as we got off Bob saw a shape swoop through the sky, and James, our expert local guide, spotted a Pell’s Anomalure, like a large flying squirrel, clinging to a bare tree trunk! He had black fur with a white underside and tail - a new family of animals for us!
We got back to the bus and Phil told us we had one more short walk into the woods. We staggered after Phil and James for a bit. James heard a call and quickly illuminated an adorable Demidoff’s Galago -Africa’s tiniest primate - a little Bush Baby with a 5” long body and head, with very large eyes in a round face!
We retuned to the Rainforest Lodge at 8 PM and immediately went into dinner - onion soup, chicken curry, pasta and rice with very sweet pineapple for dessert. Then to bed!
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