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Gabon and Cameroon 3rd-15th February 1998 by Don Taylor
Monday 2nd Flew from Heathrow with David Rosair and Tony Prater. Tuesday 3rd Arrived Libreville, booked into Hotel Tropicana on the shore near the airport. Met Olivier Langrand. Wednesday 4th Birded the Cap Esterias area in the morning. Flew to Gamba in the afternoon to meet Jacob and Tini Wijpkema. Booked into Hotel Petrolier Thursday 5th The first full day's birding - in the Gamba area and then down the coast to estuary of the Nyanga River, followed by spot-lighting after dark on the way back. Friday 6th Morning spent forest edge birding near Gamba. Flew to Libreville in the afternoon and stayed at Olivier's. Jacob and Tini stayed in the Atlantique Hotel. Saturday 7th Flew from Libreville to Douala early afternoon and booked into the Arcada Tropicana Hotel. Sunday 8th Birded on foot around Douala early morning. Flew to N'gaoundere early afternoon, met and driven to N'gaoundaba Ranch in a minibus, with time for nearly two hours savanna birding. Monday 9th Birded on the Ranch all day, covering savanna, forest, lake and spot-lighting after dark. Tuesday 10th Second full day of birding on the Ranch. Wednesday 11th Birded early morning on the Ranch, departing around 0930 for N'gaoundere and Lac Dang, then driven to Buffle Noir in the Benoue National Park , in time to bird along the river until dusk. Spot-lighted along the park road after supper. Thursday 12th Tony and I were driven back to Lac Dang in the morning. I explored the river again in the late afternoon, while the others birded elsewhere in the park. Friday 13th Morning in Benoue NP in the minibus, afternoon drive to the Benoue River at Garoua. Booked in at the Touriste Hotel. Saturday 14th Birded along the Benoue River again in the early morning. Flew to Douala , via Yaounde , in early afternoon and booked in again at the Arcada Tropicana. With Jacob and Tini birded a wetland area along the Limbe road until dark. Sunday 15th In a hired minibus drove east then south from Edea to the Nyong River bridge, birding until noon . Returned to the Hotel for lunch. Flew from Douala in the evening for Paris and London . Monday 16th Arrived Heathrow around 0830 and back home by midday - rucksack arrived at 1600! Waders were the principal reason for visiting Gabon and Cameroon . Eight species formed the main objective - all eight were seen well and seven were photographed. A ninth species, I had only identified from a photograph that I took of it in Kenya , was also seen well and photographed again! A great opportunity for me to indulge in studying nine species that I had previously had no or very little experience of - Lesser Jacana, Egyptian Plover, Violet-tipped Courser, Rock and Grey Pratincoles, Forbes' Plover, White-headed, Brown-chested and Lesser Black-winged Lapwings. EXPENSES Visas, including registered post - Gabon £ 60 - Cameroon £ 50 Travel Insurance - annual £ 83 Medical Kit & Mosi-guard £ 23 Malaria tablets - Lariam £ 24 Lonely Planet Guide and Maps £ 30 To and from Heathrow £ 30 Flights - through Wildwings - Air France - Heathrow - Paris - Libreville £ 610 - Airport Taxes £ 35 - Cameroon internal plus Garoua supplement £ 173 - Gamba internal £ 108 Airport Taxes - Cameroon internal £ 11 Taxis £ 5 Pick-up hire + petrol in Gamba £ 40 Minibus with driver - N'gaoundere/N'gaoundaba Ranch - Benoue - Garoua including Benoue accommodation/food/drink + Park fee (£5) £ 131 Taxi for birding in Libreville and Douala £ 14 Minibus + driver in Garoua £ 5 Minibus + driver for Nyong River £ 12 Accommodation, meals and drink at N'gaoundaba Ranch £ 70 Hotel Accommodation + meals in Libreville , Gamba, Douala & Garoua £ 163 Total £ 1,677 |