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Chandlers Ford “Falcons” |
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THE GAMBIA :1St – 15th DECEMBER 2005
INTRODUCTION
On Thursday 1st December Lynne (my wife) and me departed Gatwick at 10-30 am for Banjul airport in Gambia, Africa. We were travelling with First Choice. With a pitch of 29 inches the seats were a little cramped!.
We chose Gambia for its sunshine, cultural and wildlife wealth.
The dry season in The Gambia runs from November to May approximately, and as such gives about 12 hours of sunshine with temperatures around 34c every day !.
We had selected Banjul (Hotel Corinthia Atlantic) as our accommodation mainly for its beach and 4* star rating. Although away from the main birding accommodation i.e. the Senegambia Hotel, it did have some advantages (as we will see later)!.
Gambia is the smallest African country; it’s located on the west coast about halfway between the tropic of Cancer and the Equator. The river Gambia, that is over 300 kms long, although the country is only about 30-40 kms wide, dominates the Gambia.
Surrounded by Senegal, The Gambia has varied habitats of Savannah, Mangrove swamps, coastal sand banks, estuary, and stands of tropical forests. It is these varied habitats and location that makes The Gambia one of the top birding spots in the world, with over 600 species recorded!.
Our flight took us over the Sahara, remarkably this alone took over a hour and then down past Dakar and into Banjul.
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