I am a professional birdwatching guide Ansuman Drammeh, also known as the Best Boy. I grew up with binoculars hanging from my neck and I have been guiding birders since year 2000. I am also a member of the Bird Guides Association of Gambia as well as the Gambia Birdwatching Association. I can arrange tours to any bird sites in the Gambia and help you to find all the birds you wish to see. All trip
s include transport, entrance fees to the protected areas and the Best Boy services. I can pick you up from your hotel at any time you wish and return to the same place at the end of the day. I speak English and Mandinka, so I can help you to discuss with local people. But why should you travel to Gambia for bird watching vacation? The Gambia provides a first class destination for any birdwatcher. From the European point of view, it has the advantage of being only a short flight away (about 5½ hours) and it has a very large bird list with over 550 species recorded. It is situated close to the northern limit of the tropical rain front and The Gambia is right in the middle of the narrow transitional zone between semi dessert and tropical rain forest, consequently, the country's bird list includes species from both of these areas with the species to be seen varying with the onset of the rainy and dry seasons. Add to the African endemic species the many European migrants that either pass through The Gambia or spend the winter there, and one can see why the bird list is so large. Because of the proximity of the rain forest to the south and the desert to the north, there is always the chance of spotting something unusual that has overshot on migration, or on a food-finding tour. The climate is very pleasant, although it can be perhaps a little hot inland in the period just before and just after the annual summer rains. However, for many, the big attraction about birding in The Gambia is the attitude of the local population that is friendly, and, for the most part, very helpful. But a good guide will be always a great help, especially if you are looking for a particular bird and you spend your valuable time searching for the best sites instead of birdwatching, which is after all, what you are thinking of visiting The Gambia for, isn't it? My office is in Lemon Creek Hotel, Kombo Coastal Airport Road, P.O.Box 3306, Serrekunda, Banjul. You can reach me easily by email: [email protected]
or by calling me to +220 680 9110. In case I am far in upcountry, it can happen that I will answer one or two days later. http://gambianbirding.co.nf/
