Senegal - Feb-Mar 2024 - Saint-Louis

We hit this area twice - on our way to and from our northernmost destinations such as Djoudj and Richard Toll. Birding around the former capital of Senegal could be a bit difficult due to traffic and development. Though not exactly a scenic area, it does hold some productive coastal habitat. The most enjoyable birding here was actually a random stop to check the ocean that turned into a prolonged seawatch which resulted in a life tubenose for me. For as much time as I've spent in the North Atlantic, getting a life seabird while standing on a random beach in Senegal was not on my bingo card. But this is the beauty of staring at the ocean...exciting possibilities abound.

Other birds of interest around here included the ghostly pale Mauritanian subspecies of Gray Heron, a twitched vagrant Terek Sandpiper, and Savile's Bustard.



European Storm-Petrel...a few of many IN THE SURF!


Sandwich Tern

Parasitic Jaeger

Dave eyeing the stormies

Julian chasing petrels up the beach


Western Reef-Heron

 - NB

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