Latest developments

Below are listed Latest Developments 11 and 10. For 14 July 2010, 10 March, mid November, 3 October, 8 September, 3 August 2009, 7 May 2009, 9 April, 9 March, please see Previous development reports

Latest Developments 11:
22 January 2011
Mamadu W Jallow has just sent two photographs of an African Goshawk in the first at Farasuto; they were taken in mid January. It would look as if the bird had been reading its copy of Barlow & Wacher who describe the species as “Sits in shadows”.

Latest Developments 10:
6 January 2011

10.1 A grant application
Since July we have been discussing which of the Management Plan’s 17 (now 18, with the addition of the proposed gate-house with loos) Projects should be the priority for grant applications. Our application for financial support for the entire project, submitted in April, failed; I blame the recession.

The KBO came to the conclusion that the single over-riding priority was secure, stock-proof fencing of the entire site. This is to keep out the cattle and to a lesser extent, goats, which currently enter the site and prevent or at least reduce tree regeneration and ground-flora development. I agree that this fundamental step is crucial to the long-term survival for Farasuto as primary forest and I have submitted a grant application for the £5,000 which the KBO has calculated will enable them to provide iron fence-posts set in concrete, with fencing wire, for the forest’s 1km perimeter, a fence good for the next 20 years.

The application is being considered by the African Bird Club, formally at a meeting in February, so we will patiently await the result of their deliberations.

The enamel badges
The enamel badges were taken out to The Gambia in early November by some birding visitors, to whom our sincere thanks for the favour. The badges were made in early 2010 and their planned delivery in April was prevented by the volcano. They are being sold, organised by the KBO, with all proceeds going to support work at Farasuto. Our since thanks again to the sponsor of their manufacture.

A camera for Abdul Karimu
Abdul is one of the gate-men for Farasuto and he is very enthusiastic about the site’s butterflies – he reported several sightings of what be believed to be female Senegal Palm Forester, Bebearia senegalensis, at Farasuto. The species is otherwise known only from Abuko and has not been confirmed there for some years now; see the Management Plan, page 44. In order that Abdul should at least have the chance of confirming his sightings he has been give a butterfly net and a Mr Peacock kindly sponsored a digital camera which is now with Abdul. We eagerly await butterfly photographs from Abdul – he should be able to add to the current butterfly list of 56 species.

10.4 A new bird species for the forest
David Hallam visited The Gambia in December and spent a short while at Farasuto with a guide. During the visit in which he saw disappointingly few birds he did find (and photograph) a White-shouldered Black Tit, Parus leucomelas, in the forest (normally a bird of dry savannah woodlands; Barlow et al. 1997). It is the 97th bird species to be recorded from the forest and number 302 for the area around the site. David also gave an account of what he believed to be two otters Lutra species, by the path to the mangroves - they are certainly new to the site.

John Tucker
6 January 2011