The project

Our knowledge of ecology of migrants in their wintering grounds is extremely poor and severely hampers our ability to explain these declines and conserve this group of species. We lack even basic information about when birds arrive, the habitats they use and how they move around Africa.

The aim is to understand how Palearctic-African migrants use and move around the different vegetation zones found in West Africa, ranging from the semi-desert Sahelian region in Burkina Faso to the lush tropical rainforest in southern Ghana, and whether habitat change may impact them on their wintering grounds.

During the temperate winter of 2009/2010, using point count methodology and mist-netting, we recorded migrants along a degradation gradient at five different stations on a north-south transect. In 2010/2011 we plan to re-visit these sites as well as roving further afield to get a broader picture of migrant habitat use.

Burkina Faso: 13 October: Fieldwork starts!

Phil Atkinson writes: Today we did the first transect – 4km from the lake northwards out through millet crops to open grassland in the dunes. Despite having high expectations it was actually fairly routine with the usual warbler species and Turtle Doves being recorded in areas around the lake and the typical open country species like Woodchat Shrike and Wheatear in the more open, grassier areas further north.
This is my (Phil Atkinson) last day in the field and I return to the UK tomorrow. Chris and Judit together with Alie and Omar will carry on the fieldwork…

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