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.
Ian and I arrived late today in Accra , to join the team on Monday. Ian as Senior Research Ecologist for BTO and I as a keen volunteer BTO ringer from Kent. First a good rest was needed after a long plane journey, so after possibly the world’s most expensive taxi, the Pink Hostel welcomed us to our first Ghanaian bed for the night. Rooms had all the mod cons, just a quaint take the lid off the cistern and flush by hand loo to keep the problem solving part of the brain working. Ghana Wildlife Society will pick us up tomorrow to get the car to that will take us up to Berekum.
Posted on behalf of Vicky
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