Travelling with Seydou Diallo from Senegal Expeditions, we arranged a visit to the Parc National des Oiseaux du Djoudj - something I had been looking forward to for months.
Knowing my keen interest, Seydou had arranged for another guide with an excellent knowledge of birds and the park to travel with us. After a quick 7 a.m. breakfast we drove into Saint Louis to meet him.
The sun was still low in the sky as we rolled through the city and neighbouring villages, passing a nomad with his herd of cattle, then travelled along a long series of dirt roads. I rarely spotted a sign, but the guide seemed to know when to veer onto a different track to reach our destination. We passed some small bodies of water where we started to see smaller birds like Pied Kingfisher, African Collared Doves and Lesser Egrets, African Collared Doves and Black-Winged Stilts, and then salt flats where white crusts had formed as the water evaporated. Arriving at the park, we spotted a warthog, running, in the distance.
Arriving at the edge of the River Djoudj, bordering Mauritania, we waited with our guide for a boat to be ready to take us for a 7km round trip journey to spot a variety of birds and other wildlife. After boarding, we waited for another expected group to join us and enjoyed watching the antics of a small bird and the dips and dives of the pelicans.
At last, we set off along the river with our guide pointing out each new species and sharing information about their migration patterns, breeding and behaviours. We spotted a Yellow-Billed Stork (too quickly to snap a photo), Great Cormorants, African Fish Eagles, Squacco Herons and African Jacana, as well as small terns that chased the boat throughout our journey, catching the fish stirred up by the motor. Not to mention some golden monkeys in the trees (that everyone but me managed to spot) and a warthog snuffling along the shore.
Then came the grand finale - the breeding ground of the local pelican population. On a relatively small island in the river, 6,000 pairs of pelicans had gathered to raise their young - up to two chicks each. Our guide explain that it was lunch time. Thousands of juvenile pelicans, their black plumage glistening in the sun, waiting and watched the skies as their parents flew in - wave after wave - bringing fish. Hopeful egrets perched nearby, hoping to scoop up some treats for themselves.
Turning back, we enjoyed the breeze on our faces and views of the water, grasses and flowers - and even more birds - as we returned to the dock.
Before departing for our continuing adventures in St. Louis, we stopped near the biological station where I purchased a fresh coconut to enjoy and snapped some photos of Lesser Flamingos and Spurwinged Lapwings in the shallows.
Driving back to town, I at last spotted some monkeys!
Our day of adventure was just getting started. After another delicious lunch in Saint Louis, we explored some local shops before climbing onto a caleche to explore the colonial portion of town. Both my daughter and I felt uncomfortably awkward in the caleche, white people being paraded past the Black residents still suffering the impacts of colonization, but took some comfort in the fact that we were providing some economic benefit to the driver who offered the tour.
Following our tour, we visited the gallery of the amazing Bassirou Fall - find him at
@africanbikeart on Instagram. We browsed his whimsical sculptures - all made from old bicycles and scrap metal, and had the chance to watch him working on a new piece.
We then walked back through the old town, stopping at another shop along the way to browse hand-made textile items, and met up with our driver to return to the hotel and enjoy another visit to the beach and a companionable dinner with our guide and chauffeur. The next day would be another early start so that we could visit Lac Rose and still make it back to Dakar in plenty of time to enjoy the Africa Cup Final!
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