My Sixth Day in the Gambia: Teaching about Ospreys

Introducing the Next Generation to Wildlife

This morning, I joined Brendan to watch him and his team deliver a classroom session, teaching local children about ospreys and other wildlife. I was especially excited for this session, not just to experience how they delivered the lessons, but also to see the impact of support from the Osprey Leadership Foundation (OLF). It was brilliant to watch the children go from being tentative at first to really engaging with what they were being taught. What stood out most was how Brendan’s leaders—who had gained their expertise in the Gunjur Nature and Birding Club—took charge of most of the session. They showed real confidence throughout, which I thought was fantastic. Sulayman was also there helping to lead and talk more about the local wildlife, drawing on his immense experience in wildlife conservation.

After the classroom work, the children were taken outdoors for a quick tour of the Gunjur Project and some practice with binoculars. It was lovely to watch their faces light up—first at having the chance to use binoculars, which they have little access to outside of these sessions, and then at seeing the birds magnified through them. This would be great practice for tomorrow when they’ll use them on Gunjur Beach to look for Ospreys!

An Afternoon at Bolongfenyo

After the session and a little lunch, I planned to spend my free afternoon going back to Bolongfenyo, as it was only a short walk from the Project and I had loved my previous visits. By coincidence, a few other guests also wanted to visit the lagoon, so I offered to take them and point out any species I could identify. When we arrived, the first thing we noticed (as had been the case on my first visit) was the number of crocodiles, both passing by in the water and basking on the shore in the sun.

There were plenty of birds to see as well—lots of Cattle Egrets, Senegal Thick-Knees, and Spur-Winged Plovers, along with some familiar waders: Redshank, Greenshank, and Black-Winged Stilts. One of my favourite birds from the trip, the Hamerkop, was also showing really well, with a small group just metres from us on the shore. An Osprey (unringed, sorry Jeff) also flew down and perched to eat a recent catch.

After a couple of hours, the guests I had walked down with headed back to the Project, and I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the forest. I found a quiet spot to sit and watch. It was incredibly peaceful, with the sound of all the birds around me—mainly species of Weaver—creating a fantastic atmosphere. Sitting quietly, I managed to spot a new bird for me, a Village Indigobird, a brood parasite of the Red-Cheeked Cordon-Bleu, which I saw nearby. Shortly after, a Pied Hornbill landed in the tree above me, reminding me of my first sighting of the species on day one. It felt fitting to end my last evening with the same bird that had first sparked my excitement., and I reflected on just how much I had learned in the short time I had been here.

On the walk back, I stopped to watch as a pair of local goats were stood next to the highway, battling. One rearing up before driving down into the other time after time, each with a loud clash - it was great to watch, and I felt very fortunate to be there to witness it.

Looking Ahead to My Final Day

As tomorrow is my last day, I have mixed emotions. I’m glad to be heading home to see my family again, but I’m also sad to leave. I have felt so incredibly welcomed by the local people, especially those working at the Gunjur Project and the other guests, making it easy to forget I’ve only been here a week. I hope to return in the future, and I’d love to bring others with me so they too can experience this fantastic place.

My visit to The Gambia has been supported by The Osprey Leadership Foundation. I've been working with OLF over the winter months to support the delivery of their training and education programmes and I'm an active member of their Evolving Leaders Programme. While I'm here, I'm spending time with their partners The Gunjur Project and the Kartong Bird Observatory to learn more about the impact OLF's support is having here and I will hopefully have the opportunity to meet other participants of OLF's programmes.

A massive thank you to the amazing donors who help fund the OLF's work and helped make this trip possible. If you would like to support the work of OLF, you can join as a Friend of the Foundation here