Wildlife

Above: a weaver bird collecting grass
Below: nest building



The finished result:



When we think of wildlife in Africa we automatically think of the big game and going on safari in a large Landcruiser or similar. But wildlife is also on our doorstep in the form of tiny insects, butterflies and birds. It’s around us all the time but is even more evident after a good rain storm. The seasons are not well defined though there are periods when it’s even hotter than normal. At these times there is a lot of dust but still everything looks quite green. However, when the rains truly begin we really know about it in more ways than one.

Almost every day for the last two weeks we’ve had a good rain storm at some time during the day which has helped to bring the temperature down. The storms don’t necessarily last long but we have torrential downpours and sometimes we are treated to fantastic light shows from the lightening over the hills. The roads can become quite treacherous and most people prefer to just put everything on hold and stay put until it’s cleared. That includes not going to work, appointments, etc!

Anyway, back to wildlife…….. there are some amazing sights after a good rain storm. We have flying ants with huge white wings which, as they hatch, rise up from the ground in great swarms. They shed their wings which cover the ground like petals and the remaining bodies are hurriedly collected to be eaten. People compete with the birds and frantically gather them up in whatever vessel they can find, even in a scrap of cloth or old piece of paper and then take them home to cook. They can be fried or boiled and are apparently highly nutritious. I’m reliably informed that they’re also really tasty which I confidently believe as I’ve no intention of trying them!

Of course we also have swarms of flies around which attract the flycatcher birds. In our garden we have many different species and just this morning I’ve seen the Northern Black Flycatcher and the African Blue Flycatcher. The garden is a hive of activity with the dozens of different birds and at the moment all I can hear is their birdsong. There are too many to even try and distinguish them. I wish I had a way to record them. On my way into town there is an amazing sight of weaver birds building their nests. One tree is full of them beavering away, as if in frenzied competition with each other. The birds have such skill in home-making. The little nests hang precariously on the tips of branches with the entrance at the bottom. Inside the nests they build small chambers to contain their eggs and offspring, to prevent them from falling out and also to deter predators. Sometimes you can look up and see a cluster of little mouths wide open, eagerly awaiting some food. Also, I noticed the other day that the drain alongside the main road, which is full of very dirty muddy water, is now full of tadpoles. As far as I know, no-one here eats frogs which I find quite surprising as I’ve heard that bats and rats are eaten in some areas. One of the disadvantages of the rain is that there is an increase in mosquitoes. There is a belief that the mangoes bring the mosquitoes; it’s just that the rain brings the mangoes!

Another common sound at the moment is that of women and children hoeing the ground in preparation for planting. Children are expected to help on the land and have to fit it in before and after school. Even the schools recruit children to do the digging. Most people have some land where they grow their own crops for feeding their families and what they don’t eat they sell at the market. At home we are now enjoying our new season of avocados and pawpaw. The mangoes are still a little bit small but the salad and herb crops are all growing well. Soon we will have peppers, aubergine and courgette again.

We enjoyed a relaxing Easter weekend. On Sunday we visited friends who are researching chimps in the nearby forest and live near the village of Nyabyeya, about 30k out of town. We had a barbecue and just to remind us of the UK it rained! Even though Masindi is a small town it’s good to get out into the rural areas. There are always new things to see.