Further abroad: west Africa

 Some photos and thoughts from Senegal in January 2026.

Snow on the southern Atlas 

 

Arrived in Dakar on the evening of 8th January, to meet up with a group aiming to ring in Djoudj NP for a couple of weeks. Immigration was nicely chaotic, with occasional batches of people waved under the barriers to try their luck on the biometric passport machines - I was one who was waved through, but of course the machine spat the passport back out again. Somewhat fortunately this meant I jumped a bit of the queue though. Didn't help much - the wait for luggage was interminable. Still, nice to be back in Africa after nearly 20 years!

 The ATMs at the airport didn't like my bank card either, so by the time the rest of the group had arrived, tried their luck at ATM roulette and given up, it was proper dark. A taxi ride to Mbour, about 40 minutes down the road was by turns exhilarating, crazy and mildly unnerving. The roads full of traffic, lots of lights, disorientated with the new surroundings, new smells, appalling exhaust fumes and very, very french speed-bumps on the roads every time we went through a settlement. This wouldn't have been so bad had I not bruised my coccyx the day before in a sledging incident at home. Still, the hotel (Blue Africa) was nice enough, there was food and a beer and my room was perfectly accceptable. Mozzie net was a bit raggedy, but there didn't seem to be any lurking there anyway. Popped anti-malarials throughout to be on the safe side. Air-con in the room was so loud that I switched it off to get some peace. Then sleep...

 The first morning was something of a continuation of the mild culture-shock. The muzzeins began call to prayer nice and early (4.30), which set off a bunch of birds. Took a while for my ears and brain to link up, but eventually Senegal Thick-knee filtered through to my consciousness. A little later the first Common Bulbuls were chirruping their dawn chorus, and it was time to get out of bed and see what the place had to offer. Still pretty dark (tropics: duh!) Coconut palms and direct access to the beach. Obviously a monster roost of Yellow-billed Kites in the vicinity - birds were trailing out over the hotel for the next hour-and-a-half, much to the disgust of the local Pied Crows. The garden of the hotel was a little less productive, but Senegal Coucal, African Silverbill and Variable Sunbird did eventually appear.

Yellow-billed Kites in the dawn

African Silverbill

Offshore there was plenty going on - a telescope would have been useful, but there's only so much kit that I can pack. Still, a steady back-and-forth of Sandwich Terns, Caspian Terns and some yellow-billed terns, some patrolling skuas - the only ones close enough to identify were Arctic - and gulls (Black-headed, Lesser Black-back, Slender-billed and Grey-headed) were nice. Would be fascinating to know what's going on in the distance with a bit of chumming.

After breakfast a trip to the local Super-U (!) for snacks to sustain us, an ATM or four to get cash (#4 delivered the goods) and a streetside stall for a local SIM card. Then back to the hotel for the next taxi, which took us to Djoudj. 

Baobabs at 90km/h

We were shafted by the traffic in Thies, which was apparently unnaturally bad, so the journey took a good seven hours instead of just over five. Fine in itself, but for the fact that we didn't stop for food and had only one loo break (roadside bushes) after about five hours' driving - even that wouldn't have happened if the driver hadn't needed one, I suspect. All in all not ideal, and everyone was grateful when we finally got to Diadiam III, just on the border of the Djoudj marshes. Still, the scenery on the way was interesting: sandy, dry Sahelian acacia-dominated woodland, often heavily (over)grazed by goats, cattle and donkeys. A couple of groups of Gyps vultures on the way - one group definitely Rüppell's, one group apparently White-backed - and one or two Hooded Vultures too. The occasional dead goat and donkey on the roadside testified to the reason they were hanging out so close to the traffic. A couple of Striped Ground-squirrels made mad dashes for the other side of the road. Evidence that one or two hadn't made it as well.

The pool off the veranda at Njagabaar

Room was nice, if basic

We stayed initially at Njagabaar Campement in Diadiam III. Basic round huts to sleep in with variably effective bathrooms (mine had a rather quirky cistern, to say the least). Beds were comfortable enough and the place was nice and quiet. Food was nice (fish with rice, rice with fish; chicken with rice, rice with chicken...) and often quite well spiced. Probably difficult to get by if you're vegetarian and downright tricky for a vegan though. The evening was enlivened by a bit of arthropod-searching under the lights of the compound. Various beetles and a scattering of orthoptera (mole crickets, African Conehead and a Heteracris?) although fewer moths than expected. A sizeable 'orrible 'airy spider near the gate to the compound too.

Heteracris sp.

Conocephalus conocephalus?

 

Dorylus sp.