Gambia is known for its exciting bird life; cormorants, pelicans, egrets, herons, kingfishers, fish eagles etc migrate to the Gambia river and the copious mangroves which line it.
We spent an afternoon in a kayak with a guide, Maddi, getting up close and personal with many of the birds we’d seen in Djoud National Park, up north near St Louis.
We saw a beautiful looking ecolodge with small bungalows lining the tributary river.
Oysters grow in abundance along the mangroves and Maddi showed us where the oyster shells end up. They’re recycled into white paint, by mixing with water, into cement with sand and into chicken feed.
A boabab tree which has fallen, but lives on.
We stopped on an island for a look around. Maddi insisted we could leave our shoes in the boat as we were only walking on sand, but he must have asbestos soles as the sand was burning hot. He did wear a wolly hat all afternoon in 38c.
Due South 
Great blog Zoe.Really enjoying it.You both seem to have coped really well with the inevitable hassles and to have enjoyed all the other experiences.However what’s all this interest in wildlife.
It’s just a bird ,niece!
It’s a sparrow muvva?!
We’re only teasing. You’re getting to see some amazing stuff. That’s what I loved about the chances I had to travel.
Ha ha auntie! Of course I know, once you’ve seen one bird you’ve seen them all & I just reeled off a list to keep Trudy happy! Hope all good with all of you. Zxxx
A woolly hat?! I guess your guide has developed a resistance to the heat. The place looks so peaceful though. Loving the adventure so far! x