WE ARRIVED IN BANJUL, THE CAPITAL OF THE GAMBIA, AND WERE TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE SENEGAMBIA HOTEL. IT WAS AN AMAZING HOTEL - WITH ANIMALS SUCH AS MONITOR LIZARDS, MONKEYS AND THESE SUPERB STARLINGS WANDERING THE GROUNDS.
FAMILIES OF VERVET MONKEYS PASSED THROUGH THE HOTEL GROUNDS ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE WENT ON OUR FIRST WALK WHERE I SPOTTED THESE THIN WINGED ORANGE BUTTERFLIES INHABITING A SMALL BUSH.
AND THIS LILAC BREASTED ROLLER.
WE PASSED COUTLESS VILLAGES WHERE POVERTY WAS RIFE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
WE FINALLY REACHED THE SMALL NATURE RESERVE WHICH WAS A LAKE SURROUNDED BY JUNGLE. WE SAW MANY DRAGONFLIES, HERONS, MONITOR LIZARDS AND EVEN AN OSPREY.
MY SHARP INSECT EYES SPOTTED SOMETHING STRANGE. INITIALLY I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ANT CARRYING A DEAD LEAF, BUT ON CLOSER INSPECTION THE DEAD LEAF WAS THE INSECTS EXO-SKELETON. THIS IS A LEAF-MIMIC BEETLE. ITS THE ONE ON THE LEFT BY THE WAY!
YOU CAN SEE HOW PERFECTLY CAMOUFLAGED IT IS ON TREE BARK - I STILL CAN'T QUITE WORK OUT HOW I SPOTTED IT!
WE THEN ARRIVED AT WHAT WAS TO BECOME MY FAVOURITE CAFE IN THE WORLD! THIS IS CALLED LAMIN LODGE - AND IS BUILT OUT INTO THE SWAMPS AND RAISED ABOVE THE CANOPY SO THE VIEW IS AMAZING.
AN OCCASIONAL GAR FISH SWAM PAST AS WE WALKED TO THE LODGE ALONG THE RICKETY WOODEN JETTY.
WHEN WE WERE SITTING AT THE TOP OF THE LODGE, HAVING A NICE REFRESHING COLD DRINK, ONE OF US POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE BEING WATCHED.
WHILE I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING SAID VERVET MONKEY I WAS UNAWARE THAT ANOTHER, WITH IT'S BABY, HAD CREPT UP BEHIND ME. JUST AS I PUT MY CAMERA DOWN IT SWIPED MY FANTA AND RAN OFF TO DRINK IT.
THIS WAS A PIED KINGFISHER THAT WAS WATCHING THE GAR FISH WITH INTEREST AS WE HEADED BACK TO THE MINIBUS.
THERE WERE ALSO THESE MUDSKIPPERS INHABITING THE DARK, DAMP PLACES UNDER THE LODGE.
AND FURTHER AWAY THIS BOY WAS WASHING HIS GOAT IN THE RIVER. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PICTURES I HAVE TAKEN SO FAR.
THE GAMBIA'S VERSION OF A NOTICE BOARD. VERY COOL TREE.
THE NEXT DAY TIJAN, OUR GUIDE, NEEDED SOME ICE FOR OUR COOL BOX AND STOPPED AT A STRANGE PLACE IN THE TOWN. WE WERE MET BY THESE TWO, WHO WERE DEFINATELY HIGH ON SOMETHING, AND POINTED US TOWARDS SOME BATS ROOSTING IN A TREE.
BUT I WAS FAR MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE NEPHILA SPIDERS. THESE WERE HUGE - BIGGER THAN MY HAND - AND THEY SEEMED TO BE ALL OVER THE PLACE - ALL THE MORE WORRYING WAS THAT WE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO A SCHOOL AND THE NEPHILAS WERE THERE TOO.
ON OUR WAY TO OUR NEXT PLACE WE SAW THIS RED BISHOP - DAZZLINGLY BRIGHT AMONGST THE CROPS.
WE WERE TAKEN TO A PLACE CALLED MARAKISSA - A SMALL ENCAMPMENT ON THE BEND OF A JUNGLE CREEK - WELL KNOWN BY BIRDERS AS BEING RICH IN WILDLIFE.
AND WE WEREN'T TO BE DISAPPOINTED. AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED THIS BLUE HERON FLEW PAST US - UP THE CREEK.
THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE AND BLACK BUTTERFLY STAYED AROUND THE SHORES FOR A WHILE.
THERE WERE ALSO RED SKIMMER DRAGONFLIES - AND ALSO SOME BRIGHT BLUE ONES TOO.
A LOCAL FROM MARAKISSA THEN TOOK US ON A SMALL WALK UP RIVER - TO THIS AMAZING BRIDGE. I SPOTTED SOMETHING MOVING IN THE WATER JUST DOWN TO THE RIGHT OF THE BRIDGE, AND THE LOCAL MAN QUICKLY PICKED IT OUT AND PLACED IT ON THE BRIDGE FOR US TO HAVE A LOOK AT...
...IT WAS A WATER SCORPION. A HUGE ONE. A MEMBER OF THE ORDER HETEROPTERA I THINK. EITHER WAY IT WAS AN IMPRESSIVE BEAST.
