A day with the birds at Ngamba island

By SOLOMON OLENY

Closer zoom: A tiny weaver bird dressed in yellow black feathers emerges from its half-finished nest which is dangling off an extensive branch of an eight feet tall ovocado tree.

Undecided on how to kick start the sunny day, it stands on its ring like door made of twigs from where it starts stocking its neighbor’s nests.

On turning its neck leftwards, it is greeted with the worst news of the morning. The female it has been dying to date has dumped him by moving his rivals gourd shaped and elegant nest because it boasts of fine finishing and burglar proofs.

In a move to cool off its frustration, it decides to double the pace with which it is building its nest- takes a quick dive into the soft lawns at the foot of the tree, pecks a long straw of grass with its round conical bills.

At a flash, it quickly dashes back to shred it into strips before knotting it around its nest. Going by the enthusiasm with which it repeatedly does this, it is obvious he is determined to woo at least one of the many countless females twitting aloud from one branch to another as they inspect the countless nests of the other weaverbirds.

This was live scene from Ngamba chimpanzee Sanctuary Island I witnessed on January 19 in company Lilly Ajoravo and Dr.Goodall Jane, the two powerhouse primatologists I look up to. While in the history calendar this was the day good all spent her 80th birthday with the 29 habituated chimpanzees of the pristine Island.

In the adventure books it’s the day she ranked as the best chimpanzee sanctuary across the continent-after being blown away by the thoughtful manner in which the islands chimpanzee caregivers-lovingly looked after the primates-like they were humans.
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PHOTO/SOLOMON OLENY

I won’t lie, like the birthday girl and the bunch of conservationists who were in attendance; I had also gone to the Ngamba for a primate experience. However while the chimp experience story can wait as I try to put in words how it felt, the birding experience cannot. Why? - Because it was a photographers “ultimate dream come true”.

Truth be told, hitherto stepping on this island of astonishing contrasts, I wasn’t exactly a number one fan of bird watching, but that was before the weaver bird just like the rest of the ever-burgeoning birds on the island enchanted all my five senses with their spectacular beauty, awesome-character and terrific-attitude.

Accordingly, rather than stick to behavior observation of the chimps, I decided to get the best out of my short 24 hour visit.

Unlike my preceding bird watching treats in several birding sanctuaries where pre-recorded calls had to be made to attract the different species for observation, in Ngamba bird watching was hustle free-as almost every corner of the island was dotted with birds of different varieties, interest and colour.

To get an up close with its array of feathered indigenous and exotic species, all it took was an extra step into any turn along the paved paths and that’s exactly what I did-from the chimpanzee feeding arena-to the viewpoints under the scattered trees-all the way to its shores where sparsely populated trees were buttressed into the glistening bay.

A bay that is laden with a singular cozy atmosphere now lost in most of the surrounding islands as a result of uncontrolled environmental degradation on them.

First off was a pair of the Spur winged plovers at the foot of a minor palm tree opposite the grass thatched diner. As expected, they deafened my ear drums with the sharp end of its kip-kip-kip threats purposely to scare me away-thinking I was a predator.

The closer my bare feet inched towards its territory, the more they became restless and started rioting all over the place whist screaming sharper kip-kip-kip-kip-kip. At this point, Byron Semambo the Islands professional bird guide asked me walk away or ready myself to pay the price. I wished I had listened otherwise my left heel wouldn’t have ended struck to bleeding.

No, I didn’t wait for a second warning from Ssemambo, but rather fastened my steps towards the shores adjacent to the fire assembly point and there I caught up with a family of eight Egyptian geese cooling off the day’s steam with a good swim in the warm lake.

From a distance, they looked every bit like a goose but as they drew closer to the banks, it was actually a she duck. It was a cross between a goose and a duck. Like a duck, it was equally a confused species of a big bird.

At one point they would swim towards a particular direction only make a sudden U-turn before taking a thirty seconds flight over to the shores, only to close their eyes before diving back into the water while bursting out in deep satirical, guttural grunts that sounded a bit like oinking pigs.

 According to Byron, they got their name- Egyptian goose because Egyptians domesticate them as they are considered sacred.
“In some parts of Roman, they are kept in domestic flocks.” The knowledgeable guide added.

Going by their bright stunning plumage and dark chocolate-brown eye patches, only a fool could doubt that they looked beautiful too even when crying.

When it all seemed like the Egyptian goose was the most beautiful thing I had run into, my eyes landed a dozen cross wire tailed swallow perched on along the wiring of a fastened netball net.

Precisely, the wire tailed swallow is a small passerine bird with shiny blue above and white below with a neat chestnut cap. It is adored for the long thin wires of its white spotted tailed plumage.

 Its rather subdued twittering which perhaps is too inaudible for its own ears compares to that of a ban swallow. Simply put, it was as beautiful as an Angolan swallow which was in plenty on the island, mainly hanging around building bars.

With all the above splendors and symphonies produced by the vast aviaries ringing in my head like a love song, it beat my brains out pondering why the island was simply called a chimpanzee sanctuary as opposed to birding and chimpanzee sanctuary or better still budding birding chimpanzee sanctuary.  

Tired of walking from one point to another, I sat back in front of my tent to behold the islands picture perfect-postcard sunset views. However, I lost focus along the way after my attention was stolen by the kwikwik-wi squealing blended with an up slurred churred trrree’t’tree musical by the grey wood peckers as they did what they do best (wood pecking). Quite similar to its kwikwik-wi call was the call of the yellow crested wood pecker that was flaunting its virtually plain dark olive black wings and tail to show rub in my face how beautiful its olive-brown under parts were well spotted with yellowish buff. I was sunbathing on the soft white sand at the banks too just like the wood pecker. Time and again, they would flap their lips open and out came sweet voices that could make a charging lion change its mind.

By the end of the adventure, I had gotten an overdose of the unbeatable experience that I did not mind missing out on the nocturnal aviary experience. As I had requested, Byron brought me accompanying literature and wrote the list of 41 species I had seen by the end of the day.

My favorites were those that dared to sneakily jump on my shoulder and those that asked Goodall what her name was at the chimp feeding arena. In response, she nearly cried…“this is what dreams are made of” she said before adding “If I had an option of remaining anyway for the rest of my life... I would remain on this immaculate island.”

Travel advisory
A budget bird watching pursuit goes for $65 inclusive of boat rides to and from Ngamba and entrance to it. As per the moment: once inside, one is free to pursue behavior observation of the chimps at no extra costs.

The island has accommodation facilities, restaurants and a canteen. For rates, see travel advisories.

All trips should be booked in advance to ensure availability of transportation and avoid disappointment.