Thursday 5th June 2014

JP and I walked this morning, I led and he birded. We started off on the old western boundary in the riverine thicket. Definitely going to come back here, there’s a new walk to be mapped out along the donga down to Banini Pan. This is where we ended up but by vehicle this time. The birding was good but I’m still lacking when it comes to swamp hens and the likes. However, I was very impressed by the greater-painted snipe, a beautiful bird.

After breakfast there were plenty of goodbyes, JP and Margaux, my first ever instructors here at EcoTraining are leaving the company to take up what sounds like a wonderful opportunity guiding in the Kalahari. Then it was goodbye to Henry, he’s also leaving the company to join another training outfit. I’ve learnt so much from the three of them, no matter how good the course curriculum is or how wonderful the camps are its the instructors that will make or break the learning experience.

We now have the camp to ourselves for the next three or four days until the new students arrive. Jomi has a list of things that need doing so it’s not going to be all fun and games but we certainly intend to make the most of being left home alone. First things first was to take Olivia and Elisa to the clinic in Masisi, then it was time to let our hair down…