Cousteau heading south

About 9 am Tuesday Cousteau was flying low over the Djoudj National Park in Senegal. Despite this being one of the most important ornithological reserves in the world and a very suitable area for ospreys, the migratory instinct made him to leave this area that is so good, then crossed the lake Guiers and stopped to sleep on an acacia in a semi-desert area, not far from the Ferlo river. It seems no longer in a hurry because in this journey only covered about 130 km, very little when compared to the long distances when flying over the dangerous desert.

The next day he travelled a similar distance in a south-westerly direction, reached the coast north of Dakar and there looked for a good perch to spend the night in a copse near the beach. On Thursday hewent back South to arrive back to the waterfront, this time close to the village of Joal-Fadiouth. At 15:00 it was flying at low altitude and speed over Djiffer, a fishing village located on a stretch of sand on the banks of the river Saolum, and an hour later was standing on the nearby island of Sangomar, in the National Park of Delta Sine-Saloum. Perhaps taking an early dinner? From this island he flight into the park and spend the night on the edge of a mangrove swamp near the small village of Missirah, famous for its ancient ceiba, one of the oldest trees in Senegal.

The Sine-Saloum National Park covers about 40% of the 180,000 hectares that has the entire Delta, a network of channels of brackish water with more than 200 islands, lush mangrove forests and Atlantic coastal areas. It is a protected natural area known for its great diversity and abundance of waterfowl. A very good wintering habitat for our osprey indeed. Will Cousteau like this place?