Day 1 cont
The whole speech about the elephants was so mesmerizing that I can literally hear it going on and on in my head.
Who knew that field trips would be so exciting?
You get to see everything happen while they are explaining it to you.
We have been walking for about an hour now and haven't said anything, or is it ten minutes? But gosh, I feel so tired right now.
Just then, one of the instructors spotted a bird and asked them to wait.
"Isn't that the rosy-cheeked Long-claw?" another instructor asks.
"Yes, it is, but it's a surprise, as they are hard to find these days," one of the tour guides answers.
"Well, we are in luck then," she answers.
He seems to be really interested in the birds, and he quickly starts taking pictures.
Uh! That's not fare. They are allowed cameras, but we aren't.
"Ok, now everyone should listen; we will briefly explain to you about this tiny little bird," he announces after taking pictures to his heart's content.
"The rosy-throated long-claw, also known as the rosy-breasted long-claw with the scientific name Macronyx ameliae, is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae," he begins.
We all went down to jotting again.
"It is found mostly in Kenya here, then Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and its natural habitat is usually subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland like this place," he continues.
"Three subspecies of these birds are recognized: the Macronyx ameliae ameliae, which is from Mozambique, Swaziland, and eastern South Africa; the Macronyx ameliae wintoni, this particular species here, as you all know, is from southwestern Kenya and northern Tanzania; and lastly, the Macronyx ameliae altanus, which is from Botswana, Angola, Malawi, southwestern Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia," he adds.
"The adult birds are 19–20 centimeters long with grayish-brown scalloped upper parts," he continues.
"The male has a pink throat and breast crossed with a broad black band across the chest, which is not evident outside of breeding season, while the female birds have pink underparts but lack the black band, and immature birds have mainly black-streaked pale brown underparts with some pink-red color centrally," he says.
"They also make a chiteet call, resembling that of a pipit."
"Do you know what a pipit is?" he asks.
Some nodded, while others said no.
"Ok, then, who can tell me it's zoological name?" he asks.
One student raised their hand.
"It's Anthus pipits," he says.
"Yes, correct, that's the general name of the bird, but there are also other subspecies," he says.
"Now where were we? Yes, so the rosy-throated long-claw birds are found in wet grasslands and flood plains, often with lower grasses, and as you can see, this area has low grasses. We won't be talking much about vegetation till time, so get ready," he says.
"And they are found across central and eastern Africa; they are more patchily distributed in the south of the continent, but they are sometimes restricted to the Okavango Delta, Linyanti Marshes, and Chobe floodplains in Botswana and Namibia; the Zimbabwe highveld in Zimbabwe; and coastal areas in Kwazulu-Natal."
"And regarding their breeding season, the rosy-throated long-claw breeds during the wet season from September to April, so we can say that it's yet to start now as we are in August," he continues.
He pauses for a little bit for the information to sink in.
"The Interesting Facts You Should Know About the Rosy-throated Long-claw is that they primarily feed on small insects. They usually forage on the ground for food but occasionally snatch their prey aerially. Some food items they consume include locusts, grasshoppers, termite alates, and even frogs," he continues.
"These birds are also monogamous and will form strong bonds with their family. They are territorial, solitary nesters that breed and nest in low bushes and open grasslands near shallow wetlands. "
"Their courtship antics usually include the male singing on small shrubs and mounds and performing aerial displays, flying a few inches above the grass with their feet hanging."
"The female rosy-throated long-claw solely builds the nest, which is characterized by a deep cup, which is made of stems in the exterior and finished with rootlets in the interior."
"The egg-laying season occurs from October to April, peaking in December to February, and a clutch of 2 to 3 eggs is laid, which the female will also solely incubate for about two weeks."
"Both sexes will tend to feed the broods. Chicks will leave the nest after approximately 16 days," he then says.
"I think that is enough for now; we should get going; it's starting to get dark," he says.
Finally.
"Maybe we might decide to discuss a nocturnal animal along the way, and if we are one, it would be good," he says.
I spoke too soon.
He gave the mic to another instructor.
"Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying yourselves," he asks.
We all groaned.
How can he ask such a question? We have been walking nonstop and only stopping once or twice to take a rest.
"Ok, I won't take much of your time; I will briefly be talking about the hippopotamus," he says.
There was a few minutes of silence, and then he began.
"The hippopotamus, also known as the Hippopotamus amphibius, is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae; the other is the Pygmy Hippopotamus, but the ones found in this park are the Hippopotamus amphibius," he began.
Why is it that the female instructors aren't saying anything?
"The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young."
"During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud, and they emerge at dusk to graze on grass. Soon enough, you might be lucky to see them emerging."
His face turned serious.
"But be warned, these creatures are so dangerous, so don't try to get near them, as the hippopotamus is said to be one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa."
"There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and they are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth."
"The hippopotamus leads a double life, as I have explained earlier; uniquely among Africa’s large herbivores, it spends the daytime in water, where pods of up to a dozen—generally an adult male plus females and young—laze in the shallows, often showing just their heads."
"And then by night, hippos leave the water and disperse to feed, wandering far in search of grazing. On land, they are solitary, the calves staying with their mothers'
"Also, during the dry season, as waterways shrink, the pods congregate in large herds."
"A hippo’s rotund body, naked hide, and elevated eyes and nostrils are adaptations for its aquatic lifestyle, and so they find it hard to survive during dry seasons, and its huge incisors and canines serve not for feeding but for threat displays and fighting; rival bulls contest violent territorial skirmishes," he adds.
"They are also mostly found around the governor's camp, which means we are still not far from where we started," he adds.
Well, that's a bummer.
I can't move any further, lest I fall.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you for now; we might explain a bit more later as it is getting late, so we will be heading for where to set out camp for the night," he says.
Wait a minute; we are sleeping in the middle of nowhere.
"Thank you very much, everyone. I think we can call it a day. I hope everyone has gained something." He asks no one in particular.
It's Professor Abraham speaking.
"So, now we are going to head to the camp site and set out tents, and let me warn you," he pauses.
"Nobody should try to wander around on his or her own, as it is pretty dangerous out there," he says.
"Come on, let's get going," he ushered us.
After a few minutes of walking, we reached the destination, and I went straight to making my own tent, even though I had no idea how to do it.
"Here, let me help," he offers.
This is the first time we have spoken since we left the camp.
I was too tired to argue, so I let him.
"Thank you, sir," I say.
He just nodded and walked away, but he didn't go far when one of the instructors came to him.
So I can hear the conversation they are having.
"Sir, the tents are not enough for everyone," he says.
"Ok, just make sure everyone has a place to sleep," he says.
"And what about you, sir?" he asks.
"Don't worry about me; I can manage with a sleeping bag," he answers.
"Uhmm, why don't you share a tent with your wife? We won't mind," he says.
No, no, no.
I wanted to chime in but stopped myself.
He just nodded.
The man walks away, leaving the two of us.
"You don't have to worry; I won't be sharing the tent with you," he says as he reads my mind and walks away.