THE Biking Birder - Green and Carbon Birding Adventures Over the Years
Gary Prescott aka The Biking Birder, is going to cycle for the whole of November, the north-west region of Rwanda. Fundraising for Acorns Children's Hospice and the Planet Birdsong charity; there is a JustGiving sites for ACORNS. As for Planet Birdsong, there is a link to the side on my blog page for you to take a look at the work they do in Rwanda and how you can help. Biking Birder VIII - An African Adventure.
Happy New Year to all you wonderful Sunshine People.
Now every week I hope to be able to show you a Green Birder from somewhere in this beautiful if troubled world.
First in this series is a remarkable young man, Joseph Lionceau of Rwanda.
Seeing a photograph of Joseph with his fellow African Green Birders, sitting on their bikes a few years ago, inspired me to want to go to Rwanda.
This I did last year, spending the whole of November there. More details about that Biking Birder adventure will be forthcoming but first let's meet Joseph.
Here is what he says about himself on eBird . . .
I'm Joseph Desire DUFITUMUKIZA(Lionceau), a keen Youth birder in Rwanda, interested in ornithology and passionate to participate development of conservation of wildlife, I started birding since 2013 in high School, late I get chance to attend various birding trainings for Local Advanced Bird Guide in Rwanda and Site Bird Guide in Kivu Belt Region along The Congo Nile Trail. I have inspired a lot for conservation and wildlife photography. I am Representative of Rwanda Youth Birders and facilitator of local clubs, Rugezi Birdwatching Club and MIPC Birding Club. Feel free to reach out me via WA: +250783772300, WeChat ID: JosephLionceau or djosephdesire@hotmail.com. and also you can follow me here https://www.facebook.com/JosephLionceaux?mibextid=ZbWKwL and https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephlionceau
It is so inspirational to see how other birders make a difference in different countries and how birding unifies us all.
Take a look at this fabulous website that details more of what is happening with birding in Rwanda . . .
Also to support ACORNS CHILDREN’S HOSPICE in the West
Midlands, United Kingdom, I am once more dedicating my Biking Birder VIII adventure to my
little brother Chris who so sadly died fifty years ago, October 31st.
There are links on the right hand side of this page, right underneath the amazing Patch Adams, for you please to give a donation to these two vital charities.
Arriving in Kigali at 7:00am, and after being kept at
Visa/Passport Control for some time because I didn’t have Mugisha’s phone
number. Mugisha is the CEO of an exemplary Wildlife Tour company that gives
visitors amazing wildlife encounter opportunities, including seeing Gorillas,
whilst engaging in community projects.
Check out Wildlife Tours – Rwanda via their website.
The videos and texts on their website are both fascinating and inspiring. A
superb wildlife tour company.
Having met Mugisha at departures, we were soon driving
towards his WILDLIFE TOURS – RWANDA offices. Suddenly, as we approached the
road where the offices were located, whilst Mugisha was driving along a
beautiful tree lined dual carriageway, Mugisha suddenly remembered that he had
asked the main Rwandan television company to interview me!
I had had no chance for a wash and shave. I had very little
sleep on the plane from Heathrow; my head rest on the screen on the seat in
front of me, whilst propped up on my hands.
The TV company crew were waiting for us as Mugisha drove up
onto the office’s courtyard!
Bike box found, safely stored in Mugisha’s office having arrived
over two weeks ago, I removed the bike and started to reassemble it. The TV
crew filmed me as I did so and then interviewed Mugisha.
Into the offices to meet the staff and for a conversation
over itinerary, aims and general questions.
The staff were fantastically friendly . . . thanks Kamikaze,
Stella, Jeremy, Jame and Ferdinan! . . . something I would get see from nearly
every Rwandan met, whether that be on the streets whilst walking safely around
all parts of Kigali, or when cycling along the intensely busy streets and
roads, or when at nature reserves and in villages. Rwandan people are the most
friendly, conversational, quick to smile and laugh people I have ever met!
Mugisha couldn’t have been more helpful. SIM card for
Rwanda, sorted. Cash from ATM, sported. Meal, a superb fish, chips, rice and
some sort of sauce, sorted.
We had driven to do these essentials into the heart of
Kigali, even driving past the famous Rwanda Hotel . . .
The roads were busy but wide and very well kept with
immaculate tarmac – NO POTHOLES. Hundreds of motorcycle taxis, masses of them. Cars
as well, of course and all seemed to be new.
In the road where we first parked up, at a small bank, there
were dozens of Rwandans who bustled amongst the cars and motorbikes.
Horrific to see but in a way so inspiring, a young woman walking,
well getting around speedily and with amazing skill, on her all fours. A
beautiful young woman with such a disability but with the will or the need to
conquer the obstacles. No one took any notice of her.
To a modern looking shopping mall for the meal, I wanted to
do some shopping myself but was aware that Mugisha would have other business
commitments. What a wonderful man to give his time to an almost complete
stranger. Thanks, Mugisha.
An apartment above the offices of WILDLIFE TOURS – RWANDA was
to be tonight’s accommodation for me, a superb large apartment with two
double-bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and large lounge. Cost for the night was
60,000 Rwandan Francs. Might sound a lot, it converts to $40, around £34.
Brilliant.
Unpacking my two huge suitcases, both had carried around twenty-three
kilograms of stuff, and my eight kilogram rucksack, whilst adding it all to the
dozens of cuddly toys that had protected my bike when on transit in the bike
box, I eventually got down the steep hill down a narrow ginnel, to an area of
tall bamboo beside a reed-filled stream.
A team of yellow Hi-Viz jacketed workers were smashing rocks
and creating a pathway. Most of them were young women who worked with laughter,
especially when they gestured to me as I sat on a rock watching a pair of the
exquisite White-browed Robin Chats displaying to each other.
“Take our photograph,” the gestures suggested. I gestured
back No. I don’t photograph people but they seemed to insist and got together
in a group.
I lifted my camera and immediately it was like the Monty
Python sketch, the Olympic two hundred metre dash for people with no sense of
direction.
The ladies scattered, well, all except for one who stood and
smiled.
Into the bamboo and birds were everywhere . . .
Back to the apartment, eBird checklist to start my Rwandan
adventure, Three Lifers!
One of the books I immediately bought, when I decided that Biking Birder VIII was going to be in Rwanda, as well as the two East Africa Bird Field Guides, was the superb '101 Curious Takes of East African Birds . . .
. . . by Colin Beale.
Reading about each bird was inspirational. How many of the species in the book would I be seeing in Rwanda? How many had I already seen?
Back in 2018, I went with two fantastic Birding Clams friends; Jason Oliver and Tony Barter, to Gambia.
As well as the immense amount of fun we had, including me finding hair to remind me of when in my youthful days I had long, bum-lengthened, braided, plaited locks . . .
. . . amazing what happens when one finds a washing line with a number of drying wigs in a small Gambian village.
Well, together Jason, Tony & I saw 205 bird species . . .
including the Broad-billed Roller.
One of the pages in Colin's book shows the Lilac-breasted Roller and reading the text there is the answer to the oft-asked question; are Tropical Birds more colourful than Eurasian ones?
Blue Tits, Bullfinches, Kingfishers, Jays, we have colourful birds here in Britain but are there more colourful species in Africa.
Colin references a study in Nature, Ecology & Evolution back in 2022 where it was found that "average variety of colours shown by a bird in the tropics is about 20 -30% greater than for songbirds in the temperate zone."
So to a colourful land where the birds are more colourful! Rwanda here I come.
Landing at 7;00 am on Tuesday, the 28th of October, I will be greeted by Mugisha, a fabulous Rwandan man I met at Global Birdfair back in July.
On the final day of the superb GLOBAL BIRDFAIR, I sat with Hilary MacBean of PLANET BIRSONG and met Mugisha. Together we talked about me coming to Rwanda.
Cutting out all the details of that conversation, a day later we met in the World's BEST city, Birmingham, UK at Ozzy the Bull in the New Street Station concourse.
A day was spent visiting the World's BEST football ground, Aston Villa and a extremely special gift was given to Mugisha, my scarf from the Aston Villa vs PSG Champion's League match! A treasured item, looks great on him . . . UP THE MIGHTY VILLA.
Mugisha was fabulous and if he is representative of the way people are in Rwanda, well then, this is going to be such a fun-filled, emotional adventure.
So . . .
After sorting out all of the things in the suitcases and rucksack I am taking, as well as all of the things in the bike box that arrived in Kigali a few weeks ago . . .
. . . After putting my bike together, filling my panniers, placing the cuddlies who will be with me for the adventure, and after having the most brilliant time meeting Mugisha again and hopefully other Rwandans; I will be visiting at least two of the sites mentioned on eBird.
On Wednesday and Thursday, I will be visiting Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-tourism Park, which I have linked the title below to their eBird page.
A couple of days ago, I used the a recent eBird checklist, made on the 11th of October, to collate a species list for the reserve, all ready to add my own data to when birding there next week.
95 bird species listed, around half of them will be LIFERS for me, birds I have never seen before, it was fantastic to go through them all and see such incredible birds!
I had a large poster of this wonderful bird on my bedroom when I was a teenager dreaming of African birds.
On Friday and Saturday I will be visiting Umusambi Village and I am thrilled to know that I will be meeting a truly wonderful man, Dr Olivier Nsengimana! It will be a true delight, a pleasure and a privilege to meet him.
As for the bird species awaiting me there, another reserve with a lot of birds and a major centre for the rehabilitation of Grey-headed Cranes.
Many years ago, a young Rwandan Green Birder, Joseph Desire Dufitumukiza - Joseph Lionceau, had photographs of a group of young Green Birders, including himself, on the Facebook Green Birding Megastars group page.
Years later, I have the opportunity to meet this incredible young birder when I travel next week to Rwanda for my next Biking Birder adventure - BBVIII - Rwanda 2025.
Joseph is now an ambassador for Rwandan birding, internationally known for his work, especially with young people.
Joseph says it better than me . . .
I'm Joseph Desire DUFITUMUKIZA(Lionceau), a keen Youth birder in Rwanda, interested in ornithology and passionate to participate development of conservation of wildlife. I have been birding since 2013 in high School. Later I got the chance to attend various birding trainings for Local Advanced Bird Guide in Rwanda and Site Bird Guide in Kivu Belt Region along The Congo Nile Trail. I have inspired a lot for conservation and wildlife photography. I am Representative of Rwanda Youth Birders and facilitator of local clubs, Rugezi Birdwatching Club and MIPC Birding Club.
Feel free to reach out me via WA: +250783772300,
WeChat ID: JosephLionceau or djosephdesire@hotmail.com.
and also you can follow me here https://www.facebook.com/JosephLionceaux?mibextid=ZbWKwL
and https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephlionceau
https://ebird.org/profile/MTE5OTAyOA/world
Joseph is passionate about the work of the Rugezi Ornithological Center so please take a look at this excellent website detailing them.
It is going to be fascinating to meet Joseph in person and hear of his story. In everything Joseph does, one can see what a sunshine person he is. He has the most fantastic smile and he is making such a difference for so many people.
The charity that works with Joseph and other Rwandan birders in Rwanda is called Planet Birdsong and I will be asking all of you to, please, give a donation to Planet Birdsong so that their vital work can continue.
Here is a link to their website for you to see what they are doing helping communities in Rwanda . . .
Three days to go before I fly to Rwanda, excitement level is stratospheric! My main aim of this Biking Birder adventure is to meet both the people involved in nature conservation in Rwanda and see the culture of this amazing country.
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