Lamin M Bojang ( Gambia Bird Guide ) was Born on 18th February 1973 in Gunjur village to Malang Bojang and Mbenki Mama Touray. Lamin tells us “My dad was a trader working in Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau”. ” I remember waiting for him to return from his trips with maybe a small gift for me “. My mum grew vegetables in our garden to sell and for us to eat.
I always wanted to be a Bird Guide
Since being a small boy he had a love for nature and studied it in school. It was called Biology then but now it is called natural and environmental science. Being a modest soul, Lamin tells me ” I was the best biology student in our class, and because of that enthusiasm I wanted to devote my life to nature and its protection.
Conservation and protection
After leaving school I went to work for the Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve. I was responsible for the protection and management of that area, data collection of species, and ranger patrol. While there I received different training on biodiversity at The Department of Parks and Wildlife Management at Abuko Nature Reserve.
Nature is so beautiful to me
Lamin says “Birds are the most natural thing that I love in my life”. I would remember when I was young seeing birds flying in the sky spreading their wings and gliding. Watching them for hours I would admire them so much and wanted to fly just as they did. One of the things I love so much about birds is the wonderful colours that nature has given them. The unique behaviours between species especially during their mating display and their feeding habits. Also how they communicate and how they distribute themselves throughout the whole world through migration. This is why I became a bird guide.
My Owl trip
Lamin says “Whenever I’m birdwatching all my worries are gone and the best birding for me is the owl trip. This is a unique trip where we visit different habitats. Such as the Faraba Bantang rice field and you can see different species of owl.
My favourite bird in The Gambia
I asked Lamin what his favourite bird was in The Gambia. A difficult question as there are more than 570 species in-country. He tells us that his favourite bird is the Little Grebe. Because of the way it dives into the water and reappears again. These superb images below are by Rob Garner, one of our most frequent visitors.
