Ringing totals for Palearctic migrants are around 1,500 a year depending on the coverage and a similar number for African species. In conjunction with me, Ottenby Bird Observatory have just publisheda paper on fat deposition and muscle increase in spring from the last two winter's work with this project. Air fares vary slightly for different dates, the only horrendous charges are around Christmas and other such periods, normally it is around 250 for a fortnight with small additional charges for longer return dates. All transfers from pick-up at Yundum to boat crossing to Ginak are included. Madiyana Safari Lodge consists of very comfortable huts,the framework being built on a concrete block base with double-skinned elephant grass walls.
Roofs are of corrugated metal lined inside with decorative woven panels and outside withthatch.
The floors are of brick. Being in a National Park with only a couple of small villages we get no hassle from locals and no major tourist influx. Normally the four or five miles of beach on either side of the lodge is deserted except for lodge residents so relaxation in the sea is uninterrupted once ringing is finished around mid-day. The coastal area we use is on the north bank of the river and is part of the Niume-Sine Saloum National Park, adjoining the Saloum National Park in Senegal. It is a long, low island 12 km long and 2.5 km wide separated from the mainland by a mangrove-fringed bolon of maximum width 200 metres.