We were also fortunate to see a number of birds. Blue Cranes (Grus paradisea) congregated on the hills and in the river, a Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo or Phalacrocorax africanus) perched on a branch, wings outspread to dry them. On this occasion, however, I was captivated by a Greater Striped Swallow (Cecropis cucullata), quietly surveying the scene.