Project visit to Oursi

In March, Oursi was visited by members of the French Committee of IUCN, which is supervising the NATURAMA project on the Oursi Wetland Conservation Plan. The project is funded by the Small Initiatives Programme (PPI) of the French Global Environment Fund (FFEM), WWF, Vogelbescherming Nederland, the Swedish International Biodiversity Programme (SwedBio) and BirdLife International. Among others, the team checked on the status of hedges planted to stabilise wetland banks, and the community tree nursery. The project implementation was found well developed and further recommendations, including a zoning plan for Oursi, were presented.

New bird counts from Oursi

From 21-23 February, a team of local birdwatchers and members of NATURAMA (BirdLife International partner organisation in Burkina Faso) conducted another bird count at a number of sites in the region, focusing on wetland birds. At Oursi, the impressive number of 52,561 waterbirds in 35 species was recorded. The most common species were White-faced Tree-Duck (16,843 birds) and Knob-billed Goose (15,285), followed by Spur-winged Goose (8272), Fulvous Tree-Duck (7483) and Ruff (1273). Other species that also occur in Cambridgeshire include 573 Garganey, 4 Little Grebe, 31 Grey Herons, 6 Little Egrets, 510 Marsh Harriers, 154 Moorhens, 25 Little Ringed-Plover, 7 Ringed Plover, 10 Little Stint, 7 Common Snipe, 203 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 53 Wood Sandpiper, 52 Common Sandpiper and 171 Yellow Wagtails.

Records from Oursi

Photo © Muhtari Aminu-Kano/BirdLife International

From 18 to 28 November 2008, NATURAMA (BirdLife partner organisation in Burkina Faso) conducted a training course at Oursi, during which 157 species of birds were observed in the savannah and the dunes and at Oursi lake. The list includes many West African species, but also many Palaearctic migrants: Garganey, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Knot, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, White-winged Black Tern, European Turtle Dove, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Great Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff and Woodchat Shrike. Species observed that breed in western Africa and also include wintering birds from the Palaearctic include Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Black Kite, Tawny Eagle, Moorhen and Hoopoe.

Meetings at Oursi

Photo © Naturama

In December 2008, a delegation of NATURAMA (BirdLife partner organisation in Burkina Faso) visited the Oursi Museum Hu Beero. The museum, which was opened in November 2006, documents the internationally important medieval remains at Oursi. Also in December, delegations from two other sites of ornithological importance in Burkina, Sourou Valley and Kaboré Tambi National Park, visited Oursi to discuss conservation issues and exchange experience. Both Sourou Valley in the northwest and Kaboré Tambi in the south of the country are BirdLife-identified Important Bird Areas as is Lake Oursi. Just before this meeting, members of the local Oursi group participated in the national planning meeting of NATURAMA for 2009, which took place in the town of Gorom-Gorom, close to Lake Oursi.

Tree planting at Lake Oursi

© Image courtesy of NATURAMA

On 1 August 2008, NATURAMA (Fondation des Amis de la Nature, BirdLife Partner in Burkina Faso) started working on a reforestation project at Lake Oursi. This work is supported by Vogelbescherming Nederland (Dutch BirdLife Partner). The heads of the local authorities and representatives of the different ethnic groups at Oursi (Sonrai, Touareg and Peulh) as well as the Site Support Group (Oursi Bird Club) are participating in this important work for improving the habitat. This coincides with the celebrations in August of "The Month of the Tree" in Burkina Faso. Tree planting plays an important role in the fight against desertification in the Sahelian country and in improving bird habitats. The 10,000 trees to be planted have been reared from a tree nursery that the Oursi Site Support Group is running. For more information, see here (in French).

Oursi Conservation Plan

A new Lake Oursi Conservation Plan for the years 2008-2012 has been established, following a workshop at Oursi.


© Oursi Bird Club

The plan will address the threats to the site and will help the local community to manage the Lake Oursi ecosystems as a benefit to wildlife and local people. The Plan has been elaborated in a collaboration of the Oursi Bird Club, NATURAMA (the BirdLife Partner in Burkina Faso) and local people with financial contributions of BirdLife International, WWF, VBN, FFEM, and PLCE/BN. Financial contributions for the Plan’s implementation are still sought.

Common Crane and White Stork observed at Oursi

Photo © Oursi Bird Club

We have just heard the news that, with Common Crane, a new species has been observed at Lake Oursi by the Oursi Bird Club - please see the photo of the birds. Common Cranes are rare at the southern fringes of the Sahara. Also, a sighting of White Storks has been remarkable. Thanks to Oursi Bird Club for letting us know about this news.