Mustapha spent the non-breeding period near to Baoma village north of Gbab in the Bonthe District of Sierra Leone. This site is only about 30 kilometres from where Gerrit spent his time, but it is a completely different world. It is a less open landscape, a patchwork of forest and agriculture lands on sandy soil.

"Slash and burn" agriculture is practiced on the higher grounds while peat swamps of various size are hidden between the cultivated areas. The main crops are sweet potato, coconut, banana and pineaple. The marshes are used for fishing using funnel traps.

This terrain is difficult to survey, therefore we have not managed to find Mustapha or even to see any other Purple Herons. However, flocks of Cattle Egrets flying over the area indicated that there could be a lot of herons hidden in the marshes.

Mustapha spent the non-breeding period near to Baoma village north of Gbab in the Bonthe District of Sierra Leone. This site is only about 30 kilometres from where Gerrit spent his time, but it is a completely different world. It is a less open landscape, a patchwork of forest and agriculture lands on sandy soil.

"Slash and burn" agriculture is practiced on the higher grounds while peat swamps of various size are hidden between the cultivated areas. The main crops are sweet potato, coconut, banana and pineaple. The marshes are used for fishing using funnel traps.

This terrain is difficult to survey, therefore we have not managed to find Mustapha or even to see any other Purple Herons. However, flocks of Cattle Egrets flying over the area indicated that there could be a lot of herons hidden in the marshes.