Rose Nekesa’s rice field in western Kenya has been invaded by huge swarms of the voracious red-billed quelea bird.
Thousands of farmers like her near the lakeside city of Kisumu fear they will reap their worst harvest in five years.
“I’m losing my voice because I spend all day shouting, to chase the birds away. These birds are not afraid of anything,” she tells the BBC, holding a huge lump of mud in one hand and a stick in the other.
“They are already used to us and everything we throw at them.”
She pelts the birds with mud to scare them away from her crop. Her small, wiry frame often allows her to run across her paddy field as more swarms descend.
“When there are no birds, I can work alone. Now, I need at least four people to work for me. It’s very expensive. We are pleading with the government to intervene. This rice is the only source of income that we have.”
