The trip starts at dawn tomorrow as we make our way to Gabarone. The trip has been many months in the planning, buying the Jeep, deciding to join Callan Cohen in Windhoek for a guided few weeks to experience birding at it best in the autumn days of Namibia and then going off on our own up to the Caprivi Strip and into the Okavango Panhandle.
Our itinerary takes us from abundant shorebirds in one of Africa's richest estuaries, to finding the Rockrunner in the Erongo Mountains, the magnificent granite inselberg, into the haunting and desolate Namib Desert, the bizarre Welwitschia, as well as five days crossing Etosha National Park, to the Waterberg for the diminutive Damara Dik-dik.
Callan has a reputation as one of Africa's foremost birdwatching and wildlife tour guides and when I first met him in 2001, for a day of birding in the Cape, I made a resolution to spend time with him again. So what better time than the Big Birding Year. The bird list for the trip is some 300 birds and the Namibian specials will be lifers for me, as this is my first time in this part of Namibia having only visited the Caprivi before, so lots of excitement and anticipation too.
Connectivity is going to be a challenge to keep the blog current but I plan to attempt to show Fred's photos and share some of the experiences.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wakkerstroom Highlights: Crowned Cranes, Fegato di Pollo Penne and so much more
What better combination than good friends, glorious Italian food, a beautiful place with endless views and an 'Uber Twitch'. Wakkerstroom was a treat.
As we settled in with Nikki and Geoff on Friday night, Crowned Cranes arrived just beyond their garden where the pair roost in a dead tree, their calling makes my hair stand on end, its a haunting cry that carries over the wetlands.
We ambled down to the wetland with the dogs and Vespa in tow (Fred's next favourite cat after Baron), the water level was high, running dirty and we did not see too much. Couldn't find the Cliff Swallows either so we came back to get supper going. Geoff did not disappoint his liver dish is sublime, worth sharing the recipe. An ideal meal for the cold nights coming soon.
Fegato di Pollo Penne
Ingredients for 4 people: half kg cleaned chicken livers, 250 g bacon, 2 onions thinly sliced, 2 cloves garlic, olive oil and butter for frying, punnet of mushrooms sliced, flour seasoned with salt and pepper and oregano, 250 ml reduced fat cream, 2 T sherry, good pinch of dried chillies.
Fry the onions gently in the olive oil and butter, add garlic, then chopped bacon.
Fry mushrooms seperately then add to the onion - bacon mix.
Lightly dust the livers in the flour mix and fry in small batched until crispy.
Add all of the above together.
Gently heat through with the cream, sherry and chillies.
Serve the liver mix on a bed of penne, great with a Shiraz.....
Wakkerstroom mornings are already crisp and we were out birding in fleeces and jackets. I booked Sunday morning birding with Lucky Ngwenya and we met him at 6, it was misty and quite cold. The mist slowed us down in finding the Yellow-breasted Pipit up on the Utrecht road out of town but that was about all we missed, it was a 'birdfest'.
Nikki had so many lifers we kept laughing at her trying to keep track, from black Crows to Botha's Lark all on the same day!
Our stop at a patch of indigenous forest, still soggy underfoot from all the rain, was the start of some exceptional sightings - Bush Blackcap and my first lifer for the day, a Brown-backed Honeybird, a rather nondescript looking bird until it flies and I saw the extensive white of its tail.
Bush Blackcap
It was a day for larks and appreciating the vast grasslands around Wakkerstroom. Red-capped Larks, Eastern Long-billed Larks, Botha's Larks, Spike-heeled Larks, and we also glimpsed Rudd's Lark with its low flight, stubby tail when Lucky flushed it near Fickland Pan.
Spike-heeled Lark and Red-capped Lark (below)
The Eastern Long-billed and Botha's Larks were the next lifers for the morning and we had opportunity to spend time watching them, particularly the Botha's, in this photo you can see his pale throat, heavy streaking and pinkish bill.
Botha's Lark
I was once again reminded about being complacent when birding. We passed a flock of Crowned Lapwings which I was quite happy to ignore when Lucky casually mentioned that there were a few Black-winged Lapwings amongst them, lifer number four!
We passed numerous Crowned Cranes, Bald Ibises, Blue Korhaans, Mountain Wheatears as we drove around the back roads looking for the larks.
Another sighting that I enjoyed was finding a Red-throated Wryneck in town on a telephone pole, once again at least a decade since I had last seen this bird.
Red-throated Wryneck on the telephone pole in town
Thanks again Nikki and Geoff for opening your home to a weekend of madcap birding, it was memory making.
As we settled in with Nikki and Geoff on Friday night, Crowned Cranes arrived just beyond their garden where the pair roost in a dead tree, their calling makes my hair stand on end, its a haunting cry that carries over the wetlands.
We ambled down to the wetland with the dogs and Vespa in tow (Fred's next favourite cat after Baron), the water level was high, running dirty and we did not see too much. Couldn't find the Cliff Swallows either so we came back to get supper going. Geoff did not disappoint his liver dish is sublime, worth sharing the recipe. An ideal meal for the cold nights coming soon.
Fegato di Pollo Penne
Ingredients for 4 people: half kg cleaned chicken livers, 250 g bacon, 2 onions thinly sliced, 2 cloves garlic, olive oil and butter for frying, punnet of mushrooms sliced, flour seasoned with salt and pepper and oregano, 250 ml reduced fat cream, 2 T sherry, good pinch of dried chillies.
Fry the onions gently in the olive oil and butter, add garlic, then chopped bacon.
Fry mushrooms seperately then add to the onion - bacon mix.
Lightly dust the livers in the flour mix and fry in small batched until crispy.
Add all of the above together.
Gently heat through with the cream, sherry and chillies.
Serve the liver mix on a bed of penne, great with a Shiraz.....
Wakkerstroom mornings are already crisp and we were out birding in fleeces and jackets. I booked Sunday morning birding with Lucky Ngwenya and we met him at 6, it was misty and quite cold. The mist slowed us down in finding the Yellow-breasted Pipit up on the Utrecht road out of town but that was about all we missed, it was a 'birdfest'.
Nikki had so many lifers we kept laughing at her trying to keep track, from black Crows to Botha's Lark all on the same day!
Our stop at a patch of indigenous forest, still soggy underfoot from all the rain, was the start of some exceptional sightings - Bush Blackcap and my first lifer for the day, a Brown-backed Honeybird, a rather nondescript looking bird until it flies and I saw the extensive white of its tail.
Bush Blackcap
It was a day for larks and appreciating the vast grasslands around Wakkerstroom. Red-capped Larks, Eastern Long-billed Larks, Botha's Larks, Spike-heeled Larks, and we also glimpsed Rudd's Lark with its low flight, stubby tail when Lucky flushed it near Fickland Pan.
Spike-heeled Lark and Red-capped Lark (below)
The Eastern Long-billed and Botha's Larks were the next lifers for the morning and we had opportunity to spend time watching them, particularly the Botha's, in this photo you can see his pale throat, heavy streaking and pinkish bill.
Botha's Lark
I was once again reminded about being complacent when birding. We passed a flock of Crowned Lapwings which I was quite happy to ignore when Lucky casually mentioned that there were a few Black-winged Lapwings amongst them, lifer number four!
We passed numerous Crowned Cranes, Bald Ibises, Blue Korhaans, Mountain Wheatears as we drove around the back roads looking for the larks.
Another sighting that I enjoyed was finding a Red-throated Wryneck in town on a telephone pole, once again at least a decade since I had last seen this bird.
Red-throated Wryneck on the telephone pole in town
Thanks again Nikki and Geoff for opening your home to a weekend of madcap birding, it was memory making.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Penguins of the North, Birding in Alaska
We are in Cape Town and this is the first weekend in many months that I took a break from chasing birds, except for popping out to Strandfontein SW to try find a Hottentot Teal, dipped on that quest and was feeling grumpy, hungry and did not want to be there. So the rest of the weekend we had a fine time, over a braai with Mike and Sabine and the girls on Saturday and a feast of seafood on Sunday over in Hermanus with Bri, Di, Andre and Sannet. Long glorious walk after lunch along the coastal trail, just what I needed. Glimpsed dolphins and a whale in the bay too.
Our destination is St Paul Island, Alaska, in search of exotic birding and wildlife viewing. The PenAir flight takes us three hours from Anchorage, across the Bering Sea between Alaska and Siberia, to St. Paul Island. It is one of the 5 islands of the Pribilofs, with just on 500 residents it has Alaska’s largest population of Aleut people. It is also home to the arctic fox, the rookeries of northern fur seals, a reindeer herd and in spring and summer a unique destination for adventurous birders. Birders arrive on tours organized by Tanadgusix Corp., the tribal corporation for St. Paul village and owner of the island’s only hotel.
St. Paul’s main attraction for birders is the vertical cliffs high above the Bering Sea. Crowded on the rocky ledges are the thousands of nesting seabirds, amongst them the much sought after Alcids or penguins of the north, so-called because of their similar body designs. All of the twenty or so species of Alcids share a few basic features. The birds have stout, streamlined bodies; short, narrow wings; thick, waterproof plumage; short tails and feet set well back on the body. With the scope or binoculars trained on them they are beautiful to look at with their dapper black and white plumage patterns and their droll feathers.
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The nesting season on the islands is brief and one of the first species to return to the Pribilofs each spring is the Northern Fulmar, a stocky, medium-sized gull that glides stiff-winged. The swift flying Alcids arrive - the Horned and Tufted Puffins; Thick-billed and Common Murres; Parakeet, Least, Rhinoceros and Crested Auklets; Ancient Murrelets, and even though they are built for marine life they land to breed in vast numbers on the precipitous ledges, rocks and boulders of the islands. The largest of the Alcids are the Tufted Puffins; they are about the size of pigeons and weigh up to 1 kilogram. The Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes, Red-faced Cormorants add diversity and noise to the colonies. Out to sea the Scaups and Harlequin Ducks demanded endless attention while the Steller’s Eider young males and King Eider females are challenging to identify.
The spring and fall migrations also attract a handful of hardy birders hoping for the thrill of a potential Asian vagrant blown off course by the notorious storm winds of the Bering Sea. Our knowledgeable guides mentioned that the best time to see the Asiatic migrants is late May and early June. Late August and early September are best for sighting unusual North American migrant land birds. More than 240 species have been identified here on the Pribilof Islands. The islands are the only accessible place some birds are seen such as the Red-legged Kittiwakes. Eighty percent of the world’s Red-legged Kittiwakes breed right here on the Pribilof Islands. Other species, such as the Red-faced Cormorant are rarely seen in such abundant numbers.
The elements are wildly extravagant on the Pribilof Islands. Summer on the islands is bleak and foggy, downright cold and the arctic July winds buffed our faces a ruddy red. The normal summer temperature range is from 2 to 10 degrees centigrade and we felt the cold because of the wind chill factor. The long daylight hours made each day feel like 2 days worth of birding, we were out for long stretches of time during the morning, afternoon and late into the evenings.
Less than an hour after our plane arrived, Andy our guide, along with binoculars, spotting scope and tripod had us hanging over the 30 meter cliffs at Tolstoi Point. In view were the puffins, we took a long breath and the arduous flight and the stressful waiting to leave the mainland was over, the shrieks and squawks from the cliffs almost as deafening as the surf and wind. The obsession with feeding and breeding is clear, the Tufted Puffins are particularly comical and I could see why the literature calls them “flying cigars” in flight. They move very quickly close to water and they feed by diving, and then flying under water with their wings in pursuit of small minnow-like fish. We also watched the Glaucous-winged Gulls pecking at seal carcasses which certainly help keep the beaches clean.
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The birds’ obsession with feeding was mirrored by our own obsession and the only restaurant in town, which is more like a canteen, is at the airport and became both the meeting place as well as the refuge from the endurance birding out on the tundra. Dana was running the place; she was on St. Paul Island on contract for the summer from Anchorage and cooked volumes of wholesome Alaskan food. It was not uncommon to find reindeer sausage, halibut, crab or salmon on the buffet menu. We chatted to Taiwanese photographers, Connecticut Audubon birders, scientists, researchers, biologists, Coast Guard and government employees and the like in this bustling meeting spot. Everyone here seemed to be on the island to probe and learn more about seals, birds, plants or people.
One of the many delights is watching the birds manage their eggs on the precarious cliff edges. The Thick-billed Murre lays one pale green speckled pear-shaped egg and its shape prevents the egg from rolling off the cliff ledges. The Horned Puffins choose large crevices for nesting while the Tufted Puffins nest in the cracks or scrape a burrow in dirt on the cliffs. The social hierarchy is evident on the cliffs. Each of the different bird species has its nesting preference which minimizes the conflict between the species. The Northern Fulmars dominated the larger ledges. The Parakeet Auklets find the tiniest of cracks higher up the cliff face. The nests of the Red-legged Kittiwakes, made of grass and mud seem to balance on non-existent ledges and it’s a marvel that they do not plummet to the Bering Sea below.
Our quest was for long walks along the windswept rugged coastline and when the fog lifts, the vistas across the tundra. St Paul is less than 22 km long and 13 km wide. The island has been shaped by volcanic activity and stripped down to bare rock and stunted tundra vegetation by wind. The walking is easy on the soft spongy tundra. Amongst the cottongrass tussocks and mosses are a profusion of tundra wild flowers, the prolific purple Arctic Lupines dominate but when we slowed down and started to pay close attention to detail we were thrilled to see Arctic Forget-me-nots, Chocolate Lilies, bright yellows Alaska Poppies and the many species of cinquefoil. There are no trees on the island although the guides take much delight in showing off the few stunted introduced trees that look out of place and rather miserable. The Snow Buntings, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches and the Lapland Longspurs entertained us with their beautiful series of tinkling notes along our walks. This longspur is one of the most common small birds on the moist tundra. Like the Snow Bunting, it has a long hind toenail and runs, rather than hops.
From the observation blinds at the Northern Fur Seal rookeries, Callorhinus ursinus, we watched mothers nursing pups, males fighting over females and all the rest of this raucous smelly scene. Even though the scene looks haphazard we were told that the seal rookery is a society ruled by protocol. The number of seals are overwhelming, experts put their numbers at anywhere between 600 000 and 800 000 mammals. Northern fur seals have short, pointed faces with large rear flippers. The pups are black at birth but as they mature they become dark brown in coloration, with a pale patch on the neck.
The first time I glimpsed the arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, its size was a surprise, standing about 30 centimeters tall and no bigger than our cat back home. They were scrawny and in summer a dark nondescript grey, brown colour. We kept bumping into the foxes on our walks as they sneaked around after bird eggs on the cliffs. They are agile and nimbly climb up and down the cliffs, carrying off an egg or two in their cheeks.
There is no short cut to get to the Pribilof Islands, seemingly endless days of flying time from South Africa, a disorientating 10 hour time difference but the effort is worthwhile to be part of this island culture and to experience all it has to offer the inquisitive traveler. Our summer bird list from St. Paul Island may not be extensive but is made up for in the pleasure of watching breeding birds on a truly wild and remote island.
Travel info
Pribilof Islands birding tours are available through St Paul Island Tours from mid-May to late August. Packages range from 3 to 8 days. Most birders stay for 2 nights and rush around the island seeing the specials. We would recommend at least 3 nights to get closer to the rhythm of the island, its people and the wildlife. Prices start from $1361 per person. Contact TDX Corporation, 4300 B Street, Suite 402, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. 1-877-424-5637. www.alaskabirding.com.
PenAir flies from Anchorage to St. Paul several times a week, 1-800-448-4226, www.penair.com
Bird List:
Our adventure to see the Macaroni Penguin a few weekends ago reminded me to post my piece that I wrote about chasing penguins in Alaska a few summers ago.
Penguins of the North.
Summer birding in Alaska.
The Pribilof Islands are five fog blanketed islands in the vast Bering Sea. The bleak and beautiful landscape is vegetated with lush tundra grasses and exquisite wildflowers. Summer home to hundreds of thousands of cliff-dwelling seabirds and the huge rookeries of northern fur seals. Permanent home to a hardy group of Aleut people, once slaves of the fur seal harvest, now integrated into an American lifestyle and running the tourism on St. Paul Island.
Summer birding in Alaska.
The Pribilof Islands are five fog blanketed islands in the vast Bering Sea. The bleak and beautiful landscape is vegetated with lush tundra grasses and exquisite wildflowers. Summer home to hundreds of thousands of cliff-dwelling seabirds and the huge rookeries of northern fur seals. Permanent home to a hardy group of Aleut people, once slaves of the fur seal harvest, now integrated into an American lifestyle and running the tourism on St. Paul Island.
Our destination is St Paul Island, Alaska, in search of exotic birding and wildlife viewing. The PenAir flight takes us three hours from Anchorage, across the Bering Sea between Alaska and Siberia, to St. Paul Island. It is one of the 5 islands of the Pribilofs, with just on 500 residents it has Alaska’s largest population of Aleut people. It is also home to the arctic fox, the rookeries of northern fur seals, a reindeer herd and in spring and summer a unique destination for adventurous birders. Birders arrive on tours organized by Tanadgusix Corp., the tribal corporation for St. Paul village and owner of the island’s only hotel.
St. Paul’s main attraction for birders is the vertical cliffs high above the Bering Sea. Crowded on the rocky ledges are the thousands of nesting seabirds, amongst them the much sought after Alcids or penguins of the north, so-called because of their similar body designs. All of the twenty or so species of Alcids share a few basic features. The birds have stout, streamlined bodies; short, narrow wings; thick, waterproof plumage; short tails and feet set well back on the body. With the scope or binoculars trained on them they are beautiful to look at with their dapper black and white plumage patterns and their droll feathers.
+1.jpg)
The nesting season on the islands is brief and one of the first species to return to the Pribilofs each spring is the Northern Fulmar, a stocky, medium-sized gull that glides stiff-winged. The swift flying Alcids arrive - the Horned and Tufted Puffins; Thick-billed and Common Murres; Parakeet, Least, Rhinoceros and Crested Auklets; Ancient Murrelets, and even though they are built for marine life they land to breed in vast numbers on the precipitous ledges, rocks and boulders of the islands. The largest of the Alcids are the Tufted Puffins; they are about the size of pigeons and weigh up to 1 kilogram. The Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes, Red-faced Cormorants add diversity and noise to the colonies. Out to sea the Scaups and Harlequin Ducks demanded endless attention while the Steller’s Eider young males and King Eider females are challenging to identify.
The spring and fall migrations also attract a handful of hardy birders hoping for the thrill of a potential Asian vagrant blown off course by the notorious storm winds of the Bering Sea. Our knowledgeable guides mentioned that the best time to see the Asiatic migrants is late May and early June. Late August and early September are best for sighting unusual North American migrant land birds. More than 240 species have been identified here on the Pribilof Islands. The islands are the only accessible place some birds are seen such as the Red-legged Kittiwakes. Eighty percent of the world’s Red-legged Kittiwakes breed right here on the Pribilof Islands. Other species, such as the Red-faced Cormorant are rarely seen in such abundant numbers.
The elements are wildly extravagant on the Pribilof Islands. Summer on the islands is bleak and foggy, downright cold and the arctic July winds buffed our faces a ruddy red. The normal summer temperature range is from 2 to 10 degrees centigrade and we felt the cold because of the wind chill factor. The long daylight hours made each day feel like 2 days worth of birding, we were out for long stretches of time during the morning, afternoon and late into the evenings.
Less than an hour after our plane arrived, Andy our guide, along with binoculars, spotting scope and tripod had us hanging over the 30 meter cliffs at Tolstoi Point. In view were the puffins, we took a long breath and the arduous flight and the stressful waiting to leave the mainland was over, the shrieks and squawks from the cliffs almost as deafening as the surf and wind. The obsession with feeding and breeding is clear, the Tufted Puffins are particularly comical and I could see why the literature calls them “flying cigars” in flight. They move very quickly close to water and they feed by diving, and then flying under water with their wings in pursuit of small minnow-like fish. We also watched the Glaucous-winged Gulls pecking at seal carcasses which certainly help keep the beaches clean.
The birds’ obsession with feeding was mirrored by our own obsession and the only restaurant in town, which is more like a canteen, is at the airport and became both the meeting place as well as the refuge from the endurance birding out on the tundra. Dana was running the place; she was on St. Paul Island on contract for the summer from Anchorage and cooked volumes of wholesome Alaskan food. It was not uncommon to find reindeer sausage, halibut, crab or salmon on the buffet menu. We chatted to Taiwanese photographers, Connecticut Audubon birders, scientists, researchers, biologists, Coast Guard and government employees and the like in this bustling meeting spot. Everyone here seemed to be on the island to probe and learn more about seals, birds, plants or people.
One of the many delights is watching the birds manage their eggs on the precarious cliff edges. The Thick-billed Murre lays one pale green speckled pear-shaped egg and its shape prevents the egg from rolling off the cliff ledges. The Horned Puffins choose large crevices for nesting while the Tufted Puffins nest in the cracks or scrape a burrow in dirt on the cliffs. The social hierarchy is evident on the cliffs. Each of the different bird species has its nesting preference which minimizes the conflict between the species. The Northern Fulmars dominated the larger ledges. The Parakeet Auklets find the tiniest of cracks higher up the cliff face. The nests of the Red-legged Kittiwakes, made of grass and mud seem to balance on non-existent ledges and it’s a marvel that they do not plummet to the Bering Sea below.
Our quest was for long walks along the windswept rugged coastline and when the fog lifts, the vistas across the tundra. St Paul is less than 22 km long and 13 km wide. The island has been shaped by volcanic activity and stripped down to bare rock and stunted tundra vegetation by wind. The walking is easy on the soft spongy tundra. Amongst the cottongrass tussocks and mosses are a profusion of tundra wild flowers, the prolific purple Arctic Lupines dominate but when we slowed down and started to pay close attention to detail we were thrilled to see Arctic Forget-me-nots, Chocolate Lilies, bright yellows Alaska Poppies and the many species of cinquefoil. There are no trees on the island although the guides take much delight in showing off the few stunted introduced trees that look out of place and rather miserable. The Snow Buntings, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches and the Lapland Longspurs entertained us with their beautiful series of tinkling notes along our walks. This longspur is one of the most common small birds on the moist tundra. Like the Snow Bunting, it has a long hind toenail and runs, rather than hops.
From the observation blinds at the Northern Fur Seal rookeries, Callorhinus ursinus, we watched mothers nursing pups, males fighting over females and all the rest of this raucous smelly scene. Even though the scene looks haphazard we were told that the seal rookery is a society ruled by protocol. The number of seals are overwhelming, experts put their numbers at anywhere between 600 000 and 800 000 mammals. Northern fur seals have short, pointed faces with large rear flippers. The pups are black at birth but as they mature they become dark brown in coloration, with a pale patch on the neck.
The first time I glimpsed the arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, its size was a surprise, standing about 30 centimeters tall and no bigger than our cat back home. They were scrawny and in summer a dark nondescript grey, brown colour. We kept bumping into the foxes on our walks as they sneaked around after bird eggs on the cliffs. They are agile and nimbly climb up and down the cliffs, carrying off an egg or two in their cheeks.
There is no short cut to get to the Pribilof Islands, seemingly endless days of flying time from South Africa, a disorientating 10 hour time difference but the effort is worthwhile to be part of this island culture and to experience all it has to offer the inquisitive traveler. Our summer bird list from St. Paul Island may not be extensive but is made up for in the pleasure of watching breeding birds on a truly wild and remote island.
Travel info
Pribilof Islands birding tours are available through St Paul Island Tours from mid-May to late August. Packages range from 3 to 8 days. Most birders stay for 2 nights and rush around the island seeing the specials. We would recommend at least 3 nights to get closer to the rhythm of the island, its people and the wildlife. Prices start from $1361 per person. Contact TDX Corporation, 4300 B Street, Suite 402, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. 1-877-424-5637. www.alaskabirding.com.
PenAir flies from Anchorage to St. Paul several times a week, 1-800-448-4226, www.penair.com
Bird List:
Northern Fulmar, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-faced Cormorant, Northern Pintail, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, King Eider, Steller’s Eider, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Semipalmated Plover, Gray-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, Rock Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Glaucous-winged Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Red-legged Kittiwake, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Ancient Murrelet, Parakeet Auklet, Least Auklet, Crested Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Horned Puffin, Common Raven, Winter Wren, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Passing the 400 mark at Pafuri
Fever tree forests, magestic Nyalaberry and Jackalberry trees, marshlands, acacia thornveld, mopanis, endless views from Lanner Gorge, riverine woodland, the game drives from Parfuri Camp were a birding treat which I had so been looking forward to, its a decade since I was last this far up in the Park. We overnighted at Punda Maria on the way up, seeing the Eastern Nicator behind the shop as suggested in Birdfinder was a thrill.We also had a lion male a meter from the Jeep within an hour of being in Kruger, even before seeing Impala.
This trip also had its mishap with Fred leaping onto a boulder which gave way, he then fell about 5 meters, ripped his ear, cracked his skull and has many abrasions all over his arms and legs. Bit more than we had bargained for on a morning game drive!
Johnson, our guide, had me in awe of his ability to mimic calls, even more so seeing that I do not have a good 'birding ear' at all. His Pearl-spotted Owlet call had the bush alive with birds protesting like mad which kept us entertained.
Hayley and I came away "pels'less" but very happy with all our sightings, she had loads of lifers. A highlight for all of us was hearing the African Wood Owls calling from our tent late on the first evening, a clear, loud and strident calling between the male and female. Fred snuck out with the torch and the owl was in the Nyalaberry right at our deck, we called Hayley and her Mom, Margie across - pyjamas and all, and we quietly took it all in. We had good sightings of the Verreaux Eagle on our night drive too. The night drives were a great help to get some nightjars onto my BBY list - the Square-tailed and Fiery-necked and the Three-banded Courser was also a big tick.
My lifers were unexpected, I had hoped for some of the local specials like a Racket-tailed Roller, but instead was delighted with an Olive-tree Warbler and Green-capped Eremomela.
The magestic Martial Eagle always impresses...
Passing the 400 mark with the Little Sparrowhawk made me feel that my objective of reseeing my list was becoming a reality, it had seemed to be creeping for a while. Given how much birding is still to come this summer I am quietly getting excited.
Also saw a Thick-tailed Bushbaby for the first time on this trip. We drove through a vast herd of Buffalo and saw a new born with its umbilical cord still evident.
We stopped in at the Pafuri Picnic Spot on the way home and Frank, the Birdlife Guide, was a great help in getting a glimpse of the Wattle-eyed Flycatcher as well as my other lifer for the trip Bohm's Spinetails.
I am grateful that my diet does not include huge crunchy crickets - this roller spent quite some on its meal.Sunday, March 8, 2009
Birding in the Backyard
Thanks to Geoff Lockwood for calling the Ovambo Sparrowhawk early this morning at Delta Park. Our sunday walk around Delta started with a chat with Geoff - on the roof at the Environmental Centre - as the Sparrowhawk flew and landed in front of us. A lifer right in our backyard among the walkers, dogs, runners and cyclists. It was enjoyable to be back in our sunday rhythm of walking and coffee at Vida.
This favourite quote descibes so well where I find myself at the moment:
"...the satisfactions that come with the middle years, the convergence of maturity with time left, energy with means, a recognition of accomplishment that frees the spirit."
Barack Obama: Dreams from my Father.
This favourite quote descibes so well where I find myself at the moment:
"...the satisfactions that come with the middle years, the convergence of maturity with time left, energy with means, a recognition of accomplishment that frees the spirit."
Barack Obama: Dreams from my Father.
Monday, March 2, 2009
On becoming a Twitcher
Talk of the Macaroni Penguin started around lunch at Damhoek Nature Reserve on Saturday. I had spent the morning birding with the Club and the woodpecker drought was eventually broken with a good view of both the male and female Cardinal Woodpecker.
I then spent the evening, under the duvet with a Gauteng storm raging, reading 'The Big Year', the story of the 1998 Big Year. The North American Big Year is all about the obsession of chasing rarities to break the record of the number of sightings in a calendar year and is is an extreme form of birding. I have no doubt that this influenced my behaviour the next morning.
Quote: The Big Year, Mark Obmascik
"The truth is that everyone has obsessions.
Most people manage them.
Birders, however, indulge them."
On our way back we had an extraordinary snake sighting, too upclose and very personal. This year of birding has already exposed us to nature in a way that has not happened before. Such a joy.
I then spent the evening, under the duvet with a Gauteng storm raging, reading 'The Big Year', the story of the 1998 Big Year. The North American Big Year is all about the obsession of chasing rarities to break the record of the number of sightings in a calendar year and is is an extreme form of birding. I have no doubt that this influenced my behaviour the next morning.
Quote: The Big Year, Mark Obmascik
"The truth is that everyone has obsessions.
Most people manage them.
Birders, however, indulge them."
Macaroni Penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus
First reported on 25 February 2009 from Brandfontein just west of Cape Agulhas and still present on 2 March 2009. This is the 13th record for Southern Africa.
Sunday morning, 1 March, I officially transitioned into a Twitcher, booked a hurried ticket to Cape Town, called a bemused Fred, drove a 500 kilometer roundtrip to a remote beach spot west of Cape Agulhas to see the Macaroni Penguin. The bird is moulting and looks lost quite frankly - I know that is a human condition but Fred and I did experience a flatness on seeing this bird so far from where it should be.
So I am a listing birder, with twitcher tendencies, that chased a rarity and lifer yesterday which was a megatick. Confused, here are some definitions that I have copied across from the Zest for Birds website (acknowledgement to Trevor Hardaker) which clears up all the subleties of the labels in the birding community:
Birdwatcher: A broad brush stroke definition describing a person who gains enjoyment from bird related activities, whether just in the garden or local patch or further afield. Does not categorise the keenness of the birdwatcher or the intensity of the bird watching, and has a certain stigma attached to its use due to the plethora of "birdwatcher" jokes which are foisted upon one by non-birders.
Birder: The popular term describing a person who is regularly active in the field finding, observing, counting and/or researching birds. Generally has been bitten by the "birding bug", and consequently birding is his major activity outside of work, especially when away from home. Will plan holidays specifically to maximise birding opportunities.
Twitcher: A birder in all the good sense of the term during normal times, but responds with frenzied activity to news of rarities in his region, and will spend large amounts of money and travel long distances at short notice in order to see a rarity or new bird. Consequently is the subject of scorn from certain birdwatchers who find this eagerness to see new birds distasteful. Is often accused (and sometimes guilty) of contravening the Code of Ethics in his desire to see a new bird. Due to his extra focus on rare species, it is the twitcher who very often discovers new or rare species in the region.
Ticker (aka Lister): A person whose prime focus in birding is the compilation of his lifelist, generally in a competitive way. Has very little interest in spending more than a few moments with the bird, and once seen, shows little desire to see the bird ever again.
Rarities
So, what are these birds that persuade people to put their hand (or their pride) in their pocket and rush off to remote parts of their region. Again with some reference to Bill Oddie, here are a few definitions:
Rarity: A species that has seldom, if ever, been recorded in the region before. Often a migrant species that has overshot, reverse migrated, or been swept out of its range by abnormal weather patterns.
Lifer: A species that is new to you, ie you have never seen it anywhere.
SA Bird: A species that you have seen elsewhere in the world, but that is new to your Southern African list.Tick: A new bird on your list, once you have seen it. Can be either a lifer or an SA bird.
Megatick: A very rare species which you have just seen. The "mega" is an attempt to convey the enormous excitement you feel.
On our way back we had an extraordinary snake sighting, too upclose and very personal. This year of birding has already exposed us to nature in a way that has not happened before. Such a joy.
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