The Splitting of Birds.

The splitting of birds is a reality world-wide as research happens, Phoebe Snetsinger's book 'Birding on Borrowed Time' mentions that in the 1990 publishing of Sibley and Monroe's 'Distribution and Taxonomy of the Birds of the World', approximately 500 new species were added. It is no mean feat to keep abreast of all these changes in the bird world.

Here in South Africa our list has also been swelling over the last decade and I had not paid enough attention to these splits.. So I have been in catch-up mode this year to see the birds such as the split of the Long-billed Larks (to date seen 4 of the 5 in this group which has taken me from Agulhas to Namibia to do so), as I do not keep rigorous field notes like the professional birders do.

Etienne Marais' website Indicator Birding has an article on one such split-
'Karoo Thrush and Olive Thrush were split on the basis of genetic work conducted a few years ago. However fieldguides have been rather vague and even error-prone in attempting to guide birders in relation to the identification of these related species.'

Fred's photo of the Karoo Thrush clearly shows the grey flanks, Orange Eye-ring, the plain yellow bill without dark base to upper mandible; so I had quite a rude awakening to realise that the birds I was seeing on our Sunday morning trip to the Wonderboom Nature Reserve in Pretoria were in fact Karoo Thrushes rather than Olive Thrushes!

Suddenly we had a new species to record that has been in the Johannesburg gardens all along. I did find the field guides confusing as well but I think we have the measure of these two birds now. We also climbed the hill up to the Wonderboom fort trying for the Stripped Pipit but with no luck so need to keep trying.

Marutswa Forest Boardwalk

What does commitment look like?
Today best descibes what commitment means to me for this Big Birding Year. Its one of the coldest weeks of the year here, so the 5am wake up felt extreme, dark and cold and I was creeping around Doreen's home trying not to wake up all the family members snug in their beds. Pulling on layers of clothing, gulping down a mug of coffee and hitting the road from Hilton to Bulwer in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Southern Midlands.
Commitment also means solitary birding, I turned up the heater and navigated the 100 or so kilometers to the Marutswa Forest Trail, quietly marvelled at the sunrise over the Umkomaas River and realised that I did not feel lonely. I felt relief that the wind has subsided and excitement as my early morning target was the endangered Cape Parrot.
The advertising for Marutswa positions this mist-belt indigenous forest as a real birding treat:

"Birds:The forest is home to a vast number of rare and interesting birds. Cape Parrots, sadly endangered and dwindling in numbers in South Africa are attracted by the seeds, and the nesting potential of the plentiful yellow wood trees and are often found in flocks of up to 100 birds in the forest. They have also been seen as a flock harrying a Long Crested Eagle for up to a kilometre at a time out of the forest. Bush Black Caps have been spotted, shyly foraging in the dense forest undergrowth. The Knysna Turaco with it’s restless bouncing and bounding and The Orange Ground-Thrush with its melodious whistling phrases are often sighted here, as well as the Southern Black Tit, and in the last few weeks five gloriously booming Ground Hornbills have also been spotted nearby.


I arrived at dawn in time to see a handful of parrots arriving and settling on a huge dead tree at the start of the trails, wonderful, I then relaxed and enjoyed the rest of my time walking the trails.
Fred and I have a pact, we do lifers together and have done so for more than fifteen years, so imagine my delight and dismay when an Orange Ground-Thrush popped out of the dense forest underground and quietly crept across the path right in front of me - a lifer and no Fred! I was preparing a whole lot of scenarios in my mind from not telling him, to pretending we had already seen the bird... anyway I called him later in the day, just before the Springbok-Lions rugby game and asked him nicely to let me use the sighting for the Big Birding Year. Such a special sighting and the only new bird for June.
After loads of coffee and a bacon, onion and cheese sandwich at Birds in the Barley in Bulwer, I went back to the forest trails to find robins. Did eventually find the Chorister as well as Olive Sunbirds as I was leaving.

Marutswa was good birding, Bush Blackcaps, Turacos, Tits, Forest Canaries, and much more. Worth the commitment.

Challenging Winter Birding

Winter bites here in the Berg.

We have had a light dusting of snow on the Berg and gale force winds for a few days now. Yesterday the Weather Bureau issued a national warning about the wind conditions from the Cape through to the Drakensberg. So for the first time this year my birding has been stopped in its tracks by the weather. Its been almost inpossible to be out and I have seen no sign of my target birds - Bearded Vulture, Drakensberg Rockjumper or the Siskin.

The only hardy birds that I am glimpsing are the Ravens, Stonechats and Longclaws along the mountain paths.

These photos were taken from the protection of our Jeep along The Sentinel approach road ....

.... to the Amphitheatre...

Free State Birding

I am birding again after a two week gap, been generally distracted with work commitments and family, which does not fall into the distraction category though. Its so good to be walking the hills here in the Free State and I have already added Ground Woodpecker and Red-winged Francolin to the Big Birding Year list.

Our base for the week is Qwantani on the Sterkfontein Dam, with the sandstone cliffs making for beautiful backdrops against the golden grasslands. Its a glorious winter setting to try and find some of the specials here. Certainly sky-watching for the Bearded Vulture at all opportunities, no luck as yet but we have had wonderful views of Cape Vultures at the Sterkfontein Vulture Restaurant. The billboard mentioned that the initiative has swelled the number of vultures to over 300 from a handful a decade ago.

The family is gathered together at Qwantani for Dad's 80th birthday which is an extraordinary milestone for all of us. Inel is here from Cowra, Australia with Joss, looking so grown up; from Hilton, Doreen, Barry, Mitchell and little Keziah; and Shawni has taken leave to be with us too.

I spent time over the weekend driving the back roads around Harrismith and was rewarded with a field of Blue Cranes. We also stalked 3 Blue Korhaans across some farmers' fields, definitely disturbed the sheep but needed to check that the Korhaans were not the elusive Barrow's.

....Bokmakerie pops across and joins us for tea at our unit...



I was rather taken aback with the Southern Bald Ibises that walk around the grounds of Qwantani given the effort we made to see them at Wakkerstroom. Fred did not get close enough for a good photo at that stage but here he was able to creep up to the bird and get the close-up.





Reflecting on Sterkfontein Dam:

"New World -big horizon
Open your eyes and see its true
New World - across the frightening
Waves of blue" David Wilcox

Remembering White-tailed Eagles

We seemed to have left bad weather behind us as Cape Town is glorious this morning, big blue sky, no wind and the mountain is finely detailed in the clear air. This past weekend must be the first time I have not done some birding all year. We had planes to catch and things to be done in our flat.

This morning though I took a leisurely stroll along the coastal walk from Muizenberg to St. James and then on to Kalk Bay. It's a treat for many reasons, the historical buildings like Rhodes Cottage, its setting below St. James' peak, quaint arty shops to browse, call of the gulls, the pleasure of watching the African Black Oystercatchers when the tide is out with their startling red legs, bills and eyerings and of course one of the best spots for coffee and a pastry - Olympia Bakery.

My mind wandered both back in time thinking about winter birding highlights over the years and also forward to my planning for walking and birding in spring in Spain next year, mostly that I have to get a whole lot fitter!

A winter odyssey was our trip to Tromso, Norway in January 2008 to experience the Northern Lights. I was enthralled with the snow capped mountains, fjords and the watery light for a few hours a day. The houses along the fjords are painted in a range of colours such as red, sage green, butter yellow in stark contrast to the white of the snow and the black of the pines. Candles flicker in the windows throughout the winter.








We took a nature tour on one of our days along the fjords to find reindeer and the awesome White-tailed Eagle, the fourth largest eagle in the World, also known as the Sea Eagle.




The largest population in Europe is found along the coast of Norway and it did not take us too long to find them, both flying as well as feeding on salmon along the waters edge of the fjords. The photos are not great, although the white tail feathers are clearly seen, because of the low light and sleet conditions but it was a real thrill to watch these eagles in the dead of winter and appreciate their majesty.

I think of all my experiences being in nature, the most breathtaking has been the Aurora Borealis over the night sky in Tromso, Norway. We had spent our first few nights out in the wilderness doing activities like dog-sledding, hoping to see the lights but the weather was too warm and it was mostly overcast. We were overjoyed when the temperatures started to fall well below zero on our last evening out, this time on a horsesleigh, it cleared up and the lights danced for us....

.....the Northern Lights over Tromso in Norway, the fire in the Sami tent kept us warm as the temperatures plummeted during the evening as did the reindeer stew....

Remembering the White-tailed Eagle has got me started on an electronic World List, downloaded a file from the IOC website - over 10 800 birds listed, which will certainly keep me busy recording and listing during winter.