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<strong>Overstrand</strong> <strong>Herald</strong> 25 Julie 2013 Bladsy 16<br />
Bird Club outing - July<br />
17 July dawned with a lovely<br />
cloudless sky and no wind Ö<br />
a perfect day for birding. However,<br />
anticipating a typical<br />
winter rainy day, an indoor<br />
event was organised. Murphy<br />
at work again.<br />
Justin and Annamarie van der<br />
Hoven had very kindly opened<br />
their home to the club to show<br />
us pictures of their last holiday<br />
in Kenya.<br />
Twenty eight bird watchers<br />
gathered for the event which<br />
started with a discussion on<br />
why many wagtails are seen<br />
with deformities such as a<br />
missing leg, turned up claw,<br />
etc,<br />
Paul had been asked a question<br />
recently and not knowing<br />
the answer had done some research.<br />
Google of course<br />
knows everything and sure<br />
enough there is an article by a<br />
student from Johannesburg<br />
Open University who has done<br />
her MA thesis on the subject.<br />
The cause Ö the scaly leg<br />
mite.<br />
Justin then started the picture<br />
show. The first film showed the<br />
trip. Several different parks<br />
were visited, including the<br />
Masai Mara with animals including<br />
lion, leopard and cheetah,<br />
interspersed with many<br />
bird pictures. My personal<br />
favourite picture was of a wil-<br />
debeest caught in the air<br />
jumping over some wild water,<br />
at a tributary of the Mara River.<br />
Interesting to see a mass of<br />
vehicles at a sighting.<br />
Apparently the drivers are in<br />
radio contact, so when an interesting<br />
animal or event is spotted,<br />
a mass of vehicles descend<br />
on the place, all jockeying<br />
for the best position,<br />
hoping to improve their tips.<br />
Justin told an amusing story<br />
of a vehicle in this situation<br />
which broke down 5 metres<br />
from a lion. Several other vehicles<br />
then had to crowd round<br />
the brokendown vehicle to act<br />
as a shield to enable the driver<br />
to jump out and attach a tow<br />
rope. All this happening within<br />
a few metres of the lion.<br />
The second feature was all<br />
birds. There is little doubt that<br />
as you go further north there<br />
are many really colourful birds<br />
which are not seen in South<br />
Africa. Conversely there are<br />
many birds which we see<br />
here, particularly in the northern<br />
parts of South Africa.<br />
After the films we all enjoyed<br />
refreshments kindly supplied<br />
by Justin and Annamarie, and<br />
while eating and chatting were<br />
able to admire their garden.<br />
Many thanks to Justin and<br />
Annamarie for such a great<br />
outing. Paul Bramhall
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